Tag: petroglyphs

Holy Sombrero, Batman!

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Sombrero – That is a Mexican Hat! And, so tonight’s vicarious road trip through the daylilies takes us to Mexica Hat, UT.

Mexican Hat Rock, UT

We camped near here last summer at a place called Sand Island Petroglyphs. The Mexican Hat is just a few miles from there – Iconic Utah.

Sand Canyon, UT

It was hot, early July. We got up early and did whatever hiking we were going to do for the day and then drove in AC the rest of the time. Having dogs on a road trip is a little like Corona virus in that you get your food to go and eat in the car with the AC rolling.

Kachina, Sazi and Maizzy at Monument Valley, UT

Bears Ears National Monument is in the area – Mexican Hat use to be part of that system.

Mexican Hat Rock, UT

Other favorite stops in the area are Goosenecks State Park and Moki Dugway. “Mokee” is derived from the Spanish “Moqui” meaning “small people” which referred to the Native American cultures (Navajo, Zuni, Hopi). I am naming my next dog Moki. Goes well with Sazi Ana and Kachina.

Goosenecks State Park, UT
Moki Dugway, UT

The Bears Ears themselves are cool to see – which can be done from the top of Moki Dugway and down the road a bit.

Bear’s Ears National Monument

Then, there is Natural Bridges National Monument.

Natural Bridges National Monument, UT

So, Holy Sombrero is a big, yellow daylily that I got as a bonus after ordering a bunch of Southwest named daylilies. I guess the hybridizer knew what I was doing with my garden.

Holy Sombrero 2019

The cultivator has bloomed every year without fail. Interestingly enough, it hit peak bloom when we were visiting Mexican Hat last summer. It is suppose to be taller than it is, so I have to dig in the tall daylilies to find it.

Holy Sombrero daylily – 2019

A few more scapes today. It is another drought this year and my water bill will show it soon. Hopefully the monsoons kick in. Half the year, I live outside in my yard or on a road trip. The other half, I spend doing warm things inside – well, I hike but not during the coldest days. I am so glad it is spring . . . almost summer.

Holy Sombrero daylily – 2018

Adios, Albuquerque

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This year, there was no spring break road trip – adios, Albuquerque.  Adios to the best week of the year.  Adios to the canyons of the Southwest.  The only novel adventure this year is named Corona – and I don’t mean the arch in Utah.

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Petroglyph National Monument HQ – 2014

Albuquerque is about 6-8 hours down US Hwy 550.  In fact, that highway starts in Montrose and ends in Albuquerque.

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Petroglyph National Monument near Albuquerque, NM – 2014

When I think of Albuquerque, I think of my 2014 road trip with my new dog, Maizzy, and my new Honda Fit, Mini Pearl.  I had plans for Chaco Canyon and for Route 66, and what lie in between was a mystery – my choice of which way to turn on the open road.  The first couple of years, I didn’t get reservations until the day I left the previous motel.  More dogs = more planning.

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Petroglyph National Monument – 2014

I don’t like cities, so I was zooming as quickly as I could from US Hwy 550 to I-40 (Route 66) when I noticed a sign for Petroglyph National Monument.  I was like – “Well, that sounds interesting”, so off I went.  There was a dog friendly section where we hiked until mid afternoon.

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Maizzy – my non-desert dog in the desert at Petroglyph National Monument

Road trips through the Southwest are geology on wheels.  I found these petroglyphs stunning because they were on volcanic rock and not red sandstone like I am use to.  This one looks like Charlie Brown with a baseball cap to me.

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Charlie Brown Petroglyph and Petroglyph National Monument

 

From there, we headed west on I-40.  I saw signs for El Malpias National Monument, so we stopped there for a short scenic drive.  It was like a combo of volcanic rock and red sandstone.  I realized they what I realize most everyday of every road trip – that I play too long and run out of time before I want to stop.

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El Malpias National Monument – 2014

The other cool place near Albuquerque is Salinas Mission Pueblos National Monument.  We didn’t run into these 2016.  That was another serendipity where we were on a stretch of highway with nothing to do between point A and point B – then there was this photo on the wall of ruins – and I had to find them.

