True

Snow in June

Memories of the first European New Mexicans

(can't rotate)

What goes on outside Art Class

This past week Tigo and Lola took a sweet little Art Class at the Albuquerque Museum. While they were nice and cool indoors creating their masterpieces, Azalea and I went to discover what was blooming around the grounds.

Perhaps the coolest thing we saw each morning I wasn't able to capture on my little Iphone camera. A nice little roadrunner who fought for her life while being attacked by two robins. Following the attack the roadrunner captured a lizard and then ran across the museum grounds, perhaps to it's nest to have it's morning brunch. So amazing that it seemed the museum could have staged the birds and lizards to have such a spectacle. But so fast and only for our eyes to see. No cameras and no other witnesses. But just ask Azalea, she'll tell you all about it.

"Pretend I'm holding a Chihuahua"

So Cold it Burns

That's not something you think to say very often when the air temps up around 103 degrees.

There have been record breaking temps here in New Mexico this past week. Of course we wouldn't know the difference since it's our first go around. So all these "oddities" we are told, we take for the norm. At least for now. This past week it's been crazy hot. Well over a 100 degrees. Wasn't that the reason we decided against Arizona? Well one of them at least. I regress. It's been over a 100 degrees, so last weekend we decided to drive to the North end of the Sandia Mountains, just past Placitas and up to a little swimming hole so the kids could cool off and have some fun. The dogs would be able to come along, run free and have fun too. 

So we pack some water bags and some snacks and headed for the mountains.

The crazy thing about the Rocky Mountains, or any big mountain, especially in an dry climate, the temps can change drastically. While we didn't go very high into the mountains, the water that we went to visit was snow melt. And well, it still felt like you were swimming in liquid snow.

Before I got to the water, Lola runs up to me and says "It's so cold it BURNS!" She was right. The water was heart stopping, take your breath away, freeze your limbs in an instant cold.

Of course I think Tigo is a future member of one of those Polar Plunge swimming groups, so the cold water had no effect on him as he scaled the waterfalls.

He would have kept going, if he could have. Well, he could have, but I wouldn't let him.

The roar of the water for even a creek this size was really unbelievable. Sound barely traveled and was muffled and taken away. All your secrets are swallowed up into the water.

And then later lapped up by passing canines. Canines, who are in absolute heaven in this here water.

These growing feet were frozen in time and held onto just outside of Placitas.

Content Zepp all the way home.

Saturday Morning

There have been some things since we moved to New Mexico that absolutely drive me crazy. As relaxed as I like to think that I am, there are some things that I just can't get my east coast head wrapped around. But a nice Saturday morning bike ride with the family to the grower's market at Los Ranchos. Different Story. 

My bike had a popped tire, so I hopped on my mom's old bike from when she was a kid. I'm guessing this was circa the late 1950s?? They don't make them like this anymore. And by that I mean, weighing 500lbs. 

And along the ditch we passed a mama duck and her baby ducklings. So stinking sweet. Mama D was being very protective, and I don't blame her. Azalea was with us and she is known to try to kidnap small creatures that are irresistibly cute. She doesn't have a lot of success. But she sure tries.

 I could love this over and over again.

While I could mention the actual market. This time was more about the journey than the destination.

Lake Cochiti

We packed up the cooler and hit the beach for Memorial Day!

 

Ok, not really the beach. But a man-made lake in the middle of the desert.

Still nice and refreshing on a great hot day.

And Tigo, he always seems to be the first one in and the last one out.

Beekeeper in training

Through very little persuasion Tigo and I convinced each other to go take a bee keeping class last weekend.

After having studied bees this past year at school, Tigo was officially the bee nerd in the class. I was so proud.

Whenever there was a question, Tigo was the first to raise his hand to answer the questions and the last person to stay at the end to continue asking his own questions. 

Tigo almost convinced me to get our own bees. I would actually very interested in us keeping bees. 

 Unfortunately due to our current unstable nature, it's probably best not to take in any more living creatures.

We also learned about the amazing properties of pollen to build up your body's immunity to allergies. So Lola and Elmer will have their new "Claritin" found in this form.

A couple of grains of this little by little will keep those sniffling noses and foggy heads away forever.

Uh-oh, we might be getting bees next spring. We'll have to do the follow up extended class.

Entourage

For the next three months.