I went out before sunrise to see if the test balloon from the balloon fiesta might fly over, which would mean the mass ascension would follow. No balloons flew over today, but I discovered Mother’s Rose glowing in the pre-dawn light. Then I came out of retirement from baking and, with René’s help, made Laurie a chocolate mocha cake for her birthday.
The summer monsoon was not nice to the mud plaster on the old San Ysidro Church in Corrales. The north side of the church is weathered and cracked with some large chunks of the mud plaster missing — washed off by driving rains in July and August. We were at the church for the opening of the Old Church Fine Art show, which runs through October 13th. Susan Graham, friend and fellow photographer, has two pieces in the show and won third place for her photo Floral Fireworks, a fantastic explosion of colors that has the appearance of a photo-realistic watercolor. Congratulations, Susan!
I thought this in a 1952 Chevrolet Styleline Coupe, but it turns out it’s an Oldsmobile, probably 1950. I would like to see it after the owner is finished restoring it.
This is the new Santa Fe County Maintenance facility that won design awards. The County staff call it the “Moon Base” as it looks like an advanced, high-tech research facility with its dark glass, corrugated steel siding, concrete trumb walls, and modern, modular look. The problem is that whoever gave it the design awards didn’t talk to the people who occupy the buildings, because according to the occupants the buildings are total failures. The passive solar is apparently very passive as it heats the building in the summer, but not in the winter. The swamp coolers turn the building into a swamp instead of cooling it, and the pipes simply freeze in the winter because the buildings don’t get enough heat. Every office has a stand alone fan and space heater and one staff member told us that by the end of the day everyone is worn out and grumpy from dealing with over-heating in summer or freezing in winter. While the buildings have an interesting design, they give passive solar, green, leed, sustainable architecture a really bad name.
October is the birthday month for our family. Let the birthdays begin.
Yippee ki-yay the zipper spider caught her a critter that she had all wrapped up and was having it for breakfast.
As summer passes into fall, the frost turns green to brown, laying bare the tangled morning glories that sprung forth with new life each morning, another one has passed from among the living into the eternal light. A friend who we hadn’t seen for years, but still a friend nonetheless. Our prayers go out to her family.
The first day we got back to Paris, a couple of guys in the apartment across the street took the opportunity of a break in the rain to make a short film on the balcony. We don’t know what they were doing, but during our two weeks in Paris, they had several of what looked like business lunches and dinners and at least one party on their balcony. Paris, France, May 2013.
With fall comes green chiles and there’s nothing like a leisurely breakfast with Guildenstern and René (Laurie doing the photo and the other cats on the table or chairs). We had huevos rancheros made with freshly peeled green chiles from Wagner’s Farm.
Vineyards with Mont St Victoire in the background. Aix-en-Provence, France, May 2013.
Off Center & Not Even 