This is the One

I have been trying to think how this Presidential election could be depicted in a painting.  This is the one.  Dali's Persistence of Memory.  I figured the time vortexes around this never ending theater were represented here.  I think that is Trump's hair on the ground.  Mabye, hey?

Maybe that fog rolling in from the sea represents the uncertainty of our democracy, no matter who wins.  It is borne on winds of ignorance?  Gahhhhhh!  I am going crazy.

Basics

Sometimes I just don't pay enough attention to the basic things that make life fun.  We spent the weekend up in Fort Collins for our grand daughters second birthday.  Of course to us they are very special little girls because they beat so many odds at surviving an extreme early birth.  Alex and Katy spent 12 weeks in the NICU and later Katie had open heart surgery.  She is also dealing with a case of cerebral palsy but she is doing well.  That is Katy with the hat on, and Alex with the curly hair.

Because of Katy's valiant fight and the demeanor of Donald Trump when he made fun of a reporter with cerebral palsy,  it was easy to see just what a danger this psychopath was to our nation.  I have to say his view of the world would put Katy in great peril.  And many others.

Black Star

Put another black star next to Susana Martinez's name.  We have now learned that New Mexico's school kids have a lower than basic score in science proficiency.  While I am pretty sure that there may be a lot of factors that got us here, nonetheless it seems like something could be emanating from the Governor's office besides right wing TV Commercials against Democrats.

Please, don't forget this Land of Enchantment is home for two national science and research labs.  Wouldn't it be great if we were turning out a lot of kids who could compete for those jobs?  Of course it would, but there are all those subsidies and tax breaks for Susana's right wing corporate cronies  to take care of first.

I am certain now that  history will treat  this two term Governor as the disaster that she is.

The Governor

She is overseeing the greatest economic meltdown in memory for the Land of Enchantment.  Highest unemployment rate, worsening bond ratings, highest child poverty, and lack of bipartisan efforts at fixing things.  But she can concentrate on defeating democrats by using extreme right wing PAC money.  And she is voting for Donald Trump.

Two more years of this spells real disaster for our beloved State of New Mexico.  The legacy of Susana Martinez, mascot of the right wing.

Mercenary

Mayor Berry is hard at work to set up a mercenary police presence in Albuquerque.  It is the most irresponsible thing a politician could do and he actually got two city councillors to support him.  So, are Brad Winter and Pat Davis now in the stupid column?  This is the most atrocious monumental and colossal privatization of government responsibility I can think of.

This group of police will be governed not by you as a citizen, but by corporate interests.  They will be comprised of retired police officers who would no longer answer to government officials, but rather to some profit gouging CEO.  Supposedly they will do the work of the present police aides that the city employs, but this is just  the beginning of a Robocop scenario.  Think the Blackwater mercenaries in the Duke City.

Leaders should dump this idea and the politicians who ultimately support it.  Just go out and hire more police aides.  It is a good government supported training ground for future officers.

Santa Ana Bosque

Behind

The Albuquerque Journal's right wing editor and owners are so left behind.  What are they to do in this election year when they may be one of the only daily publications in large cities to have not endorsed in the Presidential election?  The early vote is underway and many have voted.  Could it be the Journal is so befuddled that they can't make up their minds on what to do about Trump and Hillary?  Do they think they have no influence at all anymore by not stating their preference after weeks of voting have passed by?

Last night at a charity fundraiser one of the people sitting with us stated that he doesn't read the Journal any longer.  Not because of its political stands, but because of the poor editing and writing that just seems to be a common occurrence.  I am sure they are not as bad as my editing and writing, but I don't do this for a living.

My bet is that they might not endorse, or that they might do a throw away on our former stoner Governor Johnson.  But, anything is possible at the sociopathic editors suite.

Bereft

One can only assume the GOP in New Mexico is bereft of any intellectual ammunition.  The fact they would send out a mailer telling party members they will be put on a watch list if they stay home from the polls is just plain stupid.  How could this mailer ever have come to be mailed?  Is everyone in the GOP office so ignorant that they thought  this was a good thing?  A high school Sophomore civics class could have told them otherwise.  This belongs in Ripley's Believe it or Not!

Maybe this is the mercy killing of the party that has been needed in New Mexico so that the remnants might rise like the Phoenix from it's ashes into a thoughtful conservative presence.

