If you're like me, you like getting away. Far, far away. But unfortunately, if you're like me, your trusty steed is a fuel-efficient sedan that was never meant to go off-road. Not that I'm complaining . . . 99 percent of the time, I love my reliable little ride. But it can't go far into the backcountry. So for those of you also saddled with low-clearance rides, I wanted to share a little bit of backcountry that is sedan-accessible and is an easy… Continue

Slum dogs, gatos gordos, y hood rats were all present at the 2009 Muertos y Marigolds parade. After several years of hearing about this Dia de Los Muertos parade, we decided we were really missing out. First, we had to don the calavera makeup and proper attire.

Then we headed down to the South Valley around 3:15 or so, and lucked out, finding parking only a few blocks away from the… Continue

Aaaaahhh...the first day of Autumn. The State Fair is in full swing, leaves are juuuust starting to turn, and there's a crisp bite to the evening air.



But it also means that the chocolate flower days are numbered, and they are sending forth their final, fragrant bursts of blooms. When I first heard of chocolate flower (Berlandiera lyrata), I… Continue

Maybe I'm a cheapskate, maybe it's the "recycling" vibe, but I love Albuquerque's second-hand stores. Sure, sometimes you have to root around to find the treasures, but I've never been disappointed here. Beyond the average t-shirts and jeans, I've found a belt buckle inlaid with real turquoise (which I thought at the time was glass or plastic), Ann Taylor and Talbot clothing with the tags still on, never-worn Dansko shoes, and hot pink cowgirl boots… Continue

I get way too excited by hot air balloons, but they're one of the reasons I love living in Albuquerque. We usually have a dormant spell during the summer where we don't see them (at least not over on the west side), but they're back!

The balloons are a bit early this year, perhaps thanks to the mild temps we've been having. And in this neck of the woods, they're among the many signs… Continue

Farmer's market season brings out the locavore in me. I have good intentions during the rest of the year, but it gets hard to live on chard, squash, and garlic. Especially after the smorgasbord available right now at the farmer's markets. Fresh eggs with bell peppers for breakfast, rainbow chard for lunch, and grilled veggies with pesto for dinner. Munch on apples and green beans in between. And pecans by the handful! Heaven...



It… Continue

Normally, laundry day is nothing to blog about. But I was so inspired by Carrie's Eco-Therapy post earlier today that I couldn't possibly see laundry like I usually do--a chore to get through as quickly as possible. So after work, I took my time, hanging items on drying racks inside, and saving the best for last, the laundry lines outside.…



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One of the things I like most about living on the west side is the frequent hot air balloon spotting. This year, with the windy and dreary weather, balloon sightings have been sporadic. Today, however, the ballons returned in force. My daughter and I had camped out in the back yard the night before to give dad a Fathers-Day-Eve respite, and we awoke to the telltale roar of burners just overhead.…

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Listmania strikes again! Albuquerque is listed among America's top 20 strongest metro areas, according to the Brookings Institution. Albuquerque shows up first in the alphabetized listing of the top 20 strongest areas, but coverage on the Huffington Post places ABQ at 15th out of 100. Still, not too shabby.



The study looks at various… Continue

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Education Report Card rates New Mexico education third from the bottom, ahead of only Mississippi and the District of Columbia. Although NM earned an "F" in the categories for academic achievement, minority education, and post-secondary readiness, it does receive good scores for teacher quality, school management flexibility, and for collecting and… Continue

Zoom past the Bosque on I-40 or any of the other bridges during winter and the Rio Grande looks gray and dormant. However, if you take the time to chat with it up close, there's color, life, motion, and sound.



Of course, the color is muted, as is the bird chatter (until you wander far enough from the bridges), but it's there. The year-round Canadian geese nap on sandbars, or drift in the lazy current.…

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