Spunk Watches Italian Music Videos

December 16, 2014December 16, 2014 Timothy Price31 Comments

Spunk has started watching Italian music videos. His current favorites are Anna Tatangelo’s “Sensi” (Feelings) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB6QA7snWqk, and Litfiba’s “Squalo” (Shark) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbcYNU71JOo.

In “Squalo” there are a couple of women painted up as skeletons who dance in the darkness for a few seconds at various times throughout the video. Spunk would start pawing at the skeleton figures every time they came on screen. I wonder how he sees the figures that makes him want to touch them.

I put on another Italian music video, but Spunk lost interest soon after it began, jumped down and started playing with his toys on the floor. When I replayed “Sensi”, he bounded across the room, slid up to the computer and intently watched the video again — he seemed to be enamored by Anna.

The lyrics to “Sensi” in Italian and English are available at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/sensi-feelings.html. I did not find an English translation for “Squalo”.

Snow on Sandias

December 15, 2014 Timothy Price50 Comments

We got a little over 1/4 inch of rain last night, while the Sandias got snow. I went out into the freezing wind around 11:30 AM to get photos of the snow covered, cloud capped Sandias from different locations in Corrales. However, the last panorama was taken at sunset from Rio Rancho.

Civil Disobedience

December 14, 2014 Timothy Price26 Comments

“Sign, sign, everywhere a sign… Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?”

Sunrise / Sunset on Sandias

December 13, 2014 Timothy Price46 Comments

We had a thin cloud cover most of the day Friday that produced muted light that colored everything with a grayish tint. The cranes had already flown off by the time I got to the riverbank at sunrise, but they flew back to the river at sunset.

Abierto

December 12, 2014 Timothy Price27 Comments

Neon store window in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill on Central Avenue (old Route 66).

Sunset Shadow

ImageDecember 11, 2014 Timothy Price20 Comments

Route 66 Malt Shop

December 10, 2014 Timothy Price31 Comments

Modern, classic malt shop in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill.

Sunset Lace

December 9, 2014 Timothy Price54 Comments

Winter sunset.

You Botherin’ Me Boy!

December 8, 2014 Timothy Price19 Comments

I had to stop by the bank on Saturday morning — the parking lot was empty. When I stepped out to the car, a crow was standing in the parking space next to me. I took on photo of him, and then got closer for a second shot. He just stood there, kind of like Foghorn Leghorn, cocked his head sideways and gave me a “Go, I say go away boy, you bother me” look.

Pure Route 66 Since 1936

December 7, 2014December 7, 2014 Timothy Price12 Comments

If you are in Albuquerque during the holidays, and go to the River of Lights at the ABQ BioPark, you will drive by the El Vado Motel at 2500 Central Ave (Old Route 66). A brief history provided by the Nation Park Service states that it was built by Daniel Murphy in 1937, but a sign on one of the buildings reads “Since 1936”. It was considered “Swanky” with its two rows of single-story rooms, and carports stuck in-between some of the rooms.

Originally named “El Vado Auto Court Motel”, it was built on Central Ave close to where the old Route 66 bridge crossed the Rio Grande, which was the site of a “ford” (crossing) before the bridge was built, thus the name El Vado — “The Ford”. The El Vado was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993, and while it probably is “the purest Route 66 Motel surviving”, it hasn’t been “Open 24 Hours” for many years. Since it’s a national historic place, it can’t simply be demolished, so its buildings sit abandoned and boarded up.

But not all is lost, the City of Albuquerque put out a request for proposal for development and architectural services for The El Vado Redevelopment in July, and unveiled the plan October 1st. A controversy has arisen over the company chosen to redevelop the El Vado, but whoever ends up doing the job, the planned $16 million redevelopment is expected to be completed by 2016 — the year the El Vado turns 80.