Monday, July 28, 2008

The Pintada Kid, Part 5


Image (not San Ysidro, but I like it) from Dia de los Muertos altar 
Photo and artwork by my sister, Auntie Bucksnort



Here is a unique New Mexico story told in the exact words of the Pintada Kid, just as he wrote it down for me.


Former N.M. Lt Governor Roberto Mondragon came over to visit me a few years ago and on entering my house he saw a Very Old Picture of San Isidro hanging on my Wall. He asked me about the picture and i told him that I thought my Great Great Grandparents had brought it from Spain. Anyway i told him when i take that old picture out it brings rain but i don't take it out too often because i'm afraid the old Frame might fall apart so i only take it out when there is a long Drought.



San Ysidro, the patron saint of farming
From The Food Museum; Exploring and Celebrating Food

Roberto Mondragon told me "I know an Old Story about that Saint you might want to hear. MANY years ago GOD told San Isidro, the Patron Saint for Farmers and Ranchers, you need to take a day off. If you don't i'm gonna send a Drought to kill your crops and San Isidro kept working 7 days a week on his fields and planting and God Send a Drought to Destroy his Crops.
 
The next year God again asked San Isidro to take a Day off or he was gonna send Grasshoppers or Locusts and San Isidro kept working 7 days a week so his Crop was Destroyed again. 
 Once again God told San Isidro if you don't take a Day off i'm gonna Send you a BAD NEIGHBOR and this time San Isidro decided to take a Day Off.


I have taken out the Saint about a Dozen times in the Last 20 years and it has helped the Drought or to stop forest fires in the Southwest. The First time i took him out i remember we had a very bad drought about 30 years or more ago and it took about 8 hours before rain started coming down and ending the Drought. 

I took him out for the Los Alamos fire and the Trigo Fire and the Corona fire. Some of the times that i've taken San Isidro out, it takes an hour or two for the rains to come. I feel guilty later when people die in Flash Floods or are swept away in their Cars or Arroyos.


Next: Pintada Kid, Part 6--Traveling around New Mexico

5 comments:

Sylvia K said...

I love the stories he tells! Makes me wish I had a San Isidro, we could all use a miracle now and then.
Thanks,
Sylvia

Akkire said...

i find myself lacking belief in something so strong like this man does in his saints. i admire and respect people of faith, of all different kinds of faith...look what it can do!

Unknown said...

No offense to you or PK, but it's spelled 'San Ysidro'

The cops used to rake in untold thousands with their speedtraps there, I wonder if they still do.

clairz said...

Fredq, part of PK's charm is his unique spelling and sentence construction. I always quote him exactly with no changes.

clairz said...

...and from what I can tell, both spelling variations are used.