Vaunda Hoscik has no qualms about calling herself an abductee. She claims to have been abducted by the Greys on a regular basis since the age of 14, once being visited every night for 18 months, before contact became more sporadic. Even though the alien abduction phenomenon invariably seems to involve multiple events as opposed to isolated ones, this does appear to set a record.
Vaunda was born in Dulwich, South London, on February 1, 1975. Her paternal grandfather is Polish, and her maternal grandmother was Romanian, like many of Eastern European descent, Vaunda is more receptive to the idea of the paranormal world than those who have been brought up in the industrialized West. Indeed, Vaunda claims to be psychic, which itself is important, to this case, as we shall see.
Vaunda has one older brother, and one older sister. She had a hard childhood, when she was young her father had a serious accident, which put a great deal of strain on the family. Vaunda's mother worked, and the children had to grow up very quickly.
On July 6, 1989, when she was 14, Vaunda went to bed around 10:00 p.m., but woke up with a start at exactly 2:46 a.m. She didn't know why she had woken up, but she was aware that something decidedly strange was going on. She was sitting up in bed, and had been overtaken by a curious paralysis that affected every part of her body except her eyes. Suddenly she was slammed back down onto the bed with considerable force, as if by some unseen energy. It was then that Vaunda noticed four gray figures in her room. They were about 4' tall, with large, dark, slanted eyes. They had long, skinny arms, and each hand had two fingers and a thumb. The creatures were not wearing any clothes, but no genitalia were visible. Vaunda tried to scream, but was unable to do so. Her next recollection is of being in a totally different environment, although she has no memory whatsoever of how she got there. (This is interesting in itself, given that so many other abductees do have very vivid images of being floated up into a craft.)
Vaunda found herself in what she described as a metallic, brightly lit room, with banks of computer screens on the walls, and a number of tables, on which other humans were lying. She was confused, disoriented and scared, especially when she felt the creatures touch her, all over her face. At this point, she received a telepathic instruction:
In common with many other abductees' reports, Vaunda originally felt that the instruction had been spoken out loud, before realizing that no words had actually been uttered.
Vaunda was shown a series of numbers displayed on a computer screen, which she could see in a mirror positioned directly above her head. She is unable to recall these numbers, but does remember that the sequence 7, 9, 5, 11 appeared prominently (although she admits she is unsure whether the last digit was an eleven or two ones). She also recalls being asked to memorize sequences of symbols. The symbols were familiar geometrical shapes such as circles, squares and triangles, and there were ten sequences, each containing between five and fifteen shapes. Many abductees and ufologists put great store in the symbols recalled by abductees, in the hope that study of what they believe to be the aliens' language might reveal some clues to their origin and motives. Many abductees recall seeing hieroglyphics similar to those used in Ancient Egypt. Researchers such as Budd Hopkins use these symbols as a means of cross checking abduction accounts. He deliberately holds back details of some of the symbols on the basis that similar descriptions from other abductees would provide corroborative evidence for the physical reality of abductions . Vaunda does not feel that the symbols she saw were alien. She believes that the beings were using shapes that she was familiar with, and that the process was a kind of memory test.
She felt that she had been on the craft for a long time, but when she found herself back in her bedroom (again, she had no recollection of how she moved between the two locations) she saw that it was 3:26 a.m. She recalls being aware that she was sitting on the floor, looking toward the ceiling, with an impression that she had been reading.
Vaunda was tempted to write the whole experience off as a dream, even though it had been far more vivid than any dream she had ever had before. But she had no point of reference against which to measure her experience, so she was at a loss about what to do, or who to turn to.
The very next night, the nocturnal visitors returned. Vaunda was subjected to a similar procedure to the one she had endured the night before, and was again told to remember sequences of numbers. She recalls that she was constantly told that she need not be afraid, and that the entities meant her no harm. Once again Vaunda's first thought was that the beings were communicating through conventional speech, before she realized that in fact the instruction was telepathic. Interestingly, although she heard the words in her mind, she said that they were flashing past at a high speed, making it difficult to understand. Eventually she had to ask the aliens to slow down.
These encounters continued on a regular basis, and Vaunda's feeling that the process with the numbers and shapes might constitute some form of memory test seemed to be correct. Indeed, as well as testing her memory, it seemed to increase its capacity, and Vaunda's schoolwork improved dramatically.
