Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Thursday, June 16, 2016
The Smell of Burning / Thursday Evening Walk
There's a fire going on south of the city. It's behind the mountains to the east. It's been burning since yesterday. This morning I thought it was contained per only seeing slight smoky haze in the distance when driving down the freeway. Later in the afternoon I could see the fire was larger than yesterday. Above and to the west the sky was bright blue but you could smell the smoke in the air. In some ways it was pleasant due to reminding me of a burning fire at a campsite. It reminded me of when I went camping as a child up to Sequoia National Forest in California. Though it was a good memory I also worry now due to what this current fire is destroying and hoping no one gets injured (or worse).
Going for my walk this evening I could still smell the burning in the air. I knew taking great pictures of the mountains would not be possible since they were barely visible. I did my best and took other pictures which show a calm sunset.
Going for my walk this evening I could still smell the burning in the air. I knew taking great pictures of the mountains would not be possible since they were barely visible. I did my best and took other pictures which show a calm sunset.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Changing the Regulator
Last year the regulator on my gas grill began to encounter problems. There were times when it would not work. It did not want to feed gas through to the burners. Funny that if left alone for a few days afterwards it would start working again. The problem is I never knew when it would not want to work.
I purchased a regulator from Amazon during that time. It arrived and I attempted to remove the old regulator. It was almost impossible to loosen it up and it was difficult to access that area where it connects to the burner.
Fast forward a year. It's getting warmer and I want to start grilling again. About a week before Memorial Day the regulator stopped working again. The Friday before the holiday it started working. Guests were coming over on Monday and I was hoping it would work. Fortunately it did. A week or so later it stopped working again.
Well, it's time to replace the regulator. I was almost tempted to buy a whole new grill but I didn't feel like throwing away money, especially by already purchasing the new regulator. This time I planned out my mission and went in making sure it was done right.
I purchased a regulator from Amazon during that time. It arrived and I attempted to remove the old regulator. It was almost impossible to loosen it up and it was difficult to access that area where it connects to the burner.
Fast forward a year. It's getting warmer and I want to start grilling again. About a week before Memorial Day the regulator stopped working again. The Friday before the holiday it started working. Guests were coming over on Monday and I was hoping it would work. Fortunately it did. A week or so later it stopped working again.
Well, it's time to replace the regulator. I was almost tempted to buy a whole new grill but I didn't feel like throwing away money, especially by already purchasing the new regulator. This time I planned out my mission and went in making sure it was done right.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Cicada Sunday
Went for a walk during the day. It must have been around 2:00pm when I headed out. This time I took a different path than normal. Being a little more adventurous. I still stuck to paved roads since I was wearing shorts and running shoes. It was a great walk which went for about 1.9 miles from start to finish. At first the heat wrapped around me due to the sun but near the end the clouds brought shade. The breeze was no longer warm but rather refreshing. Walking along the roads I could hear a lot of cicadas buzzing throughout the desert. For some reason I never had a chance to get to one up close unless I count the time when one was grabbing on to my car antenna for dear life as I cruised down the highway. This must have been over five years ago.
I wondered to myself, "Will I get to see at least one today?" I wasn't planning on going out to hunt for them. Not really worth my time today. As I kept going I noticed a black object about the size of my thumb attached to a shrub next to the road. I got closer and could see it was a majestic cicada basking in the sun. I got closer and closer with camera in hand. So far this little critter was being patient with me. I snapped a few pictures. I tried to get closer and that's when it began to crawl down the stem. It must've been thinking, "Shows over, buddy! Ya got too close!"
I was happy and continued my walk. A few more were seen along the side of the road on bushes. It must be my lucky day. "Snap, snap, snap", went my camera. Another interesting thing I noticed was how some weeds and plants can have the strength to grow from the asphalt. Gwen and I noticed this the other day when we walked an isolated road which had very little traffic. Today I was on such road and found it very interesting. These small little plants when left alone have the strength to break through man's creation. It isn't overnight and it has taken many... weeks? But they have broken through.
