
Dawn

A hard heart in sun-baked clay

Low flow with Sandias in the background. The river normally flows at the top of the bank I’m standing on. The bank is about four feet higher than the water right now.

A rare view looking north from the middle of the Rio Grande. The river is low enough that I walked around the corner in the top left of the above photo. Normally, the only way to get this view would be from a floatation device or to swim out to the middle of the river because the water is normally from bank to bank at this point.

Sunset last night.


Spunk Rock!

Stormclouds building up threatening to rain. I hope it’s more than just a threat.
That is disturbing to see the water so low. I sure do hope those clouds burst with rain!
We had a hard rain that lasted maybe 15 minutes. Hardly worth all the hoopla of warnings. Of course, that doesn’t mean they won’t eventually spill for realz.
When I was a kid, the Rio Grande would dry up in July and August. I had a lot of fun playing with the clay and rescuing fish stuck in the pools before they dried out. That cloud in the last photo just spit on us. Pretty insulting. Thanks, Dale.
Ah well… If it’s a natural occurrence, that’s another thing!
How rude!!
There were severe droughts in the 16th and 17th centuries that nearly wiped out the Spanish settlers in New Mexico. We live in a desert and dry is the norm. I lot of people who move out here and can’t quite grasp that dryness and deserts go together.
People can’t know what they don’t until they do!! I remember just in Vegas being taken aback by the dryness. I wondered how long it would take my body to adapt!
I agree with Dale. It saddens me to see the waterline so low. Major problem. Spunk Rock helped a lot! Gorgeous pics, Tim.
As I mentioned to Dale, from the late 60s, through the 70s, into the early 80s the Rio Grande would dry up in July and August. We had way above precipitation through the 80s. The Rio started running all year and all the lakes filled and many flooded in the early 90s. From the mid 90s we have received less and less precipitation. Thanks, Jeff.
I appreciate the information, Tim. Water seems scarce in many parts of the country and planet. You’re most welcome.
I think nature has a distribution problem. There is not much sense of equity in nature. Of course we choose to live in spots that are not very hospitable and try to make them work. We act shocked by droughts, and floods, and fires, and storms, and earthquakes, etc. It’s not like the earth and its systems have ever been stable or hospitable from a human perspective.
Ah, that’s insightful and true. At a levels, disruption is a part of nature. It is good for me to stand outside of what I think is known. We do know so little about how it all works. Thanks for the conversation, Tim.
You are welcome.
I hope you get some much-needed rain soon.
That cloud spit on us. Thanks, Liz.
You’re welcome, Tim. I hope the rain helped.
I enjoyed all the images, even though I am horrified by the drought and dryness. Of course I enjoyed Spunk with his rock. 😻
Last night I got about 0.25 inches of rain and a few sprinkles just a few minutes ago. 🌦
We got 0.05 inch of rain lst night. The cloud came of from sprinkling on you and spit of us. Thanks, Susan.
Praying for rain for you! Sad to see.
Loved seeing Spunk.
Thanks, Nancy.
Tim, I hope it rained. I river is so low.
Thanks, Gabriela. ¡Tenemos cuatro gotas!
No es suficiente .
No not nearly enough. The old Spaniards would tolk about “quatro gotas”. It’s very appropriate for our location.
Someone said – I did not check that – that the river is dry in Texas. ?!
It’s probably dry in sothern New Mexico as well. As I mentioned to other people, the river use to dry up ever summer when I was a kid.
I did not know that. I learn something new every day 🙏
Definitely looks dry there. We had some rain today so all the weeds in my year were very happy. I see Spunk likes to rock – not surprised ha!
Spunk is a funky punk Spunk rocker. He does Dumpsta-Spunk music, You can listen at https://wp.me/p1yQyy-4kV and https://wp.me/p1yQyy-4tR. He’s a creative kitty. Thanks, Brian.
Gorgeous skies, sad river, and only Spunk would use a rock as a pillow, I got to admire him! ♥
Thanks, Inchcock.
Sometimes I ask myself “where will this end”….
Thanks, Rudi.
Even the comments are very informative actually. And yeah I also admire Spunk. What a cat. Lovely pics
Thanks, Shey.
I can see rain falling…
Hard heart and Spunk laying on a hard pillow, but oh so smooth and beautiful to see!
I hope it rains, my friend.
Thanks, Marina. We got spit on. That was all.
oh-oh…. Here’s to so serious rain!
We need it.
The Spunk rock reminds me on old Chinese headrests – this cat surely got style.
Hoping for rain as well. The clouds always seem to curve around our place to go elsewhere.
A rock is better than nothing. Thanks, Heidi.
Eine Tragödie, dass auch die Flüsse austrocknen. Dürre überall.
Thanks, einfachtilda. There are lots of places that are flooding.
The storm cloud picture is amazing. Hope it rained for you!
Thanks, derrycats.
It’s such a sad state of affairs Tim. Spunk Rock isn’t phased not the sky by the likes of it!
💖💖
Thanks, Cindy.
indeed Tim! 💖💖
I hope you get rain, Tim. Your water situation down there is quite worrisome, if not desperate.
Leave it to Spunk to use a rock as a pillow!
Thanks, Lavinia.
Spunk has a good rock to lean on.
OMG!!! Tim, it’s a whole new music genre…Spunk Rock!
Or in certain cases, Spunkie-Poo 💋 Rockie-Poo 🪨
From Spunku poetry to Spunk Rock music. Spunk is a real trend setter. Thanks, Resa.
He’s an “Influencer”!!
I wish he was paid for it.