Venus and the moon rising through the clouds at dawn.
Venus
We did not get rain last night, but there were flash flood warnings for Sandoval County. Obviously, there was a significant amount of rain and flash flooding to the north of us as the Rio Grande’s water level rose about 3 feet last night. It was receding this evening when I was out at the river.
The Rio Grande looking north from Beaver Point last night and tonight.
The Rio Grande looking south from Beaver Point last night and tonight.
The red strip of mud between the light-colored bank and the water is how high the river rose and then fell from last night to tonight. About 3 feet.
Speaking of Beaver Point, a beaver swam by, crawled out of the water, went up onto the bank and disappeared into the willows.
The Black-crowned Night-heron was out hunting on the river to the north of Beaver Point. It looks like it got a fish.
Clouds reaching out this afternoon. No rain on us.
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.
Wings beat on water Gold on beaks glow Sun’s final gasp Dusk pulls shades Blue over shadowed wings Highlights rippled across water Cormorants fly Sprites dance on currents Over in a flash
I got a video of a Coachwhip Snake (Masticophis flagellum testaceous) swimming in the irrigation ditch. I know a lot of people have trouble with snakes, but they are really quite beautiful. It’s not often I see a Coachwhip Snake taking a swim. After we got back from checking on the owls and walking in the bosque this morning, I wrote a song to go with the video, appropriately named Coachwhip Snake. I recorded the song and put it all together in the above video this afternoon. Enjoy!
A Cooper’s Hawk standing on the edge of the water in the clear ditch. I don’t know whether he was meditating, fishing, our thinking about taking a bath. After we spotted him, he looked like he was trying to decide whether to carry on with what he was doing or fly away. He finally few.
I haven’t posted a parody in quite a long time. I’m sure there are many people who think it would be just fine if I never posted another parody. But life presses on, and I love making parodies, so another one has come to fruition. Besides, I could not let this opportunity for a parody pass me by.
It all started on New Years Day when Wade came over for black-eyed peas. We prepare and eat black-eyed peas every New Years Day for good luck (Laurie does most of the cooking). Wade and I went for a walk to Beaver point. Wade had never been to the river in Corrales, and he noticed the jetties along the riverbank. He commented that the river bank looked like Normandy with the large, jacks-shaped iron jetties along the edge of the river.
While I was explaining how the jetties were installed by the Conservancy for flood control, I pointed out a knot in one of the large cables that used to run through a line of jetties. I explained that La Llorona was the only one around here who had enough strength to tie a knot in a 1 1/4 steel cable. Wade asked “Who? I’ve never heard of La Llorona. Is she like ‘My Sharona?'” I said no, but realized at that moment that La Llorona was a perfect parody for “My Sharona”. You may know the song by The Knack? I was surprised I hadn’t put La Llorona and “My Sharona” together before now. It’s such an obvious fit. I wrote the lyrics and recorded the parody of The Knack’s music the next day. But it took a lot of thinking before I came up with an idea for a video.
It might have been right around Epiphany that I had an epiphany to employ Lego® figurines for La Llorona and her children. I knew we still had a lot of Legos out in the infinite shed of doom, so I plunged in and found some Lego figurines that were more than happy to play the parts. I also used photos of Muertas from Albuquerque’s annual Dia de los Muertos Marigold Parade in the video.
La Llorona
Lyrics: Timothy Price Music: The Knack Vocals AWB
Ooo, she lost her little ones, her little ones When she drowned them in the ditch, la Llorona! Ooo, then she tried to run, tried to run Turned around and killed herself, la Llorona.
Never stops looking, gave them up, crying all the time She can’t give them up, her wet embrace will break your spine Cry, cry, cry, cry-cry, woo!
L-l-l-la Llorona
Come a little closer, she drown you in the ditch Close enough to scratch your eyes, la Llorona She is a mystery, always crying, look and see Running down the ditch she shrieks on high, Llorona
Never stops looking, gave them up, crying all the time She can’t give them up, her wet embrace will break your spine Cry, cry, cry, cry-cry, woo!
L-l-l-la Llorona L-l-l-la Llorona (Yeah!)
When’s she going to give it up, give it up She’s just crying all the time, la Llorona Is it just infanticide, infanticide Or is it murder in your mind, Llorona?
Never stops looking, gave them up, crying all the time She can’t give them up, her wet embrace will break your spine Cry, cry, cry, cry-cry, woo! C-c-c-c-c-c-c-cry, cry, cry, cry-cry, woo!
Aaaaah-oooh, la Llorona Aaaaah-oooh, la Llorona Aaaaah-oooh, la Llorona
Here’s some “My Sharona” trivia: “My Sharona” was recorded in a single take in the studio and released on the album “Get The Knack” in June 1979. It sold over a half a million copies in record time for the 70s, and became the fastest Capital Record debut to reach gold since the Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in 1964.
Off Center & Not Even 