I wondered to myself, "Will I get to see at least one today?" I wasn't planning on going out to hunt for them. Not really worth my time today. As I kept going I noticed a black object about the size of my thumb attached to a shrub next to the road. I got closer and could see it was a majestic cicada basking in the sun. I got closer and closer with camera in hand. So far this little critter was being patient with me. I snapped a few pictures. I tried to get closer and that's when it began to crawl down the stem. It must've been thinking, "Shows over, buddy! Ya got too close!"
I was happy and continued my walk. A few more were seen along the side of the road on bushes. It must be my lucky day. "Snap, snap, snap", went my camera. Another interesting thing I noticed was how some weeds and plants can have the strength to grow from the asphalt. Gwen and I noticed this the other day when we walked an isolated road which had very little traffic. Today I was on such road and found it very interesting. These small little plants when left alone have the strength to break through man's creation. It isn't overnight and it has taken many... weeks? But they have broken through.
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| "No. I'm, I'm simply saying that life, uh... finds a way." - Dr. Ian Malcolm |
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Thursday Evening Walk
I almost did not go for a walk this evening. I know I should be doing this on a daily basis. I do need to get back into shape again. When I got home I sat myself into my office desk chair and began to sink down into it. Watched a couple of videos online and it almost got to the point to where I was going to say, "Oh well, I'll just go for a walk tomorrow. It's too late now." I did say "almost" because right before that moment my inner thoughts smacked my brain and told it, "No! Get off your butt and go out there!" Without hesitating I put on my shorts, grabbed my sneakers and grabbed my camera. I also want to try out the 24mm lens I received earlier this week.
When I got to the front of the garage I looked out to see if it was going to rain since it started to sprinkle as I got home from work. At this point the weather seemed fair. It's cloudy but no visible sign of water falling from the sky.
The goal is to walk close to two miles around our housing development. Since it was getting late I wasn't sure of going off road onto the dirt road. At this time of the day I expect the annoying little bugs to be buzzing around. I picked a new course and began my little adventure. A quarter of the way into the walk I came across a big fuzzy bee collecting pollen from a wild flowery plant. Since the camera had a fixed lens on it I couldn't zoom in so I tried to get as close as possible but at the same time I didn't want to get too close to where the bee would fly away. Unfortunately only one picture came out somewhat decent.
About half way through the walk I come up to a sidewalk with a wall running along next to it. Underneath the top edge there was this strange thing hanging from it. I have a feeling it's form some sort of insect where it's babies hatched from those holes and moved on. I've seen one similar to this the other day but never got a chance to get a closer look.
Moving along I then came across a beetle casually walking along the side of the wall. It seemed confused as it wasn't sure in which direction to go to and pretty much stayed in one spot. This guy was easy to photograph since it moved extremely slow.
Near the end of the walk I saw this plants and flowers on the corner of our development block. I had a feeling this would be a good spot to take some pictures of the flowers with the sun setting in the background. I feel it was an excellent choice. It's true of the saying, "Go with your gut." The one thing I forgot to do was mount a filter on the lens. Oh, well. Next time!
When I got to the front of the garage I looked out to see if it was going to rain since it started to sprinkle as I got home from work. At this point the weather seemed fair. It's cloudy but no visible sign of water falling from the sky.
The goal is to walk close to two miles around our housing development. Since it was getting late I wasn't sure of going off road onto the dirt road. At this time of the day I expect the annoying little bugs to be buzzing around. I picked a new course and began my little adventure. A quarter of the way into the walk I came across a big fuzzy bee collecting pollen from a wild flowery plant. Since the camera had a fixed lens on it I couldn't zoom in so I tried to get as close as possible but at the same time I didn't want to get too close to where the bee would fly away. Unfortunately only one picture came out somewhat decent.
About half way through the walk I come up to a sidewalk with a wall running along next to it. Underneath the top edge there was this strange thing hanging from it. I have a feeling it's form some sort of insect where it's babies hatched from those holes and moved on. I've seen one similar to this the other day but never got a chance to get a closer look.
Moving along I then came across a beetle casually walking along the side of the wall. It seemed confused as it wasn't sure in which direction to go to and pretty much stayed in one spot. This guy was easy to photograph since it moved extremely slow.
Near the end of the walk I saw this plants and flowers on the corner of our development block. I had a feeling this would be a good spot to take some pictures of the flowers with the sun setting in the background. I feel it was an excellent choice. It's true of the saying, "Go with your gut." The one thing I forgot to do was mount a filter on the lens. Oh, well. Next time!
