Bosque in Autumn

bosque in autumn
Bosque in Autumn: Birthdays with Friends

Tim and I share a birthday. For years we have done something on that day. Yesterday was no exception. This year we opted for a quiet day in the bosque and along the banks of the Rio Grande. It was a spectacular, cloudless afternoon. We saw a lot of crows, some geese, and a couple of cranes. Over the next couple of weeks many more cranes will be arriving. Yesterday, above all, colors took center stage.

Bosque
Saturday afternoon in the bosque.
bosque
On the way to the Rio Grande.
dry river bed
The Rio Grande is quite low now, and the shoreline is parched and cracked.
bosque in autumn
Rio Grande, golden cottonwoods, Sandia Mountains
autumn
Tim studying the scene on a cloudless October afternoon.
desert autumn
Laurie along the Rio Grande
bosque cottonwood
Gloriously golden cottonwood branch.
bosque in autumn
Tim photographing a gloriously golden cottonwood branch.
bosque in autumn
“Is it time to eat yet?” Heading back to the house after an afternoon walk in the bosque.

Silver, one of the Price cats, seemed to be watching for his people’s return. As you can see, Tim had cameras with him.

cat
Silver was waiting for his people to return.

To see what happened next, check out Tim’s blog

Rio Grande
Layers of desert beauty.

Finally, thank you for visiting and sharing the beauty of the high desert in October. 🙂

More ‘May in Corrales’ Images

roses

May in Corrales is one of those times in the yearly cycle as significant to me as the smell of green chile roasting in early autumn and Balloon Fiesta in October. Corrales is enjoyable all year around, but May in Corrales as the Dr. Huey roses are in bloom has become a ritual. I posted one set of images a couple of weeks ago. These are more images from the Price home on May 18, 2019.

First, Special Cats

Spunk doesn’t mind being photographed – if the mood strikes him. Therefore, I have more photos of him than the other Price kitties. On this day one of the black cats let me take a photograph too.

cat
Spunk, The Professional Model Cat
cat
Spunk: Playing or Modeling?
cat
One of the Black Cats, Najar, Observing the Goings-On on the Deck

Second, Interesting Plants

Although in May in Corrales the emphasis is on roses, the Price Garden has many other plants. These are a few that attracted my attention.

May in Corrales allium
Allium
May in Corrales honeysuckle
Honeysuckle

Third, Roses

May in Corrales roses
Bud of the Rose, ‘Rio Samba’
May in Corrales roses
Climbing Rose ‘America,’ Cascading Over the Deck
May in Corrales roses
Gorgeous Roses! ‘Cherry Parfait’
This rose in full bloom greeted me when I got to the end of Price Lane and Tim and Laurie’s beautiful gardens.

Regular readers here know how much I enjoy not only Corrales, but also so many things New Mexico has to offer. I hope you are enjoying them, too.

San Ysidro and Dr. Huey

painted lady butterfly

San Ysidro and Dr.Huey: another spectacular day in the Land of Enchantment. This weekend is the Festival of San Ysidro, patron saint of agriculture and farming. San Ysidro is also the patron saint for Corrales, an independent village that sits on the west bank of the Rio Grande. Nearly every year the Festival and the Corrales Rose Society’s Dr. Huey Tour fall on the same weekend. This year was the Sixth Annual CRS Dr. Huey Tour.

The day was spectacular. The sky was crystal clear and the temperature was perfect. Here at my house, most of the roses have finished first bloom, but ‘Mermaid’ is just beginning. In Corrales, Dr. Huey was not only at its peak, but also most of the other roses. While this is not the typical order of things, it made for a beautiful day.

I have a lot of photos to show (and many more for a later time), so I’m not going to “talk” much. As they say, hopefully “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Painted Lady Butterflies
painted lady butterfly
Painted Lady Butterfly
Painted Lady Butterfly
Painted Lady Butterfly
Painted Lady Butterfly
Painted Lady Butterfly
Iris
iris
White Iris
Roses in the Price Garden

Although I have been in the Price Garden many times in many seasons over many years, I have never seen it more beautiful than today.

Price Rose Garden
Price Rose Garden
Price Rose Garden
Price Rose Garden
Price Rose Garden
Price Rose Garden
Price Rose Garden
Price Rose Garden
Price Rose Garden
Price Rose Garden
Price Rose Garden
Price Rose Garden
Price Rose Garden
Price Rose Garden
Price Rose Garden
Price Rose Garden
Dr. Huey
Dr Huey
Dr. Huey in the Price Rose Garden

The giant Dr. Huey growing ‘somewhere’ in Corrales is in great shape in 2019. A lot of underbrush had been cleared out, and we could clearly see at least three Dr. Hueys: the tall one, and at least two shorter ones, one on either side. We were happy to see these so healthy this year. They are ‘survivors’ in a harsh climate, survivors that retain their beauty.

