Hot Air Balloon in the Afternoon

It's been a lazy Thanksgiving weekend.  This afternoon I was napping on the couch.  When I first heard the noise, I thought it was the furnace firing up.  When it didn't, I wondered if it was someone taking a hot air balloon.

This is unusual, simply because most balloon rides take place in the mornings.  I'm not 100% sure of the reasons why, but it's traditionally the time of day when balloons go up.

After I heard a couple more bursts of propane firing up, I wandered outside and sure enough, there went a balloon headed off to the north.

The trees reside in my neighbors' yard.

I've been listening to the reports about Black Thursday/Friday shopping.  I like my weekend plans/non-plans better. 

I did go to the Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival this morning.  I had a fun time looking around at all the creative endeavors.  I even bought a few things, including some pasta/orzo in fun flavors.  Yummy!

Papillon

We had our first fall storm roll through.  We received rain yesterday, the first time in 50+ days.

It looks like the Sandia mountains east of town might actually be getting some snow.  I don't know if it'll provide any measurable amounts or if they'll stay for more than a day or so.  I'm just glad we're getting some moisture.

Here's what the mountains looked like this afternoon.

A bit further south, you can actually see some moisture headed down.  I don't know if it was actually hitting the ground.

It's supposed to be chilly and windy for most of the rest of the weekend.  It's supposed to warm up a bit early next week.

Papillon

I ran across this today.  I thought it interesting.

American Indian Heritage Month factoid:

Something very much like basketball (ca. 1000 B.C.) was played by American Indians about 3,000 years ago. The Olmec, who lived in what is now southern Mexico/Central America from about 1700 B.C. to 400 B.C., originated the game because latex-producing trees grew in their area and they had developed the technology to create balls made from rubber. Because this game is the first one known to have used a rubber ball, anthropologists consider it to be the forerunner of all modern games that use bouncing balls, including basketball, soccer and football.


Papillon

Autumn in NM

Most of the trees that are native to New Mexico turn yellow in the fall.  It's been fun and certainly makes for a very cheerful display.

It's especially fun at sunset with the sunlight coming through the trees.

Enjoying the loveliness while it's still here.

Papillon

This past Saturday (10/20) I drove up to the Sandia Crest.  Lots of lovely views to be seen.

On the way back down, I decided to stop at the Tinkertown Museum.  I'd heard about it, but had never gone.

It's a fun way to spend a very kitschy half hour or so.  The admission is $3.50 (adult) and allows you to wander around as much and as long as you like. 

The museum was assembled over numerous years by a local couple (last name Ross).  He died in 2002, but she continues to run things.

Among other things you've got walls assembled using something like 50,000 bottles embedded in them.  (I didn't get a photo).  They've also put together a number of dioramas using lots of miniatures.  One very long one is a spoof of a western town.  Here's a section involving the Pharmacy.

And here's what happened after the Pharmacy couldn't help -- an angel and devil fighting over a man at the graveyard.

Each of the sections of the western town had a button you could push to cause portions of the display to move, like the little girl who skipped rope.

There are some non-western town dioramas, including an elaborate circus.

They've even got an automated fortune teller, Grandmother Esmeralda.  My fortune card said, among other things, that "You have chosen the path of righteousness and you will be very happy."  Also, "....you have a keen mind and an understanding nature."  Fun!

If you're looking for sophisticated humor, this is not the place for you.  However, I had a darn good time and won't hesitate to recommend it.

Papillon

Bosque Fire

This afternoon a large plume of smoke came to our attention.

I'm not sure how it started, but it sure has covered some ground.  It's located in Corrales which is east of where I live.

It was supposedly started by the electronic 'cigarette' discarded/dropped/whatever by a village worker.  A bit ironic, that.

Well, it certainly has been quite a long time since I last posted.  I have no one specific reason as to why I haven't been blogging for 3+ months.  In any case, I'm back.

For Bosses' Day on October 16th, I got a book for each of my two supervisors.  (Same book for each of them.)  It's an interesting book entitled Scenic New Mexico (by Laurence Parent).  I spotted it in one of my book catalogs.  It was on sale (sweet!).  I also bought a copy for me.

The book contains itineraries for 35 drives through some of the wonderful scenery to be found here in the Land of Enchantment.  There's a route map for each plus historical information and descriptions of what can be seen along each route.

Yesterday (Saturday 10/20) was a lovely autumnal afternoon.  Sunny and not too hot or too cold.  I decided, rather on the spur of the moment, to take Drive #16, San Antonito to Sandia Crest.  All of that is located just east of Albuquerque so was a handy place to start.

Here is a photo taken at the Crest (where it was windy and a bit chilly).  The haze in the distance may be due in part to a controlled burn north of Albuquerque in the Jemez area.  The haze was VERY noticiable on Friday 10/19.

Here are several photos I took on the way back down.  These are the remains of the poplars as they turn their usual bright yellow.

As I came around a curve like this, I saw a family of turkeys crossing the road.  By the time I pulled over and got out my camera, they had disappeared into the underbrush.

Another photo I didn't have time to take was of a directionally-challenged squirrel.  At yet another curve, I spotted a squirrel part way out onto the road.  I slowed way down, since I didn't want to run over him.  At the initial sighting, he was facing east across the road.  When he spotted me, he hesitated then sprang straight up in the air, turning 180 degrees.  He's now facing west.  He hesitated again, then repeated the maneuver, now he's facing east.  Finally, he sprang up one more time and turned in the air, landing facing west.  At that point, he made the decision to run off the road.  I almost had to pull over I was laughing so hard.

At the base of the Sandias and just north of San Antonito is the Tinkertown Museum, it's mentioned in my book.  It was started by a couple and uses a bunch of miniatures to recreate a wild West town.  A lot of the miniatures aren't period pieces, including Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.  It's fun and kitschy and I'll talk about it in a later blog.

I've also decided I'm going to take all 35 drives.  Not all at once, of course.  I do have to work, after all.  But, it's a nice goal to have.  I also plan on upgrading my digital camera.  I've got one that is acceptable, but it's older with a slow shutter speed.  Nothing too terribly fancy but something newer.  I want to upgrade my skills as well.

Papillon