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Another shot from Sunday's Storm
Went through the rest of the pictures from Sunday afternoon/evening's storm. Many of the pictures were identical. A lot were taken at an attempt to capture a flash of lightning. Aside from the lightning picture I think this one turned out well. There was more light since the sun's light wasn't completely gone just yet.
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Sunday Evening Lightning
The sun was beginning to set this first Sunday of June. I was working at my desk when Gwen came in stating the clouds look great outside and if I was interested in going out for a quick walk. Cannot say no to her so we grabbed our cameras and walked out. The clouds were just as beautiful as they were yesterday when we took our mini adventure. Lightning was seen in the distance and we spent the next ten to twenty minutes trying to capture one. I've taken about four to five hundred shots when finally I got the tail end of one striking the Sandia Mountains. The sun already set by this time which is unfortunate since it the image produced a good amount of noise. Still very satisfactory. Very excited to post this picture and will go through the rest and post them later.
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Saturday Evening Post Dinner Mini Adventure
We came back from my parents' house after eating a great chili dinner. They live fairly close so it didn't take too long for us to reach our home. Along the way I noticed how beautiful the clouds looked with the sun beginning to set. I asked Gwen if she wanted to take a quick trip out somewhere to take some pictures. She agreed. We got home, put our leftovers away in the refrigerator (it was just leftover dessert), grabbed our cameras and headed back out. I even kept the car running as we went inside.
We headed east / northeast on Highway 550 and drove. There aren't too many areas to stop unless you want to stop on the side of the road. Gwen wasn't too fond of the idea of stopping on the side of the road due to the danger of fast moving cars. We did find a small truck weigh station which was empty and got out for a few minutes. I took some pictures but after reviewing them when we got home I wish I would've brought my longer lens. The nice rock formations were on the other side of the road and off to the distance.
We continued on the highway and finally arrived to a small road about 35 miles from the start of our original departure location. The sun was moments from disappearing into the horizon. The clouds provided a great sight. With not much light left we got out and started firing those shots from our cameras.
I definitely want to come back to this area and continue trekking further to see what else it contains.
We headed east / northeast on Highway 550 and drove. There aren't too many areas to stop unless you want to stop on the side of the road. Gwen wasn't too fond of the idea of stopping on the side of the road due to the danger of fast moving cars. We did find a small truck weigh station which was empty and got out for a few minutes. I took some pictures but after reviewing them when we got home I wish I would've brought my longer lens. The nice rock formations were on the other side of the road and off to the distance.
We continued on the highway and finally arrived to a small road about 35 miles from the start of our original departure location. The sun was moments from disappearing into the horizon. The clouds provided a great sight. With not much light left we got out and started firing those shots from our cameras.
I definitely want to come back to this area and continue trekking further to see what else it contains.
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| I want to get closer to that! Next time. |
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| Next time we'll go down this road to see where it leads to. |
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| My partner in crime and in life. |
Just finished cooking the Chili con Carne to take over to my parents' place for dinner.
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Two different bodies, same type of lens. Part of Saturday's adventure: Compare both outdoors.
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Friday, June 3, 2016
The G7 body looks tiny with the 55-250mm Canon lens attached to it.
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Thursday, June 2, 2016
Afternoon / Evening Walk
Went out for an evening walk with Gwen after I came home from work. The week is almost over. It felt like it went by so quickly due to Memorial Day being on Monday. We each talked about how our day went and the other listened. The weather was nice. It wasn't too warm especially since the sun was on the horizon ready to set. The calm breeze did help keep the night time bugs from attacking us.
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| Same flower plant from the other day though it's a different flower. They're still alive and beautiful. |
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| I don't think that storm back there will end up reaching us. |
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Morning walk on the last Saturday of May
We went out for walk this morning after coming back from running a couple of errands (though there are still more to do). We got our cameras and went out for a walk behind our housing development to see what else is new plus to get some exercise. Gwen wanted to break in her new hiking boots and I wanted to try out the recently acquired Canon Rebel T5 with the 55-250mm. It's been a week since I've last posted and I want to make this a more frequent thing.
