Carved in Stone

Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado is well known for the many stone dwellings that cling to its cliffsides. Surprisingly, these are the only petroglyphs the public can readily access. The meaning behind these symbols is ultimately unknown, although modern-day tribespeople have made interpretations. Their permanence intrigued me; they've lasted for centuries.

What words and ideas are important enough that you would carve them in stone?

Feeling Panoramic

While I'm in the mood, here's a panoramic from an entirely different set of mountains:


These are the Spanish Peaks. At least that's my best guess,based on my trusty roadmap/gazeteer. They are in the general vicinity of Pueblo, Colorado. These peaks definitely rank on my top ten list of "favorite scenic mountains." Hmmm. That gives me an idea for some future blogging :) I'll work on digging up a photo of my #1 favorite mountain of all time (are you filled with suspense yet?!?) :P

Cades Cove

An panoramic shot from the Smoky Mountains, taken on the same trip as the picture below. You can get a better sense of it if you click on it.

Ancient Ohio

Here's a picture from my New Year's travels. The Serpent Mound is in southeastern Ohio, near Hillsboro. From head to tail, its about 1/4 mile long and two feet high. In this part of Ohio, ancient native americans built many mounds, but few represent animals. This is the largest "effigy mound" in the world. No one is really sure when or why it was built. There are no burials in the mound. The picture shows the tail at left and the head just over the hill in the distance.