Capitan, New Mexico

Birthplace, and final place of rest, for Smokey the Bear, a bear cub who was found badly burned and clinging to a tree after a fire in the Capitan Mountains.  The game warden Ray Bell, flew him to a vet, then took him into his home to mend, and he became the spokes bear for prevention of forest fires.  He traveled around, and then was sent to zoo in Washington where he stayed for 25 years, and received millions of visitors, and so much mail, he was given his own zip code!

Dr. Smith treated him for his burns and received a few bites in return!

This was a very touching story, and I was totally smitten!  We spent quite some time at the park enjoying all the old posters and a video about Smokey, originally named Hot Foot, due to his burned feet, in addition to information about forest fires. 

This lucky little girl is Judy Bell, daughter of the game warden.

This was the only stamp produced with the image of Smokey

The Golden Bear, awarded to Judy Bell by President Dwight Eisenhower, is a  prestigious award  given for outstanding effort in preventing forest fires. 

Smokey at 10 years old, and some 500 pounds.  

The ad campaign became so popular and well known, that when a survey was done of school children in the US and foreign countries using familiar slogans, give the motto "Only You", more children were able to complete "Can prevent Forest Fires", than with any other motto.  

I had decided on the last trip that I would either not do a blog, or not be slave to it, as I had been, and I obviously am not a slave to it now!  A little behind, and way more photos than info!
            For more info go to     www.smokeybear.com  


I dashed off after the above, but now that I am back from an afternoon outing, I will add that we had lunch in Capitan that day, at Smokey's Restaurant,  a local's place, recommended by the woman at the information center in Ruidoso.  Full of guys in cowboy hats, walls covered with Smokey posters, signs, photos, and bears in general, with friendly staff and  seriously good enchiladas! I ordered a green chili stew to sample, and neither one of us could eat it, it was so spicy!  Glad I ordered one small bowl!   A young man dining alone overheard something and struck up a fairly one sided conversation about his travels when he was a trucker, and warned us of the winds that were predicted for the following day, and bade us a good trip.   When I left the restaurant, there was a tall, lean young man in a cowboy hat standing at the door, and I excused myself, to which he replied, "yes m'am" and tipped his hat.  Such polite young men!

The winds arrived not that night as predicted, but with gusto the next day.  The balloons at Fiesta did inflate that morning early, while it was still calm, but got them down before the winds arrived.  One  TV station follows the activity every morning, so we are able to follow more of the fiesta.  I am surprised, in speaking to locals, how many have not been to it!  Always the way, I guess.....don't see what is right around you!  They said nearly half of the 700,000 attending are from outside the area.  There are 22 nations represented this year, and I am sure there are visitors from those nations as well.  The winds, however, were most amazing, with gusts so strong that they were rather frightening!  Good call to keep those balloons on the ground!  We were happy our coach stayed where it was!