Messed with the Vertical

Not in an alcoholic way. Although we are in Colorado now so the options are soooo much better than Utah (see yesterdays blog).

Start with breakfast in the Strater. Simple but sufficient, something new called 'posolte' - a chilli spiced pork stew. Entertained by 'the old cowboys never die the stories just get drier' contingent that meets here each Tuesday morning.

Then off to Mesa Verde. 30 miles horizontal and a couple of thousand feet vertical.

On the way there was the obligatory quilt shop. 30 minutes later Suzanne was threatening to join a class..... We had to escape.

At Mesa Verde Suzanne declined the opportunity to visit the dwellings built into the cliff faces, and she is glad she did. Something about the vertical ladder climbs, crawling through confined tunnels and the better shopping at the top.

On the Balcony House site visit, the leader was a small 60ish female ranger with an informative speil and quiet manner.

The ladder climb in. A small drop behind for those who looked.

The climb out was fun.

On the second to Cliff Palace, we had ex-Sar-Major Chip (think Bruce Willis in Lethal Weapon)
who gave a more militarilly referenced speil, complete with 'defensive perimeter' and 'grenade' references, and comparisons between the esteem that farmers in the Pueblo society were held being similar to 'our' society's esteem of 'the soldier'. I think I learnt more about American militaries life/mindset than about the Puebloans. He would have made a good Evangelical Minister in his zeal for delivery. It was good though. The only problem was that I left the 'Military Buzzword Bingo' form at home.

Saw one of these on the road on the way back.

These didn't make it.

Dinner at the Strater's posh restuarant, where we had breakfast with the old cowboys.

From your guest blogger for today.