Unlike many abductees, Vaunda found that the aliens were quite forthcoming about their actions and motives (although, as with the experiences of contactees like George Adamski, we have to consider the possibility that they were not necessarily being truthful). They told her that they came from Zeta Reticuli, and described it as being 37 light years from Earth. Zeta Reticuli is, of course, the star system identified from the Star Map recalled by Betty Hill, and is believed by many ufologists to be the homeworld of the Greys. The aliens also told Vaunda that many other people were taken for testing, and that they generally selected those with some psychic ability. Vaunda is psychic, and will, for example, instinctively know when another member of her family is ill.
This is an oft-reported phenomenon, especially between mother and daughter. When Vaunda was recently taken to the emergency room of her local hospital for unidentified stomach pains, no cause was ever found, but it later transpired that her mother too had suffered severe stomach cramps on the night in question. Vaunda has also seen the ghosts of several dead relatives, and has experienced astral projection, the ability to project one's awareness out of the physical body.
The aliens told Vaunda that they regarded humans as primitive, but were prepared to share some of their technology with us. In return, they wanted to rediscover emotions, which they had lost long ago as a result of cloning.
The abductions became more and more frequent, until at one stage Vaunda was aware of experiences occurring every night for eighteen months. Although Vaunda believes that she was being tested, she regards it as being essentially a two way process. She believes that the aliens were learning from her; mainly about emotions, although on one occasion she says that she took some books up to show her new acquaintances. The abductions became more and more frequent, until at one stage Vaunda was aware of experiences occurring every night for eighteen months. Although Vaunda believes that she was being tested, she regards it as being essentially a two way process. She believes that the aliens were learning from her; mainly about emotions, although on one occasion she says that she took some books up to show her new acquaintances.
Vaunda had not told anyone about her experiences, mainly because she was sure that nobody would believe her, and that people would think she was mad. This was undoubtedly putting her under a great deal of pressure, and indeed the keeping of any secret is extremely stressful. It is difficult to assess exactly what effect this may have had on Vaunda - or on all the other abductees who choose to keep their stories to themselves, but it should be borne in mind that there are inevitably psychological implications in such a course of action. Vaunda had tried to get some proof, and on one occasion managed to take a camera onto a craft and take some photographs. The pictures did not come out properly, and Vaunda was seriously out of pocket, as she had spent a considerable sum on the camera, film and processing. She subsequently found the exact amount of money involved under her pillow!
It is at this point in Vaunda's story that her experiences first began to become traumatic, but the initial trauma came from an unexpected source. Vaunda's improved performance at school had by now attracted the attention of her classmates. She was popular with the older children, helping the fifth-year pupils with their tests while she herself was in the first year of her secondary education. Unfortunately, this only aroused the envy of her immediate peer group, who regarded her as a "swot," and resented the fact that she could apparently do so well academically without having to study hard. (It is significant that she obtained nine GCSE passes without ever having applied herself to her studies, and without having done any revision.) Vaunda began to be bullied, and by her own admission became "the class clown" as a defense mechanism. Unfortunately, she also made a conscious decision to slow herself down academically, in order not to arouse the wrath of her fellow pupils. She began to resent the abductions, and to rue the day that she been "chosen."
Vaunda left school as soon as she could, and spent the next five years drifting in and out of various casual jobs. She took courses in gardening and nursery work, but like many abductees she found it difficult to focus on career goals, and found herself doing less responsible jobs than might have been expected for someone of her intellectual level. (This so-called "status incompatibility" had also been apparent in Ken Phillips' Anamnesis Project. This was Vaunda's own choice, although I suspect it reflected a subconscious fear of doing well, and stemmed from the bullying that followed her academic performance at school. One side effect of this was that Vaunda discovered that when she was not intellectually stimulated, the visitations would stop.
The abductions did not start again until February 1996, and when they did so, it seemed to have something to do with the fact that she had told her new boyfriend, Chris, about her previous experiences.
Chris Martin was born on August 7, 1960, of Anglo Indian descent. He has one brother, and three sisters. His parents came over to Britain from India in 1955, and Chris was born and brought up in the London Borough of Lewisham, where he had a difficult childhood, mainly because of the racism that was so widespread during the sixties and seventies.
Like many children of his generation, he grew up watching and enjoying the television series Star Trek. Perhaps because of this, when he was about seven or eight years old, he had a peculiar recurring dream, he would dream that the sky was full of spaceships, and would awake with a feeling of euphoria. It is possible that this arose purely from his interest in science fiction, fueled by the escapist fantasies that many unhappy children harbor.
