A word of thanks to USAK

[Bugbear]

My name? It goes back to the trip that my friend David and I took to Taos, New Mexico after we graduated high school. Dave's mother had a rare bird aviary, and Dave spent the entire year collecting the feather. We took 10 pounds (!!!) of feather to trade with the Pueblo natives. We got a wonderful handmade piece pipe and some wonderful tobacco to smoke out of it, a deer bone choker, and numerous other things. One of the Pueblos that I was hanging out with started calling me Flies With The Night Hawks, so I kept the name as my Pagan name and shortened it to be internet friendly. My avatar- it's the Wolfe family tartan. My grandmother was a Wolfe.

They also have good red chili in Taos,... neat place. In fact, don't know how they do it, but I've seen green chili powder that came from, Taos. I grew up partly in Tucumcari, New Mexico, for the first twelve years, then was sent to the "Blind School," in Alamo Gordo, down by White Sands.

That's an interesting story... And yes, it was interesting to see what everyone fessed up to on their names.

Went to "The School" with mostly Pueblo, Zuni, and Dine' as fellow students, just to throw that in.

[Bugbear]

Nighthawk, are you getting a vest and Braemer jacket from USAK? I have a question... more in general about kilt jackets with a vest or waistcoat. Does the vest extend down passed the cut away in the jacket that goes up and over the sporran area? I know you aren't supposed to button the jacket when wearing the vest, but I'm having trouble understanding how all this looks. Oh, and I can't look at the pictures, or I would.

[Nighthawk]

Nighthawk, are you getting a vest and Braemer jacket from USAK? I have a question... more in general about kilt jackets with a vest or waistcoat. Does the vest extend down passed the cut away in the jacket that goes up and over the sporran area? I know you aren't supposed to button the jacket when wearing the vest, but I'm having trouble understanding how all this looks. Oh, and I can't look at the pictures, or I would.

You know, Ted- I'm not sure. I have a vest, but I don't have the cash for a jacket yet. That will be my next major purchase. And just so you know, I'm a solid colors kind of person when it comes to my clothes from the waist up. I wouldn't be able to pull off a Braemer at all. It's an Argylle or PC for me- in black.

So getting back to the last subject we were discussing- I grew up in a little town in New Mexico called Chama. I have never heard of Tucumcari, but of course, Alamo Gordo, that one I know. The chili in Taos is good, but I'm a black bean soup and tomatilla sauce person myself. The black bean soup you get in Taos is just... while what you get here in Denver is oop:

[Bugbear]

I know Chama! And the Chama train, the aspens. That's funny that we were hatched in the same state. Tucumcari is down I 40 to the East like if you were going to Texas... about three hours from Albuquerque on the way to Amirillo. Ah, what a small world Sorry you can't get no good grub up yander......

I'm just working on getting a brown corduroy suit jacket and vest converted to go with my Weathered half Lamont.
Just something nice to go with that outfit.

Oops! No, USAK doesn't have anything in that material... Sure is a good company, though. I'm going to look at their hose too because I need a pare of brown and a pare of kakhi-ish hose to go with that outfit... That Grey Granite tartan is on my list too... I think an all gray outfit would look great.

[Nighthawk]

The Cumbres & Toltec is actually the reason my parents moved out of Ohio. My dad was a railroad man, and helped to restore the train after the Rio Grande abandoned it.

[Bugbear]

The Cumbres & Toltec is actually the reason my parents moved out of Ohio. My dad was a railroad man, and helped to restore the train after the Rio Grande abandoned it.

Now that is very cool. My family, when I was a kid, went on that trip several times, and I very much enjoied it. And here it was all along that your father helped all that happen. That makes my day, Nighthawk.

Also, I found out the answer to the vest question. The jacket should always be left open, but if it were closed, it would hide the bottom of the vest.

I loved that old steam train and the trip...

[Nighthawk]

Now that is very cool. My family, when I was a kid, went on that trip several times, and I very much enjoied it. And here it was all along that your father helped all that happen. That makes my day, Nighthawk.

Also, I found out the answer to the vest question. The jacket should always be left open, but if it were closed, it would hide the bottom of the vest.

I loved that old steam train and the trip...

We make it a point to go at least once a year. if not to ride the train, then to at least see it, go to the Great Sand Dunes, drive the road from Tera Amarillo to Taos, and whatever else we feel like doing. Did you ever eat at Viva Vera's? I remember when it was just a little corner cafe... Last time I went, it was closed down! Vera had died and her kids didn't keep the restaraunt open. That little old lady made the best Mexican food I've ever had. Made me want to cry. Oh well. That's life I guess.

It's funny the things that make an impression on people. Last time we went, we had dinner at some cafe or other, and when I gave my debit card and ID, the waitress knew my name! She remembered my mom. My mom used to play the organ at the Catholic church there.

[Bugbear]

Viva Vera's... I don't know for sure, but I seem to remember an enchalata... It's ben quite a long time back. Although, my mother did do the trip a year or so ago, and brought me back a jar of salsa... Oh, the salsa, felt it for a week. We're probably both reliving all kinds of memories now. That's good.

You ever go over to the hot springs in Las Vegas (N. M.) I know I've been over there at Indian Springs that you were talking about going to last month.

Ah, the asylum and the onion dome building... Memories...

Oops! I just realized that I said it in an unclear way. The salsa came from Taos, but my mother picked it up on the way back from Chama. My mind was floating around in memories and stuff...

[Nighthawk]

Viva Vera's... I don't know for sure, but I seem to remember an enchalata... It's ben quite a long time back. Although, my mother did do the trip a year or so ago, and brought me back a jar of salsa... Oh, the salsa, felt it for a week. We're probably both reliving all kinds of memories now. That's good.

You ever go over to the hot springs in Las Vegas (N. M.) I know I've been over there at Indian Springs that you were talking about going to last month.

Ah, the asylum and the onion dome building... Memories...

Oops! I just realized that I said it in an unclear way. The salsa came from Taos, but my mother picked it up on the way back from Chama. My mind was floating around in memories and stuff...

Yes sir! I can't even begin to tell you. One of my oldest memories is riding behind one of those big steam powered snow plows. i have no idea how old I was. All I remember is getting out a few times for photo runs, watching that thing throw snow for seemed to me like hundreds of feet in the air. I used to hate the whistles. For a little kid, they seemed SO loud! Did your mom ever get anything from the souvenier/snack car? If so, then your mom met mine. My mom set up and ran the first snack car.

[Bugbear]

That's right... you could get up and go to the different cars... Wow, flash back time... I don't know about the snak car, though. Dude! we've seen the same trains, the same mountins, the same so on and so on, and I don't even know who you are... Weird. And the watertower, I think at the top of the mountin or something.

That's so funny, it's freaking me out because there are all these pictures flashing in my mind.

I'm remembering boardwalks around the train area and stuff like that. Like I said I was young, at least younger than twelve when I saw this stuff.