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Maizzy at Salinas Mission Pueblo Ruins – 2016

Last year, our trip took us through that area, again – so I went with all three dogs.  I love the big old mission buildings as a background for my small dogs.

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Kachina, Sazi, and Maizzy at Salinas Mission Pueblo Ruins National Monument – 2019

These trips to me are Albuquerque – unique in culture and landscape.  Adios Albuquerque was added to my daylily garden in 2016, I think.  After these trips that are forever engraved in my memory.  I put it in my Southwest garden with (mostly) other Ned Roberts spiders.

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Adios Albuquerque daylily – 2019

The garden was put in where there was only rock garden – on the easement between the sidewalk and the street.  I have no back yard, because it is a split lot – so I actually have almost all of these daylilies in buried pots in case the water main ever busts there.

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Adios Albuquerque daylily – 2019

I like the bloom – it is subtle.  Albuquerque was Ned’s home until he moved to Colorado for treatment – at least that is my understanding.  He, no doubt, loved the New Mexico culture.  It is different from Colorado . . . it must have been hard for him to say Adios, Albuquerque.  Fortunately, I have his daylilies to take me on a road trip on the year of the pandemic.

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Adios Albuquerque daylily 2019

 

 

Chaco Canyon

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A daylily by any other name would smell as sweet . . . maybe, maybe not.  Chaco Canyon is a beautiful, spiritual place in New Mexico.  It is not easy to get there – the road is dirt, not improved – many ruts for miles and miles.  But, it is worth it because it was an empire of the Ancient Pueblo Indians.

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The road to Chaco Canyon before it turns to dirt

I have been there twice.  The first time, I had no idea what the road was like but I am persistent.  I was on my way home from a conference in Albuquerque and had seen the road signs on my way down.

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Hungo Pavi – one of the many Chaco buildings

I was instantly taken by the place, but it was late so I didn’t get to see much.  I bought a book and loved looking at the pictures.

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The walls of the Chaco ruins blend into the background of the canyon walls

 

So, six years ago when I had decided to travel for my spring road trip and got me a fine dog (Maizzy) to accompany me . . . we headed back to Chaco.  This time, we met an old friend of mine.  We hiked and caught-up with each other after several years.

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The canyon walls tower above the ancient ruins

Chaco Canyon was a huge trade center that is linked to the stellar world in crazy and mysterious ways.  I am no expert, but many of the buildings are aligned perfectly north/south – and you can follow the north line miles to the next building.  The buildings are aligned to both sun and moon cycles.  There are petroglyphs that light up like Las Vegas on Solstice and Equinox each year.

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The round petroglyph on the right reminds me of my daylily bloom

My trips to the Ancient Pueblo ruins remind me how humanity has lost touch with our connection to nature. We drive in cars, leave the lights on 24/7, and argue with strangers about wearing masks.  We have become so disconnected from the messages from our planet and solar system – it makes me sad for all of our advancement some days.  The message of Chaco is sacred and special to me.

 

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Petroglyphs and wasp nests cohabitate on the walls of Chaco Canyon

So, when I happened to see a daylily named Chaco Canyon – just after I discovered one named Kokopelli (and by the same hybridizer, Ned Roberts), I ordered it instantly.  Not only did I like the name – It is a striking daylily.   I wonder what about this daylily reminded Ned of Chaco Canyon – maybe the red color?  Maybe because it blooms around summer solstice?  Maybe because it looks like the sun or the stars?

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Chaco Canyon daylily soaking up the sun – 2019

My Chaco Canyon grows in a big pot on my back porch.  I moved a couple fans to the Southwest garden last year to extend the bloom season (the two gardens have slightly different peak bloom times).  It is getting big and I am watching for scapes now because it blooms on the early side.  I can’t wait to be stunned by the first flower!

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Chaco Canyon daylily shines in the sun – 2018

I thought I had lost the photos of my trip to Chaco  – but silly me, I uploaded them to Facebook 6 years ago.  Taking a road trip vicariously through my daylilies makes me want to go back to this place, again, when COVID-19 clears.  It isn’t all that far away.  In the meantime, I wait for it to bloom in my yard.

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Two Chacos dancing in the breeze