We’ve had high winds the last two days that have blown most of the dried leaves off of Resa’s Wolf Tree.
The wind did not blow away the color at twilight this morning.
The goose thought the old paparazzo wouldn’t see it if it stuck its head in the water!
Glenda
Fewer leaves on Resa’s Wolf Tree at sunset than were there at twilight.
Fuzzy mountains from the dust
Cranes flew by fast with the tailwind.
The cranes hovered in the wind when they were coming in for landing.
Jake turned 9 today. For some reason, I thought he would be turning 7, but no. He is 9, and old man like me. He got to sleep in for his birthday. We had leftover pizza for breakfast. Jake got the pizza bones (the crust) after his regular breakfast. We went out for our morning walk at noon.
We walked down to the beach, and Scoopy took Jake for a scoop on the wet sand.
Then Jake claimed his own island in the middle of the Rio Grande.
He made a couple of laps around the beach in celebration of his island.
Jake was a little dirty, a little tired, but satisfied with his birthday celebration on the beach. The rest of our walk was uneventful.
On our evening walk, Jake romped with a miniature Austrian Shepherd and made a new Japanese friend.
Dusk
Daddy Owl hooted “Happy Birthday, Jake” from the top of a tree.
Dusk sky
Sunrise on VD
Besides making a great name for a rock band, Love & VD seemed an appropriate title for VD. The popularity of both in 2026 may be in question as fewer people have been hooking up and shacking up in recent years. For old, married folk, there is plenty of romance to be found in a heart-shaped pizza!
Jake and I walked through a tangled tunnel of love with pink markers this morning, and ran into…
The cranes were not in a loving mood
Jake found himself with a river to the left of him, bosque on the right. There he was, stuck in the middle with tree.
Does anyone remember “Tunnel Of Love” by Dire Straights?
“BIG YAWN! That’s what I think about Love & VD. There’s no way I can love a dawg, especially not a Virtual Dawg!”
We ran into a sweet Bernese Mountain Dog on our evening walk.
The Sandias were a nice VD red at sunset
Twilight
Dawn
Glenda and Marble
Twilight
Discovered at dawn
Acronymphomania
Scratched in the beach sand
It’s like the cranes are in a sauna when it’s a devilishly cold -6.66º C (20º F) outside.
Glenda, Silver and Sasha by Laurie.
Beckoned by Twilight, the Sirens called
“Come to the island with frozen sand
You can walk on water, sweet voices sang
The river is down, and the current runs thin…”
With my ears verily tortured, I nearly took the plunge
Deluged by temptations, as the Sirens’ songs were sung
“Think of the photos from the frozen sand
Surrounded by water that moseys along
Reflecting the moonlight like polished glass
Come to us! Come to us! Come to us! Come…”
Curious coyote
Dragon kitty
Spunk: “What’s this sick Sirens’ songs sung stupidity you’re spewing, Paparazzo? You know you can’t walk on water. Trying to take some funky photos surrounded by water while standing on frozen sand is not worth drowning for. Besides, if you end up as a bottom feeder in the Rio Grande, who’s going to feed me?”
Another Twilight
Cranes in the shallows
Waining Snow Moon reflecting on iced river
Il Paparazzo’s long shadow from the waning Snow Moon waked Scoopy from his slumber on the frozen beach.
Scoopy gave Jake a hug! ♠️🦵🏼❤️, 2 = Shovels (spades) need love, too!
Mist on the river. It was 22º F (-5.6º C) this morning.
Black-laced tree at the Winter Moon. Black-laced tree at dusk.
Spunk, Gwendolyn and Silver
Daddy Owl
Twilight
Snow Moon at twilight
Ice illuminated by the Snow Moon
Dawn
Glenda
Sunset
Dusk
Off Center & Not Even 