Desert Harbor Retreat — The Setting

June 2, 2014 Timothy Price17 Comments

Our stay at Desert Harbor Resort was a Christmas gift from Laurie’s parents, and we scheduled our stay for our 32nd wedding anniversary. Desert Harbor Resort is run by Raymond and his wife Wesley. Guests stay in a small house up the hill from the main house nestled below undulating cliffs among the juniper and piñon trees. The nightly rate includes breakfast, and guest have the option of ordering dinners as well. Guests can also get life counseling, time in a hot tub, and schedule messages for additional fees. There is a labyrinth guests can walk in and then sit in the center and meditate. On the other side of the cliffs the porch faces is a covered lookout, with a chair and a hammock, overlooking a canyon where one can relax, read or meditate. There are also trails for hiking in the canyon and beyond.

45CU4144 — Laurie drawing the cliffs from the porch swing

A18W1411 — View of the cliffs from the porch

A18W1446 — Laurie modeling her new dress

A18W1406 — Interior view looking towards kitchen and bath area

A18W1473 — Laurie modeling her new pants and sweater

SandiasEastSide5-31-14 — view of the east side of the Sandias from the guest house

45CU4627 — Raymond set chairs on top of a cliff for us to watch the sunset

45CU4611 — The sunset from the chair on the edge of a cliff

45CU4608 — View looking west from the cliff after the sun had set

Espresso Fino

March 25, 2014 Timothy Price15 Comments

Espresso Fino opened at 222 Gold Ave, SW in Downtown Albuquerque right next door to our office. Owned and operated by Greg with his lovely daughter Nina, and handsome son Pablo (not pictured), Espresso Fino offers fine espresso coffee using organic beans. The shop has a brand new Nouva Simonelli 4 group Aurelia II espresso maker that is as bright and shiny as a fine mirror. They also offer pastries from Le Café Miche (two doors down on the corner of 3rd and Gold), breakfast burritos, and they will soon offer goodies from the New Mexico Pie Company.

Greg is former furniture craftsman from Taos, New Mexico, who has operated two other coffee shops in Taos over the past six years. Now that Greg and his family are offering their espresso making skills on Gold Street, be sure to stop in and try out their coffee.

Coffee Art

March 2, 2014 Timothy Price5 Comments

After photographing the sunrise filtering through the dust and mist the other morning, I was inspired to accidentally create a work of coffee art on edge of the counter.

Waiting on a Waffle/Breakfast with Guildenstern

January 29, 2014January 29, 2014 Timothy Price2 Comments

I had to get out my 17mm, super-wideangle lens to get a photo of Beaker impatiently waiting for the waffle that’s in the toaster oven. You can see the tips of his wings are a little blurry because he is fluttering them in anticipation. Guildenstern got up on the table, flopped himself down and waited to see what Laurie was having for breakfast. He wasn’t too sure about either the granola or the coffee.

Breakfast with Beaker

December 10, 2013 Timothy Price4 Comments

Laurie has to share her cereal and coffee with Beaker most mornings. Guildenstern thinks we have things all wrong — “one should have birds for breakfast, not have breakfast with birds” he meows — but he knows Beaker and René are formidable adversaries and stays clear of both of them. René is slowly getting better at flying and I’m slowly getting better at sneaking in better lighting to catch him in flight.

Permanent Vacation

November 23, 2013 Timothy Price3 Comments

Café Giuseppe has had a sign on the door for the past five weeks telling its customers that they are on vacation for a week. Turns our their week off has turned into a permanent vacation, and Café Giuseppe will not reopen according to its owners. I don’t know if it was malicious vandals or an irate customer who broke the window yesterday.

Morning Coffee and a Bath

November 11, 2013 Timothy Price15 Comments

Beaker was ringing his bell this morning for some of Laurie’s coffee. He drank the morning brew, closed his eyes, savored the flavor, then went of to his water dish and took a bath.