On a mission for an uncommon perspective

​Lunch! We had a great drive down to Santa Cruz sharing DJing responsibilities and listening to more Howard Zinn on audiobook.

​At the Santa Cruz mission, we discussed complex topics related to religion, colonization, and culture. We looked at the Spanish Missions from the perspective of both the missionaries and the Native Americans. We read about the customs and ways of living of the Ohlone people and also about the chronology of the California missions and specific history of the Santa Cruz mission.

We loved the land on which the Mission and housing built for the converted Ohlone sat. In the middle grows what is believed to be the oldest and biggest avocado tree in the state! But we were most taken by the persimmon tree laden with round orange fruits. We explored the Ohlone oven, the floor plan of the living quarters, the gardens, and the church.