The Penitente Meeting House in Las Golondrinas sits alone on a hill. It’s a long, thin building with a door on either side, one window, a flat roof, and a thin bell tower that juts out of the front of the building. There is an old cemetery that sits off to the side with weathered wood crosses and picket fences marking the graves. Photos were not allowed in the interior. If you are not familiar with the Penitentes, the following wiki has a brief summary of the Penitentes in New Mexico: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penitentes_(New_Mexico).
Off Center & Not Even 
Excellent images, per usual!
That was a wonderful day.
Thanks, Susan! I think you got a few photos of this building, as well.
As usual, we have images that are of the same place, seen through different eyes, which makes it so much fun,
You are wayyyyy ahead of me on processing, though!
I just think of a theme, find the photos that work and process them. Lots of photos remain untouched.
Beautiful photos, Timothy. I had not heard of the Penitentes. Thanks for the history lesson. 🙂
Thanks Lavinia. They are famous for crawling on their knees and dragging crosses on the pilgrimage from Santa Fe to Chimayo on Good Friday. The Penitentes used to crucify a member, nails and all, but I think they can only use ropes to tie a member on the cross, if they do it at all. I believe Penitentes still really crucify people in the Philippines.
When we lived in Spain I had long, curly hair and my beard was dark. When I left my hair loose, people thought I looked like the images of Jesus common in the Catholic churches. When I was out on the street, old ladies would often cross themselves when I walked by, and several friends loved to tease me by asking for blessings and absolution. During the Easter season I always made sure my was hair pulled back in a pony tail, as I didn’t want to get crucified.
Such beautiful shots Timothy…that crisp clear sky really sets off the images!
Thanks, Sharon. I don’t think there was a cloud in the sky all day that day. True NM Indian Summer sky.
Wow, gorgeous, bright NM light. When I look at that first image I can really imagine how it would look as a Georgia O’Keefe painting.
Thanks, Leah!
The graveyard photos are quite sobering… I find old cemeteries eerie. I’ve seen a couple in Arizona, and I reluctantly went to one with my friend when we visited New Orleans (in the daylight… definitely not in the evening 🙂 )
Thanks, Janna! I find old cemeteries interesting because there is a lot of history in them. There is a cemetery in El Paso that has a plot of all Buffalo Soldiers, and Jews and Chinese are segregated in their own burial areas. John Wesley Harding is in a tomb there, as well. What’s creepy about that cemetery is the serial Killer Richard Ramirez lived with is grandmother across the street from that cemetery when he was young, and he would hang out in the cemetery at night and is said to have often slept in John Wesley Harding’s tomb.
Wonderful pics….love that you tell us all about them…good writing.
Thanks!
Oh wow I love these and those graves! How amazing with the crosses on them! I love the tower and all of these are fantastic! Lovely colors as well!
Thanks, Michelle.