Dr. Huey
Dr. Huey
Dr. Huey
Dr. Huey
Spunk
Spunk
Spunk
Tim and One of the Chile Guitars
guitar
Tim and the Chile Guitar
First Day to Open the Deck

While I have many more pictures to show, like Beaker the parrot taking a birdbath in his water, more Spunk and a few of the other kitties, and such, I wanted to end this evening with the way we finished the day and have so many other times: eating wonderful food with friends, laughing, just enjoying the day and company. Thanks Tim and Laurie for the hospitality on a day spent celebrating San Ysidro’s gifts and Dr. Huey!

Dinner on Deck
Enjoying the Opening of the Deck and the End of Day

Old San Ysidro Church 150th Anniversary

old san ysidro church corrales

Old San Ysidro Church 150th Anniversary

Old San Ysidro Church 150th Anniversary is being celebrated in a variety of ways throughout 2018.

old san ysidro church corrales
2018 marks the 150th Anniversary of the Old San Ysidro Church

Those of you who visit here frequently know that I love to photograph in Corrales. As a result, I take every offered opportunity to photograph the Old Church just because I like it. However, it can present quite a challenge. I consider almost all those photographs to be practice. Several years ago I showed a very colorful one in Laguna Beach, California. One of the activities celebrating the 150th anniversary of the church is a photography show with images only of the church itself. No restrictions exist on interpretation for this show. I decided to enter only one and to do it in black and white.

San Ysidro is the Patron Saint of farmers. His feast day is May 15. This image comes from May 15, 2016. I was in Corrales for the 3rd Annual Corrales Rose Society Dr. Huey Tour. It was pure accident that San Ysidro’s feast day was being celebrated at the new church, just a stone’s throw away. In addition to the usual visual delights, we were treated with wonderful fiesta music. Certainly that added to an already magical day.

Corrales Harvest Festival and Old Church Photography Show

The Old Church Photography Show will be held the last weekend in September, in conjunction with the Corrales Harvest Festival. This is all very Corrales. Just across the Rio Grande from Albuquerque, you are in a different time and place. Parking is very limited. The Village closes the main streets to traffic, but provides free parking at the edges of the village. From there, hayrides transport you to a variety of places. The Pet Parade starting at 9:00 am Sunday is a favorite.

If you are in the area, consider a visit to Corrales and to the Old Church Photography Show the last weekend in September.

Lady Banks, Laurie, and Critters

lady banks rose

Lady Banks, Laurie, and Critters

Lady Banks, Laurie, and critters: what more could a day in May need to be perfect? This old species rose was breathtakingly beautiful in the late afternoon light. Many different roses are doing well this year. But this one was spectacular!

lady banks rose
Soft yellow beauty!
lady banks rose
This rose grows to be quite large!

Laurie adding to the spirit of the day:

lady banks rose
Laurie with Lady Banks Rose

In addition, this little damsel fly seemed to want to be photographed:

damsel fly
Damsel Fly Too Beautiful Not to Try to Photograph

Finally, would a visit to Corrales be complete without The Man, Spunk?

Spunk
“You know it’s time-and-a-half on weekends, or I’m just going to lie here and study you.” Spunk is always adorable!

29th Annual Corrales Fine Arts Show

Corrales fine arts show

29th Annual Corrales Fine Arts Show, During the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

The 29th Annual Corrales Fine Arts Show begins with a reception October 6 at the Old San Ysidro Church. The show will be open daily, October 7-15, 11am-5pm, except closing at 4pm on Sunday October 15th. The show opens after the morning’s Balloon events, and closes in time for you to make it to the evening’s Balloon events.

Corrales fine arts show
Old San Ysidro Church, Corrales

I love showing in this venue. The building itself is historic, and part of old New Mexico. The light in autumn is beautiful. A portion of the proceeds from the show go to maintain the structure. The show consists of paintings, sculpture, photographs, textiles, and other arts. It is as varied as New Mexico itself. The show is juried by artists.

This year I am showing three pieces:

Corrales fine arts show
Fruit of Ancient Myths
Corrales fine arts show
Awakening
Corrales fine arts show
Emerged

The show is free, as is parking. All items are available for purchase.

If you live in the Albuquerque area, or are coming to visit for the Balloon Fiesta, plan to visit the 29th Annual Corrales Fine Arts Show.

Along the Corrales Bosque

bosque

Along the Corrales Bosque

The bosque along the Rio Grande is a beautiful, fascinating place. A bosque is a forest found in a narrow band along the floodplains of rivers and streams in the American Southwest. It is a prime feature running through the Greater Albuquerque metro area.

This past Sunday, when I noticed the Painted Lady swarm here, Tim and Laurie noted they had hundreds on the salvia at their property in Corrales. Of course I jumped at the chance when they invited me to come out the following day, Memorial Day, to photograph the swarming butterflies there. When it was time to leave my place in the NE Heights, I could see stormy weather in the direction of Corrales. But storms often blow through quickly here, and I wanted to go. I had no weather to speak of on the drive to Corrales, but as soon as I turned off Alameda onto Corrales Road, I could see the storm really had blown through there. Tree limbs, leaves, and puddles of water were everywhere!

However, the Painted Ladies were nowhere to be seen. They had sought shelter – somewhere – from the storm.

