Category Archives: Family

Chimney Rock

From the highway in southwestern Colorado, between Durango (where our daughter Mindy lives) and Pagosa Springs, you can see “Chimney Rock”. This distinctive geological formation, as its name implies, looks like a fireplace chimney on the roof of a building.

Because we had a bit of extra time allotted on our way heading east to Alamosa, we decided to take a short detour to visit Chimney Rock National Monument. We arrived at a small building that serves as the park office. Nearby a construction crew was in the process of expanding the headquarters. We parked the car. Rhonda and Kaden sought a bathroom, and I wandered off to take some snapshots of Chimney Rock, a bit closer and at a different angle. I was soon satisfied and started to walk back toward the car.

In the distance I could see Rhonda urgently beckoning me. I quickened my pace to reach them.

“There are ruins of structures of the Pueblo people up on the mountain. We can sign up for a tour, but it leaves in five minutes!”
I went up to a ranger and paid the fee for the three of us and we joined some other visitors who were loading into a pair of 4WD park vehicles.
The driver ascended a rutted dirt road that snaked its way upward, and after about 10 minutes arrived at another parking lot.

The Chimney Rock area was home to several successive Pueblo peoples. A latter group was connected to the inhabitants of the Chaco Canyon site to the south in northern New Mexico.

The style of layered stonework is similar to that at Chaco Canyon.

Kaden suffered from the heat a bit while we were there, but he stuck with us and had a good time. Later he rated the site “Excellent!”

After our visit, we stopped to buy some water from a pair of women who staffed a booth. Kaden (who starts second grade in August) advised them of the correct change to provide from the twenty dollar bill. The were quite nice to him. Encouraged, he quizzed them with his favorite math problem: “What is two times one googol?”
They later cautioned him to “try to not be too much smarter than his teachers.” 🙂

Location of Chimney Rock

Mesa verde national park

The “Four Corners” area, including southwest Colorado includes extended areas of dry terrain covered with scrub vegetation. “Mesa Verde National Park” is located in this area and includes cultural and archaeological sites of the ancestors of the Pueblo People who still live in America’s southwest. Human presence began about 10,000 years ago with nomadic hunter-gatherers who gave way to early farmers who grew corn and wove baskets.

About a thousand years ago, the residents of this area began to build houses and other buildings above the ground. About 800 years ago complex interconnected structures were constructed within protective openings in cliff walls. Mesa Verde park includes a number of these “cliff dwellings”. The photo below shows a smallish series of buildings in the cliff. Actually, this is the same cliff shown in the panoramic first photo of this post. If you click on that photo to enlarge it, you can see this site in an opening of the cliff at the right side of the image.

One of the most famous complex of cliff buildings is called “Cliff Palace”. Our daughter Mindy had arranged tickets for Rhonda, Kaden, and me to participate in a brief tour of that site, led by a park ranger.

As we began our descent from the rim of the canyon, we got our first glimpse of Cliff Palace.

Our guide had previously worked as a field archaeologist, and was very knowledgeable about Mesa Verde and the people who had lived there. During her explanations, she spoke about the way in which the entire community, including growing children, had participated in the responsibilities of the settlements. Kaden was fascinated to learn that young boys his age would help with the care and feeding of the domestic turkeys. (Much like the way Kaden helps with the chickens and ducks at his house!)

Visitors are fascinated by the buildings and stonework.

(But where was Jack! He and his mom spent the day paddle-boarding on a lake near Durango. Jack had already visited Mesa Verde in 2018 along with Rhonda and our daughter Mindy.
The photo below is from that 2018 trip.)

You can see the location of Mesa Verde in the southwest (bottom-right) corner of the map.

A few years ago, “Voice of America” (VoA) produced an audio piece explaining Mesa Verde. I have include an adaptation that you can listen to by using the controls below:

A PDF document that includes the same narration can be downloaded using the link below.

Note: Although in my youth, VoA had been rather notorious for its propaganda broadcasts over shortwave radio beamed to various corners of the world, today they offer a much broader content, including materials designed for English language learners. I have used a variety of their materials in my ESL classes and in many cases reconfigured the content to be most useful to fit into lesson plans. Some of these are published on the Open-ESL.org web site.

Great Sand Dunes National Monument

Road Trip!
Rhonda and I took advantage of a rare opportunity to take both Colorado grandchildren on a road trip. We started in Denver, with our five year old grandson Jack strapped into a car seat and headed south to Peyton (near Colorado Springs) to pick up Kaden who is seven.