Back into the Soup

We are back from one of the best vacations ever.  I would highly recommend a trip along the Pilgrims route in northern Spain to Santiago de Compastela.

This is one of thousands of markers that shows the way to Pilgrims.  Whether you are a believer or not, it is a step into  a surreal time surrounded by beautiful countryside, magnificent structures and cathedrals, and a culture that could have done just about anything it set its mind too.

Spain is in a governmental crisis. They have not formed a ruling majority in over 300 days and are sort of living on a continuing resolution, much like this country does.  Their unemployment is still very high, but their economy is growing rapidly and the streets are full of people having a good time.

Strangely, no one ever asked us about Trump.  Our Presidential race was certainly in the news, but we never got any questions.  Maybe they just don't care, or they didn't want to embarrass us by asking about Trumpism.

Looking at the campaign from afar made us pretty happy to be away for a couple of weeks.  The first thing we do on Monday is vote.  And then get ready for the post election crazies arming themselves for insurrection when the Trump cries foul.  Just wait and watch the incidents happen.  

Adios

Segovia is beautiful. 

Segovia

Old Roman Acqueduct

Segovia Foggy Landscape

Stupendous

Salamanca cathedral

The best yet

Salamanca

This is the view from our hotel room. A nice long journey today from Santiago. Very rainy and cool.

Vallodolid

Columbus was buried here. And we ate lunch at La Parilla de San Lorenzo. Rainy and cool here.

Scallop shells

Yes it's a church made out of scallop shells.

More Monastic wreckage

Pontovedre, Spain

End of the 500 miles

Santiago Tour.

Roughing It

Santiago de Compastelo. The end of the pilgrims journey for salvation. With fine dining.

O Cebreiro, Spain

While New Mexico Slept

Gaudi Palace Astorga

My favorite place so far in Spain.

Astorga

Another one for the ages. 

I have always had this love of flying buttresses for some odd reason.  They held up the walls and with out them these old places would collapse.

Leon Cathedral

Leon street festival

I said I wouldn't send any pictures about what we ate. But here's what we ate tonight. A nice festival in Leon Spain.

Burgos Cathedral

Monastery in Burgos

Choir

We had an extensive tour of the Cathedral this morning in Santiago de Calzada.  Our tour guide was great.  This picture in the Choir of the old church.  The guide explained that only 6% of Spanish citizens attend church these days, and that 80% of them are retired, and that 80% of them are women.
The nearby Cistercian Monastery has 28 cloistered nuns and that almost all of them are from Africa and Asia.  This is also where most of America's priests are being recruited from.  One gets the feeling the church is in an unrecoverable nosedive.  But they are leaving behind some great structures.

The Choir area was constructed in the 1500's and was made of Walnut polished with Beeswax.  They have never been refinished and still look brand-new.

Pilgrims

These pilgrims have about 350 miles left before they complete their journey to Santiago De la Compostela. Apparently, if they complete the pilgrimage they get a get out of jail card and go straight to heaven when they die. No matter what their sins were. Pretty good deal if you believe in that stuff.

Santo Domingo de la Calzadas

We had a huge lunch today. They just kept bringing more. We split a banana for dinner here at the rest station for pilgrims headed west.

Laguardia, Spain

Rioja wine region

Underground

We are in an underground winery in Laguardia, a walled city. The wine was delicious.

Evidence

We took a really good ground tour of Sos Del Rey Catolicos today.  This photo shows the results of the Decree of Expulsion in 1492 of all Jews from Spain.  On this door in the Jewish quarter the Mezuzah was torn from the stone door sill and replaced with the Crucifix.

Our young guide told us that Catholicism is dying out in Spain.  Most of the church rehabilitations are being carried out with European Union money for historical and tourism reasons.  Some of the masses we have witnessed have more people on the altar than the pews.

Crypt at Levre Monastery

Had a interesting time here listening to Benedictine Monks chanting.  

Javier

Birthplace of the St Francis Xavier.

Zaragoza Basilica

Much of the ancients well went into these structures. But beautiful. No pictures allowed inside.

Sangria

Goya at Museo Del Prado

For some reason this reminded me of Donald Trump and his supporters.

Plaza de Cibeles, Madrid

It's a beautiful morning in Madrid. We visited the Naval Museum which is a really astonishing place. This building nearby has a welcome mat on it.