hawk or raven?

so is this a Hawk?.....
or a Raven?.....
while @ the Sandia Peak today, there was a hawk flying around, but I thought he disappeared. I know sum ravens were flying often, and I think this bird is a raven. but as I look at these photos I'm knot sure which it is. when the birds starting flying directly over me, I just started shootin'. can you tell which bird this is?

sitting pretty

field day @ The Peak

spent the day @ the Sandia Peak....
these are 2 of the birds I captured today....they both were all over the place. the "gray" bird on top here were at my feet looking for food. the humming birds knot only fed at the feeders they were on the main view. while sitting and standing still in the view area, 2 hummingbirds all but landed on me. I had a brown sweatshirt on, so I kept thinking they thought I was a tree or something. if they weren't so quick, I probably could have caught them with my hand, they were that close. I wouldn't have anyways but it was way kewl to be so close to them. they're so beautiful. makes up for knot being able to capture them here at my hovel outside my window. today was a field day of watching nature in action. just what I needed too....

Las Golondrinas Men

aren't they handsome....
dressed in their colonial attire
they couldn't be finer....

well it's way early again in the morn. knot 3am, but up earlier than usual. but I hit the hay early too and fell right to sleep as well. I remember those days like this while working @ the p.o. but ya know, I prefer it that way. early to bed, early to rise. it's just nowadays I'm lucky if I can get to sleep by midnight. I'm usually knot sleeping late the next morn, but I'm knot awake before sunrise as I enjoy. it is soooo peaceful and serene at this hour. so quiet you can hear a mouse squeak or a pin drop. I love startin' a day out like this. maybe I should drink that wine every eve so I'm fast to sleep. beats a sleepin' pill. maybe I'll just contemplate that for sure. but for the moment, I'll enjoy this moment, sittin' with my brew in serenity...

still of the desert

May it be delightful my house;
From my head may ti be delightful;
To my feet may it be delightful;
Where I lie may it be delightful;
All above me may it be delightful;
All around me may it be delightful.
-Navajo chant

....and maybe my pillow be delightful right now for in the midst of the night I'm knot sleeping again. so I've been playing in photoshop again. so much fun when there's knot much to do @ 3 a.m. in the morn...

shadow shot sunday

I liked this shot because you almost can't tell where the fence ends and the shadow begins...

great night

Bless all people; pray for their happiness, joy, and laughter. -from the Vedic Scriptures

it was a great night last night @ the ball park watching our 'Topes win in another close one 8-7.
this time it was just one friend and me. she got free tickets so off we went. I had a beer and feel so much better again this morn. I talked so much I missed us scoring 6 runs in one inning...lol. I will talk more when it's just one on one with people, either that the beer really opened me up. maybe both. we chatted a lot about ongoings at church, but I learned sum things I really needed to know. baseball season is almost over here with the last game this next week. so, my friend and I will have to have coffee or something to stay in touch. neither of us are crazy about the Lobo football games, so we'll have to come up with something else to spend our time together. anyways, I had a great time last night....
....the above photo is from the little church @ Las Golondrinas. they had these plaques lined up on both sides of the wall, all of Jesus in one expression or another. just wanted to include with the prayer for the day. the prayers I've been posting lately have been from a book called Prayers for Healing, 365 Blessings, Poems, & Meditations from Around the World, edited by Maggie Oman. it's a GREAT little book. our minister recently read a poem out of it which I fell in love with. for each calendar day, there is a new poem, prayer or meditation for the day. yesterday's was Dr. Martin Luther King's Jr. speech I HAVE A DREAM which he delivered on 28 Aug 1963. I was going to post it here yesterday, but ran out of time. maybe another entry. anyways, I highly recommend this book especially if you need an affirmative thought for the day. I love this book. think it cost me a whole $10...
....well I'm off for today. a few errands then off on a hike before it gets too hot. have a great weekend!

C.C. #17...blanket of warmth

this is my Color Carnival I will submit for Friday, a night ahead of time. a blanket of music and warmth to serenade me to sleep right now. I had my practitioner session this afternoon and I feel soooo much better since then. it helped me regroup lots. I feel centered and peaceful again but with a door closed for awhile too. It's all Good. now I'm going to lay me down to sum flute music and wrap myself up in a cozy colorful blanket (it's pendleton). I will sleep well tonight and hopefully will have sum wonderful dreams...

past lives

more Las Golondrinas
when I got to this area of Las Golondrinas, I felt like I had truly stepped back into a past life. it was an eerie feeling for a little while there.........this morn I woke to another dream that felt like a past life. the past few years I've been having these dreams, each one different and unique but so REAL they felt like I had lived them. this morn was no exception and it was the WORSE of the dreams thus far. as I woke, I felt the pain and bruises of that dream...again, eerie. I ask myself what are all these dreams tryin' to teach me? I suppose I'll know in time.....but for now I need my serenity. going to see a fellow practitioner for sum counseling today. although I felt better yesterday after seeing my therapist, by the end of the day I was feeling worse. so let's hope my practitioner can help me further.
at the moment a hummingbird feeds outside my window. I placed the feeder out there in lieu of the back yard. it's such a beautiful sight to see when they come. now if i could only figure out how to capture their photo while they feed...something to contemplate..

just give me this...