Our first stop? Great Sand Dunes National Monument, which is in southern Colorado, almost four hours away from Denver.

Red flag shows location of the Great Sand Dunes National Monument

I’ll be honest, a long car ride with two youngsters is not without its challenges. Luckily, besides being cousins, Jack and Kaden are best friends.

This National Monument, is a strange phenomenon. These mountains of sand are dwarfed by the adjacent Sangre De Cristo range.

The parking lot adjacent to the dunes seemed peaceful, but…

We arrived at the visitor center and then ventured toward the dunes. The area was swarming with mosquitoes! We were not prepared at all, and almost immediately the boys received painful bites. Fortunately some kindly fellow-tourists shared repellent spray and wipes.

Kaden, Rhonda, and Jack
Do they really let old, feeble men into the park? Well yes! especially when they are carrying a National Park “Senior Pass”!

The youngsters (Jack, Kaden, and Rhonda 🙂 ) took off their shoes and tromped through the wide shallow stream that runs at the edge of the dunes.

Mountains of sand? Seemed like a gigantic sand box for the boys!

Best friends

Eventually it was time to leave and head to our hotel in Alamosa.
We would need some rest before the next leg of travel… onward to Durango!

But, before going to sleep we headed into town for some grub at the Purple Pig Pizza and Pub! 🙂

hard-working guys

Jack came to spend the day. He and Nana put in some hard work setting up a train track. I had run off to the home improvement store to get materials for a small remodel project in our kitchen. Jack and I were exhausted and took a little nap. (Nana is made of tougher stuff!)

Well, after a bit of rest, we were good as new!

(Notice the 15 year old t-shirt I rescued from the bottom of my pants drawer-
¡¡Che que bo!!)

In celebration of the dragon boat festival

With thoughts of Rhonda. She is the storm! She faces life with determination. She is our Dragon-Woman because she was born in the year of the Dragon!

… existe ese linaje de mujeres dragonas supervivientes de cáncer que afrontan la vida con decisión, orgullo, fortaleza y valentía …

… there exists a lineage of dragon women- survivors of cancer, who face life with determination, pride, strength and courage…

Cabeza de Dragón, un cuento de dragones y dragonas

Publicado el 12/05/2019  en Relatos  por AguirreComunica

Cuento de dragones. Soy Madre de Dragonas y os voy a contar mi historia. Pertenezco a un linaje de dragonas pero no siempre fue así….

Llevaba pocos días en el equipo pero la acogida fue tan estupenda que no desconfíe en ningún momento. Después de mucho insistir, era novata y la verdad no lo veía muy claro, me armé de valor para subir al dragón con un miedo atroz, escuchando los gritos de ánimo de las dragonas.

Había decidido iniciar una vida llena de deporte y buenos hábitos. Uno de ellos, era aquel equipo de mujeres fuertes que surcaban las aguas a lomos de un enorme dragón verde.

La entrenadora parecía una joven experimentada así que seguí sin desconfiar y con un salto desgarbado, entré en el dragón. El chaleco salvavidas me apretaba enormemente. Entre ese inconveniente y los nervios, me faltaba el aire pero no le di importancia. Si aquellas mujeres valientes podían, yo también.

Me sentaron entre risas en la proa, en una silla de espaldas a la cabeza del dragón y con un enorme tambor entre mis piernas.

El barco se balanceaba y mientras intentaba mantener el equilibrio sobre aquella mínima silla de madera, agarrada con todas mis fuerzas al tambor incrustado entre mis muslos, la entrenadora gritó: posición uno. Levante las baquetas con decisión al mismo tiempo que ellas levantaban las palas.

Silencio

Uno, dos, tres, cuatro…cada vez que las dos mujeres situadas enfrente de mi hincaban la punta de la pala en el agua, descargaba mi escasa fuerza sobre el tambor intentando marcar un ritmo que apenas podía seguir. Cinco, seis, siete… el barco zozobraba a cada palada y mi cuerpo, en vez de dejarse llevar, estaba cada vez más tenso.

Acompañaba el cuerpo hacia delante y hacia atrás mientras chillaba sin parar la entrenadora que llevaba el timón con fuerza, menos mal, haciendo magia para no caernos. Estaba realmente asustada porque el barco se movía mucho y al estar más alta que ninguna e inestable en la sillita de madera, parecía que me iba a caer en cada palada.

