GEOLOGIC MAPPING OF ARIZONA

DARK IN THE DESERTLIGHT IN THE SKY

The desert's summer night is slanting down The pyramidal hills that rim our town. Soon power jets will streak the star-struck skies, And swiftly point toward the red moon-rise. One feels the virile force that holds the planes Unswerving in their curvilinear lanes; The rhythmic beat, quick thunder in the night, Their long contrails reflecting the sun's light, High, high above, where sunshine still prevails Seven jets are scratching the sky with their vapor-trails.

SANTA FE

The ghosts Of those who took The trail to Santa Fe Through sand and wind, heartache and pain Still live.

They liveStill now they breathe In sage, in sod, and wind That whirls the dust along the trail To you.

BALED HAY IN THE FIELDS

Ingots Of purest gold Soon to be stored away In red barn treasuries for safer Keeping.

TWILIGHT

The west is running out of gold. Night tiptoes in with sunless cold. Stars falter on horizon's brink, Too scared to shine or even blink. It is half day. It is half night. A hybrid beauty called twilight.

MISSION RUINS

Time has been kind to these adobe walls, Softening their contours With artful crumbling, Letting green ivy trace Each twisted crack. In Spring a scarlet bougainvillaea sprawls Across old bricks In vibrant camouflage, And swallows nest beneath Remnants of a roof.

A century of seasons has gentled this decease, Negating sadness with the dust of peace.

SUDDEN SHOWER

White Rabbit nibbled clover bloom, Miss Monarch sampled rare perfume. The sky grew dark and thunder roared, Lightnings flashed and rain-pots poured, Cock Robin piped on piccolo, Sir Bullfrog boomed a bass solo... And when the storm had passed over, White Rabbit dined on pink cloverAnd on a frangipani bloom, Miss Monarch sampled rare perfume.

NAVAJO BREAD:

Since the August issue about the Navajo Tribal Fair appeared, we have had several requests for the recipe for Navajo Fried Bread.

I know about how it's done, but to make sure, I wrote Mike Goulding and she had some made and the recipe written out. It occurred to me that you might like to include it sometime in your SINCERELY YOURS department. Navajo Fried Bread from an Indian Recipe 3 cups flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder 1½ cups warm water ¼ cup lard or shortening Mix flour, salt, baking powder Mix with water Knead until dough is soft. (This is done with the hands-tossing dough from one hand to another-shaping and thinning to flat pancake perhaps 5 inches in diameter.) Heat shortening in pan till quite hot. Spread shaped piece of dough in hot fat. (It should rise nicely and be turned to brown on both sides.) Serve hot-with any spread desired or without. (It sounds very simple-doesn't it?)

Joyce Rockwood Muench Santa Barbara, California

It sounds simple and it sounds good! Y-umm!

NAVAJO FAIR:

The August "Highways" I received a week ago is even more to my liking than the July number, which I thought was great, especially the story about the Navajo Fair. Both numbers were about locations in my old stomping grounds and about the Indians I knew many years ago. I even used to speak a fair imitation of "traders Navajo language," and the Apache is somewhat similar.

I well remember when I escorted the late governor, Sidney P. Osborn, out to Window Rock for the Fair, about 1940. "The first governor of Arizona to visit the Navajo reservation," so they told us.

The governor and Eddie Braatelien, his chauffeur for the trip, stayed over night at my place in Chambers. Early next morning we all started out for the fair in the governor's car, a matter of some 25 miles via Lupton Canyon dirt road, good when dry but slippery when wet. One of the first things we saw was a band of sheep feeding on a hillside nearby, and tended by a Navajo girl. We stopped and watched them for a few minutes. "What in the world do they raise them for?" asked Osborn. "Why, for the wool and the meat," I returned. "The wool's all right but I don't see how they can eat them," said Sid, who had been raised on Arizona beef.

On our way I carefully schooled Sid in pronouncing a few Navajo words, and he was an adept pupil. When we arrived at the fairgrounds the rodeo was well under way, but we were met by my friend, John McPhee and other officials, who knew we were coming, and had seats suitable for the governor's party. They interrupted the rodeo to introduce the governor and when he rose to his feet and said "Ya-tay dinneh," they were silent for a moment, then burst into a tremendous roar of applause. (Ya-tay literally means "good"; dinneh means "the people," but the phrase is used to mean "hello Navajos.") Sid Osborn enjoyed the show immensely and frequently clapped loudly in applause. He was also impressed by the friendliness of the Indians, many of whom came forward and shook his hand, after the rodeo. Then Supt. E. R. Fryer and assistant John McPhee insisted that Governor Osborn and Eddie stay to dinner that evening, and they accepted.

When I got ready to leave for home, I jokingly said to the governor, "I hope that they serve mutton for dinner and that it rains on that dirt road." I then got in a friend's car and left. Late at night I heard the governor's car arrive and he and Eddie go to bed.

The next morning I saw that the car was very muddy and I knew that half of my joking wish had come true. Sometime later when the governor arose and saw me looking at the car, he put his head out of the door and said, "You didn't get all of your wish, Gene, we had fried chicken for dinner."

Then there is the story about the coyote which I enjoyed very much. The Navajo name for that animal is Má-ee (with the first syllable very short). That name and the word "Chin-dy coupled together as Má-ee chin-dy, is a Navajo epithet which has about the same meaning as President Truman's famous description of a reporter who criticized his daughter's singing. When one Indian calls another a "Má-ee chin-dy" there is a fight for sure. (Chin-dy means spirit or ghost.)

Gene Eagles Laguna Beach, California

OPPOSITE PAGE "INVITATION TO THE SNOW BOWL" BY DARWIN VAN CAMPEN. Photograph,

Photograph taken from the slope at Arizona Snow Bowl, shows the Ski Lodge during a festive winter sports weekend. Arizona Snow Bowl, on San Francisco Peaks, near Flagstaff, in Arizona's most popular and busy winter recreational area. Extensive improvements are planned to increase facilities for winter sports as well as to make the area a year-long vacation and recreational center. 4x5 Crown Graphic camera; Ektachrome; f.22 at 1/100th sec.; 150mm Symmar lens; February; bright sunlight; Weston Meter reading 800; ASA rating 64.

BACK COVER "OCTOBER DAY-WHITE MOUNTAINS" BY HERBERT W. PANGBORN. Photo-

Photograph taken in the White Mountains along the Little Diamond Creek road near the inter-section of the Lake Hawley exit road, south of McNary. Early October finds autumn colors at their brightest in this mountain area. 5x7 Grover View camera; Ektachrome E-3; f.22 at 0.1 sec.; Schneider Symmar 210mm lens; early October; partly cloudy; G. E. PR I meter reading of 2; ASA rating 50.