Sandia Mountains

Photo of the Sandia mountains from my home when the snow had started to melt, after the big storm of December 30, 2006

Melt Down

Now that the snow is over it is time for it to melt. The sun has been nice and warm past couple of days so there is plenty of melting snow. Have you any idea how much water two feet of snow makes when it melts. And even worse is how much ice it makes when it freezes each night. I watched my mare Nita go skating yesterday and it was a horrifing sight. Being a quarter horse she made a mad dash around the turn out field as she frequently does and then come running up to the gate to make her sliding stop. Only there was a big patch of ice where the horses like to stand and wait for there feed, treats and anything else they might wish for. This time Nita was unable to stop her slid on the preverable dime, as the cowboy saying goes. She slid about ten feet and did some fancy footwork to stay on her feet, hit the gate a glancing blow, which helped her stay up, then looked back as if to say "what happened".

Needless to say I have not encourgaed any running or trotting. It is not necessary at this time. And I won't be riding until the snow and ice is gone.

Yesterday I also saw several kids riding their horses on slick icey roads. Don't they or their parents have any brains at all. Those horses could easlly slide down, injuring themselfs or the children riding them.

Tumbleweed

Even after all that snow we found a tumbleweed hanging on the fence. There was a sunset the night of the 30th that was really nice. But anywhere I try to take a photo of a sunset from my property there is always someone elses house. This one is across the street from us. And our street happens to be a dirt road.

Snow Storm

The picture below is one I took on Saturaday, December 30, 2006. It shows my dogs, Codee and Tuffee running and playing in the snow storm that we had that day and the day before. On Friday we had 8 inches of snow. By Saturaday morning when this was taken we had about 2 feet of snow. It took us all day to plow out the drive way, using our ATV with a blade attached. We did not even attempt to leave the property until Monday January 1, 2007. This snow storm was the worse that had hit Albuquerque, New Mexico in about 50 years. It was certainly the worst in my memeory and I have lived here about 30 years. It brought the northern half of the state to almost a complete stand still. Many travelers and truck drivers where stranded here, as the highways going west, north, and east were closed to all traffic from Albuquerque to the Texas border, and the Colorado border and the Arizona border. It was open going south but still snowy and icey in a lot of places while trying to get out of the metro area. The airport was shut down for about 3 days. Sometimes due to fog as much as snow. The airport reported only 11 inches of snow which was a record. but most places over the city had more. Near the Sandia foothills it was nearer to 3 feet of snow.

As of today most things were open again, although most stores where still waiting for their shipments to arrive by truck.

What a way to start of the New Year!