Yann arrived last night, and our garrulous gaggle was there to greet him. My whole bunch plus Kimberly. Must have seemed like he'd stumbled into Mardi Gras unexpectedly. :/ He is so tall! Brian seems like a giant to my 5'4" because he is 6'3". Yann, however, seems to tower over him. And he is a very handsome kid. We are going to have to beat the teenaged girls in Albuquerque off. :)
We took him to dinner, at one of our favorite places, The Frontier Restaurant across the street from the University. I was surprised Yann wanted to try the enchiladas that Kimberly and I are so fond of. We have them with cheese, but he had his with chicken and red chili. He seemed to enjoy them... I think this young man will be very pleasant company this summer!
My all time favorite flower is the sunflower, and they grow wild and thick here in midsummer. For all that New Mexico has a reputation for being a desert, there is an abundance of color, weather, life, and differing climates that truly make this a place of surprises and beauty. I always tell people that this place is unusual because it is not simply another place in the US. Even other bordering Southwestern sates don't have some of the cultural aspects like we do. It's like a whole country of it's own.
A surprising percentage of the state is reservation properties belonging to Native Americans. Hispanic and Native American cultures are very predominant, and flavor the food, the architecture, the language, the holidays, and more. Combine the people and their culture, traditions, and dreams, with the beauty of the land and you have magic. Simply enchanting. :)
This is my first wild sunflower of the year. Popped up right next to the driveway, saying hello to everyone driving by! :)
Rain is scarce here, but the results are always welcome.
Never a storm I don't want to photograph.
1) This is a black and white of the Sandia Mountains as seen from the road coming down from La Luz trail.
2) Here we are in the Sandia Mountains looking out eastward toward Moriarity and Edgewood. The rocky terrain of these mountains is so different from what I experienced in the Ozarks, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and other eastern and southern mountain ranges. The Rocky Mountain range has a personality that begs to be discovered and dares you to delve deeply into her deepest secret places.
3) Santa Fe is a wonderful mix of old and new, traditional and contemporary. Sometimes walking down the sidewalk I feel like I am in some old western movie.
4) Windows and walls say so much about this part of the country. Adobe is prolific here, and comes in colors that you'd have to see to believe. Some of these buildings have walls that are a foot thick, and some even still have dirt floors. It is a walk backwards in time, reminding you that while New Mexico is hip and modern in every sense of the word, it has roots and tradition as solid as the ground we walk on.
5) Life struggles and refuses to be held in check no matter where you look. Even in the rocky terrain of lava fields, yucca, cactus, and sage lay claim to every crack and crevasse, growing abundant and strong.
6) Albuquerque is home to the International Balloon Fiesta, and at almost all times of the year you can catch glimpses of these graceful hot air balloons drifting across clear blue skies.
7) The sunsets are spectacular. Sometimes fire, sometimes ice. Streaks of every color imaginable paint the horizon each evening, never the same twice, creating a canvas that soothes the weary soul.
