Moment to Moment

Flipping through the book titled ‘1001 Natural Wonders You Must See before You Die’ by Michael Bright, one of the natural wonders caught my attention. It is called the Kneeling Nun located in western New Mexico, USA.

As written by the author – ‘legend has it that the Kneeling Nun tells how a local nun nursed an injured Spanish soldier back to health and then, despite her vows, fell in love with him. As a result, she was cast out from her convent and then turned to stone, to spend eternity kneeling atop a mountain in prayer’.

Interesting legend isn’t it?

However,the truth of this amazing formation happened 35 millions years ago during a volcanic eruption, which was 1000 times greater than May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. The author wrote – ‘The eruption sent a burning hot flow of pumice, ash and gas and the volcanic debris hardened into solid rock and then slowly eroded after being uplifted by the formation of the Santa Rita Range. Wind, rain and winter frosts then eroded the volcanic deposit to reveal this unusual stone monument’.

I hope to see this amazing formation in the future.