Tuesday, January 20, 2009 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
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Indian wells, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM, January 20, 2009
Indian wells
To quote the nearby interpretive sign:
Mortar Holes
These cylindrical mortar holes were used by prehistoric people who made frequent use of Dog Canyon. Mortars are often referred to as "Indian wells" because they collect rain water, but they were actually created as a result of food processing. Hand-held pestles were used to grind wild seeds and beans into flour, creating mortars in the bedrock over many years. A total of 39 mortars have been located in this area.
I'm getting antsy.
It's time to move on and I'll probably go over to Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, a few miles north of Las Cruces.
On the way over I would like to stop at a Home Depot to repair my leaking fresh water tank inlet hose. I replaced that hose back when I was repairing the big water leak damage and I had trouble getting the hose pushed onto the barb fitting at the elbow into the tank. The working conditions aren't great - it's behind a drawer under the kitchen counter - and I'm not entirely sure what I messed up so making the repair in their parking lot has the big advantage of my not having to pick up my mess and drive into town every time I come up a part short.
Water tank inlet, September 23, 2007
Night camp
Site 7 - Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Alamogordo NM
- Verizon cell phone service - good signal
- Verizon EVDO service - very good signal and access speed ( I have to qualify this - during my January 2008 visit the signal and access speed was excellent - in January 2009 it was practically non-existent during the day and slow at night with unpredictable short periods of excellent access)
- Go to Oliver Lee Memorial State Park website
- Go to Oliver Lee Memorial State Park on my Nightcamps map
- Check the weather here
It's Time to Go Home
The truth about nature is that she is inside us, all around us, just waiting for us to ask her what to do. The truth about civilization is that it was an honest mistake, an invention that was necessary at the time, a mere 30,000 years ago, when nature appeared to be letting us down and we thought we could do better. But now it has outlived its usefulness, and is out of control, and threatens the survival of all life on our planet, so it's time to let it go. It's time to move forward and imagine and invent a new culture, a sustainable one that works for all creatures on Earth, drawing on the best learnings from nature and the best innovations from civilization.
It's time to go home.