It's my birthday. I am very happy with who I am, even with so many imperfections, warts and all, I feel pretty good.
Embrace peace without regret, Share the joy of a child’s heart, The universe smiles.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Burp! The Day After
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Giving Thanks
Everything has become brown. We've had two snow falls already.
I know it's almost Winter, but I still remember my springtime flowers and vegetable garden.
I finished the last of my sweet tomatoes and still have cold weather plants growing, brussel sprouts and leeks, waiting to be eaten. I froze roasted chiles, green beans, broccoli, and brussel sprouts for consumption this winter.
We look forward to Thanksgiving next week. We will welcome a couple of orphan neighbors and my daughters, Mary and Amanda, bringing friends, Matt and Julio. We will have Chipotle Pecan Soup, Roasted Turkey with dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, acorn squash, and my green beans from the summer. Our guests will bring desserts. Mary will bring a Cherry Berry Pie, Cathy will make an Apple Brown Betty per the request of my husband. We will relax together with a nice pinon and cedar fire and give thanks for our health, our family and friends, our warm and cozy home, and our good life.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Goodbye, Charlotte.
I watched the spider build a large web on my back deck, connecting her silky threads from the roof to the rails on my deck. When I first saw the small webs here and there on my deck, I was annoyed. I have had Black Widows before and I thought the webs looked messy like a Black Widow makes a web. I took my hose and sprayed the webs to clear them whenever I had visitors who would use the deck. I hadn't seen the Orb Weaver until mid-summer. She was light yellow and BIG. She had weaved a large orb web and was now proudly in the middle, undulating in the wind. By late summer, she had captured many insects and had feasted so that she was as large as a nickel. She's wrapped numerous insects for later consumption. She'd laid her eggs in a softly woven egg sac under the eaves of my home. My husband was not impressed. "Kill it!" he said. I told him that he'd better not touch her. She was harmless and quite beautiful. Last Monday, we got a dusting of snow. She curled up into the corner of my deck roof. I took some pictures and thought she won't make it. On Wednesday, the weather turned to the teens and 5 inches of snow fell. Now she looked definitely spent. I took a final picture. I found out she was a Cat-Faced Spider from the web:http://www.spiderwebwatch.org/spiders/Araneus_gemmoides I thought of Charolotte in Charlotte's Web. I hope to see your baby spiderlings in the Spring!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Grains of Sand
We are but grains of sand on this earth -- our lives largely affected by forces beyond our control. There are times when an individual grain may find itself transformed and valued among all other grains of sand. By chance, a small speck becomes trapped within the body of an oyster and, after many years, becomes a beautiful iridescent pearl. We enjoy this pearl and admire its uniqueness and incredible beauty. Other times, a grain of sand is distinguished by its ability to irritate and cause pain as when a single grain becomes lodged within the eye and we curse its presence.
Most of us make up the vast grains of sand on the earth -- our purpose linked with purpose of the other like grains; and our significance apparent in the result of our combined presence. We become glass, useful and beautiful. We become cement, strong and permanent. We become the playground of children, a place of delight and creative imagination.
Free will is an important quality in human beings. It often influences our destiny. Still, only a few of us will have the opportunity to become the pearl. Our lack of such opportunity does not make us worth less. Our worth most often is dependent upon the combined activity of like-mined individuals facing similar conditions. Together we become transformed and valued, like the millions of grains which become the road, the playground or the ceramic vase. Strive to become the pearl. But remember, most of life’s accomplishments will be the result of the joint effort of many. Always value this as your greatest achievement.
Vicki Powers
Most of us make up the vast grains of sand on the earth -- our purpose linked with purpose of the other like grains; and our significance apparent in the result of our combined presence. We become glass, useful and beautiful. We become cement, strong and permanent. We become the playground of children, a place of delight and creative imagination.
Free will is an important quality in human beings. It often influences our destiny. Still, only a few of us will have the opportunity to become the pearl. Our lack of such opportunity does not make us worth less. Our worth most often is dependent upon the combined activity of like-mined individuals facing similar conditions. Together we become transformed and valued, like the millions of grains which become the road, the playground or the ceramic vase. Strive to become the pearl. But remember, most of life’s accomplishments will be the result of the joint effort of many. Always value this as your greatest achievement.