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| We've never walked this far back. From a distance we thought it was just some graffiti but upon reaching it we saw it's decent. |
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| Not from my yard but another house in the neighborhood. Beautiful pots. |
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| Not the.... bee? (This thing was about the size of my thumb) |
Sunday, May 22, 2016
The Bandelier National Monument Adventure
I've been living in New Mexico for just over ten years. Sadly I have not traveled to many parts of the state to explore its beauty. The only places I have visited were Roswell and Santa Fe (along with Los Alamos). I've talked to someone who has been to many parts of the state and he has told me it's something worth doing. If the trip is well planned the primary cost will only be for gas for the car making the travels very economical. He's said to take your own water, food, a cooler, and essential supplies. Oh, and a camera to be able to share what you see.
After going for a morning walk on Saturday Gwen asked if I was interested in going to the Bandelier National Monument. There was no hesitation for me to accept and we got ready. Mostly taking a shower and getting our cameras. I was at about half a tank of gas in my truck so we decided to head to town to fill up and grab some water. She got herself a snack though I tried to refrain myself from doing the same since I'm in the process of losing weight. I did grab a couple of bags of sunflower seeds but would hold on to those and only have them if I really needed them (fortunately I didn't).
We drove west on Highway 550 towards Highway 4 then headed north. We could have taken Freeway 25 but that would have made the trip a little bit boring. I've taken that to Santa Fe a few times and though the scenery is great it isn't easy to just park to the side to take pictures due to the speed of the vehicles plus it's probably illegal (not sure).
The first stop was around the Jemez National Recreation Area. The sharp and flat rock formations are always great to see.
We headed a bit further north to where we parked at a recreational picnic area and walked over to the creek. I have been to this part of the creek but just once. It was about twelve years ago in the winter when I came to visit my parents. Now it's almost summer and it's nice to see the vegetation.
Travelling further north we reached Battleship Rock. Similar type of sharp rocks but with pine trees all around. A lot of this scenery reminds me of when I used to go through the mountains when I used to live in Southern California. Battleship Rock has a handful of guests this day. Many were taking advantage of cooling off in the river.
After a nice hike and walk throughout this area we continued our journey. The next stop is a place I have always wanted to stop and admire. We've past it on a few occasions but never stopped since we were on our way to another destination. This spot is Valle Grande / Valles Caldera Overlook. In the winter it's extremely beautiful and it's the same during the summer. If I could plant my own house right in the middle I would.
At last we've reached the Bandelier National Monument. First time for me and second time for Gwen. She states she's only been here once and it was when she was about ten or so years old. It's an interesting place where the people from before used to live close to and on the actual cliff sides. When we were reached the entrance we saw a sign stating it's $20 per vehicle. I was shocked at first but as we got up to the pay booth itself there was a sheet of paper taped onto it stating it was a free weekend from May 20th to the 21st. Gwen picked the right date and the right date.
To see most or all of this place it will require a lot of walking. The one good piece of advice is to wear either great hiking shoes or running shoes. Something that will not kill your feet since it's over a mile of walking and climbing. The right side is where the ruins are located. There are areas where the steps are steep and only about a foot wide.
Heading to the end the trail then heads back around but through a wooded area next to a creek. It was a lot cooler because of the water and the trees. We saw a great variety of birds and animals. A few lizards here and there. Then the deer themselves. We stood at a single spot on the trail for almost ten minutes just watching them walk around and eating. I guess the distance was about ten or fifteen feet at one point. We just had to be careful not to purposely scare them because the boss of the group may come after us.
At around 6:45 or so we reached the parking lot and headed out of the park. Since it was about to get dark in a bit we decided to go through White Rock and then towards Santa Fe so we could take Freeway 25 back home. I asked Gwen if she wanted to stop by and say hi to her aunt and uncle. She replied sure so I asked her if she wanted to give them a quick call to let them know. She said it's not necessary and to just drive over. It was a tad strange since I usually call whoever I'm visiting ahead of time to see if they're going to be home or if they're not in the middle of doing something. I love her family and glad we stopped by. It always brings a smile to my face seeing them and I'm filled with joy whenever we're in their company. We chatted for about half an hour or so when it was time to head back. We got home safely and it's a trip I'll never forget.
