Sun, at last!

We awoke to clear skies yesterday, decided to go see Hovenweep National Monument. Seeing the new visitor center, built in 1999, I realized it has been at least 10 years since I last visited Hovenweep!

'Twas bright and cold, with a high, thin overcast muting some of the brightness (and warmth) of the sun. Nonetheless, we hiked up the trail to the head of Little Ruin Canyon and back. Shown are Hovenweep House (on the rim at left, flanked by unexcavated rubble mounds), Square Tower (built tall in the bottom of a canyon ... go figure!) and Hovenweep Castle on the north rim, at the right. On the other side of the "castle" is a room that was added late and which functioned as an observatory. Entering through a doorway that's literally on the edge of the canyon itself, the ancients were able to watch how holes in the south and west walls organized sunset light to mark the solstices and the equinoxes. 

The trip took longer than anticipated (my proposed photo safaris alway seem to!), but it was a nice break outdoors after snow, grey, snow, grey.

In the afternoon, we learned that Sandy's picture of colorful Silverton buildings illuminated at dawn was selected by the judge to be in the Durango Art Center's Four Corners Commission show ... yippee! tv