Just give me this:
A rinsing out, a cleansing free of all my smaller
strivings
So I can be the class act God intended,
True to my purpose,
All my energy aligned behind my deepest intention.

And just this:
A quieting down, a clearing away of internal ruckus,
So I can hear the huge stillness in my heart
And feel
How I pulse with all creation,
part and parcel of Your great singing ocean.

And this, too:
A willingness to notice and forgive the myriad times
I fall short,
Forgetting who I really am,
What I really belong to.

So I can start over,
Fresh and clean
Like sweet sheets billowing in the summer sun,
My heart pierced with gratitude.

-Belleruth Naparstek

church anyone?

welcome wagon

camping out

wish I was camping out....either in Kit Carson's tent above.....
or the teepee...
....it's been a mellow day for the most part. then my practitioner classmates and I met together for the evening. in another month we'll be starting class. knot sure I'm ready for it...anyways, we chatted the whole evening away and watched the new puppy play all over the place and us with much joy and laughter. the tail end of the evening hit a bit of a sour note for me and again I was reminded of something @ work that I'm just knot happy about. right now all I can do is wait patiently for it to resolve itself. it is the main reason I'm ready to go camping. anywhere out in nature for a few days wood be lovely. just me and the mountains (or desert) along with the stars and moon. I could go for that....but for now I'll hit my stack of hay for a good night's rest. I almost forgot I see my therapist in the morn. that should help me lots. look forward to the chat and new ideas for life....

Beep Beep!!

The Roadrunner...
our New Mexico state bird...

if it looks like I was up close and personal...I was....a friend wanted a photo of the roadrunner and finally with sum help I was able to capture sum photos of one. these things will run in a heart beat when you're near them. however I got the luck of the draw. first another friend's mother have them visiting in her yard all the time. her mother actually feeds them but when we went out there this morn, no such luck. apparently there's been a hawk in the area & possibly because it rained a bit, they were a no show. Luck wood have it though, my friend, her mother & brother had dinner the night before and my friend conveyed we were coming. Lo & behold, her brother piped up and said if we didn't have any luck, there was a roadrunner that hung around where he worked....so off we went there this morn. sure enough to my surprise this roadrunner came right up to us. there was a co-worker who's been feeding this female for a few years and comes when called. her yearlings were with her but wood not come thru the fence. but I was so excited to be able to take her photo. she was no more than a foot away initially. unbelievable!!! anyways, this was my joy today. I couldn't wait to get home and share this with you. if Life could only be this sweet every day...

Kit Carson's great grandson

re-enacting his great grandfather Kit Carson....in full attire
nice guy who lives in Colorado..coming down every once in awhile....
I thought he was a cutie patootie....lol

rainy evening..

it's a rainy evening. it came in late this afternoon. i just got home from dinner with a friend. we discussed church affairs a bit which made me feel better. before dinner I sat in the park and read some of The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. that was helping me feel better anyways. it's a good little book and one of the agreements is don't take it personally. it made me reflect a bit on one situation last week @ church and I think I was taking it a bit personally. knot in a bad way, but just in a small way. after talking with a friend, I'm knot taking any of it personally, which is what I wanted to do anyways.....so now, I'm going 2 chill for the night reading sum more. finish the aforementioned book and start another. maybe do a tad around the hovel. right now the rain is soooo refreshing. I hope it rains tomorrow. there's a new horizon coming and I'm anxious to get started...

the skins

bunkbed

although knot able to see directly here, but the wooden overhang is actually a bed. this is where the sheep herders wood sleep with the animals below him, among other things...

