This place I call Home

[Mental Granny]

God did definatly Bless Many Times Over to be able to live in such a beautiful place!

 

[Cynangyl]

aaaaaah now it turned into a test! lol Still beautiful scenery and I guess it is time for me to learn about trail markers and how to spot them.....who is gonna be the teacher??

 

[Old Dog]

Thom,

This place I call Home is just stunning. Beautiful pictures of everything...wish it was my home too. Thanks for sharing with us.

RR

You are most welcome Judy,
I guess it should say,
Having a great time ... wish you were here. LOL
Thom

 

[Old Dog]

God did definatly Bless Many Times Over to be able to live in such a beautiful place!

Evy,
Thanks,
I agree. I'm so glad I could share with you .
Thom

 

[Old Dog]

OK Cyndi,
No test, It is my pleasure to share.
In the first photo look at how all the rocks are laying flat on the ground and all of a sudden there are a group that stand up against each other, this bunch are put there by the Spanish.
I had to shrink the photo to post, but there are axe hewn stumps that show where the trail was cleared by hand to make enough room for a good sized mule caravan.
Something to ponder (I often do) why does nothing grow in the trails?
Not even the desert cheet grass. HMMMMM

Thom

 

[Old Dog]

in the second photo, (the one with my truck)

the pile of rocks ( the whole thing) with the small tree growing up in the middle is the marker.
note that these rocks are huge and purposely stacked.
This is called a pack mule, all it tells you is that you are on the trail and going the right way.

The tree came along later, lol

Thom

 

[Cynangyl]

Yes I would ponder that too....cheet grass grows pretty much anyplace and yet not there. My only guess is to why it does not grow there is that those trails had some VERY heavy caravans going through there to pack it so hard that even cheet grass can't sprout.

That tree apparently found the marker better than me in that second photo!! Why is it called a pack mule when they are stacked like that though?? because the pack mule should be going by or some other reason?

Thanks so much for sharing the knowledge...it is nice to know what to look for. You are too kind! ~hugs~

 

[Old Dog]

The third photo is much like the first except that there are stumps as well as rocks out of place.

That is the whole lesson if one is to be presented by these pictures, the Spanish were very subtle and would use what was there to create a sign post for others travelling in their path, if the traveler looks close enough to see it.

Cyndi, I won't do it again sorry.

Thom

 

[Old Dog]

Cyndi,
I am of the opinion they are called that because they are very large markers,
more often classified as monuments,
many time they are built to have a simple resembance to an old mule.
I tend to think an old Spanish chaser of some repute (not mentioning names)
lumped all these thing together and called them all pack mules.

Thom

 

[Cynangyl]

The third photo is much like the first except that there are stumps as well as rocks out of place.

That is the whole lesson if one is to be presented by these pictures, the Spanish were very subtle and would use what was there to create a sign post for others travelling in their path, if the traveler looks close enough to see it.

Cyndi, I won't do it again sorry.

Thom

Okay...I am lost...whatever are you apologizing for Thom?? I am totally fascinated here! I will look much closer at photos and trails now knowing to watch for such subtle things. Thanks!!

 

[Timberwolf]

Tom,
I'm glad you are enjoying the thread.
So tell me, which markers do you see?

I am going to climb up on the roof tonight and try to catch the sunset.

Thom

Thom,

I guess I only saw one. That would be the last pic. It appears that there is a site hole, but maybe I am wrong about that

I did not spot the others Dang it...I'm gonna have to brush up on my trail markers

Tom

 

[Old Dog]

Tom that marker is a thin slab of stone wedged in a crack that is overhung by a capstone the sun only hits the end of that tongue or slab at a certain time of day and the shadow only points for a short time. That slab is almost 12 feet obove the ground.

It duped you too?
I thought it was a hole at first too!
I was a quarter mile away though.
Doug thought I was nuts.

We had been looking for this marker for days and were just sitting watching and all of a sudden there it was where it wasn't before. weird until you get up close.

Thom

 

[Old Dog]

Dang,

Missed the sunset

To all,
I'll dig through the files and try to find another set of pictures to post.
I should be able to find something.... in a couple hundred discs.
And Cyndi,
I will still post a treasure sign or trail marker for you... something really different.

Thom

 

[Timberwolf]

Where's my keys...I gotto go to Colorado

Tw

 

[Old Dog]

Tom,
You and Regenna are most welcome.
I have room.

T

 

[Timberwolf]

Thanks Thom
We need to have that cup of coffee....before we get too much older.

Tom

 

[Old Dog]

I agree Tom.

When you can
T

 

[Old Dog]

Tom,
here is a close up taken from a slightly different angle of that shadow stone.

 

[Old Dog]

Very close to home there are Mountains that fill up the view.
Some of them provide a great variety of things to do.
As you can see I never go too far without my camera.

Last Spring Kathy and I took a couple flyfishing trips to a creek we enjoy.
since it is only 50 or so miles from home it is a short ride to get to.

these next shots were from the end of May 2007,
In another month this place turns brown and looks pretty dismal.

 

[Old Dog]

The wild flowers are really nice,
and the butterflies are cool too.