Tag: Bosque

Then It Rained

Timothy Price42 Comments

There was not a cloud in the sky at dawn.

By 9:30 AM, clouds had rolled in and covered the sky.

Since an owl was showing interest in the nest last night, I decided it was time to add insulation to the bottom of the nest. I started gathering up everything I needed at 10:00 AM.

Insulation, a board for the bottom, and tools. The bottom of the nest without insulation.

Insulation in the bottom of the nest. The nest with the bottom board to cover the insulation.

There are 8 to 10 inches of mulch and leaves for bedding inside the nest. I got the bottom screwed on at 11:20 AM, just as it started raining. I gathered up my tools and headed inside. The rain was steady until around 3:00 PM. We got 0.22 inches of rain during that time. Enough to get everything wet and muddy.

The sun lit the clouds when I started my ride heading south on the levee this afternoon.

The afterglow at dusk on my way back home, riding south again.†

†On a typical afternoon ride, after I cross the Clearwater ditch, I ride south 2 to 3.5 miles on the levee, turn around, ride 5 to 6.5 miles north on the levee to the flood control channel, turn around, and ride 3 miles south to where I cross the Clearwater ditch to go home.

Mad Dogs @ Bedtime

Timothy Price45 Comments

Loki: “Il Paparazzo sta per morire!”

Spunk: “Boy, I say boy, pay close attention to me ’cause you’re a burrito short of a combination plate.”†

Loki: “You’re bothering me, boy!”

Spunk: “Wait ’till you turn off the light, Paparazzo!”

Meet the new snake. Same as the old snake.††

Nice reflection this afternoon.

Cottonwoods in the bosque turned red at sunset.

Sunset looking north from the top of the levee.

†Foghorg Leghorn quote.

††Juvenile Bullsnake: I moved him from the top of the levee so he wouldn’t get run over by the cyclists who were behind me.

A Persistence Of Wastewater

Timothy Price48 Comments

Corrales flood control channel this afternoon.

When I first started riding in July, the flood control channel was dry, and I could ride across the arroyo where the water ends, 300 yards from where I took this photo. At first, the flood control channel filled with water from rain collected on the west mesa up to 20 miles west of Corrales. That was the beginning of the second week of September. Since the beginning of October, the flood control channel has been filled with water. However, we have had zero rain in Corrales in October and little rain in Rio Rancho west of Corrales. I finally came to the realization that the water in the flood control channel is the treated wastewater from Rio Rancho backing up into the channel. I have not investigated why the water is backing up into the flood control channel now when the channel was dry in July, August, and the first week of September.

The treated wastewater from Rio Rancho is released into the mouth of the flood control channel near the levy and flows into the Rio Grande, as does the runoff collected by the flood control channel. Rio Rancho is the third largest city in New Mexico, with 109,060 people in 2023.

Cyclists, runners, and hikers who want to cross the flood control channel to continue north or south on the levee or the Bosque trail either have to ford the water or walk, run, or ride 200 yards into the flood control channel to get around the water.

The outlet for Rio Rancho’s treated wastewater.

Treated wastewater flowing toward the mouth of the flood control channel. The water smells like chlorine and detergents. I was surprised to see people fishing there the other day.

Different views of the treated wastewater outlet.

Erosion east of the current outlet. The erosion may be from before they reworked the area. The photo on the right is looking west from the eroded area.

The photo on the left was taken on 9/9/2023. The photo on the right was taken on 10/28/2023. You can see how much farther the water extends into the channel in the photo on the right.

Sasha and Glenda hovering over the heater.

It’s cold this week. The cats are clamoring for the space heaters we use to warm the spaces close to us. The cats were all piled up on me at 3:50 AM this morning. I had a cold ride this afternoon with the temps in the low 40s.

Cats from head to toe: Sasha on my chest in the foreground. Gwendolyn’s ears are on the right in the foreground. She was under the covers, resting her head on my shoulder. After Sasha is Marble, Spunk, Silver, and then Glenda is at the end of the bed, curled up on my feet. Loki was on Laurie out of the picture.