Vicki Powers
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Wildflowers of the Sandia Mountains - South Crest Trail
The Sandia Mountains just east of Albuquerque, New Mexico, receive millions of visitors each year who enjoy hiking, skiing, birdwatching, mountain biking, picnics, photography, and, of course, wildflowers.
I am a Volunteer with the US Forest Service (Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest here in north central New Mexico). Currently I am a Wildflower Interpreter-in-training. This summer, we've been walking the different trails in and around the Sandia Mountains near my home. I've learned to identify flowers of the native plants, shrubs and trees. Here is a Sandia Mountain trail map. I am learning about the Sandia Mountain wildflowers from the best local expert, Pearl Burns.
These flowers were found on the South Crest Trail south of the Crest House (about 10,600 ft. elevation) in July, 2009. Here is a website with information on the complete South Crest Trail (#130).
Scarlet Paintbrush |
Aspen |
Jacob's Ladder Polemonium foliosissimum |
Western Wallflower Erysimum capitatum |
Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on Western Wallflower |
My daughter, Amanda, hiking the 10K Trail |
Wild Iris just below the Crest |
I am a Volunteer with the US Forest Service (Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest here in north central New Mexico). Currently I am a Wildflower Interpreter-in-training. This summer, we've been walking the different trails in and around the Sandia Mountains near my home. I've learned to identify flowers of the native plants, shrubs and trees. Here is a Sandia Mountain trail map. I am learning about the Sandia Mountain wildflowers from the best local expert, Pearl Burns.
Pearl Burns standing beside the sign by the Crest Nature Trail dedicated to her |
These flowers were found on the South Crest Trail south of the Crest House (about 10,600 ft. elevation) in July, 2009. Here is a website with information on the complete South Crest Trail (#130).
King's Crown Sedum integrifolium |
Mountain Parsley Pseudocymopterus montana |
Yarrow Achillea lanuosa (pink variety) |
View from the Crest Trail towards Albuquerque |
Red Columbine Aquilega triternata |
Cliffs alongside the South Crest Trail |
Rocky Mountain Penstemon Penstemon strictus and Fendler's Sandwort Arenaria fendleri |
Alpine Clover Trifolium dasyphyllum |
Rocky Mountain Penstemon Pentstemon strictus
Harebells Campanula rotundifolia
|
Snowberry Symphoricarpos oreophilus |
Golden Pea Thermopsis gracilis |
Meadow Rue Thalictrum fendleri (female flowers) |
Meadow Rue Thalictrum fendleri (male flowers) |
View west from the South Crest Trail |
Twistpod Draba Draba helleriana |
Coralbells Heuchera pulchella |
White Pea Vine Lathyrum leucanthus |
Sierra Blanca Bladderpod |
Dragonhead Dracocephalum parviflorum |
Jacob's Ladder Polemonium foliosissimum |
La Veta Fleabane Erigeron vetensis |
Mountain Caraway Aletes acaulis |
Osha Ligusticum porteri |
Twistedpod Draba Draba aurea |
Red Elderberry Sambrucus racemose |
Mountain Spray Holodiscus dumosa |
Northern Bedstraw Galium boreale |
Townsend Daisy Townsendia exima |
Scarlet Paintbrush Castilleja miniata |
Rocky Mountain Clematis Clematis columbiana |
Star Solomon Seal Maianthemum stellatum |
One of many Cinquefoils. The flowers look the same so you must identify them by their leaves. They are members of the Rose Family. This one is Pretty Cinquefoil:
Yellow Sky Pilot Polemonium brandegei growing in the cliffs facing the west on the Crest Trail |
One of many Cinquefoils. The flowers look the same so you must identify them by their leaves. They are members of the Rose Family. This one is Pretty Cinquefoil:
Wooley Cinquefoil Pontilla hippiana Notice the gray-green leaves with fine hairs covering te leaves. |
Death Camus Zigadenus venenosus (Poisonous. Be careful, looks similar to wild onions) |
Geyer's Wild Onion Allium geyeri (buds) |
Rattlesnake Orchid Goodyera oblongifolia |
Red Elderberry Sambrucus racemosa v. microbotrys |
Lambert's Locoweed Oxytrophis lambertii |
Locoweed flower has double keel, Vetch does not have this keel |
Update:
Larry Littlefield and Pearl Burns publish new wildflower field book: "Wildflowers of the Sandia and Manzano Mountains of Central New Mexico" for sale for $24. Come to a book signing by the authors October 15 at Page One Bookstore in Albuquerque.
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