2021 04/16 - 04/19 Pie Town, NM. 04/19 - 04/24 Bosque, NM

 

Pie Town, New Mexico

Pie Town RV Park, NM - 17 & 18 April 2021

How quickly things change especially when we are at 7,778 feet. It wasn't much of an RV park just 6-8 sites in a row and a set of restrooms/showers. It was jacket weather when we arrived but the new day was definitely cold. 

The online description says Pie Town is an unincorporated community. We may not know what constitutes a community but in this case a restaurant and a City Park does the trick. Its name comes from an early bakery that made dried-apple pies by Clyde Norman in the 1920s. We only stayed a short time (enough for two pie runs) but there also the Gila National Forest and not far west is the location of the Very Large Array radio telescope. We were very sad the array was closed due to Covid. 

Interesting picture showing the remote area. We were getting gas across the street and captured this scene.  Interesting sculpture, tiny credit union and cowboy with horse in the reflection. 

Bosque, New Mexico

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM - 20 April 2021

We were not as lucky this time as our last trip when we had hundreds of sandhill cranes. New Mexico was having a difficult time with Covid and so the Visitors' Center was closed. 

No sandhill cranes this time but Glossy Ibis were prevalent. A small herd of deer paraded through a field. A white Heron, some Snow Geese, Great Blue Heron and several wild Turkeys.

Unknown songbird. Turtles sunning themselves along the drainage ditch. Several ducks. 

Salt, Societies, and Spirituality: A Tale of Two Cultures

Tucked away in the middle of New Mexico you’ll find Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument.  Its three distinct sites offer a glimpse into a unique time in history—a time entrenched with cultural borrowing, conflict and struggles.  These sites continue to stand as reminders of the Spanish and Pueblo peoples’ early encounters and prompt exploration of today’s interactions among different people.

Gran Quivira unit, NM - 22 April 2021

The Gran Quivira unit of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is the largest of the three units at 611 acres. Prior to Spanish contact, Gran Quivira was a vast city with multiple pueblos, and kivas.

The surface of the area had many noticeable low areas where water would accumulate. The native population could store this water in pottery for the drier times. One of several Kivas. 

Underground area at the top of the rise is known as Mound 7 and consists of a 226 room structure for the period of 1300-1600. During some later excavation, an older Circular Pueblo was discovered under this same mound. 

The sandpipers seemed to be pretty comfortable with visitors but did keep a close eye on us as we walked around. The large walls are part of the mission. By 1672, a combination of disease, drought, famine and Apache raiding led to the abandonment of Gran Quivira. 

Quarai Mission and Convento, NM - 23 April 2021

The Quarai Mission and Convento were established at Quarai in 1626 overseen by Fray Juan Gutierrez de la Chica. Construction began on La Purisma Concepcion de Quarai in 1627 and continued to 1632.

A windy, cold day out at the second of three sites in the area. Behind the dogs and me are the remains of a Quarai Mission while we are standing in the Convento. 

The massive height and depth of these walls were stunning in size. The covered portion at the bottom of the walls was a repair for damages and to prevent additional damage. 

A scale reproduction of the Quarai and the Convento. 

Abó Unit, NM - 23 April 2021

The Abó Unit of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument sits west of the town of Mountainair, New Mexico, and contains approximately 370 acres. 

In 1622, Fray Francisco Fonte was assigned to the Abó Mission. Working with the Puebloans he built an early small Abó Church and Convento starting in 1623. In 1640 a second missionary, Fray Francisco Acevedo, was assigned to Abó. He built a larger Abó church and convento.  This new, larger church was built around the smaller church, allowing services to continue. A combination of disease, drought, famine, and Apache raiding led to the abandonment of Abó in 1673.

A circular Kiva?  This kiva was built about the same time as the Abó church and convento between 1623 and 1628. A Puebloan kiva is  equivalent of a community center. So what was it doing on the church grounds? Possibly this structure was used in early conversion efforts. It is not really known. Interesting.