Sunrise vs. the sheds

I was up early, thought I would catch the sunrise. It was slow coming and bitter cold. I was thinking about my friend J who is losing her view of the mountain from her kitchen window because a neighbor needs more room for stuff and is building a shed that blocks her only view. That's happening around me too - all around us everyone is putting up Tuffsheds. All the backyards are turning into storage units. Me and my husband will try and keep our "almost" acre a little oasis of garden and grass. Is a garage full of stuff you don't even want in your house worth losing a view?

we call her Lee

I have a crush on this dog...we think she is a American bulldog. We think she is around 6 months old. Jackson and Lee (as in Lee Krasner, Jackson Pollacks wife) would make a great pair. But walking two 85 lb dogs down the ditch would probably knock me out. But we visit her often, she does the cutest drumming on the fence when she see's us, in the picture she is between sets.

lo-fi windmill fodder

It was busy on the ditch, a warm Sunday, a day that especially brings out the weekender's. There is lots of jogging and hand-holding going on.
I realize as I'm walking and doing the low-fi high five (that is a waist high palm too those unfamiliar) to those passing. Then a younger (teen I would say) girl walks by with her dog and doesn't salute back...hmmmmm.
I see now that the acknowledgments on the ditch run generationaly and just recently like maybe the last few years I have crossed over too the acknowledgment side of things. I used to keep to myself even a wave was intrusive...but now its more important to say in a hand gesture "lovely morning, aren't we lucky to be able to do this...". I also liked the light on the windmill...

Wingless

A wing placed in the crook of a tree....I have made it a rule never to arrange touch or change anything I come across on my ambles. I would have liked to move this to get better light (can't take the composer out of the artist easily) but so be it.
I think its fascinating how a passerby see's something and innately wants to "place it" tack it up, make an offering, of even the smallest things. I like capturing these mini moments we all have.

Put poop here!

There are three places where some helpful neighbors have made these stations. This is my favorite one, Its very clear. The only thing that is weird (and I will document this latter) is that some people bag their doggy's business and then leave it on the trail. Who do they think is going to come by and pick that up? Even odder some how it does disappear?

Goose bumps

It is an exciting day...I think Jackson has a spring in his step, we want to hurry and watch the inauguration today so its going to be a quick and dirty walk. I love this part of the trail and on this crisp clear day the eves of the tree's seem to anticipate my good mood.

Tree nail lizard

I remember when this tree got its limb amputated after those awful storms, it was about 5 years ago. When the limb was cut someone made this nail art. Its been cool to watch it rust, notice they never finished its front toes!

Don't just walk your dog...drive him!

Okay - so people are not supposed to drive on these paths - actually we are not even supposed to walk here but lets not get technical about it. So when most of us pedestrians especially with dogs and leashes see a car driving and kicking up dust and taking up all the room coming our way, we usually send the stink eye upon them. So today I see a car coming towards us super slowly. Then the driver's side door opens and I see 4 brown legs walking behind the door - I peak around and see a large lab like dog walking behind the door quite happily. I say "Is that your dog"? I get a grumpy wave off from the driver...and I realize he's walking his dog, from his car! I was in shock and didn't get a very good picture but if you look down the road, there's the proof!

Hey - you forgot your socks!

Seems like an odd thing to leave behind, but in case they are yours - west Rio Grand ditch around the Camino compound...

My view from the end of the leash

Most dog walkers know this shot. This is on our ditch going South - We are coming up to the horse and pony farm and Jackson is eager to get going. Its a very cold morning, 26 degree's that's cold for Albuquerque. But Jackson has his sweater and I my hat.

Freezing waters

I love the patterns the ice has been making in the ditches this winter.The strange weather patterns of too warm days followed by extremely cold days has made these strange Zen garden ripples throughout. If only it wasn't a symptom of the climate muddle. But what do I know...it could just be frozen.

Ditch Descanso

“DESCANSO'S show death as an actual event that arrives for a particular person, at a particular place, at a particular time”. The banks of the ditch here are very steep, was it a drowning, a car plowing down in? Morbid curiosity always arises but also brings a opportunity to reflect and ponder...what will mark our own passing?

Spider Garden

We have a pretty good size vegetable garden ourselves, but every year they get this up and running and I get garden envy, they have better light. I see only one older gentleman working it and it usually has a high yield. This is a lot of labor of love...It reminds me we need to start the seedlings.

Neighbors Farm

On the lateral going north there is this farmer with goats and sheep. Its always peculiar how we will stop and the goats ever so curious always come up close - probably other walkers offer goodies of carrots and candy bars...but Jackson does regale them in a doggy howdy-do and bow.

O Coffee Can, What Art Thou?

We moved down here 5 years ago, out our backyard to the first walk on the ditch yielded this lovely view. Why does it hang from that old cottonwood, was it a pulley for sandwiches, a bucket for pulling water from the ditch? It moves in the wind now like a metronome ticking off time.

Lost on the trail

January 6 is the day some call Epiphany
Appropriate for my first entry - "the sudden realization of the essence or meaning of something". I just haven't figured out what that something is.
Today we found someone's cell phone case hung on a branch like an ornament. This is local dog walking etiquette, the hanging of lost items. I have seen gloves, keys, other doohickeys. This is a first its cute, a Gucci knock off with paws. This was on what I will call the lateral ditch.