She met me at Lomaki

[lindyannajones]

This story "arrived" the morning I was taking these photos. Disclaimner: I am NOT a writer but the story does tell the history of this area and the people who lived here. This is the first installment of a character named Morning Star who met me in this place.

Morning Star awakened from her troubled sleep and was immediately aware that the air was dense and cool. "Odd" she thought. It had been so warm lately, with the late summer heat unrelenting, especially since the monsoon rains had ceased in early August. She missed the afternoon cloudbursts. She rubbed her eyes and stretched. She knew she would not have to hurry this morning to greet the sun with her prayers as her dream had jostled her awake early. She shivered at the memory.

She always seemed to have this same dream on the nights the elders, and especially grandmother, recounted the tale of the great "eruption". It was a story grandmother had heard from her mother who had been an eyewitness to the explosion on the mountain. In her dream, she would always see rocks falling like rain and the red and yellow rivers of molten lava flowing down the hills. Sometimes when she was carrying water back from the spring, she would find a rock, purple and pitted, and she would try to imagine day turning to night, so the story went, and the force of the explosion, so great to have sent that rock flying a three day walk from the mountain. She was thankful for the fine layer of ash that covered the ground and the way it helped hold the moisture for the plants between rain storms but how the cinder blanket came to be there still made her shudder.

Sunset Crater - Erupted (1040-1100)



Cinder Ground Covering

[tycooder]

You do beautiful work Lady

[jack russell]

Thanks for this Lindy .. a fantastic use of the fascinating story matched to your stunning photos .. best "story book" I've read in years

[flavio]

Good story,
Better pictures,

GOOD MEDICINE!

LOL

[jakethepig]

Linda, you hinted at this story in your last post and so it begins, and what a lovely story it is too. Your pictures and your new found friend Morning Star are taking us through the history of this amazing place and what sights she must have seen when the volcano erupted and how afraid she must have been too. Your wonderful photographs give us some idea of what her visions would have been like on that morning of her awakening. I can't wait for the continuation of this lovely and interesting story from the mind and eye of Lindyanna Jones. Thank Linda for your great insight into the history of this amazing place and the wonderful way in which you tell it.

Dave.

[ukglyn]

Lovely work! I love the scenery in these photos & the story to.
Thanks for sharing.
Glyn

[photog45]

WOW .... as simple as that.

[beachcomber]

In her dream, she would always see rocks falling like rain and the red and yellow rivers of molten lava flowing down the hills.

Morning Star knows things. Beautiful stories and beautiful locations with pictures two and four being my favourites from todays selection, the colours of the early morning mist, and distant hills and winding cinder path

[7000-4life]

wow the 2 first pictures.. are just awesome! i like that dreamy look !

[lindyannajones]

Originally Posted by tycooder

You do beautiful work Lady

Thanks. The key is to be in beautiful places. The fog turned a great morning photographing a sunrise into something quite magical.

Originally Posted by jack russell

Thanks for this Lindy .. a fantastic use of the fascinating story matched to your stunning photos .. best "story book" I've read in years

Well, I hope you like the continuing story as we follow her to the next stop: Wupatki National Monument. Glad you like the story. I sure debated about sharing it. Still have reservations, actually.

Originally Posted by flavio

Good story,
Better pictures,

GOOD MEDICINE!

LOL

Well, Flavio, there's something rather boring about looking at photos of ruins. I thought a story might breathe a little life into the photos. Good medicine is...well...good!

Originally Posted by jakethepig

Linda, you hinted at this story in your last post and so it begins, and what a lovely story it is too. Your pictures and your new found friend Morning Star are taking us through the history of this amazing place and what sights she must have seen when the volcano erupted and how afraid she must have been too. Your wonderful photographs give us some idea of what her visions would have been like on that morning of her awakening. I can't wait for the continuation of this lovely and interesting story from the mind and eye of Lindyanna Jones. Thank Linda for your great insight into the history of this amazing place and the wonderful way in which you tell it.

Dave.

There's some thought that the inhabitants of this region were three generations removed from the eruption. I imagined, though, that the story would still be told. How frightening it must have been to wonder if the mountain might explode again. Were there still occasional tremors I wonder? Glad you like it, David. There's not much more to tell, just a few paragraphs, but I think the story makes the photos more interesting, or, at least, that is my hope.

Originally Posted by ukglyn

Lovely work! I love the scenery in these photos & the story to.
Thanks for sharing.
Glyn

Hey, Glyn, thanks. I like the muted colors in the photos compliments of the fog. Another nice part of this foggy day was the contrast to Tucson and 100 degree temps. It was so nice to feel cool for a change.