Todas sonreían y a mí me dio muy mala espina porque pese al mal tiempo, ponían buena cara. Más tarde supe que esa característica era propia del linaje de dragonas al que estaba iniciándome y que era una filosofía de vida fantástica.

Cuando todo parecía ir más o menos bien, el dragón permanecía recto, erguido, impasible sobre las aguas, empezaron a cantar como posesas: “las dragonas llegan ya todas juntas a palear….”. Lo hacían con una fuerza no humana y desafiándome con sus miradas.

De repente, el aire cambió y pese a estar en el puerto, las olas empezaron a desestabilizar la embarcación. La descoordinación entre las dragonas era tal que el barco saltaba balanceado haciendo que la proa, o sea la cabeza del dragón, el tambor y yo, chocara bruscamente contra unas aguas embravecidas.

Para ser la primera vez que subía a un dragón, la experiencia estaba siendo inolvidable y desde luego que escribiría un bonito cuento de dragones después de esto pero no, no pude escribí nada.

El cielo se ennegreció y pese a los intentos de la entrenadora, parecía que el dragón volaba por su cuenta. Las dragonas sin embargo, parecían felices y disfrutaban con cada embestida que me hacía saltar por los aires y volver a caer exhausta en la escasa sillita de madera.

Empezó la tormenta del siglo que en cuestión de segundos nos alejó de la dársena. Ellas, dragonas experimentadas, le querían quitar hierro al asunto pero yo, agarrada con todas mis fuerzas al tambor, sentí que el dragón nos abandonaba a nuestra suerte.

Palas al agua dragonas, oía chillar a la entrenadora. Qué cada una aguante su pala, no las perdáis si volcamos. Aquella afirmación me hizo cerrar con terror los ojos inundados ya de agua salada y como pude, me sujete al cuello del dragón fuertemente que bravo, subía y bajaba haciendo que mi cuerpo se golpeará al ritmo de las dragonas, contra el agua.

Ellas seguían riendo bajo la tormenta paleando incansables mientras se balanceaban a un lado y al otro como provocando el vuelco definitivo del dragón. Pensé que quizás lo estuvieran haciendo adrede y no estaba muy equivocada. Una gran ola se aproximaba rápida y yo me deje llevar. Volcamos.

Permanecí pegada a la cabeza del dragón que con el ímpetu, se vino conmigo bajo las aguas. Tan fuerte lo cogía que sentí por un momento que pasaba a formar parte de él. Cerré los ojos mientras oía cantar a las dragonas y ya no recuerdo más.

Despierto en el dragón, estoy incrustada en la proa, soy la cabeza misma del dragón y perpleja, no me creo que esto esté pasando. Un cuento de dragones de terror. Me destapan y se hacen fotos conmigo. No se si no se han dado cuenta pero creo que sí porque hablan de mí en presente entre risas como si estuviese entre ellas y no me echan de menos.

Ahora surco los mares con ellas y cuando competimos, sin que los jueces me vean, estiro todo lo que puedo mi cuello verde para que entren las primeras y celebren el triunfo de sus vidas. Se abrazan, me abrazan, lloran de alegría y se hacen fotos con la cabeza del dragón que no es otra cosa que yo misma.

Soy la Madre de Dragonas y pertenezco a un linaje de dragonas valientes que felices y cómplices cantan a grito pelado mientras palean: “…ya se asoma la cabeza del dragón, surcando los mares como un ciclón…”.

Epílogo: Aunque la ficción sea eso, ficción, este cuento de dragones, dragonas y mares es más verídico de lo que parece porque existe ese linaje de mujeres dragonas supervivientes de cáncer que afrontan la vida con decisión, orgullo, fortaleza y valentía y cuentan que por las noches se las oye cantar su canto de dragonas.

Enlace al cuento original: Cabeza de dragón

Rancho de salva

My friends Natalia, Salva, Voro, and Nico have a ranch.
OK, I say “friends”, but honestly Natalia and Salva feel like much more than just friends. They feel like family, like close cousins.
OK, it is not exactly a ranch.
For a number of years they have had a small bit of land up on a hill outside Canals. It was dry, and a bit barren, but it did have a view to the distance of Montesa. This year, Salva proudly announced to me that they had bought a bit of land at the edge of Annauir, their hometown.
“Want to go take a look?”
“Of course!” I answered.