But it is also possible that Chris himself is an abductee. Budd Hopkins even has some cases where abductees who are within a relationship recall having first met their partners on an alien spacecraft! This poses the bizarre notion of extraterrestrials acting as matchmakers, although this is perfectly plausible if you subscribe to the theory that the motive for abductions is to carry out a breeding program of some sort.
Chris was a withdrawn child, with a creative streak. At 16, he left school for art college, and it was there that he first found an outlet for his creativity. He took up the guitar, and discovered that he had a surprising aptitude. He became highly accomplished, and enjoyed success as a member of the heavy metal band Thunderstick.
Vaunda and Chris met on November 30, 1995, in a pub where they were introduced by a mutual friend. Vaunda recognized Chris immediately, and claims that this was because the aliens had shown her a picture of their introduction six years before it happened. According to Vaunda, she was highly skeptical about her own experiences when they first occurred, and one day had demanded some proof. She was shown the image of herself meeting Chris, and told that she was seeing an event that had not yet taken place. When it did, they said, she would have her proof.
In a curious twist to their story, Chris had a strong interest in UFOs, while Vaunda did not. In fact, many abductees have no interest in UFOs whatsoever, probably because (consciously or unconsciously) they are so convinced about their own encounters with entities that they feel study of the visitors' vehicles to be irrelevant. They feel, perhaps, that they know more than enough about UFOs already! In February 1996, Chris had a copy of one of the many UFO magazines that have become so popular in recent years, and casually asked Vaunda if she had ever had any weird experiences. Vaunda's reply startled him:
Chris was the first person she had ever felt able to tell about her experiences, even though they had only been together for three months. It was Chris who suggested that Vaunda contact the extraterrestrials again, and although she was initially reluctant, she eventually decided to go ahead, feeling that some good might come out of the experience. She knew exactly how to get back in touch. The couple drove to Vaunda's old family home in Kensington, and parked outside. Vaunda was aware that intellectual stimulation was the key to contact, since it had dried up at her behest when she made a conscious decision to avoid any challenging mental processes. Chris had brought along some IQ tests that he had been given for a job that he was applying for in the computer industry, and Vaunda began to answer the questions with a speed and accuracy that surprised him. Contact was to be re-established, although, as we shall see, matters would soon get out of hand.
Chris plays an important part in Vaunda's story, not least because of his acceptance of Vaunda's experiences and the support that he has given her. Many abductees find personal relationships difficult, perhaps because the person being abducted subconsciously blames their partner for not being able to help them. Despite some initial stresses, the couple's relationship seemed a strong one, perhaps because Vaunda does not have as violent a fear reaction as many abductees. Chris has taken an active and intellectual interest in Vaunda's encounters, helping her record and evaluate events. Perhaps because of this new factor, the experiences themselves began to change, evolving into a phenomenon that is in many ways entirely different from the standard abduction. Essentially, Vaunda's physical abductions seemed to have been replaced by remote telepathic contact with the aliens. This is known as channeling, and involves Vaunda being able to act as a conduit for extraterrestrial information.
The basic idea behind channeling involves an individual entering a trance state, and allowing other intelligences to relay information through them. This either involves the individual writing down the information (so called automatic writing), or speaking onto a tape. In both cases, it is the other entity who is in control. The phenomenon of channeling is highly controversial, not least because of the difficulty of obtaining any hard proof. Even if the channeler is being entirely truthful, the process is impossible to validate, and could be likened to receiving an anonymous telephone call. One has no real way of knowing who is behind the communication, or judging whether or not they are being truthful. In America, an entire New Age industry has grown up around the concept of channeling, and it is not surprising that some charlatans have gotten in on the act.
As with so much of this subject, one has to set aside one's natural desire for scientific evidence when looking at a case like this. You simply cannot prove (or indeed disprove) these claims by reference to any conventional investigative technique. Instead, one has to use one's knowledge of human nature, together with a little bit of common sense. Vaunda and Chris have no obvious motive for duplicity. They are not seeking to make any money from their experiences, and indeed they take a considerable risk in allowing their story to be told. As is often the case with such experiences, people will undoubtedly be quick to criticize and ridicule. Vaunda is speaking out because she feels she has a responsibility to other abductees. For years she thought she was the only person who was having such experiences. It was a lonely time, and there were occasions when she doubted her own sanity. Even though the subject of alien abduction is better known now than it was when Vaunda was a child, it is still not widely accepted by the general public. From what we know of the extent of the phenomenon, it is highly likely that there are many thousands of people all around the world who are having these experiences, and who, as was the case with Vaunda, think that they are alone. The biggest comfort to such people is often the knowledge that they are not the only ones to have these experiences, and Vaunda feels that she can help to get this message across.
