The 2.5 hour drive from Santa Fe, New Mexico heading north on Hwy 84 to Pagosa Springs, Colorado is one of the most scenic west of the Mississippi. I am a fortunate one to experience this drive at least once a year, especially now since my son lives with his family in Santa Fe. The way I feel about this country is like when I drive along the Chilkat River, especially Mud Bay Road in Haines – my heart and spirit soars! No other place does this with me like the Chilkat River area in Haines, Alaska and the Chama River area in Geronimo Country in Northern New Mexico…!
This country just about an hour north of Santa Fe and in the Abiqui area, in modern-day is nick-named “Georgia O’Keefe Country” – though back in the 1800’s, was known as Geronimo country. Geronimo was Apache; this is Chiricahua Apache country. He was born June 16, 1829 on the Chama River in this awesomely, beautiful land. There are many books on Georgia O’Keefe, her work, the landscape, her homes and even the interior decor of the way she kept her homes. If there were books on Geronimo that he actually wrote, I wonder what would be portrayed.
If Geronimo had an iPad or at least an iPhone to take photos of his family, his tribe, his way of life, his landscape and the way he loved, what would we see? What would he have said regarding the U.S. Government and the wars. If he had Facebook, what would he have shared? What would he have written about himself? What would others have said about him?
When driving through this country, when walking on this land, when camping along the Chama River, only my imagination fills in the frame of each “photo.”