We are headed to San Diego for the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association Conference. We drove through the Salt River Canyon at sunset on the way to Globe, AZ.
Category: landscapes
Moonrise and Painted Sky
Fall Colors after Sunset
Balloons, Boats & Buzzards
We had a clear morning, not a cloud in sight, for the second day of the 48th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Balloons launched in a mass ascension, but there was no wind to speak of, so the balloons hung over the balloon field for a couple of hours.
This pink flamingo boat is what I believe to be the first special shape boat to be on the Rio Grande during the balloon fiesta. Kayakers, canoeists, and paddle boarders paddled, floated and shoved their way through the shallows of the Rio Grande as they watched the balloons.
My neighbor texted me that there were buzzards (Turkey Vultures) in the dead cottonwood a couple of properties south of us. There were still four hanging out in the tree sunning themselves and watching the balloons when I got there. Three flew off soon after I arrived, while the one remaining buzzard shook the dust out of its feathers and settled in to watch what was going on below.
Sunset & Sliver Moon
Clearing Clouds
We had one of those rare times for the Albuquerque area where it started raining Saturday night, stayed cloudy and rained all day and into the night on Sunday. The clouds were starting to break up when I got to the parking garage a little before 7:00 am this morning.
Parched River
The Cabin At The End Of The Caldera
At one end of the Valles Caldera in the Jemez is a cabin that sits all alone with nothing else around for miles. I was told this might be a cabin used in the Longmire TV series. I wouldn’t know as I have never seen or read Longmire. The first time I saw Longmire’s name was on a bumper sticker on a 1946 Ford pickup truck that read “Honesty & Integrity Walt Longmire Sheriff Absaroka County“.
Stormy Sunday
We had thunderstorms coming in from all directions this afternoon. The thunderstorm that built up over the Sandias was the most dramatic. While out on a walk before the storms, I encountered a little bit of wildlife.
Buckeye Butterfly
This video of the Great Purple Hairstreak Butterfly shows how it moves the flanges on the ends of its wings while it feeds. I assume it’s to fool predators into going after the flanges on its wings, giving it a chance to escape.
Blue Hairstreak
Silver kitty
Thunderstorm activity to the north.
Virginia & Two Coyotes
I went for a walk in the bosque at sunset, and caught the pink on the Sandias — there was not a cloud in the sky. I headed north after sunset and ran into two coyotes on the trail. They perked up when they saw me, then high-tailed it in the opposite direction. Then I saw Virginia perched on a branch. It was nice to see Virginia, I hadn’t seen her in months.
