20 July 2007

Thunderbirds Are Go!!

Strange stories are always popping up on the local news here. On the same telecast last night there was a story about a 'fetus' being found on the conveyor belt of the local water treatment plant. In another story, this couple walking their dog down by the Rio Grande found a workboot -- with the leg STILL IN IT!!!! It had an artificial kneecap too!!!!

What caught my attention though was a story about a guy in southern New Mexico who claims to have seen a 'giant bird' that looked like a pterodactyl. I kid you not. In fact he says he saw two of them on a hill top and one flew over him. He claims it had a 20 foot wing span.

Creatures like BigFoot, Nessie, the Jersey Devil, the Mothman, Dick Cheney and the Chupacabra have always facinated me. I don't believe in them really but just find it facinating that sooooo many people claim to have seen them.



New Mexico's 'big bird' legend stems from the Native Amercian lore of the Thunderbird.



A giant bird that causes lightning and thunder. Interestingly enough the monsoons HAVE returned and everyday now around 5 pm we get huge lightning storms. Also true, New Mexico has the most lightning deaths in the US per capita. Hmmmm...

I find it interesting that if you take a hike to the petroglyphs at the west end of town you will see ancient indian drawings of the big birds. I'm just curious as to what was actaully seen. Along with big bird drawings there are other creatures and weird stuff scrawled onto the volcanic rock. Take a look at one of my first blogs about a hike I took to the petroglyphs. I posted several pictures.

I'm not sure what that fella saw in southern New Mexico. I guess I'll just have to keep my eye on Action 7 News!

For some interesting summer reading:






I also HIGHLY recommend the books of Tony Hillerman. He is a mystery writer who bases his stories in the southwest, primarily northern Arizona and New Mexico. The mysteries are not all that satisfying per se; however, it is his vivid descriptions of the southwest and its Native American culture and lore that are extremely facinating. Officer Jim Chee and Detective Joe Leaphorn are great characters who's investigations usually begin with a murder that is somehow tied to ancient indian lore. I love these books. Several of them have been made into motion pictures. The Dark Wind with Lou Diamond Phillips and Fred Ward has the mystery but in NO way captures the southwest and is frankly, kind of flat. Others have been made for the PBS with Adam Beach and Wes Studi playing the main charcters. They do a great job but the films lack atmosphere which is what makes up about 80 percent of the books.

I'm out.

Welcome to Hillerman country! (The Unofficial Tony Hillerman Homepage) ...www.umsl.edu/~smueller

WWW.IHAWAII.NET/~STONY/LORE90

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would swear on a stack of bibles..someday I will tell you about the loup-garou I saw in Seymour Connecticut. Scared the hell out of me.
Dale

MICK said...

Loup Garou.....who is that some sort of frenchman???

Do tell!!!

Anonymous said...

"Where wolf?....There wolf"

MICK said...

"TEEN WOLF TOO!!" with Michael J Fox...I knew it!!!

Anonymous said...

Young Frankenstein