Some views en route.
We arrived at the Bradbury Science Museum just in time for the film which told us the story of the race to build the first atomic bomb during the Manhattan Project. The film was interesting for someone like me who has no scientific knowledge whatsoever. The exhibits and content of the museum was much too technical for me and I have gained little. I'm sure Brian would have been riveted. In fact the whole thing was very scary!
This is Little Boy, the bomb used on Hiroshima
Before the film the receptionist told us a few jokes which I thought were very funny. New Mexico is known for its pine nuts called pinon (pinyon) here. If you have 1 pinon in one hand and 2 pinons in the other what do you have? Everyone shouted 3 pinons. But she said you had a difference of a pinon! If you have a pinon the shape of a circle what do you have? An o pinon! What did the fish say when he hit a wall? Dam! These were more on my level than the science exhibits!!
Following Los Alamos and having presented photo id on leaving the town, we set off on the Jemez byway past Valles Caldera where we had been the other day. We took a trip to Fe ton Lake where you can fish, picnic or hike.
Other sights noted were Battleship Rock which was really like a ship.
Then Soda Dam where water from hot springs has flowed for centuries. The build up of mineral deposits has formed this unusual and spectacular dam.
We went as far as Jemez Springs for lunch and back-tracked then to Jemez State Monument. This consists of the ruins of an ancient pueblo of the Jemez people known as Giusewa and the ruins of a 17th century Spanish Mission called San Jose de los Jemez. The pueblo was first built in the 1500s by the ancestors of the present Jemez pueblo.
Across the street from the Monument there was a nice looking Church - St. Mary Mother of Priests I think. When we went to investigate it was closed. We were beating a retreat when a man and 2 women emerged from a car. The man asked us if we would like to see inside as he had a key. It would have been churlish to refuse! He introduced himself as Brother Bernard (or BerNard as he said Americans call him). It was obvious that he was Irish. He was thrilled to hear that Jim was born in Monaghan as he was from Clones. We talked a bit about Patrick Kavanagh and then all 5 of us went into the cburch which he quite clearly loves. He showered us with holy water and told us what a blessing we were experiencing. We have no photos because Jim did not like to take any. He continuously named us and urged us to admire the stained glass windows, which are indeed beautiful. Behind the altar there is a huge mosaic of Mary, done by an Italian artist.
The tabernacle is done in French cloisonne. He checked with us if it was ok to say a prayer and he prayed for all 5 of us present and for Irish people and Americans and Italians (because one woman was of Italian extraction.He even brought us into the sacristy and outside a side door to show us a swallows' nest. He has an affinity with birds seemingly, especially swallows, and tnis morning he was whistling to the birds and 5 swooped down around his feet. He is obviously a very holy man. One of the 2 women told me that he is, as she put it, a master intercessor and when he prays for sick people they get well. Before we left he showrred us again in holy water.
Brother Bernard is a member of the Congregation of the Servants of the Paraclete, an order founded by Father Gerald Fitzgerald. There is a very interesting article on Wikipedia about Fr. Fitzgerald and about his belief that no priest who had abused children should be allowed to continue to be a priest. He was obviously a lone voice in the 60s. Fr. Fitzgerald had the church, Mother Mary of Priests built in 1968 and he died in 1969. Brother Bernard celebrated 50 years as a brother last October. A chance meeting that turned out really interesting.
Back to the car and we continued our trip on the Jemez Byway where we admired the red rocks.
We reckoned we had time to visit the Coronado Historical Site before we returned to Santa Fe and got there an hour before closing - ample time to see what was to be seen. Jim ascended and descended into the square kiva where he experienced the first painted kiva. It had varying native drawings of fish and birds. It is the only painted kiva that non-natives are allowed into. No photos though. I stayed on the ground as I hurt my leg once again and could barely walk. During our tour of the site we saw 4 young birds playing chase in the grass. Jim says they were roadrunners but they wouldn't stay still long enough for him to get a photo.
Even natives have rights!
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