There is another reason why Vaunda has come forward, and that is because she believes that the telepathic messages she is receiving are themselves important. Vaunda had channeled one piece of information before, shortly after her experiences began, and had recorded it onto a cassette tape. Unfortunately, she had little interest in what was said to her at the time, and recorded a New Kids on the Block album over whatever wisdom had been imparted!
The information that Vaunda channels comes from a number of beings that she calls Grey Twos. Her main contact is a being she names Antholas, although there is another called Crispin, and one called Minnie. The first two names are approximations, Vaunda could neither pronounce nor remember the real names, and the third, as we shall see, is a nickname. I shall now reproduce some of the information that Vaunda has channeled. Some of this comes in the form of straight prose, and some in the form of an interview, during which Vaunda goes into a trance, and answers questions. The first extract is from Antholas:
As the years have passed we have been studying your planet thoroughly. We have come to the conclusion that for every one person who believes in us there are another ten that don't. Therefore we have a harder task to convince those of you that don't believe. You have so much to offer us, just as we have a lot to offer you and your society. Hopefully, one day in the near future, we will be able to show you just what we can actually give you. It is an effort to keep ourselves hidden, with your technology becoming more and more advanced. Unfortunately, until we feel we can trust you completely, we unable to reveal ourselves in full. This is why we are taking people, in the hope that they will spread the word of our existence.
Antholas then reveals that around sixteen different species of aliens are visiting Earth. He says that some of these carry out experiments on humans, although he claims that his particular species plays no part in such activities. He then states that one reason they avoid open contact is that they fear that terrestrial governments would experiment upon them. An intriguing hint, perhaps, that their technology is not that far ahead of ours, and that they are fearful of our closing the technological gap. We have, after all, come from horse and cart to stealth fighter and space probe in less than 200 years. Although Antholas denies that his species carry out experiments on humans, it seems that Vaunda's testing might be considered an experimentation. About this, Antholas says the following:
Our purpose is to extend your brains as much as possible, so that you are closer to our level of learning.
Harry Walter Jeremy Aitchison was born on 16 May 1994.1 He is the son of Jeremy David Aitchison and Ruth Mary Timmis.1
Roseanna Mary Aitchison was born on 2 April 1996.1 She is the daughter of Jeremy David Aitchison and Ruth Mary Timmis.1
Dawn Elizabeth Aitchison was born on 10 November 1956.1 She is the daughter of David Lachlan Aitchison and Dorothy Hazel Walton.1 She married John Michael Phillips, son of Michael Phillips, in October 1989.1
John Michael Phillips is the son of Michael Phillips.1 He married Dawn Elizabeth Aitchison, daughter of David Lachlan Aitchison and Dorothy Hazel Walton, in October 1989.1
Nicholas George Phillips was born on 17 June 1992.1 He is the son of John Michael Phillips and Dawn Elizabeth Aitchison.1
Rachel Louise Phillips was born on 24 January 1991.1 She is the daughter of John Michael Phillips and Dawn Elizabeth Aitchison.1
Charlotte Elizabeth Phillips was born on 17 August 1994.1 She is the daughter of John Michael Phillips and Dawn Elizabeth Aitchison.1
Shena Diana Aitchison was born on 3 May 1927.1 She is the daughter of Sir Walter De Lancey Aitchison, 2nd Bt. and Sheena Lennox Fraser.1
Elizabeth Anne Milburn Reed is the daughter of Lt.-Col. Edward Reed.1 She married, firstly, Major Sir Stephen Charles De Lancey Aitchison, 3rd Bt., son of Sir Walter De Lancey Aitchison, 2nd Bt. and Sheena Lennox Fraser, on 2 September 1950.1 She married, secondly, Roland Anthony Cookson in 1974.1
She graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine (M.B.)1 Elizabeth Anne Milburn Reed usually went by her middle name of Anne.1 She graduated with a Bachelor of Surgery (B.S.)1 From 2 September 1950, her married name became Aitchison.1 From 1974, her married name became Cookson.1
The Plant List includes 145 scientific plant names of species rank for the genus Eurybia. Of these 24 are accepted species names.
