Indian Ruins Navajo Rug

"Indian Ruins Navajo Rug": When I saw these words on a giant billboard as we were driving from Holbrook, AZ to Albuquerque, NM, I had to laugh out loud. I had a flashback to a flood (not that there is anything funny about a flood, at the house I grew up in back in Pennsylvania, that did in fact ruin my dad's prize Navajo rug. If you take it literally, you have to feel sorry for the poor Indian who ruined his tribe's rug, huh? But that was not the case at all. In fact, the sign actually looked more like this:

Indian Ruins
Navajo Rug

Indian stores (roadside stands) selling crafts and turquoise jewelry, Kachina dolls, quivers, animal hides and the like are common in this part of the country, much the same way that there are orange stands in Florida. There are lots of "ruins" of old villages where tribal headquarters had once been established. The Indians also now operate some of the casinos that populate this part of the country. Occasionally, something gets lost in the translation and I suppose that was the case with this sign. Anyway, like many a sign- it "caught my fancy!"

I celebrated my birthday, 61 - OUCH!- in Albuquerque. Ken and Linda happened to be in the area as well so we had someone to party with for one dinner and a campground breakfast buffet. Twas fun! We also started provisioning for something we have, at least in some ways, never done before. And what I thought would represent only the beginning of some research in preparation, actually wound up getting totally resolved, with the resources available locally and a helpful suggestion from Cos Cous Ken. I'm not quite ready to make the announcement on the blog, but suffice it to say we have some very exciting news brewing. Watch for our news to follow soon....

And speaking of news, I am writing this from Raton, New Mexico. Tomorrow, God willing, we will head into our 48th state in our less-than-three-years on the road full time. Colorado, here we come! It's probably a risky venture this time of year, but a coach has to do what a coach has to do....and it will be an in-and-out short stay just to say we've been there for now. There is a great deal to see in this state so we will be back- for sure. But there are bigger fish to fry right now, so let's fire up the touring grill, to mix a metaphor....or two. Then that, as I have mentioned a couple times, will leave only North Dakota to color in- and I'll be talking more about that soon as well. Or so I think! And so I say!

From Colorado, we expect to head due east, back toward that coast, to catch up on things that need doing in that part of the country. And then..........................