copy cat

A local channel here has started a local program on 'adventures in New Mexico'.... sounds familiar....hmmm... wish I had thought of that....

In Memoriam

In memory of my ma, Alice Mary.

21 April 1931 - 15 November 1990.

Loved always.

The Story of G.I. John

He was 17 when he went into the Army/Air Corps at the end of WW2.

He was sent to Europe where he fell in love with Deutschland and its people despite the war.

When the war ended he became a member of the search and rescue unit off the coast of Florida, visiting Cuba many times in the years before Castro took it over.


After his tour he got out of the military and became a business man operating a bar/restaurant called the Desert Winds in Winslow, AZ where he met a young woman named Alice, who he would marry.

Although out of active duty for a few years he joined the Army National Guard [the Army Air Corps had been merged with the Air Force].

He missed Korea; however, his unit was activated during the Vietnam War. He would do two tours of duty, one of which he became a POW.

The price he paid in Vietnam was exposure to Agent Orange which led to the failure of his kidneys later in life. He has been on dialysis now for over five years.

This GI's name is John. He, is my father.

The past few days my dad has been laid up in the VA hospital.

I've spent the past few days there with him and the three other veterans who shared a room with him: Don, Ray and Paul. Nice fellas all.

It is amazing how close you can become to some people in just a few days. How men in an enclosed room can share their life story in just a few hours. Talk of regret. Talk of duty. Talk of fear. Of hope.

Of how close they have come to death.

"What ever you do," Ray said to me, "don't get old."

"Too late...I'm half way there", I replied.


While they were there, a group of elderly women came into the room and presented hand made American flag blankets to all four men.



To these ladies I say, Thank You!


To Ray, Don, Paul, veterans and active duty men and women and especially to my dad I say not only thank you, but that I am eternally grateful for your service and the freedom you have given me.

To my dad I also say I love you and will do whatever I can to take care of you and make sure the time we have left together are good times.

I'm out.



postscript:

Ok...I admit it. I'm liking the new V.

THE BEST OF:

Another year has come and gone.

All my adventures are linked at the right, the highlight being Walkabout 2009 when I toured the southwest, what an amazing trip.

I'd like to thank my guests T-Rob and Dale for stopping by and musical guests Angus and Julian Stone, Brett Dennen and of course the Drive By Truckers.

I have a couple of ideas planned for next season, including Walkabout 2010

For now, feel free to browse the archive links at right.

I will post a few blogs between now and the spring so keep checking back. Winter can be harsh here in central New Mexico and road trips can be dangerous, especially on roads into the north country.

One of my favorite journalists was the late CBS Sunday Morning host, Charles Kuralt. He would always end his program with a few minutes of sound and images. A moment of tranquility.

In homage to him, I leave you with the following.

I'm out.

SEASON FINALE Part 2

Welcome to part two of Land of the Zia season finale.

My last major trip of the season took me again to Oklahoma. Having found a great cabin on Keystone Lake and searched for buffalo we had a great meal at McNellies Public House in Tulsa. I highly recommend the grilled and seasoned salmon!!

Saturday night was a lot of fun! My main reason for going to OK this time was to see the DriveBy Truckers LIVE at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa.

Cains is noted for being the 'Home of Bob Wills' and if you don't know who Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys were you're missing out.





The opening act was James McMurtry, son of Larry McMurtry of Lonesome Dove, Hud and Brokeback Mountain fame.

He put on a smokin' show.

The main event; however, was the DriveBy's and they rocked the house.




















The other main event of the trip was to attend the Oklahoma City Halloween Parade aka GHOULS GONE WILD!!

My buddy T-Rob reported on it last year for this blog but I wanted to see it first hand.



There were plenty of classic cars and bands playing live on rolling floats. Lots of costumes, food vendors, souvenir tents....



...and of course...ZOMBIES!!!

The main event being the march of 1000 Flaming Skeletons. This was VERY cool to see. The end of the parade had Flaming Lips front man Wayne Coyne in his infamous giant bubble.




















The parade took place in downtown Oklahoma City.

We decided to walk a street over to the Oklahoma City Memorial where Timothy McVeigh blew up the federal building. For a full report see my link to the right from my last visit to OKC.





The chairs represent all the lives lost in that tragic event. The smaller chairs represent the children lost.





Never forget.


And so ends season four of Land of the Zia...can you believe it??

It has been a GREAT year and I'm very glad you could come along with me as I explore the great southwest.

Winter in northern New Mexico can be rather harsh but southern New Mexico can be nice. Although I don't have any major excursions planned...you never know when I might get the itch to just....drive....

Next up a recap of the year.

I'm out.

One Of Our Buffalo Is Missing

Hello everyone, welcome to the Season 4 Finale of Land of the Zia.

My last major adventure of the season took me again to Oklahoma.

Oklahoma IS ok!!

Rather than stay at a hotel, the ever industrious T-Rob found some awesome cabins on Lake Keystone just outside of Tulsa, and man what a COOOL! place.



The view from the porch.







Having explored the cabin and the woods around it, we headed to a very cool place north of Tulsa near the Oklahoma/Kansas border...





The Tallgrass Prairie Reserve is the largest protected remnant of tallgrass prairie left on Earth, encompassing 39,000 acres in what was the original tallgrass region of the Great Plains that stretched from Texas to Manitoba.




There are some great hiking trails.











Our main reason for visiting the preserve was to see the reported 2600 bison that roam free among the grasslands.

This is the only one we saw.




We saw lots of bison droppings but that is about it.

So I ask, where do you hide 2600 bison??

All the docent at the visitors center could say was...

"They're around here ...somewhere."

...to be continued...

I'm out.