“Anthropomorphic,” the figures of men with exaggerated torsos and strange headdresses.  Two teenage girls were viewing petroglyphs, similar to these.  One turned to the other and said, “It must have been aliens.”  Although the experts can mostly guess at the meaning of petroglyphs, aliens seem unlikely.  I wonder what meaning people attribute to our art generations from  now in the absence of a written record.  From petroglyphs, to cliff dwellings, to sandy riverside beaches and towering dunes, the sandstone of the western United States creates a land of wonders.

Hail, the size of softballs destroyed their trailer.  The next year, as they huddled in a storm shelter, wind destroyed another trailer.   Our RV neighbor, travelling with his wife and three children related the above and still they enjoy RV travel.  Then, later that day, we were pelted by hail and rain so strong it entered our RV windows even though closed tight.  

We have had a least a little rain each day we have travelled so far this summer.  Watching the storms are exciting, even though potentially dangerous.  From our camp site outside of The Great Sand Dunes National Park, here in Colorado, we watched as the storm cells seem to glide across the San Luis Valley, the largest valley in Colorado.

We walked down thousands of stairs, climbed several ladders and walked miles of trails exploring the ancient mesa top and cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park in southern Colorado last week.  For centuries many thousands lived on the mesa, in the canyons.  Then 800 years ago they built over 600 dwellings and grain storage facilities in natural cliff cavities eroded in the sandstone.  Within 100 years of doing so, they were gone, moving south into what is now Arizona and New Mexico.  Archeologists suspect drought, over-population, or possibly war, but are really not sure why these great cliff cities were abandoned.

The early people hunted and fished, living in communities called pueblos of 100 to 200 people.  Water was a cherished resource and corn imported from what is now Mexico allowed them to prosper and grow.  Towards the end of their time here they built the cliff dwellings accessed by toe and hand holds chipped into the sandstone cliff walls or by crude ropes they weaved from yucca plant fibers. 

We enjoyed our visit as we stepped back in time 1,000 years into the past the view this once vibrant society of people.  This weekend we are in Fairplay, Colorado for the 69th Annual Burro Days.  The event features arts and crafts (that’s us), food, entertainment and a burro race.  Participants and their pack burro complete a 30 mile race through valleys and over mountains to win.  The event challenges them to “get their ass over the hill.”