Gracious and Delightful Day
Day 10

We went to Santo Domingo Pueblo. We met Anthony and his family. This is our last time to see Anthony, festival day for his birthday and because we enjoy his friendship. We went to Kasha- Katuwe Tent Rock and Kiwa’s land. Kasha- Katuew means “white cliffs”. We climbed Jemez Mountain; saw some arrowhead from a long time ago and shards of pottery. Anthony told a story about “arrow to sun’. The story comes from passed down to his family. If you are interested about this story, you can read it in a book. The old story was passed down by storytelling by the fire.

Here is the story;
A teenage girl went looking for her parents in the woods when they were picking pine nuts. She ate deer meat at noon near a tree. The sun (spirit) comes to her and they trade foods with each other. She got nut and the sun (spirit) got deer meat. The sun (spirit) explains to woman about nut, “If you eat it, you will get a baby boy in 9 months” When the boy grows up and he explores to find his father.  The boy shot the arrows to the west. The Grandmother spider wondered what the boy was doing and he told her of explore to find his father. Then the Grandmother spider took him to the house of the sun to find his father. At the house of the sun, they test him to make sure boy is son of sun.

The first test is put boy in the room with the bears in the room. The boy plays around with bears. The first test passed. The second test is put boy in the room with the snakes in the room. The boy plays around with snakes. The second test is passed. The third test is put boy in the room and cougars in the room. The boy plays around with cougars. The third test is passed. The sun (grandpa) put the boy in sun meeting room and he said they aren’t my father. He waited while other sun appeared in the meeting room and then the boy said, “That is my father”. The boy spent more time with his father and see world with father. When the boy completed spending time with his father, he came back to his mother to tell story about his father.

When we completed hiking, we went to cave loop trails and saw the Tent Rocks. Anthony explained some information related to the rocks. About 6 or 7 millions year ago, there happen of explosive, volcano and it erupted in the Jemez Mountains.  The layers in the mountains occur from the water, wind and the eruption. We went to the Cochti dam and observed the lake and dam. The lake is sapphire colored and massive. We went back to Mary’s house. We ate different kind of foods. I ate chili, homemade bread, dounts, and chips, a salad mixed with cashews, grapes, and broccoli and casserole of mixed cheeses, carrots, celery, peas and broccoli. We ate birthday cake and we signed “Happy Birthday” to Anothony.   

I had fun spending the day with Anthony and learned something from him. I liked hearing the story about “Arrow to Sun”. I saw some old rock in the Kasha- Katuwe Tent Rock and it still leftover of the rock. I want to thank Anthony and the Lovato family for their generosity. I feel gratitude to Anthony and his family for everything and the presents they gave us. I love this trip! I will miss New Mexico to visit some museum, pueblos and national parks. :[ I am excited to go back to home and I feel like kissing the floor of my sweet home. I want say thanks to New Mexico School for the Deaf for letting us sleep and stay in the dorm.