Hi everyone Happy Friday.
Week 3 of online school has wrapped up. We have now gone to 4 day "teaching" weeks, where we can have kids turn in work on Wednesday but we can't have Wednesday classes. The point is to give us teachers a day to work, the kids a day to catch up, and everyone a day to de-stress a bit. I got to meet online with the other 3 women who teach biology and we got to do some planning for next week, plus it gave me a day to finish up early afternoon and take a deep breath. That was one of the smartest decisions yet.
So yesterday after working I spent some time in my happy spot and finished my February New Mexico trip travel journal. Since we are all home let me take you on a bit of armchair travel.
(I'll let you know this is rather a long post.)
Here's 2 of my journal spread.
And notice the circles on the right hand page? I am going to link up to Valerie's geometric shape challenge at Art Journal Journey
And notice the circles on the right hand page? I am going to link up to Valerie's geometric shape challenge at Art Journal Journey
Today we will visit another National Park, this one is the historical park of Chaco Culture. It was pretty amazing. We visited here on the last day of trip, and afterwards we drove back to Albuquerque as we were flying home in the next morning.
And more squares for the challenge at Art Journal Journey.
And more squares for the challenge at Art Journal Journey.
Chaco Culture is in northwestern New Mexico, and is over an hour to the nearest town/city. To get there it you have to drive down a pretty sketchy road. It is 21 miles or almost 34 kilometers, so it takes quite a while to drive into the park because you can't go very fast..
Chaco Culture park is in Chaco Canyon. Archeologists believe that was a place where some type of ceremonial events occured between the years 850-about 1300. They don't really know quite what, but this place has some huge stone buildings spread out over a really large area. My photos don't show you how huge this place was, but they do give you a glimpse of the fantastic building techniques that were used.
We were there for the day and hardly scratched the surface as the cliche goes.
From these ruins they can estimate that many of these buildings were 5 stories high.
The landscape was desert and western.
And I made a new friend there too.
He seemed to know I was eating some peanuts and came over next to our car-at 2 different parking lots we were in.
And of course after I gave him one he decided I needed to give him a few more. But I didn't mind sharing.
He was obviously use to doing this.
What a photo hog.
It was quite an amazing place, and my imagination makes me wonder what it had been like back when it was an active place.
I hope you enjoyed your visit to my blog today.
And happy start to your weekend.
17 comments:
Fantastic final pages - the crosses and circles are perfect ancient symbols, and I love the crow perched there. The hot air balloon is magnificent, and I see the symbol is there too! Amazing photos of the rest of your trip - such an adventure, and so great to share in it as an armchair traveller... thank you.
Alison x
Fabulous photos of the old buildings, and of the crows - they all love peanuts! I wonder if the houses we live in will be examined by people in future times, and they will be wondering how we made them and what we did?! And your journal spreads are fantastic, and are both full of geometric shapes which made me happy! Thanks for linking again to my challenge, much appreciated....and I love the new mug! Glad school is less stressful now, sounds a lot more sensible. Have a good day, hugs, Valerie
Pictures of the canyon are amazing! Thank you for the tour, so interesting! Be well.
People are learning as much about learning and organizing as they're learning about the subject at hand, I think. I trust a lot of this will carry over into schooling in the coming years.
Fascinating structures and stunning landscape! Crows make good friends, or so I hear. He's very photogenic, isn't he :)
Wonderful art Erika!
Great photos too, I love an old ruin!
Alison xx
And I thought the old New Englanders could stack stone walls. Wow! I love your little friend and seeing him in your journal.
these are nice journal pages! That was a fascinating trip, you brought great photos. The bird was happy about the peanuts
I wish you a wonderful weekend!
Greetings Elke
Hi, I would love to visit this area, I think there are many weavers and spinners in that area too-awesome journal hugs Happy Weekend stay safe Kathy
wow,your pages are fantastic,the mateial you used ist super.
wonderful deatils,i love this a lot.
the images of ruins so wonderful,is this in mexico?Sorry,iam not so good in enghlis,when i read your trip to mexico iam not understand so good.
wishing you all the best und iam hope your healthy are ok.
blessing from jenny
What an amazing site, Erika. Stunning photos add brilliantly to your journal entry. I was simply mesmerized by that site. I, like you, can only imagine what it was like when there were people there. As for your journal pages, they really bring back the concept of the place and the ephemera you saved to add to your journal. Great job and perfect for Valerie's theme at Art Journal Journey.
Sounds like your school administrators must have finally got their act together. I'm glad it is getting easier. I told Sally about how your school kids get Chrome books when they start high school. She said it would have made it easier for you, but she agreed with me the kids here don't have that option. I saw today where they are to receive packets once a week and send them in. My friend Joseph in CA. said all lessons and homework at the private school he sends his kids were sent and received over the internet. He said he made his children get dressed in their school uniforms each day so they didn't get out of the habit. The only time they got to stay in their pajamas is on the weekend.
I liked my arm chair travel via your photos Erika, I think this could be normal for many months to come, you visited great places on your trip.
The journal pages are so interesting you will guess the new mug caught my eye and it is a great page for the current AJJ theme.
It sounds like you school work from home days are settling into a workable routine, how would teachers and those who work from home coped without the internet.
Take care look after yourselves and stay well.
Yvonne xx
That's a good idea for the school system there to allow one day a week for both students and teachers to get work done without having actual classes that day. I like your art journal pages and photos. I'm assuming your weather has been windy and chilly like mine has. :-(
Such beautiful pages! I loved being transported back to New Mexico, I've actually seen the balloon festival in Albuquerque - so amazing 😁. The pages you created are amazing and you attention to detail with those fabulous backgrounds is stunning! Glad that the home schooling is working out better now, seems like a big learning curve for everyone involved. Wishing you a happy weekend! Stay safe and well! Hugs, Jo x
I was thinking that -- what was it like when there were people there. I love your journal. This is a part of the country I don't know and I find these posts really interesting.
Wow! What an interesting place! Was there a guide or signs with explanation? The construction is what we call 'dry walling', just stones laid on top of each other in a way the the wall is stable with out cement or mud. Originally those buildings would have been covered? Adobe style?
Anyway that you for sharing.
Take care,
Lisca
Nice photos of the New Mexico canyon.
The crows are very clever.
Dearest Erika!!! You just kept making me wanna see New Mexico more and more! I really love that hot air balloon with that Indian Sun Symbol. My niece once competed on a Robotics contest and she represented our country at the cup in Albuquerque and she and her mom got me a Starbucks Mug of New Mexico and it shows the views and hot air balloons :)
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