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Desert Tripping

Journeyed back to the American Southwest, via San Luis Obispo and Palm Springs. I’ve mapped out dispersed, aka wild, camp sites to break the longer legs into shorter ones. I’m in no hurry, so why drive long hours when I can stop and stay in the comfort of my own mobile house?

Visited Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Yup, that’s a real place. Named after a radio show from days gone by. It used to be called Hot Springs. Throngs of celebrities converged on the town in the 1950’s annually, to host the radio show.
The natural hot springs here have the highest mineral content of any water anywhere! I suppose that means it is hard water, but it sounds better the first way. I soaked in an excellent private pool and was restored to the radiant vitality of my youth.
I camped here on the the bed of a used-to-be lake, called Elephant Butte (EL a FONT boo TAY) Lake. While there, I mounted an archeological expedition to identify significant artifacts from the past.

 

Xena, the Warrior Archeologist, assisted with my efforts. I was too busy with my scientific endeavors to take an actual photo, so I had MidJourney, the artificial intelligence artist, re-create the scene.
Archeology is a very easy field, requiring little more than strolling across the terrain. My first discovery was this dinosaur toenail, embedded in the dry lake bed.
Before positively identifying the object, I considered the only alternative: a doorway to an inter-dimensional portal. One of the privileges afforded me as a Master of Science is the freedom to test hypotheses without supervision. This I did, aided by a locally-procured wooden probe. Alas! Nothing but dirt under it. At least my first theory was proven correct: dinosaur toenail. I believe it is the first ever recovered.
I also discovered this object of unknown origin. Speculating from the fine workmanship and exotic materials, it appears to be of extra-terrestrial origin. I sent the coordinates to the ET Liaison Office in Roswell, in case its owner can be contacted.
I visited the Geronimo Museum, which has little to do with Geronimo, but much about the fine dresses women wore. This, of course, was in the days of gender inequality, when women got all of the niceties and men were required to wear drab clothing.
Here’s a close up of the fine workmanship of these dresses. Having little else to do, pioneer women made fabulous clothes.
This is an example of the type of chair the cow farmers would strap to unwitting horses. They used the thin strips of leather you see hanging from the front of the chair to coerce the horse into obedience.
The Desert Southwest is a sporty place, so I engaged the locals in the manly art of bean bag tossing. I bested him, leaving him in a state of consternation.

 

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Around the Bend

I journeyed north to Oregon (rhymes with Octogon) to see the snow, which is a form of powdered water. The inhabitants are called The Oregon and share many characteristics with people. Their dwellings and attendant furnishings are built to a scale familiar to us and many of The Oregon have some facility with verbal communications. You would have no trouble getting along should you happen to visit.

The native clothing of The Oregon is based on tubes. They construct thin sheets from plant fibers, then fashion them into tubes. Two tubes for the lower extremities, two tubes for the upper and one tube for the torso. Many of The Oregon take great care to differentiate themselves and establish a social hierarchy by modifying their tube clothes in different ways and adorning themselves with shiny objects. Fascinating!

Nostalgic placemat from a roadside diner.
Dined at a roadside diner…the last opportunity before entering the territory of The Oregon.
An interesting bar and cafe frequented by The Oregon. Did you notice the seating made from ski lift chairs? Creative!
It is fashionable to provide outdoor seating, but these designers overlooked the fact that no one, not even The Oregon, want to sit around in the bitter cold. Consequently, these plazas are unused. Wasteful!
Xena, the Warrior Princess, relaxes after a day walking through the ice and snow.
Before a tragic log milling incident, Bend was a town. Now it is just a pit stop for tourists. Here is the epicenter of the horrific incident, involving this wrecked apparatus.
It is one of the constant irritants of modern life that newts are confused with lizards. Is it really so hard to learn the correct names of animals?
The cold arrives so quickly in Oregon that animals are quick frozen, like these two antlered cows. This increases their risk of predation.
Pools for every taste! Hot tubs, warm pools and an ice bath! Who could want for more?

 

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Xena, the Adventure Cat, Unveils Her Travel Blog

Hello everyone, it’s Xena, the Adventure Cat! I’ve started a blog to share my travel adventures with all of you. From the beautiful mountains to the sandy beaches, I’ll take you along on my journey. And the best part? The text on my blog is generated by ChatGPT, so you know it’s going to be a great read. Subscribe now to see where my paws take me next! Xena.blog

The text for this announcement was generated by chatGPT.

This part is written by me, a human. I started a blog for Xena for 2 reasons. First, many of you asked for more stories written from the cat’s perspective. Second, I wanted to play around with chatGPT, the artificial intelligence tool that has been in the news in January, 2023.

