Scrub oak high in the Sandias. It really blazed for a week or two this fall.
Gone to Seed
Sunflowers, gone to seed, along the Jemez River — with a backdrop of yellow cottonwoods.
Bosque Trail in Fall
The bosque in Albuquerque is still pretty green and yellow, and fragrant with the smells of wet dirt and leaf decay.
Marigold Parade Side-Eye
Today was the first time in 13 years that I didn’t spend the first Sunday in November at the Marigold Parade in the South Valley. I didn’t go because it didn’t happen — the organizers are taking a break this year to regroup and possibly find another direction.
The Marigold Parade has been one of my favorite days of the year for over a decade. It’s always happened very close to my birthday (some years on my birthday itself) and I must say, I felt slightly depressed all day. It seemed like a very special day that fell completely flat this year.
In honor of the many years of joy that parade has brought me (and countless others, no doubt), here’s one of my all-time favorite shots. I took it 5 years ago, on an uncharacteristically cloudy and rainy day. This little girl was standing close to me with her Halloween bag, collecting all the candy parade participants were throwing to the crowds. I took several photos of her when she wasn’t looking — but in this one she saw me. I thought her side-eye was incredibly impressive — and adorable.
Storm Clouds and Aspens
Aspens, ponderosas, and storm clouds in the northern part of the Jemez, near San Pedro Parks Wilderness. It’s been an unusual fall in many ways: the aspens didn’t really turn colors until mid-October (usually they change around the beginning of the month). At the same time, it’s been quite a bit chillier than usual. I took this photo on October 18 — just 9 days ago — and got snowed on about an hour before this moment.