January 19-20th: Farmington NM~ Drive to and visit on Day one

 January 19th: The drive from Albuquerque heading West

More Layer upon Layer of Color ~ Breathtaking
Almost looks like a quilt!

Monday morning we drove through western New Mexico to Farmington to visit John's cousin, Robert Stemsrud and his wife, Patty.  The drive was full of incredible mountian and rock formations and colors just like we saw in the Rockies.  I cannot seem to get tired of looking at the scenery and taking all these photographs. Even as they look alike, they are all so very different. 

Jemez Red Rocks

Jemez Red Rocks

Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle

This is a photograph of the town of "Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle" about 25 minutes away from Farmington near Chaco Canyon. It is Navajo, meaning "The Mountain People Moved Around." It's the center of Dinétah (original Navajo country) & the home of First Man, First Woman & Changing Woman. A New York Times article refers to it as follows: 

The Navajo revere this remote area around a tabletop mesa in northwestern New Mexico as the place where the mythical figure Changing Woman gave birth to two warrior sons who made the universe safe.

                                           http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/14/business/it-s-gas-vs-heritage-in-navajo-country.html?pagewanted=1

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Farmington, New Mexico

 Veternans Memorial

Geese in Berg Park

The town of Farmington is located in the Northwestern corner of New Mexico. It has Berg Park, one of the most beautiful town parks where one can sit quitely in their Veternans Memorial (one of the most impressive small town memorials that I hve ever seen).  Also along our walk in the park we saw hundreds of geese and a large amount of ducks and the Animas River with its beautiful running waters ~ and this was in the dead of winter.  I can just imagine its beauty in the summertime ~ a trip for another time. On our first day in Farmington, we took a drive on the upper rim of the Mesa at which Farmington lies at the base with the The San Juan and the Animas rivers running by.

Unfortunately, on this trip we did miss Choco Canyon (the the densest and most exceptional concentration of pueblos in the American Southwest} and Four Corners Monument (the only where Arizona,Colorado, Utah and New Mexico meet).   

Beautiful Stemsrud home
and views

The Riverwalk ~ Farmington, New Mexico

John, Patty and Bob
walking in the Park

Animas and Berg Parks are home to a network of trails along the Animas River in Farmington. These trails run along the river’s edges, wind through groves of native cottonwoods, and cross the Animas River by bridge at two points.

http://www.americantrails.org/nationalrecreationtrails/trailNRT/Berg-Animas-Trail-New-Mexico.html

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Geese in the Park

I love Geese!

I love to watch them fly through the sky almost always in a 'V' shape!      
So lovely.

Just before flight

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Ducks in the Park

I love Ducks!

Beautiful Ducks. As a child growing up, we had a pen full of ducks and I always felt that they were my pets.  Mom told me that when I was about 2, I wanted Gooks, Gucks and Goggies for Christmas.  

Most of these photos are taken above from the Bridge.  

These ducks were breathtakingly beautiful!

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All Veterans Memorial Park
Farmington, N.M.

Patty 

All Veterans Memorial Park's Revolving Marble Globe

The globe is an etched marble sphere about four feet in diameter. The amazing part is that the globe appears suspended by a small fountain of water flowing from its base. It slowly revolves to reveal the major countries/continents of the world, marked to show where U.S. service men and women have served their country.
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Lunch:  St. Clair Winery

Following our wonderful morning walk, we had lunch at the St. Clair Winery in Farmington ~ Delicious and even better, the wine was wonderful.  I bought two bottles of a sweet Red~ Membres Red, shared one with friends in Second and the other, Ken and George enjoyed one evening.  I am hoping I can persuade Bob to bring a couple of bottles to Grand Jucntion if they are able to come to join us in July.  

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A footprint of Ancestral Puebo Society ~ follow anceint passageways  ~ explore masonry rooms and look up to see the orignal timbers holding up the roofs

http://www.nps.gov/azru/index.htm

I love the green rows of brick above.  

Think this is my the design for my new kitchen backsplash!

Another example of the green masonary!  Love it.