Another year, another Christmas Eve on Albuquerque’s Old Town Plaza — a gift that never gets old.
Wishing you and yours a happy and safe holiday season as we round out 2022.
New Mexican Culture
NM State Fair, 2022
I went to the State Fair for the first time since before the pandemic. As always, I loved the bright lights, colors, and motion on the midway.
Thunderheads at Valles Caldera
Cumulus clouds gathering over the old barn at Valles Caldera predict a monsoon-season thunderstorm.
Sandia Hairstreak, 2022 Edition
Despite a rather dry winter and a fairly chilly spring, New Mexico’s state butterfly — the Sandia hairstreak (Callophrys mcfarlandi) — has been quite visible in the Sandia foothills during recent weeks. This one is browsing on some three-leaf sumac flower buds which are just starting to open.
Depredations of the New Mexico Sun
I went through T or C (Truth or Consequences) on my way home from Las Cruces this afternoon. I remembered taking a photo of a rainbow-colored building several years ago and wanted to see if it was still there. It was, but its colors weren’t nearly as vibrant as I remembered them. Most of those formerly bright and bold colors now show cracks, splotches, and other colors peeking through them.
I took the first photo just about six years ago and wasn’t surprised to see the sun damage. I am surprised it’s not more extensive — the New Mexico sun tends to age everything (including people) incredibly quickly.