Mosaic Monday #154: The Engagement

Gray skies and spots of rain greeted our fourth day in New Mexico.  Not auspicious when our plan included viewing petroglyphs and soaking at an outdoor spa!  Nevertheless, internally chanting one of our family mottos -- do not stray from the quest -- we proceeded, fortified by blueberry pancakes a la Head Chef.   

The winding blacktop country road that led to the petroglyph trailhead follows an ancient route.  It began as a footpath between thriving Native American villages strung along the Santa Fe River.  Images carved into the rock cliffs watched over the villages and their visitors.

In the 16th century, the road became a branch of a colonial wagon road, El Camino Real De Tierra Adentro, the "Royal Road of the Interior".  This road was the earliest Euro-American trade route in the United States.  It tied Spain's colonial capital at Mexico City to its northern frontier in distant New Mexico.  El Camino Real was part of Spain's global network of roads and maritime routes.  El Rancho de las Galandrinas, two miles south of here, was the last paraje - a campground or resting place - that travelers used before they reached the colonial capital of Santa Fe, 15 miles upriver.

Under a slight drizzle, we followed the footpath and clambered over slick rocks to the ridge.  Right or left?  A scramble to the right yielded no petroglyphs, so we reversed course and found the ones in the mosaic below.  If the weather had been more favorable, I suspect we would have explored more thoroughly.

On the return to the car, I noticed some wilted leaves among the brush.  On further inspection, I concluded it was some sort of squash.  I know that squash is one of the "Three Sisters" (squash, maize (corn) and beans), the foundation of Ancestral Pueblo people's diet, but is this plant growing naturally, or something that was planted this year?  I saw several plants in the vicinity, but nothing to solve the mystery.

A short distance down the road, we parked at the Ojo Sante Fe Spa, ready for a relaxing afternoon.   For hundreds of years, travelers and seekers have journeyed to spring-fed waters for respite and healing.

Today, the spa is a refuge from the modern world, nestled amidst a lush 77 acres in Northern New Mexico's high desert.

We all relished the benefits of hydrotherapy in the thermal pools, and #1 Daughter and I also took advantage of the spa for massages.  Utter relaxation.

That evening, The Boyfriend asked that we visit the Cross of the Martyrs, renowned for its sweeping Santa Fe views from a hilltop park reached by a path lined with city history plaques.  #1 Son and I dutifully read the signs, while Spousal Unit, The Boyfriend and #1 Daughter went ahead to the viewing point.  When we reached them, I strolled past and was using a bush as a photographic foreground for the sunset.  I overheard The Boyfriend ask Spousal Unit to take a picture of them with the sunset in the background.  I could certainly see why.

Imagine my surprise when, a few moments later, he asked me to take pictures.  No questions asked, I took his phone and began to line up the shot when he got down on one knee.  What!?!?!  It was all I could do to keep my hands from shaking and my eyes from crying as I snapped away, doing my best to capture this meaningful, significant event.  

A handful of witnesses clapped as #1 Daughter said "Yes!" and The Boyfriend slipped the ring on her finger.   A couple of ladies offered to take pictures of the family, and we gratefully accepted.  Of all the snaps they made, I love the genuine nature of this one -- I still laugh every time I see it, and I get a little teary with joy, recalling this treasured moment.

Later, over dinner, The Boyfriend would recall the minutes leading up to his proposal.  His heart was about to pop out of his chest, while #1 Son and I leisurely read the historical information.  And I was shooting a picture of a bush, of all things, while he was trying to get me, the better photographer, to focus on what was about to happen.  Oh my!  And this is how wonderful family stories, ones that get handed down and told repeatedly, are made!

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.

The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time).

Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.

Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.

As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.

Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.

Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

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