gods & goddesses

well this wood be one Lil Goddess that I visited today. baby sat Madison for about 3hrs today. she was well behaved today, probably because we were @ her Grammy's. she has grown much and now has a head full of hair. she's still much of a delight in her pure joy and innocence. after grammy got home, we all 3 headed out for breakfast burritos only for Madison to insist I sit in the back seat with her. so there was Grammy playin' taxi for Madison & me....lol. then much to my surprise Madison puckered up her lips and demanded I give her a kiss. I haven't had a kiss in months, maybe a year, so I was very surprised at this. I guess I was her little buddy this morn. she does get like this on 'occasion'. today must have been one of those days. it was all good and very relaxing for me especially after this week.
....then it was off to the God & Goddesses party which I arrived 10mins late. she must have started promptly for I had no idea what I was getting myself into. first off to find something in the surrounding area of the park that spoke to us. then back to make a scarf in relation to the item. didn't know the scarf wood be for us individually until laterz. anyways, then thru the God/Goddesses doorways and a ritual or two to bring forth the knowingness of who we truly are while also burning away those obstacles to what we want to achieve in life. those obstacles of course are old beliefs or feelings about ourselves that inhibit us in life. we wrote them on paper, then burned them in a fire. then some meditation and reflection shared. then a toast to the Gods and Goddesses that we are and indulging in food. there were loads of people. I heard other parties of such were much smaller than before and more connected. but I enjoyed my afternoon relaxing. a woman came with her guitar playing and singing as we joined in. no they weren't campfire songs, more contemporary rock and roll. the crowd dispersed rather quickly and only a handful of held on til the last minute. it was a different social event for me, but sitting in the park brought peace and serenity within me. I'd do it again....
now more R & R, maybe even a short nap this early evening. it's been a nice day. just what I needed. until another time....

Lil Miss Colonial

so this young woman was one of the actors for Las Golondrinas. she had a fun story to tell and tried to engage you into conversation. i engaged a bit, but knot much. it was fun nevertheless....
...in the meantime, it's been a week-arghhh...thank goodness I'm off tomorrow. will babysit Madison for a few hours in the morn. that should be interesting. but as I tell people, Madison is training me for my grandbaby. at least a little bit...just hope I get a good night's sleep tonight before going over there in the morn. after sitting her, I'm headed to someone's house from church. I know this woman, just knot very well. she's having a God/Goddesses party. no clue on what it's all about, but I'm sure it'll be fun. it'll be good to socialize a bit with other members of the church and get to know them better. I'll let you know how it goes. just to have the day off and be away from church for awhile will be great. it's been the week @ church this week that's got me a bit tiffed. time for another break. but for now I'm breaking into my pjs and hittin' the sack. early rise for a kid with loads of energy...g'night!

holy smokes!.. blacksmith

run of the mill

continuing Las Golondrinas...
...fits in with how i feel at the moment....run of the mill....it's been an interesting week @ work. beginning to feel what is truly the run of the mill there and i'd rather take a hike. maybe i'll contemplate that. there are other headaches i'd rather deal with....
.....in the meantime, i went to another movie last night. saw the latest Harry Potter flick. what was so kewl was i was the only one in the theater for the movie. one guy did step in for about 15mins. and an usher dropped something. but other than that it was just me and the movie. can't get any better at the movies. my only shock was when did they raise the cost of a coke to $5? i haven't been to a regular theater in awhile. whew i wasn't ready for that. i haven't thought for awhile now that movies are worth the costs nowadays, spending about $20 after buying soda and popcorn along with the entrance fee to enjoy a night out. I can get a really great dinner for that @ Red Lobster. plus there just isn't that many movies nowadays that i feel is worth seeing. even the previews i saw last night, there was not one coming out that looked inviting. i'll no longer complain about paying $5 to rent a movie. but will still try to catch them at the dollar theater. back to my books is what i say. plus football season is coming up. free entertainment on the tv if i need it....
well, i got a late start this morn. slept in late for once in a blue moon. much needed after so little sleep this week. i'm finally feeling refreshed. but time to get my day started. have a good one!

synchronized swimming

I'm slippin this photo in between Las Golondrinas for fun.....it is also so I can make a brief comment about a news headline I just read regarding some place in the UK a theme park has made an 'anti B.O.' rule. for God's sake it's HOT and no amount of deodorant will stop the sweat and B.O. I KNOW. we experience it DAILY during the summertime. how ridiculous to have an anti B.O. rule. give me a break!

weaving @ Las Golondrinas

blanket....C.C. #16

Earth teach me stillness
as the grasses are stillled with light.
Earth teach me suffering
as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility
as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth teach me caring
as the mother who secures her young.
Earth teach me courage
as the tree which stands all alone.
Earth teach me limitation
as the ant which crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom
as the eagle which soars in the sky.
Earth teach me resignation
as the leaves die in the fall.
Earth teach me regeneration
as the seed which rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself
as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness
as dry fields weep with rain.

