Month: October 2023

A Persistence Of Wastewater

Timothy Price48 Comments

Corrales flood control channel this afternoon.

When I first started riding in July, the flood control channel was dry, and I could ride across the arroyo where the water ends, 300 yards from where I took this photo. At first, the flood control channel filled with water from rain collected on the west mesa up to 20 miles west of Corrales. That was the beginning of the second week of September. Since the beginning of October, the flood control channel has been filled with water. However, we have had zero rain in Corrales in October and little rain in Rio Rancho west of Corrales. I finally came to the realization that the water in the flood control channel is the treated wastewater from Rio Rancho backing up into the channel. I have not investigated why the water is backing up into the flood control channel now when the channel was dry in July, August, and the first week of September.

The treated wastewater from Rio Rancho is released into the mouth of the flood control channel near the levy and flows into the Rio Grande, as does the runoff collected by the flood control channel. Rio Rancho is the third largest city in New Mexico, with 109,060 people in 2023.

Cyclists, runners, and hikers who want to cross the flood control channel to continue north or south on the levee or the Bosque trail either have to ford the water or walk, run, or ride 200 yards into the flood control channel to get around the water.

The outlet for Rio Rancho’s treated wastewater.

Treated wastewater flowing toward the mouth of the flood control channel. The water smells like chlorine and detergents. I was surprised to see people fishing there the other day.

Different views of the treated wastewater outlet.

Erosion east of the current outlet. The erosion may be from before they reworked the area. The photo on the right is looking west from the eroded area.

The photo on the left was taken on 9/9/2023. The photo on the right was taken on 10/28/2023. You can see how much farther the water extends into the channel in the photo on the right.

Sasha and Glenda hovering over the heater.

It’s cold this week. The cats are clamoring for the space heaters we use to warm the spaces close to us. The cats were all piled up on me at 3:50 AM this morning. I had a cold ride this afternoon with the temps in the low 40s.

Cats from head to toe: Sasha on my chest in the foreground. Gwendolyn’s ears are on the right in the foreground. She was under the covers, resting her head on my shoulder. After Sasha is Marble, Spunk, Silver, and then Glenda is at the end of the bed, curled up on my feet. Loki was on Laurie out of the picture.

Writing’s On The Wall

Timothy Price38 Comments

pTerodactyl stands vigil
Over a dying pond
Reflecting on things to come
He saw the writing on the wall

Lyrics and music written and performed by Timothy Price.

Night

Dawn

Dusk

Writing’s On The Wall
(Daniel 5:24-28†)
By Timothy Price

[Verse]
You should beware of the words, man
As they were written by a bloodless hand
You see, if you don’t change your ways
You’ll succumb to what the inscription says

[Chorus]
‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’
Oh, the writing’s on the wall
‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’
It’s a prophecy of your fall
‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’
God is going to end it all
‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’
He won’t hear you when you call

[Bridge]
‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’
‘M’ne!’ — God has counted up your kingdom
‘M’ne!’ — brought it to an end
‘T’kel’ — you’re weighed on the balance
‘T’kel’ — scale and come up short
‘P’res’ — your kingdom’s been divided given
Given — to the Medes and the Persians

[Verse]
You should beware of the words, man
As they were written by a bloodless hand
You see, if you don’t change your ways
You’ll succumb to what the inscription says

[Chorus]
‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’
Oh, the writing’s on the wall
‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’
it’s a prophecy of your fall
‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’
God is going to end it all
M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin’
He won’t hear you when you call

†24 This is why he sent the hand to write this inscription; 25 and the inscription says, ‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin.’ [a] 26 This is what it means: ‘M’ne!’ — God has counted up your kingdom and brought it to an end. 27 ‘T’kel’ — you are weighed on the balance-scale and come up short. 28 ‘P’res’ — your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” (Complete Jewish Bible).