wind

119:365

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


So... I have finally caught up on all my posts from traveling back to NM. So... If you are interested, check out the previous week's worth of posts of updated pics and such...I have added to the posts...

Today was a wonderful day. With the help of Vicodin (yes, narcotics are my friend)... I am able to move about without too much pain... and it is a "good thing." I have been going thru our DVD collection... and will be selling off about half of it soon on Ebay.. stay tuned for some fabulous auctions folks...


AND I have been watching and listening to the wind today. The wind here is absolutely amazing... and today was a prime example of the wild winds here in New Mexico. Accoring to the weather channel... they were blowing at 36mph with gusting up to 44mph....and the skies were just awesome.
And so... I took this opportunity to spend a few leisurely hours looking up fun info on the web... talking with my daughter... and nibbling on alot of interesting candy that we have around the house.
(we have: donuts, spicy peach rings, English tea biscuits, Mexican chile candy, Lego sweet tarts, Dutch mints, burnt candy peanuts, India sesame cookies, gummy sharks, German blueberry and raspberry treats, French pastel mints, sesame sticks, Swedish fish, sour peach and watermelon gum drops, and honey roasted almonds... )


I also received a brand new copy of this book: Look HERE.... of which I am one of the featured photographers. I was very honored to have been selected as one of only about 50 photographers from around the world to be featured in this publication... AND... I was lucky to have gotten a larger 6 picture spread. I am deeply honored... and personally, I think the book is pretty fabulous.
It is the first book I have ever been featured in... so it is really exciting! .... and I am hoping that it won't be the last...
I was SO excited when my book came...and then...to sit and actually be able to flip through the pages, and see all the amazing shots submitted for this project...well, I don't have words to describe the feeling.
Thank you to all who helped put this amazing piece of work together.... YEAH!
All proceeds from the sale of this book are being donated to "Doctors Without Borders".


------------------------------------>freakin awesome!

67:365

----------------------------------photos by Elaine A. Russell


We did not get an early start... but we got the car checked at Jiffy Lube and were on the road around 1pm.

Today has been an interesting day. My dad had surgery this am... and according to my mom; is having a very rough post-op. The surgery took much longer than anticipated.. and frankly; I am not sure what all they did. I know it was focused on his hip joint... which was so full of cancer, that the bone had essentially deteriorated and was ready to crumble. But that is really all I know at this point.



I did not know that when we set out on our journey today. We ran into interesting weather before we even got out of ABQ. When we hit Tramway Blvd & the base of the Sandias... a huge storm was gathering and the wind was building. By the time we got heading up the mountains... we had snow. Snow and lots of wind. We traveled in and out of this storm for quite awhile.... experiencing snow, hail, rain, massive winds... and about 3 miles of calm in the middle of the eye of the storm before we went thru it all again.




The scenery is just gorgeous though.. and for awhile... it was really nice out. Windy... extremely windy... but nice. Awhile later, we ran into massive dust storms that pushed all kinds of red dirt everywhere. It was like driving in fog.
Kristin drove the rest of the way to the edge of Texas --- when we stopped at San Jon, NM. San Jon is a small town... very small. We stopped at "A Taste of India" cafe/truck stop/mini store.... really, expecting it to not be that great. We had seen signs along the highway for authentic Indian food... and we decided to check it out. We were very pleasantly surprised. While the outside is heavily under construction... and makes the place look a bit "questionable"... the inside has a wonderful little cafe. The owners are first generation Americans who serve awesome authentic Indian food. They were very friendly, very nice... and dang was the food good. According to the last census, about 300 people lived in the San Jon area... but the owner said now it is down to about 7o homes. Apparently, there just isn't a whole lot to do in ole San Jon....



Bellies full and very, very happy... we headed out again. Finally, we made it to Amarillo.... and considering the weather and such; we decided to just stop for the night. An early night; we thought. Take a long bath... watch a movie... we thought....




We got a room at Motel 6; then decided to go get a burger for Sabrina's dinner as a special treat. However, once we got the food... we couldn't find a way to get back to our hotel. Lots of one way streets... overpasses.... etc. We ended up taking a back alley-way that we thought we take us in the direction of our hotel. We ended up on a dirt road behind all the hotels on that strip, which was great... except that it was very muddy. Kristin decided to turn around when things started looking bleak... and we got stuck in the mud. Not just stuck. Really, really stuck. We tried for about an hour ... pushing, yanking... swearing... then we tried 411 to get a tow. After the 4th try of not being able to reach a business that was open... Kristin went to the nearest hotel and asked for help.
Fortunately, we got a tow from a great guy... and a chuckle from the local cops who came to check it out as well, and even a laugh from a passerby on a bicycle. "Angel" (yes, that's his real name)... the tow truck guy....was able to get our car un-stuck... and even drove ahead of us to our hotel so that we would be able to get there in one piece. And now... having had a warm shower... and snacks we got at from the "Taste of India" store.... we are safe... warm.... and in for the night.

I wish I would have thought to have taken a photo of the car stuck in the mud.... but a SmartCar up to it's bellybutton in mud is not a pretty sight....


Link to the Taste of India: http://tasteofindiaamerican.com/