[Photos taken on Chaco Winter Solstice 1998 - (c) Christina A. Solstad]

(my apologies for the odd photo and text formatting ... will be fixing it later, but wanted to get this info to you!)

If you are heading to Chaco for winter solstice, here is what my dear friend and Chaco park interpretive ranger extraordinaire, GB Cornucopia, told me yesterday (Sunday Dec 19). Lunar eclipse info is at the end of this post.

• It is currently cloudy and threatening snow, tho there is no snow there at the moment. It is supposed to be cloudy thru Wednesday, but that can always change!
• With the lunar eclipse and full moon, they will be opening up the observatory Monday at midnite for viewing.
• Casa Rinconada (the great kiva on the south side of the canyon) will be open at sunset Monday (normally the sites are closed between sunset and sunrise) for the moonrise.
• Pueblo Bonito will be open for sunrise Tuesday morning, for viewing of the winter solstice alignment in one of the corner windows.

I was there for winter solstice in 1998, and it snowed that morning, so missed seeing the sun and alignment, but got to see the magic of fresh snow everywhere! I am posting several photos of this amazing sight that few get to see.

Every trip to Chaco I meet people of like mind who are intrigued by, inspired by, affected by Chaco in some way. Most come back again and again.

Chaco is like that.

It draws those who appreciate its many wonders. I see it in their eyes and hear it in their voice as they share their experience.

And everyone leaves changed in some way.

Leaving the road as it is, unpaved, will help to continue drawing those who can sense its magic, but not those who might cause damage.

For all those I have met on this trip, and others -- thank you for enriching my experience. And, as GB Cornucopia likes to say, "May you get from Chaco what you need."

What about you? Let me know what you are thinking, below in the comments.

(Thanks to Joe Kennedy for the photo of several of us after the Zuni sunrise ceremony [splendid!] on Saturday June 19 at Casa Rinconada. Do we look happy, or what?)
 

Good Bye, Larry

Larry Davis -- my friend, teacher, and the one who introduced me to Chaco Canyon -- has left us. He passed away, peacefully and unexpectedly, on Sunday, December 27.

So how do I say good-bye to a man who showed me so much?

His family says: "His hope was that his legacy would go on within each of us that called him teacher and friend. He loved all of us with such a big heart." 

Biggest Gift

His biggest gift was introducing me to Chaco in April 1994. Larry loved Chaco since he was introduced to its magic some 20 years before. Chaco spoke to something deep within me, and I've been returning ever since. 

Chaco Experiment

I met Larry in 1993. He led a weekly meeting of people interested in personal growth and spirituality.

When he announced a trip to Chaco, I wanted to go. This was to be an experiment to see if taking groups there made sense. Three of us made the trek, a 15-hour drive from Southern California, giddy with excitement.

We camped, the third week in April, in the bitter cold (12 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit). Larry swears it was 70 degrees (Fahrenheit) just the week before. 

Now that I know Chaco and the high desert, he may have been right. Then again, who knows ...?

It snowed on us the first night. We ate soup while sitting in the car to stay warm. We explored and hiked and filled our heads and hearts with Chaco.

We loved it. The experiment was a success. 

Many Introduced to Chaco

Larry continued to take small groups, usually twice a year. I was his assistant on many trips, then continued coming on my own.

Hard to say how many people Larry has introduced to Chaco, and how many are changed as a result. Lots.

Like me. I always go to Chaco with the intent to learn something about myself. And the things I've learned (and relearned)! They are not always easy or pretty, but always valuable.

Thank You, Larry

Larry, thanks for Chaco. And your friendship. And all those I met through you. And all that I learned with your help. And oh, the memories...

Your legacy lives on, in some small way, in me.

I love you, and wish you peace. 

Stop by Chaco any time.

Happy Winter Solstice! 

This is the day when the sun appears to stands still (the literal meaning), rising and setting in the same place for several days around this date. The sun's arc is also at its lowest, giving us the least amount of light and warmth. 

This also marks the return to longer days, and more light and warmth from the sun, as the sun's arc in the sky increases.

Since I could not be there in person, I spoke to G.B. Cornucopia, park ranger extraordinaire, and dear friend. The photo is one G.B. sent me from a previous year.

This morning at Chaco was clear and cold (minus 0 degrees Fahrenheit), with 43 hardy souls showing up at Pueblo Bonito before sunrise. They got to watch the sun's beam of light shine through a high corner doorway, and onto the wall. This is the only time it looks like this. 

See how the sunlight in the photo marks a nice square shape on the wall? 

The changing size and shape of the resulting light on the stone wall would have allowed the ancient Chacoans to mark important events, such as the return to longer days. 

Don't you think you would have wanted to mark and celebrate the return of more sunlight! 

I have yet to see this with my own eyes. One day I will! 

I was there one year for solstice, but it snowed, so we could not see the sun. Instead, I experienced another kind of magic. That will be another post!

Are you one of the hardy souls who has had the privilege of seeing this in person? Do comment below and tell us your experience!

This Langston Hughes poem captured my heart long ago.

Hold fast to your dreams,

For if dreams die,

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

It is amazing what we can create when we keep our dreams alive - no matter what "they" think. 

Have you ever let someone take away your dreams? What did you do to get them back?