I’m trying out a new photo editor called RAW Power. So far it’s pretty good.
Processing a photo of our bunny in RAW Power.
pTerodactyl flying overhead
Buddy working hard
Hummingbird behind
Almost the same devilishly cool temperature inside as outside.
Sunrise looking south
Cresent moon at sunrise
Pretty Peonies
How many owls can you find in the above photo?
Mama Owl in the Tangle Heart Tree.
Peter, Paul, and Mary together again in the bosque eleven days after Peter flew the coop.
Peter, Paul, and Mary
There was a 50% chance of rain, but any rain evaporated long before it reached the ground. The wind blew a lot of dust, however.
We had our 9th Annual Corrales Rose Society Dr. Huey Tour this afternoon after I went to a “hanging” to help Susan Graham hang her photos at the NM Cancer Center for a Gallery with A Cause show titled “On the Rise – Artists in Early and Mid-Career.” I also helped another artist hang her paintings. She was by herself. Susan and I discovered it’s hard to hang the art and get it right as per the curator who didn’t give particularly clear instructions. When I came out of the restroom after washing my hands, I noticed the artist was starting to rearrange her paintings after the curator had set them where she wanted the paintings. I told the artist not to change the order of her paintings or she would have to rehang them. After Susan and I were done hanging Susan’s photographs, and Susan was waiting for final approval, I noticed the artist having a little trouble hanging her paintings. I went down and helped her. It’s a two-person job to hang artwork and get everything aligned and spaced properly.
I had been to the Cancer Center a week ago for my annual checkup, but it turned out to be my last checkup. My doctor said the scan was clear and my immune system was almost up to normal numbers, so he fired me as a patient. No more scans or checkups unless I get symptoms.
For new followers, Dr. Huey is the rootstock used to graft roses in the western United States. Corrales is a cold spot. A lot of roses freeze at the bud unions in the winter killing the rose grafted to the rootstock. Dr. Huey is cold hardy and drought tolerant. Once the bud union is dead Dr. Huey grows. Therefore, there are many Dr. Hueys growing in Corrales. Starting in 2014, we had done an annual tour of Dr. Hueys in Corrales or simply on our property since we have more Dr. Hueys every year.
We have a lot more Dr. Hueys this year because we had a cold and very dry winter. I was not able to water much during the winter because it never warmed up enough for the hoses to thaw. So we lost more roses over the winter.
Most rosarians don’t like Dr. Huey, but Laurie, Susan, and I love Dr. Huey. It only blooms once, but when Dr. Huey blooms it produces a lot of beautiful red roses with yellow centers. While many of our other roses are struggling due to the drought, Dr. Huey is thriving. Rosarians who live in other parts of the country that don’t have harsh climates like New Mexico can be snobs and hate rootstock roses, but Laurie, Susan, and I appreciate any rose that can thrive in New Mexico, and Dr. Huey is thriving.
A large Dr. Huey along Corrales Road.
Well Hung
Thirteen of sixteen photos Susan has in the show.
Paul flew over to the trees between the ditches leaving Mary behind. Daddy owl was keeping an eye on Mary. We didn’t see Peter in the trees between the ditches, so we presume he flew over to the Bosque. We’ll have to go over and see if we can find him in the Bosque. Given the rate of growth and flying, the owlets might have each hatched a week apart.
The wind blew clouds through for a decent sunset.
“Ah! Mama! There’s a weird Paparazzo pointing a bazooka at us.”
Yesterday, David, a neighbor to the north, said he saw two owlets down by where he lives. We went to check it out and only saw an adult owl. I went back to see if they were out tonight. Not only were they out, but the owlet’s mama was also feeding one of them a squirrel.
This owlet looks like the older of the two.
The mama was not too sure about the pesky Paparrazo.
Cows at sunset
Mary and Paul were still plotting their flight across the ditch tonight. Peter is still waiting for them.
“Hey, Mary do you think you can make the flight?” “I’m not sure. I need more practice!”
“I’ll give it a try!” “High beak!”
“Hahahaha! I think we can do it!”
Paul and Mary were very active tonight flying from one spot to another on the tree. I will not be surprised if they fly to the trees between the ditches tonight.
After howling winds blew most of the night from 9:30 pm to 4:00 am, the sky was full of smoke in the morning. The winds had fanned the fires burning in New Mexico. If you are feeling the burn it could be because Uranus is “very close to Sun…” Uranus rises at 5:28 am on May 17th, and it’s “just 10 degrees from the Sun in the sky, so it is difficult or impossible to see it.”
Paul (lower left) and Mary (upper right) were still in the big cottonwood that the nest is in.
Peter, Paul, and Mary this evening.
Sunset
The sandias, Rio Grande and clouds at sunset.
Mama Owl and Peter at 7:30 am this morning.
When I first walked up to the tree where I could see Mama Owl and Peter, Mama Owl looked like she was chewing on her paw. Then she started nuzzling Peter. I could not tell if she was trying to feed him something or groom him. She finally noticed the clicks of my shutter and looked back with a look of “Who’s that clickity clacking a camera behind my back?” She had a squint like Clint, with her ear tufts back, and looked rather mean and bothered. I said, “It is only I the lowly paparazzo!” She seemed to recognize me and put her ear tufts up giving me a little happier look.
Mary stretched her wing trying to wake up. Daddy was getting a little shuteye. Mary couldn’t get up so Paul decided to snooze as well.
Mary finally woke up enough to peek out over the edge of the nest and say hello.
Mama Owl giving a hoot at sunset.
Mary and Paul made flew to the big trunk on the tree.
Mary on the side of the truck above Paul in the crotch of the tree.
May Flower Moon Rising through the clouds.
As the old adage of Murphy’s law states: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” While we have had clear night skies for weeks out here, the night we the super bloody May flower moon rise, and go through a bloody eclipse, clouds blow in. I really can’t complain, I got the full eclipse and bloody moon, but then I felt a warm wind on my shoulder and clouds blew in a covered the moon. Therefore, I did not get the second half of the eclipse. However, the clouds added some interest before the covered up the moon completely. At least the clouds could do is rain on us, but so far only a lot of hot wind.
I started photographing the moon at the river, but once it was in the clouds, I photographed the rest of what I was able to get of the eclipse from our property.
The May Flower moon rising with the eclipse just starting.
Photos for the night sky and eclipse taken with my iPhone.
The clouds added interest to the eclipse.
The total eclipse before the thick clouds blew in and covered up the moon.
Sunrise
The oldest owlet has flown to a cottonwood between the clearwater ditch and the irrigation ditch.
Daddy Owl looking over at the two still at the nest.
A Blue Grosbeak hanging out at dusk.
Beavers at dusk
Laurie saw a hen turkey in the bosque tonight.
Magical moonlight
Moon in the mist
Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn among the star, shining through thin clouds and smoke.
A Jake-In-The-Box
Lizard
Western Bluebirds of happiness
Iris
Blue Iris
Mother’s Day roses: Neil Diamond looks like Scentimental. Anna’s Promise, and Vavoom.
Ketchup & Mustard and Vavoom.
Beaker
Søren
Ring around the moon
It’s half the moon it used to be!
Off Center & Not Even 