-The Ute of North America

home sweet home

so I went to Las Golondrinas this past Sunday. finally another road trip. this place is an old colonial place preserved with people re-enacting that time period in the 1800s or so. it was a wonderful visit with Kit Carson's great grandson playing the part. it was a wonderful time and I have plenty of photos to share in the future entries. the above photo was inside one of the adobe houses. this is still somewhat a typical scene with sum of the homes here in New Mexico, minus a dirt floor. now it would most likely be a saltillo tile floor, or similar tiling. this photo was one of the few photos I was able to capture without the guarding rope showing. like the warmth this conveys. wish I was sitting there right now while I have my brew this morn. this place also sits on a back road in the quiet of nature. well worth the visit should you come this way. now sum more photos on the way....

she's coming..she's coming..she's coming!!!

I got the official word today..my grandbaby is coming here!!! she and mom will be here in early September. really only about 3 weeks away. Yippee! Hooray! I'm ALL excited! once here i will be definitely a photobug and post photos asap. I'll be counting down the days!!!

gray day!

When sorrow comes, let us accept it simply, as a part
of life. Let the heart be open to pian; let it be stretched
by it. All the evidence we hve says that this is the better
way. An open heart never grows bitter. Or if it does,
it cannot remain so. In the desolate hour, there is an
outcry; a clenching of the hands upon emptiness; a
burning pian of bereavement; a weary ache of loss. But
anguish, like ecstasy, is not forever. There comes a gentleness,
a returning quietness, a restoring stillness. This,
too, is a door to life. Here, also, is a deepeing of meaning-
and it can lead to dedication; a going forward to the
triumph of the soul, the conquering of the wilderness.
And in the process will come a deepening inward
knowledge that in the final reckoning, all is well.
-A. Powell Davies

dances of universal peace

the altar...
the music....
the dancing...
.....Dances of Universal Peace is one event that takes place at our church. it is a group that rents our space but all is welcome and sum members of our church attend. last night I had my camera in tow for our choir. a member of our church who attends this dance asked if I'd take a couple photos. so loving shooting photos as I do, I stepped in. although this dance group has always been here once a month, I have never had a desire to step in and join. but last night steppin' in 4 photos, I was moved by the music, the spirit, the energy, all of it while shooting away. definitely uplifted my spirit and I've learned to appreciate what they're dancing for. it was a welcome change allowing to let go of sum petty issues I've had recently. again I was reminded that "things" are knot important. It is the experience of Life that IS....

dear 2 me

sometimes, as with this entry and last, I will play with old photos in photoshop..for a little while anyways. great 2 be able to crop and get a better photo than original. headed 2 friends this coming monday who gave this to me. hope 2 learn more about it just for fun sum of the graphic design. all for the Art of it...

alone

love knot

another carved tree. when I first noticed this, I thought how kewl. it had been awhile since seeing love carved into a tree. however as I hiked back to my jeep. I saw that practically every Aspen had been carved into. just initials of one individual or those of a couple. that dampened my spirits a bit. graffiti all over the trees. ugh! but so is the nature of mankind and the young...it took away the beauty of nature a bit. now I truly understand those who get upset with graffiti in other places. although I have liked the "art" in graffiti I didn't get the dirt until now. another lesson finally learned, slowly but surely.
....in the meantime, I got a message from my DIL yesterday that her and my grandbaby will possibly (probably) be coming to see me sooner than later. they may be here as soon as the first week of September. what a birthday present that would be. will know further details this weekend. at this moment she should be landing in Arkansas to see her family. I'm excited, but again will wait to see it to believe it. I'll keep you posted....right now it's time to start my brew....

this way

as i hiked yesterday, i came across this sign on the trail. although i saw it, i still missed the trail landing on a different path for awhile. thank goodness i didn't travel far but i'm sure i wood have made it back some how some way.......once back, i looked to the right to this beautiful view. can see almost forever atop the Peak. views to take your breath away. very refreshing!
...this morn, i sit having my brew while contemplating another short road trip. take it today or saturday. i'm headed on another road trip sunday, so i'm leaning for today. it's peaceful and quiet at the moment. i did finally read a message this morn from my daughter-in-law indicating her and my grandbaby may be visiting soon. will call her tonight to confirm. haven't talked with her in awhile. it'll be great to see them if they come this month. she's headed back 2 Arkansas and wasn't able initially to get here. so this is good news this morn. (the news actually arrived yesterday but MySpace wouldn't let me into the message-ugh!) anyways, i'll be anxiously waiting to talk to her tonight. could use sum joyful news right now.....anyways, i better get started if i'm hittin' the road. have a great day!