317:365

Today... my daughter, a great friend, and I all went to the Open Space Visitor Center; located on the westside of ABQ off of Coors Blvd. It was incredible. The space was having a special event, entitled: the Return of the Sandhill Crane Celebration Weekend ... and it was all about the return of the Sandhill Cranes to New Mexico as part of their winter migration.

For tomorrow's post... I will showcase some of the featured artists at the art show there...

BUT for today... I just wanted to show some of the gorgeous scenery that is the Open Space area.



...the outlook landing area...


...and a couple of the cranes relaxing in the sunshine...

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

168:365

Yesterday I met a fellow photographer, and we walked in the Bosque. It was a fantastic hour in nature. ... and the area was beautiful. The cottonwood trees were aglow with the afternoon sunlight, and the sky looked as if it was raining cottonwood fluff all about us.

I am having a hard time. I feel as if everything is a mess... and I get caught up in other people's drama far too easily. I need a break. I need to re-focus and re-charge my energy.

Normally, it would not be a huge task to just run off for awhile.... but there are commitments, money is tight, and it's hard to get moving and get around when the melancholy of life is coursing through your body.

In an effort to relieve some of this; the daughter and I went to Flying Star today. For the cost of a couple cups of tea ... we spent a couple hours relaxing, reading magazines... and talking about food/ culture/ art. We were also able to enjoy the air conditioning; as our swamp cooler is on the fritz.... it was nice.

"The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse."... Helen Keller

62:365

...................................................................................(photos by Elaine A. Russell)

I am late in posting today... I have intentions of posting earlier in the day... and somehow it just doesn't happen. I don't know if it's from all those years of working night shift... but I really do more productive work at night. Plus... it's kind of a meditative thing to write my blog post summing up my day... at the very end of my day.

Still in the Lupus flare... annoying. I have been inordinately tired... and not getting much done. But it is simply nothing compared to what is going on with my parents. Tomorrow, they are driving a fair distance to go to a specialty hospital so that my dad can get some surgery done to combat his newly diagnosed bone cancer with mets. I am not sure what all they are going to do... and frankly, neither is he.

And so... feeling a bit low... and frustrated... and sad... I went down to the river late this afternoon towards sunset. I love the water. It always has a very zen/ meditative effect on me. I used to always dream of living near the ocean... but really; any body of water will do. And so, I trekked down to the river's edge. It was awesome. There were Canadian geese, ducks, bunnies... and the more I walked about... the calmer and more clear I felt.

Simply Living Tip for the Day: relax. Life can be sooo stressful sometimes... and if you let it build up inside... whammo. The good news is... there are as many ways to de-stress as there are stressors. You just need to find the ones that work for you. Pick one... and try it every day for a week or two. ... then take note of how it made you feel. If it worked.. great! If not... try another...

Here is a good link with the top 10 ways to de-stress: HERE

44:365

A few weeks ago I went with some friends to Bosque Del Apache.

"Bosque del Apache, which means 'woods of the Apache', was named for the people who often camped in the riverside forest. Today it is known as one of the most spectacular Refuges in North America.
This 57,191 acre refuge straddles the Rio Grande Valley in Socorro County, New Mexico. It ranges in elevation from 4,500 to 6,272 feet above sea level. It receives approximately 7 inches of precipitation each year. Within the refuge borders lie three wilderness areas totaling approximately 30,850 acres and five research natural areas totaling 18,500 acres. "

Having never been before... I was very excited. I was also quite nervous... because we were stopping on the way back to ABQ from a trip... and it was getting dark pretty quickly. Plus... it was not the right time of year to really get shots of the birds. I was afraid that I would not be able to get any shots at all... and so I resigned myself to relaxing and enjoying the experience, and not trying to get a "souvenir" photo.

As it turns out... I was able to get a few... and I hope that you like them.

--------------------------------- *all photos by Elaine A. Russell



See more here:
http://www.stateparks.com/bosque_del_apache.html
http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/newmex/bosque/
http://www.friendsofthebosque.org/

36:365

(photos by Elaine A. Russell)

Normally... I would be posting a review of a local gallery today. But, I woke up after only 2 hours of sleep with a fever and a sore throat.... so all bets are off at the moment. This is not an unusual event (having Lupus)... but I also know that it probably means that I will be "toast" for the rest of the day.. and not to plan on doing anything major. Tonight is the "First Friday" gallery events here in ABQ... so hopefully I will be better by tonight so that I can go.

Ah.. but enough of that.

As you all know... I have been taking photos forever... and have more than the average person's stash of photos lying about. It has been my goal to eventually get them all scanned and saved into digital files so that:

1. I can access them more easily
2. store them more easily
3. not have a closet full of photos

Yesterday I was looking at a bunch of my photos that I have saved on my husband's computer from last year (*before I got my own laptop). The photos for today's blog are 2 shots that I took last February. In fact, almost to the day... a year ago. There is something so reassuring about the river area here in ABQ. I have always been drawn to water... but there is something majikal about the combination of river and the huge cottonwood trees down there that is just amazing.

And so... I will leave you to gaze upon the beauty that is the Bosque....

Living Simply Tip for the Day: Try to keep your collections small. If that is not possible (say you have a collection of several thousand photos---ahem... )... try to keep them organized and in one location. In my case... scanning and saving all my photos to digital files is a long and arduous task... but one that I will definitely reap the benefits of in the future.

Pueblo Montano park

photos by Elaine A. Russell

Fall is coming upon us. It is my favorite time of year. I love the chill in the air, how walks at night become a little more brisk, how the sunsets seem more vibrant, how the moon seems more full, how the leaves make that cool rustling noise when the wind blows... it all speaks to me.

Yesterday the hubby and I took a short walk around the Bosque near Montano bridge, and the open space park there that features wood carvings by Mark Chavez. Mark was a fireman back when the Bosque suffered a horrible fire back in 2003. Most of the cottonwood trees succumbed, and many suffered severe damage. Out of that catastrophe, Mark, who is also a wood carver/ sculptor.... made art from the remnants of tree trunks and fallen trees. It is gorgeous... and a testament to our own lives... how we can build beauty from ashes if we just try.


See this link: http://www.examiner.com/x-1972-Albuquerque-Travel-Examiner~y2009m9d10-Hidden-Albuquerque-Pueblo-Montano-park-and-the-wood-carvings-of-Mark-Chavez