It took a long time for the guys at the Fort Bowie to get the help and resources that they needed. Most visitors to Fort Bowie only walk through the remains of the second fort, the more impressive one. The one that sparks memories of old west movies about soldiers and their families at the fort. Walking through what remains of the second Fort Bowie, you can really imagine how all of the women characters in John Ford movies might have felt, so far away from the east coast.

Of course, as most of our family came to these areas from the south (i.e. Mexico) instead of Europe by way of "back east," sympathies are a little different.

When I walked the short 1.5 mile hike in to Fort Bowie, I paid more attention to the adversities that the folks must have felt. They were living in an area fed by a small spring with limited water and rather windy, inhospitable climate. An area so unbecoming to inhabitance that the only one who lives there even now is the park ranger.

The area was fueled by conflict between the U.S. and the Apaches. Yes, Cochise and Butterfield and the rest of the folks resigning themselves to living in the area made time for beers at the camp saloon.

The second fort was luxurious in comparison to the firs fort. It was necessary to support the work required of the men living there. And it was certainly necessary to expect military wives to live there. Take a look at these descriptions of life in the first and second forts. If you go there and visit, be sure to not when the photographs were taken. Both years will unlock information about St. Augustine. And they will hopefully introduce to you some of the mysteries of hard life just over a hundred years ago.

LOYALTY POINTS AVAILABLE:
1st family: 25 points
2nd family: 22 points
3rd family: 20 points
4th family: 18 points

BONUS ACTIVITIES:
- earn 5 TOUGH points if you visit a ranger station and give your family crest to the ranger.
- earn 5 SMARTS points if you get a better look at something through a telescope with your family crest in hand.

GETTING BONUS POINTS:
- Take lots of photos!
- Be sure to display your family crest somewhere (do not photshop it in)
- If you have receipts, photograph those as well!
- Post photos with tag "lgfl" on flickr and send to taylor (taylor dot garcia at g mail dot com)