The Plant List includes a further 34 scientific plant names of infraspecific rank for the genus Eurybia. We do not intend The Plant List to be complete for names of infraspecific rank. These are primarily included because names of species rank are synonyms of accepted infraspecific names.
The status of the 145 species names for the genus Eurybia recorded in The Plant List , are as follows:
The status of the 179 names (including infraspecific names) for the genus Eurybia recorded in The Plant List , are as follows:
The confidence with which the status of the 145 species names recorded in The Plant List for the genus Eurybia, are assigned as follows:
The source of the species name record found in The Plant List for the genus Eurybia, are as follows:
I am very fortunate that my passion is also my profession. Nearly 20 years ago I graduated from massage school and it has changed my life. Every day I help clients get out of pain and become more comfortable in their bodies.
Often clients say to me, “You aren’t a massage therapist, what are you?” I am a certified medical/orthopedic therapist as well as a certified medical/orthopedic massage instructor. The focus of my work is to determine what structures are causing my client’s pain and/or discomfort. I then work directly on the areas in need and coach them on self-care techniques so they can continue their healing between sessions.
Over the course of 20 years of practicing therapeutic massage my work has continually changed and evolved. My continuing education has given me the opportunity to expand my knowledge and apply my expertise more creatively and effectively.
Exiting the stage after the penultimate show, April 9th, I began to cry. It suddenly struck me, there was just one more performance left, only one more chance to bring this role and this story to life. Next day, on our Sunday matinee, April 10, 2016 I took final bows as Ondi Rivers, my first stage role as a trans woman.
The final half of our "Raggedy And" run felt very solid. Audiences continued to be small but very responsive, so we were landing our humor and drama effectively. Personally, it was a blessing to have so many friends, old and new, come see my stage work -- many for the very first time.
I'm not sure I'd felt this close to a role before. In fact its probably true that I'd not been ever this invested in my work, technically or emotionally. Ondi Rivers was a wonderful character, a remarkable gateway to my future female career. I truly miss her.
... Delia Kropp bravely reflects her reality in a honest presentation of the foibles of being ‘transgender.’
The stakes don't get much higher than a press release, but Delia Kropp is warm as a mother navigating truly uncharted family territory.
... Ondi (Delia Kropp), a trans poet and professor, slips into her role with absolute grace. Kropp’s elegance lends fortitude to her role, bringing deep inner strength to her intimate scenes.
I won enough money last night at Ladies' Night that I can now forge ahead with my Demolition Derby plans for Friday night.
Here's the problem - it's a standard. I don't drive a standard very well. Especially not well enough to head out into a dirt arena and then attempt to avoid demolition and in the process do some demolishing of my own.
If I had some time - like more than 3 days - to practice, I might be okay, but seeing as how I actually really only have 3 days, I'm thinking it's a disaster waiting to happen. Not to mention a waste of my money.
There is another derby on the 17th of September. I thinking at this point I'm going to just be really nice and let Mr. Diva drive this Friday since he already knows how to drive a standard quite well and he's absolutely faunching at the bit to drive. He's a derby virgin ya know. Then I can spend the next three weeks looking for another car or at least practicing on this one. Or I could just chance it and drive this weekend.
Mr. Coachs' new truck is a standard. The way he's been acting lately, I'd be more than glad to let you practice with it. It's really very easy, I learned to drive a standard the day Jason went to pick up my new truck and didn't stop to think I couldn't drive a standard. I learned REALLY quick how to drive it.
You can do it. If my MOM can do it, you can. Trust me, it's not like you are trying to be soft and sweet with the transmission - so I say gun it!
Go for it, driving a manual is piss easy, just burn that clutch out so Hubby will have to get his own car.
A good tip for practicing is before you actually drive, just sit there making gear changes, to get use to the feel of it, and remember you don't need to force the gearstick to change.
Mrs.Coach-Hey I'd be glad to break in that new transmission for Mr. Coach! I'm sure he wouldn't mind.
I hate the drunken word challenge as well, but it's allowed me to keep anonymous commenters and so far is keeping away the spam.
Anna-Yeah, the guys all keep telling me to just "dump the clutch" but the problem is I've never dumped one!! I've killed my share of standards in my day, but if I ever dumped a clutch I did it without know I did it!
