Fargo in New Mexico?????
January 14, 2019
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4 Comments
During a stretch of leaden skies and snow that makes it necessary to dress like the young boy from The Christmas Story, I begin to think we are living in Fargo, North Dakota rather than New Mexico. The weather really is changing, making me yearn for the time when a storm from the west coast of the United States would flow over New Mexico, drop its...
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Happy Birthday, New Mexico!
January 07, 2019
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On January 6, 1912, the territory of New Mexico officially became the 47th state of the United States of America. In celebrating the 107th birthday of the state, which, quite bizarrely, many people still do not know is actually a state, I put together some new and also iconic images of the Land of Enchantment.
In the early 1980s, I worked at the S...
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a new year
December 31, 2018
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10 Comments
Just as we were gifted an extended and lovely autumn, winter has come with intensity, making its presence known in our high mesa country lives following the solstice. As I sit across from the computer screen, typing, another wave of moisture is entering the state. Here are some surprises nature left this week.
The frost Saturday morning was applie...
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ice in the abstract
December 24, 2018
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7 Comments
It is Christmas Eve. After wonderful celebrations with friends this week and weekend, things are moving at a very civilized pace this morning. Nowhere to go except by foot, sun shining through the windows, wash churning in the machine in preparation for a string of snowy, less than sun-filled days.
The stock tank continues to offer amazing ice des...
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solstice clock
December 16, 2018
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The Concise Oxford English Dictionary helped me with today's blog. The definition of solstice is "each of the two times in the year, respectively at midsummer and midwinter, when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon, marked by the longest and shortest days." We, in the northern hemisphere, will experience that shortest day...
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celebrations
December 10, 2018
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Sunday was a gorgeous day on the mesa, and we celebrated Ingrid and Fred's birthdays with comfort food, lively conversation, and a nice walk on the nearly muddy road. The type of day that reminds us how lucky we are to have full bellies and souls, and amply satisfying work. So this morning, I thought I would continue the theme of cool weather and w...
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nature's wallpaper
December 03, 2018
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After living in the high mesa country at 7,800 feet for more than 18 years, a few things have become apparent. One of those is that after a day of snowfall, when the storm front exits to the east, the skies will clear and the cold that is left behind is bone-chilling. The low temperature this morning was -2, and Nature left incredible wallpaper on...
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a hot cup
November 26, 2018
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Having just been through a holiday in the United States where food seemed to be the major subject, it is good to sit with a hot cup of something, and gently ponder the world. And since we were recently loaned a copy of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson, my mind frequently drifts to that subject I chose not to approach in hig...
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hand made
November 19, 2018
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My head is still spinning from the Fall Fiber Fiesta at the Scottish Rite Temple in Santa Fe this weekend, and it has been an interesting challenge not to overload you here with the details - both written and photographic. But a huge and unanticipated take away from the three days was the fact that there are incredibly talented people out there, wo...
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Armistice Day
November 10, 2018
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21 Comments
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 was the day Allied countries and Germany signed an armistice bringing the horrible war known as World War I to an end. Not signed in a palace or other building of grandeur, the armistice was signed inside a railroad car in a French forest. Although the photographs included here were taken by p...
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a few kind words (and images)
November 05, 2018
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As hard as it is to believe, the holiday "season" is approaching in many parts of the world. This was always a time when my sister and I struggled to to find great presents for my father, who was notorious about answering our question "What would you like for Christmas?" with "just a few kind words." To which we would respond, "Oh, come on, Dad. Gi...
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an autumn to remember
October 29, 2018
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7 Comments
While you are driving on New Mexico highways these days, don't be surprised if you see people stopping abruptly, jumping out of their vehicles holding cameras and phones, or arms sticking out of moving cars with iPhones in hand. Something is definitely afoot. Amidst all of the political turmoil and disasters in the world, it is a true joy to see na...
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Morguing
October 22, 2018
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Turning to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, one finds the noun "morgue". The first definition is "a mortuary." That is probably what most people think of when they hear the word. But the informal or second usage is "a newspaper's collection of miscellaneous information for use in future obituaries", and because of my father, this is what come...
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kissed by snow
October 15, 2018
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It is said that the first snow in northern New Mexico usually happens on Halloween. The snow was a bit early this year, as it began gently falling during the night after a very civilized, rainy Sunday. Thank you, Tropical Storm Rosa! Leaves and flowers left in the garden were kissed by the snowy dusting. Although the sky is still solidly overcast a...
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The New World
October 08, 2018
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5 Comments
Today is Indigenous Peoples' Day in the United States of America. Originally named Columbus Day to celebrate the discovery by Christopher Columbus of the greater Americas, the day now celebrates the people he and his men encountered upon their arrival. It is high time that their cultural heritage is recognized. Regardless of one's feelings about Co...
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© Daryl A. Black