Winter at the beach is quite a different experience than the other 3 seasons when being on the beach and riding your bike are the main activities!  So, I took up shelling and creating projects with the shells.  Since I’m at the beach several times a week at predawn to take sunrise pictures (next blog post), it is the perfect opportunity to gather seaside treasures!  My collection has gotten to be rather extensive…lol Painting and coloring are also delightful pass-times when the temps are below freezing as are curling up on the couch with a book or having movie marathonsRead More

I will be leaving in 8 days to move to Bethany Beach, DE….close to ocean and family and friends.  I’ve been wrapping up my coaching course and taking my exam over the last couple of months so I’m playing catch up on my blog!  Thanks for your patience! So, this post is a compilation of fun while I was in Maryland  this summer…gallery style!  

I had the distinct pleasure of experiencing the Leonardo DaVinci Exhibit while it was visiting the Natural history Museum here in ABQ!!!  I had no idea what I was about to witness when I walked into the building!  I knew about the “big” accomplishments of DaVinci like most people, I suppose, but his level of genius displayed before my eyes was far beyond what I could have imagined!   What an incredible gift he was not only to the art world but to science as well.  I walked around fascinated for hours! I have never added 100 pictures to a blogRead More

The Valley of Fires is a recreational area that provides access to the Carrizozo Malpais, a large lava flow.  The most recent information gathered suggests that the eruption date is 5200 +/- 700 years ago.  The area containing the flow is about 2 miles wide and 20 miles long.  It is maintained by the Bureau of Land Management and a clearly marked and easily navigated walk about 1.5 miles long was created for visitors to get up close to the formations. One of the many interesting views here was the lava structure referred to as “ropey”.  It was formed whenRead More

It is rare that I have an experience that I absolutely cannot describe…well, this was one of them.  I’ve been referred to as a ‘free spirit’ over the years, but this place was beyond even anything I could relate to!  It seems that I need some direction when I visit a very large exhibit venue…at the very least some clue as to where to begin, where to end, and some sense of whether or not I have seen everything!  NOT HERE!  The creative endeavor displayed was tremendous, but it just about made me crazy to be let loose with noRead More

When Tracy and I heard about this amazing event, we knew we had to participate!  Hundreds of families and friends showed up to get their personal over-sized paper lantern and s/mores kit!  People gathered around fire pits and made new friends.  It was fabulous!   Before the sun went down and the inflating of the lanterns began, there were crafts, music and time to write or draw your intention or something you were grateful for on your lantern.  We also got crayons..woohoo!  Just hanging out in great weather with awesome people would have been enough, but the music was great, weRead More

The town of Madrid is nestled in a narrow canyon in the Ortiz Mountains.  It was once a coal mining town, then ghost town in the 1800’s.  It is situated along the Turquoise Trail between Sante Fe and Albuquerque.  This little mountain community is residence for about 300 people. Today, Madrid (emphasis on the first syllable) is a bustling creative community  with over 40 shops, galleries, several restaurants, a spa, a museum.  One can almost always find a group of bikers at the local pub.  These bikers don’t just party…they contribute huge amounts of school supplies for the neighboring schoolRead More

Another fun outing to get some exercise with Christopher.  Most of the gorgeous flowers were found in the hot house.  It is too early in the season for the outside blossoms to have come alive!  But I WILL go back in June for the blasts of color that surround visitors all summer long!  By then, hopefully the Butterfly House and the penguin and otter enclosures will also be ready!