Rebecca-Oh I can drive one out on the road. Not well, but I can get from point A to point B with only minimal whiplash. I'm just afraid I'd get all excited in the arena and forget what I was doing.
Seriously, if I can do it, you can surely do it. My Saturn I had was a standard, and I didn't know how to drive one, needless to say my mom gave me a crash course in standard driving that evening and I had to learn to drive it to get to work the next morning. I learned really fast.
Um... I believe that your Redneck title has to be revoked if you can't drive a standard. Really. That's like owning a truck without a gun rack.
Sam-Okay, let me clarify once again- I CAN DRIVE A FREAKIN' STANDARD!! I'm just not that good at it, that's all! Puttin' down Main is a whole lot different than being in an arena with 13 other cars whose only mission is to fuck you up. It's a high stress operation! Really!
Westward Ho, Day 47: Gallup, NM, to Santa Fe, NM With the temperature at 7° this morning when we left Gallup, our car was understandably ...
With the temperature at 7° this morning when we left Gallup, our car was understandably feeling a little sluggish. After our tires were pumped up to 35 psi (from their normal 32) at the service in Reno, we didn't have the low tire pressure indicator complaining as it had in Bozeman, but the car seemed to want to warm up a bit before taking on the freeway. That was just the excuse we needed to go search for a Gallup letterbox. By then, everyone was ready and we headed east on I-40.
After yesterday's snowfall and dicey road conditions, we were happy to find that, as we anticipated (with a little help from the NM DOT web site), the sunshine and wind yesterday afternoon had left the highway dry and clear. By the time we reached the Albuquerque area, there was little sign that it had snowed at all, and we headed north on I-25 toward Santa Fe, where our first stop was the New Mexico Capitol building, known familiarly as the Roundhouse.
Completed in 1966, New Mexico's Capitol is one of the newest in the nation (older than only Hawaii's and Florida's). Yet Santa Fe (pop. 75,764) is the nation's longest serving capital city, having been the seat of government for the area now known as the state of New Mexico since 1610—under Spanish, Mexican, and American rule. At 7,260 ft., Santa Fe also has the highest elevation of any capital city, even including the "mile-high" Colorado capital.
Built in New Mexico Territorial style, the shape of the Capitol building was designed to form the Zia sun symbol, prominently featured on the New Mexico state flag and license plates. When the building was renovated in the early 1990s, the legislature established the Capitol Art Foundation to acquire contemporary works by artists who live and work in New Mexico.
Housed throughout the public areas of the building and on the grounds, the Capitol Art Collection evokes the feeling of walking through a modern art museum. A wide range of styles and media are represented including handcrafted furniture. One work which caught our eyes was a stunning over-sized buffalo head in the third floor Rotunda balcony.
Known for working with recycled materials, artist Holly Hughes incorporated an amazing array of media into this creation: paintbrushes, film, plastic spoons, magnetic tape, wire, pottery shards, newspaper, fishing reel, horseshoe, and more, all with symbolic meaning to the theme of the piece.
Though the New Mexico Capitol is not fitted with a traditional dome, the skylight in the central Rotunda admits light with a design that represents an Indian basket weave. The state's previous capitol building was fitted with a classical dome, but the building was "decapitated" in 1950 to help it blend in better with local architecture. That structure now serves as a museum and office building.
Along the fourth-floor balcony over the Rotunda, the flags of New Mexico's 33 counties are on display.
The chambers of the New Mexico Senate and House of Representatives are virtually identical in design—no symbolic representations here to suggest that one is superior to the other. Seventy representatives and 42 senators meet each year, alternating long and short sessions—60 days in odd-numbered years and 30 days in even-numbered. New Mexico is the only state where legislators serve simply from the desire to make contributions as citizens and receive no salary. The state constitution prohibits these elected officials from receiving any compensation or perquisite other than a per diem and mileage allowance.
Long known as a mecca for artists and a center for artistic exploration, Santa Fe was a natural place to find a state capitol building filled with beautiful art. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this unusual contemporary statehouse and admired the passion and pride displayed for New Mexican art and artists. Security in the building served primarily as a greeter, and parking was very convenient, within a couple hundred feet of the entrance.
Tomorrow we'll explore more of the city and hope to visit the original 1610 building which housed the seat of government and, after repurposing, is still in use today.