The plot of land was enclosed within a fence and included a couple of sheds/outbuildings. He pointed out what would soon be his chicken coop, and a variety of fruit trees. Variety? There was at least one of just about every fruit tree you can imagine. They had not had the property very long, and he was working to fix things up a bit before the heat of summer arrived. He was placing irrigation tubing within a fabric-protected greenhouse where he would plant a variety of vegetables.

Outside, by the border fence there were roses and even some grape vines, with tiny budding grapes.

About a month later, before I headed home to Colorado, Salva took me back again. The coop had chickens clucking along who decided that perhaps my shoes were food-like substances. Vegetables were slowly growing in the garden area, and crazy snails were working their way up any vertical surface or stick.

I think it is great that their two small children would have this bit of terreno as part of their world as they grow up.

As Salva drove me back to Xàtiva I said to him, “You have a really good life here.”
He said “Yes, we are happy. A person can always want more. But if we are not satisfied with what we have, a person will never be happy.”

Visiting Friends in Ontinyent

The weather is getting much nicer, and I decided it was high time I visited my friends Rafa and Marta who live in Ontinyent.

(click on any photo to go to an enlarged view. In that view, click again to “zoom in”.)

Rafa picked me up in Xàtiva, and they showed me their beautiful flat before we headed out to see the sights.

Very close to town is an oasis called Pou Clar (Clear Spring)

Pou Clar
The ducks here are a different breed than the mallards common in Denver.

It is a tranquil haven right off a highway, but down below you can’t even hear the cars.

The time is always right for a “selfie”


This park is quite extensive with a series of trails that follow the water, but one trail also climbs up the hill on the other side where there are picnic benches protected by signs that warn that picnicking is strictly forbidden. 😂😂

This area is near a spot I have often admired from the train that runs to Alcoy. As the train slips out into the open air between tunnels, there is a quick glimpse of a complex of buildings that includes what looks like a castle gate leading into the hillside. I have always been curious about it, but nobody seemed to know much about it.

Mystery spot

Well, today, a couple of kilometers from Pou Clar, we stopped by the entrance to that site. “Al Barranc el Castell i la Noria” (the castle and wheelhouse in the ravine)

The front door of: Al Barranc el Castell i la Noria

After getting that all straightened out, we headed to our next destination!

Bocarient

We continued up the road to the beautiful little town of Bocarient. Rhonda and I had been there a decade or more ago. From the highway, the view of the  church and the town’s jumble of old houses is stunning!

Bull ring in Bocarient

When we visited, we had heard of a hilltop bull-ring  carved out of the native stone, but had been unable to find it. Rafa navigated his car up and down a series of extremely narrow one-way streets and took us to the edge of the bull ring. I am not a fan of bull fights, but this was a very interesting sight!

Time to eat! We headed back to Ontinyent, where our treasured guide Marta led us to an elegant restaurant. The morning travels had sparked our appetites. The Salmorejo I had as my “first dish” was definitely not on my diet plan! But it was delicious!

Salmorejo
Paella

My “second course” was “Grandma’s paella”. This wasn’t going to help my diet either! (and don’t even ask about how the wine you see in the photo fits in!) To wrap things up we each had yummy flan. OK, this probably set my weight reduction plan back a whole week, but it was so delicious!


Next, Rafa and Marta took me to the Hermita de San Esteve, which is high atop a mountain with a stunning view over the entire area. On the drive up, Rafa recounted a recent strenuous bicycle ride up to the top.

Hermita de San Esteve

I felt as if I had worked off some of my meal’s calories just by listening to the account!

The view from San Esteve (click to enlarge!)

Compass rose

There are metal plates with all the sights you can see from this panoramic view. Of great interest me was the “compass rose” that identified which directions the view included. At the top it says south. But I was fascinated by the labels for east and west: Llevant (rise) for east, and Ponent (set) for west!

In the shade

After admiring the view for a bit, we took shelter from the sun and sat for a bit to recover from the meal.


OK, time to stop lollygagging! Back to Oninyent to see the sights of the town! We headed toward the old quarter and walked past the Santa Maria church which boasts the tallest bell tower in the region.

Bell tower of Santa Maria

The view across the old part of town was quite pleasant!

Rooftops of the old part of town
Clock of mystery

One roof sported a strange, intricate clock. It was a mystery. We later walked in front of the building that the clock adorned, but it was nothing special at all. Go figure. Somewhere there is a story…

On a wall, there was a painted image of a cat with wings: “The cat on the roof meowing for love”






Last but not least, two bridges over the Clariano River: One low, one high.

Low bridge over the Clariano
High bridge

Back to Xàtiva now!