The Flight of the Saltire

[BroosterB1]

Semi annually I head to the reservation lands north of Gallup to a small town called Tohatchi. There is a Mission there run by a friend; due to the high usage of alcohol it is a natural place to hold a AA retreat. These pictures were on the trip to and from. While the Saltaire was in attendance I do not feel I should include pictures of others. She was lauded well round and people marveled at the many places she has been in her flights of friendship. I have a wonderful picture of Father J and I, he in his cossack and I in a Saffron with a black turtleneck; we look like we are from similar orders!

Anyway here is a shot of the journey out



Another with my dashboard friend



Looking east early in the morning across to the rising sun.



A modern day Hogan, this one was built with eight sides to the common room and a bath room on the back. The door faces the rising sun.



Our Lady; the mission is St. Mary's



The out side of the church, very traditional northern New Mexican.



On the way back I pulled down a side road to try and give you all some idea of the openness of the landscape the butte in this one was about three miles away.



Saltaire Blue against New Mexico blue Sky's



The road I came down to get these shots; the "highway" is about 1 1/2 back down the road.



Turned another 90 degrees and the mesa off the road was probably a good two miles away. As you can see, not lots of folks in this area. The blue of the sky is exactly as it was taken, no photo shop. It really is that blue.

[BroosterB1]

Met these guys a few miles down the road; they could have cared less that I was taking their photograph. I even asked them what they were waiting for..I was ignored.



About half way between Tohatchi and Crown Point This part of the reservation is pretty flat and well empty.



Chapter House sign. This is just the sign for the turn off the actual chapter house is 3-4 miles off the road.



Anybody good with Dine? The Japanese in WWII code not break the code talkers. I have met a couple of the guys who are still around, heros all.



From flat lands to mountains; this is coming into Crown Point.



The montains get bigger



And bigger



and taller



Until we cross the contenetal divide. The Altitude is where we are standing



Not where this guy is...I would say the top of that mesa is 9200 ft.

[BroosterB1]

Just as you drop down out of the mountains and back to I 40 (east west) you see something in the distance.....



This is Mount Taylor or Tsoodził, the turquoise mountain. One of the Four scared mountains to the Dine (Navajo) it is the home to several of their important spirits. At 11,300 ft it is almost a perfect strato-volcano and is the source of the lava flows that are directly south and west of Grants New Mexico.



I'll take my camera nest time we go camping there and show you all some neat stuff.

Heading into the Rio Grande Valley one of the major sites is Acoma the "sky city. This pueblo is about 40 miles west of Albuquerque.



This particular pueblo has been inhabited since about 1150 AD.



The Saltaire flys west leaving Acoma.



The wee airship is scheduled departure on Monday morn. I'll see if I can snap a few more shots around Albuquerque for your viewing pleasure. It has been both an honor and a privilege to host the Airship. May God bless and keep her and all that follow her voyages! ith: