A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....10-03-03....New Mexico ~ "The Land of Enchantment"

Mama_Bear

[Mama_Bear]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine ~

Please join us for a cyber-tour of another great state in this Union of ours. As we discover and spotlight each of our 50 states we also salute the proud FReepers who call their state 'home'.

Over the coming months each "Finest" hostess will profile her own home state - I will be presenting all the other states in random order. Please FReepMail me if you would like to participate in spotlighting your state. I would love to have your input on what you would like to see highlighted.

These are the states that have been presented to date:

05-23-03 Alabama
06-27-03 Maryland
07-11-03 Vermont
07-25-03 Utah
08-05-03 Texas
08-22-03 Nevada
08-26-03 Washington DC
09-05-03 Tennessee
09-17-03 Florida
09-19-03 Minnesota

Today we shine our Finest spotlight on New Mexico and the 88 FReepers who hail from "The Land of Enchantment". Click on the graphic below to visit FreeRepublic's New Mexico message board.

The first observation newcomers make about New Mexico is its vast geographical openness. Whether on winding mountain roads, long stretching highways or out on the wide open plains, the blue skies reach into distant horizons. New Mexico is actually the fifth largest state in the United States with 121,335 square miles.

The vast tracts of land in New Mexico provide a wealth of natural resources for farming, ranching, and manufacturing.

New Mexico's economy is as diverse as its cultural roots. It includes hundreds of art galleries, challenging ski areas, a booming dairy industry, international trade with Mexico, and a proliferation of technological breakthroughs due to the presence of national laboratories in Albuquerque and Los Alamos to name but a few. New Mexico is also one of the largest energy producing states in the nation, ranking fourth in natural gas production in 1992.

New Mexico is a blend of ancient cultural traditions and striking environmental diversity. Its unique multi-cultural personality and character truly make it America's Land of Enchantment and a state worth further exploration.


A bit of history about Santa Fe,
the Capitol of New Mexico.

Thirteen years before Plymouth Colony was settled by the Mayflower Pilgrims, Santa Fe, New Mexico, was established with a small cluster of European type dwellings. It would soon become the seat of power for the Spanish Empire north of the Rio Grande. Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in North America and the oldest European community west of the Mississippi.

While Santa Fe was inhabited on a very small scale in 1607, it was truly settled by the conquistador Don Pedro de Peralta in 1609-1610. Santa Fe is the site of both the oldest public building in America, the Palace of the Governors and the nation's oldest community celebration, the Santa Fe Fiesta, established in 1712 to commemorate the Spanish reconquest of New Mexico in the summer of 1692. Peralta and his men laid out the plan for Santa Fe at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the site of the ancient Pueblo Indian ruin of Kaupoge, or "place of shell beads near the water."

The city has been the capital for the Spanish "Kingdom of New Mexico," the Mexican province of Nuevo Mejico, the American territory of New Mexico (which contained what is today Arizona and New Mexico) and since 1912 the state of New Mexico. Santa Fe, in fact, was the first foreign capital over taken by the United States, when in 1846 General Stephen Watts Kearny captured it during the Mexican-American War.


Read more about the history of New Mexico HERE.

A fact unrealized by many is that the great cowboy phenomena of the American West began in New Mexico more than four centuries ago when Spanish explorers and colonizers brought the first cattle and horses to the region in the late 1500s. The ensuing centuries saw the vaquero (cowboy) ranching lifestyle absorbed into the various Native American cultures and continued by Anglo settlers who came en masse after the American takeover in the mid-1800s.

The ethnic diversity of New Mexico's cowboy culture also included many African Americans who wholeheartedly adopted the lifestyle after the Civil War. The faces of the many authentic cowboys working in New Mexico today still strongly represent this historical mix of westerners.

It's been an obvious love affair between the cowboys and the land since the first cattle and horses were brought to New Mexico on Juan de Oñate's colonization expedition in 1598.

The state capitol building was dedicated on December 8, 1966. Its design is a New Mexico territorial style. This type of architecture is of Pueblo Indian adobe, an adaptation from the Greek revival period. The capitol building forms the shape of the Zia Indian Sun Symbol, which appears on the state flag below.

New Mexico's distinctive insignia is the Zia Sun Symbol which originated with the Indians of the Zia Pueblo in ancient times. Its design reflects their tribal philosophy, with its wealth of pantheistic spiritualism teaching the basic harmony of all things in the universe.

Four is the sacred number of the Zia, and the figure is composed of a circle from which four points radiate. These points, made of four straight lines of varying length, personify the number most often used by the giver of all good gifts.

To the Zia Indian, the sacred number is embodied in the earth with its four main directions: in the year, with its four seasons; in the day, with sunrise, noon, evening and night; in life, with its four divisions--childhood, youth, manhood and old age. Everything is bound together in a circle of life and love, without beginning, without end.

Points of Interest in New Mexico

If you are fortunate enough to be able to spend some
time in this beautiful state, be sure to visit...

• The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.
  (but hurry, it starts tomorrow!) 
  
  
  
• White Sands National Monument.
   
• ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO: UFO Festival.
  
   
• New Mexico State Parks.
   
• Carslbad Caverns.
   
  
• New Mexico National Parks.
   
• Billy The Kid National Scenic Byway.
  Read more about Billy the Kid HERE. 
  

***********************

Thank you to the following websites
for information and graphics...

New Mexico Cowboys
Oldest U.S. Capitol
Origin Of The Flag Of New Mexico
New Mexico's Land and People

Thank you for joining us on our cyber trip to New Mexico. I am sure I have overlooked many interesting facts and points of interest, so please help us celebrate New Mexico by joining in and posting what you know and love about this Fine state.



Have a nice FRiday and a great weekend!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 09-29-03 Military Monday 09-30-03 Hall of Fame #5 10-01-03 Muscle Car Mania! 10-02-03 John's Two Cents

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

Click on the photo to view the album. To
submit your photo, please contact danbh59@yahoo.com
and include Freeper Photo Album in subject line.

[Mama_Bear]

You are amazing! Where did you ever find a Tlaxcalan chant?? Thank you for posting that and the photo and information about those interesting people.

[Calpernia]

Click!

The Roadrunner or Ground Cuckoo, Geococcyx californianus, is a bird that lives in thorny scrub, sparse grasslands, and deserts of Mexico and the southwestern USA. The Roadrunner can run at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour (24 km per hour). It rarely flies and does not migrate. When it is in danger, it runs or crouches to hide.

Anatomy: The Roadrunner is about 23 inches (58 cm) long. It has a shaggy crest on its head. The tail is long and narrow; it helps the Roadrunner with balance and lets it turn quickly when running. The wings are short and rarely used; the legs are long and make this bird a fast runner. Males and females are similar in appearance. Roadrunners make rattling and cooing calls.

Diet: Roadrunner eat fruit and small animals, including small lizards, scorpions, spiders, insects, eggs, small snakes, and some small rodents.

Reproduction: The Roadrunner is a type of cuckoo, but unlike many other cuckoos, it is not a nest parasite. It builds its cup-like nest in a thorn bush or a cactus. The female lays 3 to 8 white eggs.

[Mama_Bear]

Carslbad Caverns.

Mama_Bear, what's happened to you? You used to be so perfect. It seems you haven't been the same ever since the Lynyrd Skynyrd misspelling debacle (hehe, I sure enjoyed that one)

LOL, yeah I don't think any of my mistakes will ever measure up to that one....that was a doozie, for sure. I am pleased that it tickled you so. Would you believe that's why I misspelled "Carslbad"? Cuz I know it just makes your day. ;-)

Darn! I forgot to spell check. :-(

As always, I enjoy the funny state laws you post. Keep 'em coming. :-)

[Mama_Bear]

Hi dansy. Glad you enjoyed our featured state today.

Hope this is an easy FRiday for you and that you have a lovely weekend. :-)

[Mama_Bear]

I LOVE what you are contributing to this thread!! And, I love that Garth Brooks wav. I've played it four times, almost makes it like a complete song. Wish I could figure out how to get my Real Player to loop. LOL. :-)

One of my son's friends decided to try bull riding and loved it so much that he actually thought he could make a living on the rodeo circuit. That never came to pass, but he tried his darnedest to get my son to try it.....thank goodness that never came to pass either. LOL.

[GailA]

they were stiff when I got up this AM, but are not as painful as they were the other day. Ive kept the asprin/advil mix up to combat the flare up. I expected something like this when the weather started turning, I get it every year since I turned 50. Part of it is my own fault as I have a hard time putting down my quilting needle.

[Mama_Bear]

Hugs backatcha, dansy...(((((((((((((dansangel))))))))))))

[Calpernia]

That is a wav file that can be played in WMP. Under the "Play" menu is an option for 'repeat'. That loops a sound or song until you manually stop it.

As for Real Player, under the "Play" menu is an option for "continuous". This loops sounds or songs also.

[GailA]

We are back...Rocky looks beautiful, he's sitting at my feet munching his favorite treat...pigs ears.

[Calpernia]

That is a rock and a hard place. Without your quilting, you wouldn't be you. Would wearing a nice pair of gloves as much as possible during the day help?

[Mama_Bear]

Cal, I saw your post last night about me, Ashly, and Frankie all being born on October 1st, along with Ashly's grandmother. Seems like it was a popular day to be born (and I happen to think is the best day of the year to have a birthday). ;-)

Ladtx, I am so happy to hear that she is improving.

[GailA]

Unfortunately no, what would help is for me to stop quilting for a week...LOL ain't gonna happen. I have been trying to alternate the thinkgs I do during the day from FReeping, to crocheting and the quilting, I started cutting out a new pattern, which gives my fingers a rest from sewing, then I sew a little on the one I just put on the quilting frame. Keeps the stress down on the 2 joints that are the most painful.

I don't do arthritis meds because of the bad gastro-intestinal side effects. A few days on the advil/asprin will make a difference.

Taking Rocky to the dog groomers took most of my morning. He loves the car ride, doesn't mind the trip to the groomers..just doesn't like his feet done. And he especially likes his 'reward' of pig ear to chew on. Makes short work of one.

[ladtx]

Thanks Mama_Bear. She is improving slowly but surely. Actually she was born on her great-grandmother's (my mother's) birthday. It really made my Mom's day when I called her to let her know, she said Ashly makes a pretty good birthday present.

[Mama_Bear]

Hmmmmmm.....I have mixed feelings about bats. I know they are one of God's magnificent creatures and they serve their purpose in the food chain, but listening to their sounds just gave me chills. They are not my favorite things. Although I would love to watch the thousands of them leaving the carverns at dusk. Must be an amazing sight....as long as none of them come too close to me.

[Mama_Bear]

What a wonderful story about the New Mexico rain dance. There is something about the southwest and Native American culture that I am drawn to, it's hard to explain. I have been through New Mexico, but didn't get to see much, except desert and a long straight highway from horizon to horizon.

I was telling a friend of mine that I was working on a profile of New Mexico. She was born and raised in Albuquerque and I could see the way her face lit up how much she loved and missed her birthplace.

Thank you for coming and sharing your memory of the Indian rain dance.

[LadyX]

These threads featuring states have proved to be most interesting and informative, Lori! You do such a wonderful "get to the heart of it" overview of them, with lovely illustrations - enough to fully draw us in, without 'overload.'

That has to be difficult, and we appreciate what you evoke - participation and interaction by persons who lived there or visited or who have researched interesting things.

U Make History Phun !!

Go easy on 'er, Thin Man - do not become 'overbearing' in pointing out her tiny boo-boos....why, we might even be magnanimous and refer to Meekie's adorable pencil-stirring coffeemaker as Carslbad Caveman..:))

G'day, everyone!

[Pippin]

(((LADYX)))!

[Mama_Bear]

...he's sitting at my feet munching his favorite treat...pigs ears

Pig's ears.....that's my Jackie's favorite thing too! We go through a bag of those every couple weeks.

[MEG33]

Beautiful,Mama Bear!

[Mama_Bear]

Oh, thank you for the rain dance. Hauntingly beautiful!

I have got to get my defaults straightened out, someday when I have time to mess with it. Some files play in RealPlayer, like the Garth Brooks wav and some in WMP, like the rain dance. Guess I should have all of them play in one or the other.