After going for a morning walk on Saturday Gwen asked if I was interested in going to the Bandelier National Monument. There was no hesitation for me to accept and we got ready. Mostly taking a shower and getting our cameras. I was at about half a tank of gas in my truck so we decided to head to town to fill up and grab some water. She got herself a snack though I tried to refrain myself from doing the same since I'm in the process of losing weight. I did grab a couple of bags of sunflower seeds but would hold on to those and only have them if I really needed them (fortunately I didn't).
We drove west on Highway 550 towards Highway 4 then headed north. We could have taken Freeway 25 but that would have made the trip a little bit boring. I've taken that to Santa Fe a few times and though the scenery is great it isn't easy to just park to the side to take pictures due to the speed of the vehicles plus it's probably illegal (not sure).
The first stop was around the Jemez National Recreation Area. The sharp and flat rock formations are always great to see.
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| These lizards barely give you a few seconds to take a couple of pictures before they scurry away. |
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| She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. - Han Solo |
We headed a bit further north to where we parked at a recreational picnic area and walked over to the creek. I have been to this part of the creek but just once. It was about twelve years ago in the winter when I came to visit my parents. Now it's almost summer and it's nice to see the vegetation.
Travelling further north we reached Battleship Rock. Similar type of sharp rocks but with pine trees all around. A lot of this scenery reminds me of when I used to go through the mountains when I used to live in Southern California. Battleship Rock has a handful of guests this day. Many were taking advantage of cooling off in the river.
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| The mysterious Gwen in the background. |
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| Moss growing near the base of the tree. |
After a nice hike and walk throughout this area we continued our journey. The next stop is a place I have always wanted to stop and admire. We've past it on a few occasions but never stopped since we were on our way to another destination. This spot is Valle Grande / Valles Caldera Overlook. In the winter it's extremely beautiful and it's the same during the summer. If I could plant my own house right in the middle I would.
At last we've reached the Bandelier National Monument. First time for me and second time for Gwen. She states she's only been here once and it was when she was about ten or so years old. It's an interesting place where the people from before used to live close to and on the actual cliff sides. When we were reached the entrance we saw a sign stating it's $20 per vehicle. I was shocked at first but as we got up to the pay booth itself there was a sheet of paper taped onto it stating it was a free weekend from May 20th to the 21st. Gwen picked the right date and the right date.
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| The snack shop does not have a full kitchen but not just a chips and drinks either. We were going to get some green chili burgers but they ran out of meat right before we got there. The sandwich was still satisfying. |
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| Eating in the shade was definitely refreshing. We were the only ones eating on the benches in this part so it was quiet and relaxing. |
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| These steps are only about a foot wide and about a foot between each step. |
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| The road in the distance is where we came in. |
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| Included another visitor in the shot for scale. |
To see most or all of this place it will require a lot of walking. The one good piece of advice is to wear either great hiking shoes or running shoes. Something that will not kill your feet since it's over a mile of walking and climbing. The right side is where the ruins are located. There are areas where the steps are steep and only about a foot wide.
Heading to the end the trail then heads back around but through a wooded area next to a creek. It was a lot cooler because of the water and the trees. We saw a great variety of birds and animals. A few lizards here and there. Then the deer themselves. We stood at a single spot on the trail for almost ten minutes just watching them walk around and eating. I guess the distance was about ten or fifteen feet at one point. We just had to be careful not to purposely scare them because the boss of the group may come after us.
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| It was getting dark and I wish I had a tripod since I had to keep the shutter open for a longer period. I could only stay stead for so long. |
At around 6:45 or so we reached the parking lot and headed out of the park. Since it was about to get dark in a bit we decided to go through White Rock and then towards Santa Fe so we could take Freeway 25 back home. I asked Gwen if she wanted to stop by and say hi to her aunt and uncle. She replied sure so I asked her if she wanted to give them a quick call to let them know. She said it's not necessary and to just drive over. It was a tad strange since I usually call whoever I'm visiting ahead of time to see if they're going to be home or if they're not in the middle of doing something. I love her family and glad we stopped by. It always brings a smile to my face seeing them and I'm filled with joy whenever we're in their company. We chatted for about half an hour or so when it was time to head back. We got home safely and it's a trip I'll never forget.
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