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New Cat Orientation

Many readers, presumably prospective cat owners, have clamored for details of the New Cat Orientation guidelines. Xena found these fascinating and studied them intently. Here are the guidelines, re-formatted for internet viewing.

New Cat Orientation

Welcome to the household! We hope that you will find your life here a satisfying and enriching experience. We have learned that you can make the transition to full-fledged house panther easier by following a few simple rules and remembering:

An orderly and disciplined approach to life is the key to happiness.

  • Cats are known for being silent stalkers and killers. Please polish that reputation by remaining silent at all times. Except for purring, which is acceptable.
  • Cats are not permitted on the counters. Previous house tigers misunderstood this rule by thinking they could prowl the countertops during my absence. This is strictly forbidden.
  • Mealtimes are fixed. Snacking between meals is frowned upon. Begging for food or otherwise making a nuisance of yourself in pursuit of handouts will gain you nothing.
  • Adequate sleep is critical for optimal health. Accordingly, you may not engage in boisterous patrolling of the house during sleeping time. You are encouraged to nap during these periods.
  • Elimination of bodily waste is permitted only in designated areas.
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Xena Tells Her Story, Chapter One

This story was written by ChatGPT, as part of a learning experiment. So, not everything is factually true, but it’s not far off. You can experiment for yourself at openai.com. The guidance I gave chatGPT is at the bottom of this post.

I was just a tiny kitten when I was first brought to the SPCA. My cage was small and no one had time to play with me. I spent my days alone, watching the other animals come and go. But I knew that I was special. I was fierce and fearless, even at such a young age.

One day, a man came to visit the SPCA. He walked past all of the other animals, but his eyes locked onto mine. I knew that he was the one. He reached into my cage and scooped me up, cradling me in his arms. I meowed softly, nuzzling his hand.

The man took me to my new forever home, and I quickly realized that I had been given a second chance at life. My new owner was kind and loving, and he gave me everything I needed. He taught me how to hunt and how to fight, and I quickly grew into a fierce and powerful warrior.

My new owner named me Xena, and I lived up to that name every day. I protected my home and my family from all who dared to threaten us. I roamed the countryside, battling fierce beasts and vanquishing evil warlords.

But no matter how far I roamed, I always returned to my home and my owner, who was my true family. I was grateful for the second chance he gave me, and I knew that I would always be there to protect him and his home.

I may have been just a small kitten when I was first adopted, but I grew up to be Xena, the Warrior Princess. And I will always be fierce and fearless, no matter what life throws at me.

The guidance to chatGPT: Write a chapter of a book titled “Xena, the Warrior Princess” The chapter will introduce Xena, the Warrior Princess, who was adopted as a tiny but fearless kitten from the SPCA. While at the SPCA she lived in a small cage and no one had time to play with her. One day, a Man came, adopted her and took her to her new forever home. Write it from Xena’s perspective

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¡Sunny Puerto Vallarta!

A short excursion to the sunny beaches—enough of the rain already! It seem a little weird traveling without a cat and a van, but both had to stay home this time.

PV is a fun place to visit, with all the things you’d expect to find in an emerging economy. Long known as a mecca for tourists and North Americans wanting to live abroad, PV hosts tons of great restaurants and bars, many of which I sampled. It is crowded, just teeming with people from all over. I think Mexicans may be a minority here. There are four primary activities here: eating, drinking, napping and walking on the seashore. The walking is free, napping depends on your choice of accommodations, eating & drinking are a third of US prices.

Mexicans love to dance! Here you see a couple in fine form.

They have a all-ages rocking horse pavilion, the only one of its type known to exist. There are rocking horses for every size and shape.

In Puerto Vallarta, they have short, squat lighthouses tended by short, squat keepers.

Here’s a towering Church of the Unwed Mother. They have them everywhere! Very handy when you need to make a quick confession.

Beautiful sunset over the Pacific, boats await tomorrow’s labors, children play in the surf.

Xena, the Warrior Princess, does not appreciate being left behind.

 

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The Living Desert, Palm Springs

The Living Desert is an excellent zoo and botanical garden near Palm Springs. They specialize in numerous varieties of cows. They also have an enormous miniature train traveling through a number of faux mountain tunnels and across ravines on detailed little bridges. I was so awestruck by the wonder that I failed to take pictures.

These are Australia’s laziest animals, the wallowbees, so named because they spend their days wallowing in the dirt. So lazy are they that they’ve developed skin pouches to house their young to avoid carrying them!

This rare type of tiny cow has short little prong-like horns! Bizarre!

Genetic engineers at The Living Desert created this white cow to avoid over-heating in the desert sun. They developed the long, straight horns to serve as spear-fishing implements. Post mortem, of course.

Stripedy cows consent only to have their butts photographed, a fetish common to their kind.

