Messin' in Mesa (Verde)

Mesa Verde was one of my favourite spots so far. It's a world heritage site located in southwestern Colorado, near the town of Cortez (where we found a quilt shop - hurrah).

Being lazy, I don't think I can explain it any better than the park's website, which states:

Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to 1300. 

There are lots of theories as to why the ancestral Puebloan people made their homes in the cliffs, and to why they disappeared. One of the theories was that they overused the arable land up the top and moved down the cliffs to free up more space for crops up the top. Drought may have contributed to them moving on, but no one really knows.

We had to clamber down ladders, through holes, down passages on our hands and knees, and up cliffs... It was advertised as 'not for anyone with vertigo, agoraphobia, claustrophobia, heart, respiratory, knee, back, leg or other problems' but we decided to do it anyway, and it wasn't as bad as it was predicted to be! (And Katy didn't 'accidentally' step on anyone annoying's fingers on the ladders as she threatened, or push anyone off a cliff - great success, as Borat would say).

I just loved the colours and the changing foliage after a few days in the desert.

I also found a friendly squirrel. I LOVE squirrels. I get about as excited as the dog in Disney's UP. This rock squirrel munched away quite happily while I snapped him.

Also saw two grey foxes, and several families of deer. I actually disturbed two young bucks on my way to the bathroom in the camp ground. Just gorgeous seeing them up close and personal.

I also got a little of my Salt Lake Sewing done, as you saw yesterday. We certainly are getting some strange looks as we whip our sewing out. However, I remain quietly confident that the sewing craze will take over from the photography craze and pretty soon everybody will be sewing in national parks and on their travels.  You heard it here first folks... If planking can take off, surely EPP can? Make it happen people!

I have been thinking about how to divvy up the prizes for the bloghop. As Alex of Aurifil sent us three BEAUTIFUL boxes of threads which are also reasonably heavy, we are sharing the cost of the postage  between Danny, Katy and myself. This means that for the Aurifil, there will be a Katy's choice European winner, a Danny's choice US winner, and a Laura's choice Australia Asia-Pacific winner. 

But then there are the bundles from Fat Quarter Shop, Marmalade Fabrics, Fabricworm and Pink Castle fabrics to dish out. I'm thinking a viewer's choice poll for one, but maybe there should be a 'sewing in the oddest place' picture comp too? What do you think?