The First Cowboy -A work in progress

Every journey normally starts with a goal of where you want to END. But, we don't always get there in a straight line, or an easy path, or sometimes never reach the goal at all. It is said life is about the journey, not the destination. But if you don't have a specific goal or place you desire to end up, then you are just wandering aimlessly in the desert, with no compass.

I started on this journey, writing this treatise of mine, finding interest in one of my hobbies and activities, photography and videography!

I've always had an interest in history, architecture, and especially old and ancient structures.

 In my current trade, doing insurance inspections, I drive around Tucson and Pima County all day, taking photos of mostly homes, but some commercial buildings as well.

Frequently I drive by the beautiful statue of Padre Kino, which is appropriately placed alongside the Kino Parkway in Tucson, named after him.

As well. I regularly drive by the "White Dove of the Desert ", the San Xavier Mission on the Toho O'odham Indian reservation, just south of Tucson. Probably the best-known mission founded by Kino.

A National Historic Landmark, San Xavier Mission was founded as a Catholic mission by Father Eusebio Kino in 1692. Although Kino broke ground on the original mission at the site in Bac, it was never finished after he died. The Jesuits were rejected from the new Spanish lands, and replaced by the Franciscan Order, and they built the new mission, of the same name. Construction of the current church began in 1783 and was completed in 1797.

It is very visible just off of I-19 highway, on the way south from Tucson towards Nogales. 

After reading a book on Christopher Columbus, I learned of some of Columbus earlier and truer, faithful motivations regarding his quest to sail west, around the globe, towards Cathay, or now known as China, and India. What inspired him to that end? What made him tick?

This drove my curiosity to dive deeper, also into what made Padre Kino tick. Like Columbus, in many ways as well.

I had been wanting to plan a self-tour of all of Padre Kinos, 24 or so, founded missions in the Borderland area, as it's known, in the Arizona-Sonora region. This triggered my research, and a deeper dive in his life, faith and motivations. The early Spaniards called it “Pimeria Alta” as the upper part of the “Nuevo Espana”, New Spain, was known before there was thought of a Mexican Revolution. Pimeria, from the Pima Indians.

After reading a story that said, Padre Kino, " The First Cowboy ", I was like, What? I always admired the statue of him on his horse, but never thought of him as a "Cowboy "?

So, my sojourn began in knowing all there is to know about this, "First Cowboy " from Italy, a Jesuit Priest, and as I discovered, a sort of Renaissance man, Jack of All trades. Also an advanced in mathematics, astronomy, Cartogrophy, agronomist, rancher and expert horseman. his maps of the Pimeria alta were used for many years.

I felt a sort of Kinship right away, having grown up riding horses, as did he. As well as having many other similar interests, maps, globes, astronomy, ships and exploring, land and sea, and using all this skill and ambition, to further his faith.

 What really burns inside these men, and how can I learn more, and kindle that same fire and inspiration within myself, and my own, constantly, growing, and evolving faith.

 So, I found incumbent upon myself, to first look inside myself, and share my own journey of faith, and my own testimony, and witness that which is living inside my own heart and soul. This is my step into walking in padre kino’s footsteps, from italy, thru spain, on to the new world, and Neuvo Espan’a, Baja califonia, and roaming the Pimeria Alta - the arizona/sonora borderlands.

 Thessalonians: 5:21 “Test, Prove, Examine, all things, Hold Fast, Firmly, Tight to what is Good.”

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Kino kountry… Pimeria Alta -AZ/sonora borderlands..

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