Over the years, I have learned that plans for photographic excursions often change in detail, but that there is always something interesting and/or beautiful to photograph. When the sky cleared a bit, Laurie went for a run in the bosque, and Tim and I walked down to the river. It was a beautiful afternoon and evening, sans butterflies!

bosque
Bosque Bridge to the Rio Grande
bosque
Reflections in the “Clear Ditch”
bosque
Walking toward the Rio Grande, the Sandia Mountains Come into View
Bosque
Rio Grande, with Sandia Mountains Beginning to Show Alpenglow
bosque
Crescent Moon at Sunset

Standing in Ants in Corrales

ants

Standing in Ants in Corrales

Standing in ants in Corrales is easy to do if you are the least bit distracted by scenery when you are out walking. Last weekend, after checking on the giant Dr Huey rosebush, Tim, Laurie, and I walked down to the Rio Grande, which is their front yard. The river was running quite high then.

Corrales
Laurie and Tim Looking Across the Rio Grande to the Sandias

We hadn’t been in that spot long when Tim and Laurie spotted something:

Corrales
What Do They See?

A short time later, we saw this:

Corrales
A Man in a Kayak!

It was a man in a kayak, and there were two other helpers on the bank. The story behind the encounter will be the subject of another post.

When everyone was safely out of the river, we headed back to Tim and Laurie’s. The sun through the cottonwoods in the bosque was beautiful:

Corrales
Setting Sun on the Bosque

Laurie and I were enjoying the beauty of the bosque, and Tim was ahead. He turned around to see what we were doing. “Lars, you’re standing in ants!!”

ants
Standing in Ants

It was not for long, and no harm was done.

Back on their deck, we were joined by Rosencrantz, one of their very sweet cats. He partially burrowed under my hat and stayed with us as we talked and ate, as always, delicious food.

Corrales
Rosencrantz

Photographic excursions in Corrales are full of surprises and delights. More in future posts…

Giant Dr Huey 2017

giant Dr Huey

Giant Dr Huey 2017

The giant Dr Huey has become probably the most important stop on the Corrales Rose Society Annual Dr Huey Tour. It is huge! We like to document its existence each year, in case it should ever disappear. We kind of laugh at ourselves when we say that, though, because this hybrid wichurana is so hardy it will probably “always” be there.

It has been so warm this year that we planned the tour a week earlier than usual. Some roses were out much earlier than usual after an unusually warm winter. Dr Huey in Corrales and Mermaid in my yard were not fooled: they hit their peak at the regular time. The first scheduled tour was “no dice.” The rescheduled tour at the regular time – third weekend in May – was perfect. For discussions and images from prior years, check out the Dr Huey section on my Southwest Desert Gardening blog.

I have many images from many very different things in Corrales that day, and those will appear in many different posts. After the Dr Huey Tour, we went back to Tim and Laurie’s place. As is usual, the day produced a lot of fun and surprises, most of which were photographed. But, this post shows the giant Dr Huey alive and well and huge in May of 2017.

giant Dr Huey
Tim Price (Over 6 Feet Tall) Under the Giant Dr Huey, for Scale. Note the Trailing Blooms on Either Side of Tim.
giant Dr Huey
Tim Price at the Giant Dr Huey. After you have gazed at his photographic equipment, note the trailing Dr Huey blooms over his right shoulder.
giant Dr Huey
Laurie Sketching Tim and the Giant Dr Huey
giant Dr Huey
Tim Photographing Laurie and Laurie Sketching Tim at the Giant Dr Huey

Water Is Life

water acequia

Water Is Life (“El Agua es Vida”): Acequias in New Mexico

Water is life everywhere in the world. The peoples of New Mexico readily express this truth. “El agua es vida” signs and banners appear in many places, such as floats at the annual Marigold Parade.

New Mexico is in the Desert Southwest. The Rio Grande River blesses the state. Albuquerque, the largest city in the state, grew up around the river. But many different peoples populated small settlements close to the river for hundreds of years.

Communal irrigation canals, acequias, remain important even in the 21st Century.

Recently, on a rather chilly and definitely dismal day, I got to have a wonderful visit with Tim and Laurie In Corrales. Because they live right along the Rio Grande, I have walked the ditch bank with them many times. We have photographed the acequia from which they get water to irrigate their land. I have photographed this many times, and never got images that I really liked. Those other times, the sky was blue, the sun was shining, the leaves were green, and water with reflections was in the acequia. You might think that could make a nice picture. For me, the overcast and dismal sky, dry acequia, and brown leaves made images I liked better.

water acequia
A Bridge Across the Upper Corrales Riverside Drain, a “clearwater ditch.” Sandia Mountains in the Background.
water acequia
Acequia at Corrales
water acequia
Mechanism for Controlling Flow in the Corrales Acequia

Walking along the ditch bank, you often meet other people. A gentleman passed by with this beautiful German Shepherd!

water acequia
Beautiful German Shepherd Walking Her Owner along the Ditch Bank

After a wonderful afternoon out photographing many interesting things in the bosque, we came back to a warm home and fabulous dinner prepared by Laurie and Tim! Great friends, photography, and food – what more could anyone ask?

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