We are currently in Las Cruces, NM. We spent last week in Tombstone
Territories, AZ. Tombstone is a wonderful town if you enjoy a
western atmosphere and western clothing.
Tombstone is the spot where the shootout at the OK Corral occurred.
As you walk along the wooden sidewalks, it is easy for your mind to move
back to the 1800's. We took the covered wagon tour of the town. The
wagon master was a friendly sort who could spin quite a yarn about
Tombstone. Since our son Matt loves western style clothing, he always
fares quite well when Mom visits Tombstone.
On Sunday we attended the Congregational Church of Tombstone. We were
welcomed by a man dressed in a style I would expect to see on Wyatt Earp,
a black western suit, white shirt, black bow tie, a Stetson hat, and
black boots. That man was also the acolyte for the service. Most of the
ushers were in western style clothing, as were many of the congregation.
Monday we walked through Boot Hill Cemetery. Most of those buried there
died in the 1880's. We purchased a leaflet that had the names of each of
those buried there, and we walked through the cemetery and spoke each
name aloud. That was our way of paying homage to those who died so long
ago.
Since both Tombstone and Las Cruces are not far from the Mexican border,
INS vans are a familiar site. In one day in the Tombstone area nearly
400 hundred people were placed in vans and returned to Mexico. We saw a
van full of men being returned to Mexico. Many of them had probably paid
close to $2,000 for such a short and unproductive trip. Regardless of
how we might feel about illegals in this country, my heart went out to
the men in that INS van. We drove to Nogales where a high wall with
barbed wire on the top divides the US side and the Mexican side of the
town. We could see past the wall to the obvious poverty that began just
a few blocks from the wall. Isn't it amazing? A simple wall determines
our fate. I am very grateful to have been born in the USA.
Las Cruces sits in a beautiful area. The mountains don't seem to be as
high as those in California, but the peaks are very jagged. The clouds
cast shadows on the mountains and make each day's view an original.
Today we drove to El Paso, Texas, about 40 miles from Las Cruces. The
landscape is so interesting. We could see acres and acres of tumbleweeds
and brush. However, every once in a while a brown or tan Pueblo
structure popped up, a house amongst the tumbleweed!
We will be heading toward Kansas next Monday. We will spend Easter with
Matt, Deb, Kate, Nate, and Caleb.
