Stormy Weather

The last few weeks have been very wet - at least for Santa Fe standards. Almost everyday we get some rain. But today was different - we got a lot of rain - in fact it rained all day. I actually enjoyed the stormy weather. It cooled down the temperatures and provided much needed water.

Big Beautiful Sky

This evening I noticed that the sky was full of clouds and color. I spent about an hour enjoying the big beautiful sky. I never get tired of the New Mexico sky.

Wild Sunflower

While out walking this evening I encountered this lone sunflower. It was just growing wild and standing tall.

Incredible Sunset

This evening was a spectacular array of golds and oranges. I sat out for an hour just watching the sky shimmer as the sunset put on an incredible show.

Hydrophyllum capitatum

We have these beautiful purple flowers blooming in the yard at this time. I did a search on the internet to try and find the name. By looking at tons of pictures I think I came up with the flower - Ballhead Waterleaf. I could be mistaken, but it sure is a close match.

The Glory of the Morning

I have always been a morning person. I love sitting on the porch early in the morning before things get started and enjoy the freshness of the day. There are lots of benefits of getting up early - one is the Morning Glory. I was able to get this photo while having my morning cup of coffee.

Hibiscus syriacus

We have a few Rose of Sharon bushes in our yard. This particular one just started blooming a few days ago and it is just full of flowers.

Lion on a Gate

While driving in Albuquerque we passed a house with a turquoise gate that had a metal lion cutout on it. I stopped and took some quick pictures - I can't seem to drive by any lion without taking a picture.

Storm Clouds

This afternoon while I was out taking pictures the weather took a drastic turn. At first it was a beautiful and sunny afternoon and then the storm clouds moved it. Only a minute or so after I took this picture the rain started.

Wildflowers at Glorieta Ghost Town

We went on a great hike today to Glorieta Ghost Town. It was a warm day but we enjoyed the hike as it took us through some beautiful meadows full of wild flowers. This is just one of the many flowers we saw today.

Disc Golf @ Roosevelt Park

Today we had to take our friend Regina back to the airport in Albuquerque and pick up our other friend Donna at the airport. We had a four hour wait between planes, so we ended up at Roosevelt Park. It was a beautiful day - we read and watched some guys playing disc golf. It turned out to be a really relaxing afternoon.

Volvo 444

While out running errands this evening I came across this beautiful maroon car. After taking pictures I wondered what kind of car it was. Once I arrived home and downloaded the pictures I noticed that it was a Volvo 444. I thought it was a great looking car.

Blue Skies

Today I spent the day with my friend Regina who is visiting from McAllen, TX. We drove around Santa Fe and did some sight seeing. I couldn't help notice the beautiful blue skies all day. The blue along with the fluffy white clouds was incredible.

Roosevelt Park

Today I had to drvie down to Albuquerque to pick up a friend at the airport. I had a little time before I needed to be at the airport so I went to Roosevelt Park to just hang out and relax. I found this park by accident one day and really enjoyed it - so I spent a little down time in a beautiful little park in Albuquerque.

It's Raining, Again!

We have been having rain pretty consistently for a few weeks now. This evening I was able to get some pictures of the rain in the distance before it arrived at our house. If you look closely, you can see the hint of a rainbow just to the right of center.

Rose-of-Sharon

We have two Rose-of-Sharon bushed in our yard. They have both been blooming for the past two weeks. I'm not sure why it took me so long to photograph them.

Araneus gemmoides

We have had this spider living on our porch most of the summer. I have been trying to get a good picture of it but they never came out well. Tonight, once it got dark - I went out on the porch and took pictures using the flash. I researched the type of spider and I came up with cat-faced spider (aka: barn spider, cat spider, jewel spider). I think it is a beautiful spider.

The Caboose

I was in the downtown area this afternoon and I walked by the Santa Fe Depot. I started taking picutes of all the rail cars there. But my favorite is the caboose. Maybe one day I can have one at my home.

Fiery Sunset

Tonight the sunset was a fiery red and absolutely beautiful. I watched until the last bit of color was gone. It made me think about what actually causes the sunset.

Bleeding Heart Contiunes to Bloom

Our Bleeding Heart plant continues to be a prolific bloomer. It has really done well this year. Here is the latest picture. I just loved how all the flowers were in this gentle arc.

Song at Sunset

This evening was all about the clouds and the sunset. It was wonderful to watch the changing clouds as the sun disappeared over the mountains. I found this poem by Walt Whitman called 'Song at Sunset'. It fits this picture.

White-lined Sphinx Hummingbird Moth

While out taking pictures this evening I noticed something large buzzing around me. At first I thought it was a hummingbird but on closer inspection I noticed it was more moth-like. So I quickly took pictures and then headed for the internet to look for identification. Turns out there are moths that have hummingbird features. This one is a White-lined Sphinx Hummingbird Moth.

Cloudy Sky

This afternoon the beautiful New Mexico Sky was filled with lovely clouds. I couldn't help myself - today I only took pictures of the Cloudy Sky. I hope you enjoy.

Annual, Perennial or Wildflower?

I took this picture this afternoon after work. It is a single plant in our garden and I have not been able to identify the flower. I don't even know if it is an annual, perennial or wildflower!

Simplicity Hedge Rose

Our Hedge Roses didn't really do well this year. They hardly bloomed and the blooms didn't last very long. I got this picture of a wilting flower - I really loved all the curls and edges.

Klondike Cosmos

I have been watching these little orange flowers bloom for the past week or so. I only just realized that they are a form of cosmos. They are called Dwarf Klondike Cosmos. I love the brillant orange color.

Dorothy's View

This morning I took a short and easy hike on the Dorothy Stewart Trail. It was my first hike in over two months. I really enjoyed being out on the trail again but it was a little harder than I expected. I guess after two months of doctor ordered inactivity you lose some of your stamina. Hopefully it won't take long to get back into shape.

Wheat Grass

Our yard is planted to be more natural and we have a lot of different types of ornamental grasses planted. My favorite has to be this Wheat Grass - I just love all the projections and the golden color.

A Leaf-Looking Bug or A Bug-Looking Leaf?

Today, for the first time ever I saw a bug that at first I thought was a leaf. In fact there were two of them just sitting on my porch. After taking a few pictures I hurried to the computer. I wanted to Google them and find out what kind of insect it was. I eventually found out that they are Katydids. It was an interesting bug and I enjoyed seeing and learning something new.

Take Off!

I was watching this bug as it was flying around. I sat and waited for it to land so I could take a picture. When it finally did land it took me too long to focus and I ended up with this photo of an unidentifiable bug as it took off. I never did see it again - but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the photo - even though you can't actually make out what kind of bug it is.

Kingbird - Is it Western?

This beautiful but very loud bird spent most of its day with about five others of its kind outside my window. I finally went outside to see what the fuss was all about. I thought they were incredible birds, but I tend to have difficulty identifying birds. The closest I could come was the Western Kingbird, but the Tropical Kingbird and Cassin's Kingbird are very similar. If anyone knows the right ID I would love to hear about it.