New Mexico Extravaganza - The Roswell Chapter continued (and 70/70 quest #23 and #24)

70/70 Quest Number 23: Roswell Museum

Straying slightly from the UFO/Alien theme that permeates Roswell, Kendall and I paid a visit to the Roswell Museum which opened in 1937 as the Roswell Museum Federal Art Center funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). When that funding dwindled in 1942, the City of Roswell assumed control of the museum. It is now a 50,000 square foot facility boasting twelve art and history galleries showcasing a wide variety of artists as well as an education center and the Robert H. Goddard Planetarium. There is also an extensive exhibit of Goddard's work within the Museum. It was well worth the visit; the art was inspiring and the Goddard exhibit was fascinating.

Kendall and Goddard's launch tower just outside the Museum

Sculpture of Goddard &
first liquid fuel rocket

Re-creation of Goddard's lab
(reminds me of my dad's workspace - minus the rocket)

Moon rock (above). New Mexico flag that flew on the Apollo VII mission (below)

Just one of many stunning pieces of art on display

A very different - and powerful - view of alien abduction

70/70 Quest Number 24: J. Kenneth Smith Bird Sanctuary

We thought that going to a park for a bit of bird-watching would be a dandy break from the city/aliens/UFOs and indeed it was! This park turned out to offer a fairly short trail and fairly small pond and very entertaining birds. It also was a haven for goathead thorns which loved loved loved Taz’s paws. Yikes!

As yet unidentified ducks? geese? - perhaps a domestic variety...

And on the return trip up the trail, the goathead fiasco – multiple thorns in multiple paws with every step. Only one thing to do: carry the pup up the hill!