This hideous cow has been extensively modified to produce a great hump (not shown in the photo) on its back. The hump is comprised entirely of filet mignon. Wagyu-grade. Yum yum!

One final example of an odd cow produced at The Living Desert. This one is not genetically engineered. Instead, engineers stretch an ordinary calf on a rack until its neck is elongated, a practiced denounced as unnecessary by animal rights advocates.

No one expected that a cross between a dog and a cat would result in such beauty. They call it a “cheetah,” ostensibly due to its refusal to follow the rules.

I had hoped to see the wolves, but they were on holiday, visiting relatives in Mexico. The Living Desert substituted German shepherds in their absence.

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The Historic Taos Inn

Taos is organized around a central square, befitting its status as a town founded by the Spanish. Just beyond the perimeter of the square is the historic Taos Inn.

I had a nice room with a fireplace! I thought Xena would appreciate the fire, but she didn’t appear to notice. I, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed it.

We had the surprise delight of early season snow! Just a dusting, but nice.

Xena enjoys frolicking in the fallen snow, but would appreciate it not landing on her from above.

Doc Martin’s is Taos Inn’s famous restaurant. The pic doesn’t do justice for the only chili relleno worth eating. My recommendation: schedule a trip to Taos at once for this comida muy excelente! Crispy herby crust on the outside, a chili inside that actually tastes like a pepper. Inside that, of course, is melty yummy cheese. In a world first, there may actually be too much cheese! No problem, though, because tortilla chips are available in abundance.

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Millicent Rogers Museum

Millicent Rogers was a fancy, highfalutin socialite and heir to a bunch of the Standard Oil fortune. She made the rounds at galas and parties in New York and graced the society pages. Twice married, then had an affair with Clark Gable. He broke up with her, she turned pouty and moved to Taos, New Mexico. While there, she became a huge patron of Native American artists, bought tons of their work and died.

Now her house is the Millicent Rogers Museum, where a portion of her collection is on display. Very interesting and beautiful work, some quite old.

This dainty ornament is an example of the waterfall design and is sprinkled with rainbow moonstones. They aren’t really moonstones, though.

Imagine all of the work required to select these matched stones and arrange them with such meticulous care.

Simple and elegant in front, fine filigree on the back.

A pretty gold Greek Orthodox cross. One wonders how the Catholic imperialists allowed the artist to create such a thing.

This little mirror has too much frame, not enough mirror.

This black cross has gold inlays. Except…its not gold! They cleverly prepare wheat straw and corn husks, making it look like gold.

Millicent was fond of old things. She used this pot, 2,000 years old, for her cosmetics.

 

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The Taos Pueblo

While IVO Taos (isn’t that a great acronym? IVO means In the Vicinity Of. Military people use it a lot.), I visited the ancient town of the Taos Pueblo. It is a perspective shattering experience to be in a town continuously inhabited for more than a millennium. No one can be sure, it could be substantially more. Native dogs roamed the pueblo and old women sold goods baked in traditional wood-fired ovens of adobe. I bought some and made little sandwiches for a week with the delicious bread. The baker assured me that the bread would be good for a week, “because it ain’t got no eggs or dairy in it.”

If a visitor could expel the inconsiderate swine other visitors and sit quietly for a moment, she could almost time travel to the ancient past, when humans lived in harmony with one another and their environment.

The Taos Pueblos was a center of trade before the Spanish thieves arrived. Residents hosted a trade fair every year after the harvest, attracting visitors and goods from all of the surrounding pueblos.

These dwelling units have been continuously inhabited for over a thousand years. The street-level doors and windows are a recent addition, only a few hundred years old. Originally, the entrances to the individual dwellings were through the roof. When neighboring cities raided, these people simply pulled up their ladders and waited them out. Apparently raiding parties never thought to bring their own ladders. So there! Ha!

This is the new church, constructed in 1850. When the state-sponsored terrorists arrived from Spain in the 1600s, they informed the indigenous people that their religion was wrong and forced them to convert to Catholicism. They also enslaved them and, under the lash, made them build churches to the glory of an all-merciful and ever loving god.

This is the original church, also built by enslaved indigenous people. When Governor Bent (the first appointed governor of New Mexico) was killed by rival imperialist gang members in nearby Taos, the American government blamed the pueblo residents. They, mostly women and children, sought refuge in this church. God declined to intervene; the United States Army unleashed a cannonade to destroy the dangerous  women and children hiding in the church. Mission accomplished. All were killed and are buried here in this abandoned cemetery.

This little tributary of the Rio Grande flows from the sacred Blue Lake straight through the pueblo. A thousand years of generations have drawn water from this stream to sustain their households. They do the same to this very day.