Text Box: SMITH FAMILY NEWSLETTER October  2007

Text Box: Post Balloon Festival 2007!!  

Text Box: Leaving the Balloon Festival was a bit sad after all the excitement and festive atmosphere.  Albuquerque sure knows how to party!  The festival ended on Sunday, 10/14, but we stayed until Monday, along with some of our chapter buddies.  This enabled us to avoid the big rush to leave and the resulting traffic jam.  From here, Bob & I headed for Tucson, AZ with a short stop in Gallup, NM.  I was interested in  visiting the Zuni Pueblo.  My interest was in the history of the Zuni as well as the superior artistic ability of the Zuni Pueblo people.   In Tucson, Bob had signed up to attend the MOTOSAT RALLY at BEAUDRY RV RESORT.  This was a week of intense technical workshops sponsored by the satellite manufacturing company based in Salt Lake City, UT.  From this rally we headed north again, this time to Mesa, AZ where we stopped for a nice long three week rest!  Even with this, we managed to get in some long over due family visits.  Also in the area are some 400 chapter members, who like us will be around here for the holidays.

Text Box: THE ZUNI PUEBLO  

Text Box: The Zuni Pueblo is the first Pueblo Bob and I have ever visited.  This is a unique  history of a people because of their geographic isolation. Documented history began in 1540 which was over eighty years before

Text Box: Tucson & the MotoSat Rally

Text Box: Did I Say This Was A  Relaxing 3 Weeks?   I lied!!  This was such a busy 3 weeks that Bob and I decided to change our plans which included going back to New Mexico for Thanksgiving and to Socorro, NM for another balloon festival the weekend after Thanksgiving.  We were both tired!  We were tired when we got here with all the touring we had been doing for some time.  Since most of this occurred in November I will hold off talking about most of that for the next newsletter.  For me, the added health issues made these three weeks less pleasant.  I finally had the good sense to see a doctor and was diagnosed with diverticulitis and was also continuing to battle with some blood pressure issues.  Knock wood, I have been lucky choosing good doctors and clinics along the way and I carry health histories for both of us.  This really facilitates the process when we need help.  At this point I am feeling good again!  

Text Box: Slow News Month?   Last month I deviated from the time line of the newsletter, by writing about the Balloon Festival, which was really in October.  This made October a rather slow news month by comparison.  Consequently I thought I would use the remainder of the space for this letter with some additional September ‘party’ pictures!  Below is a Rising New Mexico Moon!

Text Box: the Pilgrims arrived on the Atlantic Coast. We had to drive 40 miles from Gallup to get there.  The Zuni Pueblo is the largest of the nineteen New Mexican Pueblos, and is considered the most traditional of all, with a unique language, and culture.  Prior to the independence of Mexico from Spain, the Spanish sent explorers and military expeditions into what is now New Mexico in search of gold.  The Zuni successfully defended their people against the invasions by retreating to the top of a high mesa called  the Sacred Dowa Yalanne. They probably lost more lives through small pox epidemics than they ever did from military invasions.  In 1680, they also were part of the successful Pueblo Revolt  against the Franciscan Father’s attempt to force Christianity on them and Spanish control. They successfully negotiated a peace with the Spanish in 1692. They then came together as a single Pueblo at halona Idiwan’s, which became known as “Zuni”.  Being hungry when we got there the lady at the Visitor’s Center directed us to a nearby Bakery. We bought a loaf of sour dough bread baked in one of the traditional outdoor brick ovens.  It

Text Box: was delicious and just enough until we had our pizza, also in the Pueblo community.  Yes Pizza, and it was excellent!!! 

Text Box: This year we were finally in the right part of the country to be able to attend this rally!  We had heard from some of our friends in previous years that this was a very educational rally for those of us using the MotoSat Satellite

Text Box: System.  We arrived a couple of days early only to find out most everyone else arrived early too.  Bob had some definite questions he hoped to get answered,  as well as finishing an upgrade to software.  We even got a  blue light on our dish.  We didn’t want to be the only one without a blue light!  You had to see the 200+ blue lights lit up at night! Spookey!! The seminars were very intense with at least 3  a day and technicians available to service systems through out the day. This is a company that really stands behind their product.  We put our name on the volunteer list to take our turn  manned the door to make sure only registered members were admitted to seminars and catered meals.  The food was excellent and the caterers did a great job.  The picture above is of Bob and Royal working on our dish.