Sept 27th Thurs: Hopi/Hogan

Sept 27th, Thursday:  Travelling day beginning at Knab, Utah, then thru Arizona again, then New Mexico again, and finally crossed our 35th state of Colorado!  Cortez, Colorado will be our home for the next three nights.  It will be good to "settle down"!

Went through Indian reservations of Hopi and Navajo but there are really no such thing as reservations anymore.  Just houses way, way out there on farms and the towns are small and run down.  With 50% unemployment, you will see them with their vendor stations selling jewelry, arts, and crafts.  We found nothing but one stop exciting to buy a spirit carving of, none other, than the Road Runner.  He is to protect us.  And he is used actually in ceremonies.

picture:  Lake Powell, Page, Arizona.  Look at the white sides that indicate that this lake is down at least 30 feet.  Better get a lot of snow this winter.
picture:  This house is called a Hogan.  Built in harmony with the universe and all living creatures on earth.  The roof is in the likeness of the sky.  The walls are likeness of the Navajo's surrounding:  the upward position of the mountains, hills, and trees.  The floor is ever in tough with "Mother Earth."  When the hogan is finished, a medicine man blesses the home.  This is a sacred dwelling.  You will see many of these throughout the reservations.  Some stand alone, others have bigger homes built next to them. 
picture:  another Hogan
picture:  Painted desert mountain
picture:  This and the next picture shows how to board down your roof to protect from the wind.  Yes, that is correct, use tires!  Just throw them up there and wa-la your roof is safe.  We think.
picture:  Watch out moo-cows.  Your next stop could be Burger King!
picture:  Out-houses that are in plentiful here in Arizona.   They are about 50 yards away from the house/hogan and always face away from the buildings.  Hey,  who made that smelly s*&#t??
picture:  Our 35th RV State = Colorado
picture:  The Road Runner carving that is to protect us.  Three flutes that sound and Gretchen can play them and sound just like a Hopi!  We bought these from the Hopi that just finished making them.