Venus Over the Pueblo

I am in the home stretch, as far as Chaco photographs go. Almost at the end. This is the planet Venus setting in the west after the end of the Annular Solar Eclipse. And it is setting over the Pueblo. I was taken by the space in the masonry and how it would make an interesting compositional element. So I walked back and forth until Venus was positioned just above the opening. So now it looks like some amazing "alignment" between the architecture and the heavens. Only its not - it's just me moving around.

The T-Shaped Doorway

So I am getting to the end of the Chaco photographs. But I took so many interesting images, that I hate to stop posting them, and then have to look for interesting things in my back yard. So this is one of the most famous parts of Pueblo Bonito - the T-Shaped Doorway. No one knows why they built this doorway this way. I saw it suggested that it might be for people carrying large loads. The flaw in that theory is, that this doorway can only be reached by passing trhough smaller doorways in any direction that you approach it from. But it is a stunning thing to see, with more doorways in the distance, leading to room after room. This particular view is the most iconic image from Pueblo Bonito, and is featured in almost every book about Chaco Culture Historical Site. Isn't the stone work stunning? It is incredible how carefully the stones are shaped and fitted in these structures, given how long ago they were constructed.

From the Top of the Cliff

I hope you are not getting bored with my Chaco images. I took so many photographs in the time I was there, and of course I want you to see them ALL! I have wanted to climb to the top of the cliff since my first visit here years ago. I wanted to look down on the huge expanse of Pueblo Bonito. It is an amazing sight, and only from this vantage point is it possible to see how vast this complex is. Notice all the circles within the outer walls of the structure - each of those is a kiva.

Memorial Day, 2012

Every year Sea Cliff has a Memorial Day Parade, and I am always so thankful that we have this part of "Americana" right here. So I go to the parade every year and look for a photograph. I photographed a number of different scenes today, but just as I was about to leave the grounds where the ceremony is held at the end of the parade, I spotted this face. His name is Charles, and he is our neighbor from down the street, and he is a U.S. Navy veteran from the Second World War. He served in the Pacific on a "mini-flattop" as he explained to me. Sort of like a small aircraft carrier. It's funny, after shooting all kinds of images of the parade, this photograph - of just one person - seemed so much more significant than all the other photographs, as a way to honor our veterans.

The Other Photographer

I am finally caught up! I have been doing two posts a day all week, and now I have filled in for the days I was off the grid. Anyhow, I went to Chetro Ketl shortly after 7 AM because the light was really nice at that time of day. After wandering around photographing for maybe an hour, another photographer showed up. He was using a 4x5 view camera and shooting in black & white. I watched him for a bit, then went over to talk to him. He was there for the same reason I was - just to have fun shooting photographs of the Pueblo ruins. I was using a 4x5 camera, and shooting black & white when I made my first trip here years ago.

The Big Dipper

We went into one of the rooms of Pueblo Bonito as darkness approached, and set up our cameras on tripods in order to make long exposures of the sky as seen through the open roof. I started making exposures when there was still light in the sky, and continued until the sky was completely black. I was surprised to see that I liked the first exposure when the sky was still blue. By the way, Polaris, the north star, is visible through the window to the left. The big dipper itself is upside down in the center of the picture. Please click on the image to see it larger. It is easier to spot the dipper.

The Way Down

Stan and I climbed up this very narrow trail through the face of the cliff, in order to reach the top of the mesa. We wanted to be able to look down from above to photograph two of the pueblo sites, which we did. It was an interesting viewpoint of a spectacular scene overlooking the whole of Chaco Canyon. You could see for miles from up on top. After hiking about a mile along the top of the mesa, we turned around and headed back. This is Stan on the descent through the narrow cut in the rock that is the trail to the bottom.