THE BOOGEY MAN

Dale spent Wednesday with Ray and his family in Taos -- feel free to check his blog posts for another view on his trip.





He has some cool pics from his Santa Fe excursion.




Thursday; however, Dale took the train down to Albuquerque where I picked him up only to head back to Santa Fe for the beginning of the Santa Fe Fiestas and the city's biggest night of the year: The Burning of Zozobra.

Eighty-five years ago artist William Shuster, Jr came to Santa Fe to paint and would stay on to help build the arts community in The City Different.

Shuster created the first Zozobra, or 'Old Man Gloom' [now a 40 ft tall marionette, which Guiness has verified is the largest marionette in the world], an effigy of all the gloom and dispair from the past year, to be burned.

Tradition holds that you are supposed to offer your gloom and dispair in documents or notes to be burned with Zozobra at the Fort Marcy Park grounds near the plaza in Santa Fe.

This was a busy week for the city as it was also the beginning of the year long celebration of Santa Fe's 400th birthday.

Yeah, I said 400th birthday. The state capitol, or 'roundhouse' is the oldest continuously occupied government building in the US. Santa Fe is also the highest state capital in the US...but I digress...

As Dale and I approached Fort Marcy Park we had to have some bbq from one of the food vendors... mmm even with out the sauce it was good.


Most of the 'events' take place on the plaza, at Fort Marcy Park there isn't really anything to do except wait for the 'burning' to begin. Yeah, there are bands playing live, but if you dont' like the music, all you do is wait...and we did for about two hours... but then.. it started....





About 40,000 people attend the ceremony. Why people would bring blankets and have a picnic on the grounds is beyond me. It's standing room only.









Maybe it's just me... but if I were a 4 year old watching this I'd be pretty skeeeered. This giant standing in front of you moaning and waving his arms around... it gets creepier though... check it out...



There is something eerie about 40,000 people shouting "Burn him, burn him!!!

















Definitely one of the more interesting ways to spend an evening.

And so ends another adventure in the Land of the Zia.

I'd like to thank Dale for joining me on this adventure, by all indications, he enjoyed himself... and maybe even found himself.

Season 4 of Land of the Zia is nearing it's end. I have a few more adventures planned including one more trip back in time, the B I G event of October and the season finale, sure to be a Halloween shocker...muah ha ha ha.....

I'm out.