Coronado Monument

Alpacas

 I went to an arts and crafts event last weekend at Coronado Moument near Bernillo, NM. Someone had 3 alpacas there and they had some of the raw fiber, (wool) and some yarn and products made from the alpaca fiber. Very interesting and the little critters were sure cute.

Wiley Cat

Wiley Cat and Tuffee Dog keeping watch on the garden.

Ankle Brace

 If previous posts I mentioned that I had a tendon in my left ankle that didn't want to support me any more and I would have to wear a brace from now on. It finally came and this is it. Not sure it was really worth all the money I and my insurance company had to pay for it. I had a choice of colors. Plan plastic white or one with stars, or butterflies or spots or lots of other things. Since blue is my favorite color and I knew I would be wearing it every day I chose the blue swiral. In the second photo Twinkle is checking it out after I put it in my shoe.

this is how it looks on my ankle. I just hope it is worth it and the hassle of wearing it. It is hard to get on and off. But my ankle doesn't hurt as much with it on, so guess I'll have to get used to it.

Sunrise & Morning Glories

What Happens to a Tree

We go to the mountains and cut firewood every fall to use in our wood burning stove over the winter. The first photos show the trees as they look while growing.

The next photos show the tree after it dies. So why does it die? No one really knows why one tree dies and the ones next to it don't. Maybe it didn't get enough water. Maybe to much. Maybe it was struck my lightning or burned in a fire. Or just lived out it's life span. This one was a aspen tree. After it died the upper part fell off.

Then someone comes along and cuts up the part laying on the ground. Rules say you can only get the 'dead and down' wood. The part that was still standing we arn't allowed to take. Many birds and other wildlife could use it.

Then the chunks of wood are loaded into a pickup and brought home.

 Here is a photo of the pile of wood after it thrown off the pickup and then we split it with the log splitter, (we are to old for using an ax any more) and afterward it will be stacked in the wood shed so it won't get wet if it should rain or snow. (you can see the woodshed behind the wood pile)

If a piece of wood is very lucky it will not be burned. If it looks like a good piece that can be turned into something pretty on the lathe that is what happens. This piece will be a vase eventually. It was still to green to finish at this point. It will have to dry for a while before being sanded and a finish put on it.

Full Moon

The full moon was beautiful this time. There were usually clouds floating over it and there were some strange shapes. The evening I took these photos I  looked up to see a Halloween Jack-o-lantern over the moon. It quickly changed to a wonderful dragon, and then to a horse. But the photos of the shapes didn't come out. So you'll just have to take my word for seeing them.

Colors of Fall

We don't get many colorful fall leaves here at the house, but with a little gardening know-how we have fall flowers that are lovely. The first 2 photos are the wild purple asters that take no care at all. Next are a few photos of different marigolds.

I had zennias in all kinds of colors this year.

A yellow rose and a blanket flower daisy.

Morning Glories are one of my favorite flowers as they are so easy to grow and vine nicely over things that don't look so good. Once started they re-seed yearly by theirselves with just a bit of water here. Where it rains more you usually don't need to water them. In fact to much water and they don't bloom, just making the nice vine.

 And the wild sunflowers that are so prolific here.