Miracle stairs and Dahlart TX

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July 6, Monday

We slept a little later than usual since we were going to visit the little chapel just down the block. This was built by the Sisters of Lorado, and when designed the architect forgot to figure in a set of stairs for getting up to the choir loft at the rear of the church. Oops. all the local carpenters told the nuns that any stairs they could build would take up much of the space on the first level. The story goes that the sisters prayed to St. Joseph, and soon an unknown old gentleman showed up, offered to build stairs. He had a few basic tools, and when he was done, having built everything by himself, there was a set of circular stairs, 33 steps, two 360's to the loft, and completely unsupported by any poles, pillars, whatever. He then disappeared without asking for payment, and when the Mother Superior went to the local lumber yard, they told her he hadn't gotten any lumber from them. The design of the stairs has completely bamboozled engineers and architects, and even the wood is a completely unknown genus, related to Sitka or Engelmann spruces, but not either one. I saw a picture of the stairs, occupied by about 12 nuns singing as they came down the steps. It is truly an amazing creation. Of course the "church" won't make any bold statements about miracles, or St. Joseph (the carpenter) showing up himself, but the thoughts are definitely there.

On the bike and cruising through the emptiness that is north-eastern New Mexico we were struck with the vastness of land that is virtually unused. We did spot several pronghorns, and several cows and horses though. This part of the state has huge mesas and it's really neat to be riding along on what seems to be a long prairie that goes forever, then suddenly drops into a canyon and dives 1000 feet or more to the floor below, The only wide spot in the road that had a cafe was in Mosquero, NM so we grabbed some coffee and lunch, then continued towards Texas. We crossed the border, outrunning a huge thunderstorm that had been trying to cut us off for hours, and rolled into Dalhart in the Texas panhandle where we got a room at the Super 8

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