Chimayo Christmas

In a rare splash of color here's the Santuario de Chimayo, often called the "Lourdes of America" for the curative powers of its sacred healing dirt. This early evening shot captures the Christmas glow of the adobe chapel that was built in 1816. The Santuario or Sanctuary is considered the most important Catholic pilgrimage site in the U.S.

The rest of the story

This is the flip side of Wrenching Sadness that was posted last week. It speaks for itself.

Wrenching Sadness

The inscription carved into this crude wooden headstone memorializes little Amari Rose who lived but one day. The tragedy of her loss is amplified by the lonely location of her grave at the top of a hill by a barb wire fence in a bleak New Mexico ghost town. And in winter as if for emphasis.