We are at Hovenweep National Monument this morning, exploring yet more Native American ruins. In the background is the Sleeping Ute Mountain, and in front of it are the sleepy travelers trying to do as much as they can as fast as they can. Lucky us that nature is patient in wearing down the Sleeping Ute and that the passage of time has been kind to these Native American buildings, which have been standing as sentinels to the memories of those who have come and gone before any of us who have gazed upon these scenes for the last hundreds of years.
This is the only place in America where four states share a common meeting spot of borders. While Jutta stands in Arizona and Utah, Caroline stands in Colorado and New Mexico, and across state lines, they reach out to hold hands. The symbolism here of people from different lands meeting in a commonplace regardless of borders and sharing a moment is not lost on me. If only we could do a better job of making this happen on a global scale.
Fortunately, there was a vendor here at Four Corners selling mutton stew and fry bread, so if you are ever here on the Navajo reservation and see a truck, trailer, or shack where it looks like hot food might be being sold, stop and see if they have mutton stew or roast mutton on the menu. We think the stuff is great!
Exploring native lands is what this trip has been all about.
The vistas and skies over these parts never fail to inspire the three of us. You might say we’ve never met a part of the Navajo Nation we didn’t love.
Sometimes, photos present themselves, and you have but two seconds to get them. This one of the horses walking down the fence line with rain falling in the background was just such an opportunity. From traveling down the road at about 50 mph, I saw from behind what might be an interesting shot but had to quickly break, stop, jump out, and take my shot. If I could have been a couple of seconds earlier, the horses would have been centered around the falling rain. No matter as I still love this shot.
It was just starting to rain as we approached Tuba City, Arizona. On the eastern outskirts of town, there was a bit of a traffic jam with more than a few cars turning into a dirt lot. Turns out that we’ve arrived while the Western Navajo Nation Fair Pow Wow is happening. Good thing we turned in too, and parked when we did because the rain was about to come down hard. Funny how just the month before, Caroline and I were on hand for the Navajo Nation Fair in Window Rock, and now, just by chance, we are here for Tuba City’s version. This was the perfect close to a beautiful day while staying dry, listening to the pow-wow drums and singers, and watching the dancers.