My Friend Nancy

Last Sunday, on Mother's Day of all days, my dear friend and playmate Nancy Joseph passed away. On Friday, we had just been emailing each other back and forth trying to decide which digital scrap booking tutorial videos we would buy. I printed out her last three emails she sent me, so that I would never forget the last bit of fun we had together. She collapsed at home and was taken to the local hospital where I joined Ted, her companion of twenty plus years, while we waited for the staff to find her a bed in either Albuquerque or Las Cruces. Ted told me to go home, and he would call me when he knew where they were taking her. She was not conscious, but on life support. Ted called at ten to say she was being taken to Albuquerque. I had several conversations with her daughter Sharon on Saturday and none of the news was good. On Sunday with her three children there, she left us to go on without her wit and engaging smile. All of the genealogy society and many many friends and neighbors along with her family tearfully celebrated her life on Wednesday afternoon. I have included some pictures of Nancy. One was of the local scrap booking club get-together; another of Nancy taking pictures of me at a genealogy meeting we went to at a museum south of Socorro; the other is of her and Ted Christmas Day at my house.

Photography School

Yesterday evening, I traded salad and home-made bread for some photography lessons. A new work camper couple Skip and Marge came over to the house with all of Skip's equipment. I was overwhelmed; however, he is a professional photographer. I was just so pleased that he would take the time to share his wealth of information and help me decide which new camera I should buy. Marge is like me: if it looks good through the viewfinder, push the button. Skip laughed and said that sometimes she takes better pictures than he does. Well, if it weren't for dumb luck (and perhaps an artistic eye), we wouldn't have any (luck or pictures?). When we weren't paying attention, Noah knocked the freshly baked bread off the table and broke the plate. Not to worry. I've been looking for a good excuse to get new dishes; however, we did have to pick up the sharp slivers so the dogs wouldn't try to lick them up. When we thought we had exhausted all camera discussions, and Marge and Skip were getting ready to leave, he noticed an ad for an entirely different type of camera that he thought I would be particularly pleased with, and it's half the price of the SLR. To Skip's chagrin, Marge liked it also. I guess I'll have to make a trip to Las Cruces to touch it and feel it. I'm still waiting for Paula to get back from her vacation May 1, so I can look at her camera. After that I should pretty well have made up my mind. My friend Deb is in the dog house, because she didn't make it over for the lesson and fun time. She's in the market for a new camera also. There are pictures to prove that we had a good time.

Beautiful Weather

What a change two days make! It's in the low 70's with a very slight breeze. We fed all of the plants and bushes today and tried to go for a walk. I know the neighbor that I ran into almost wet his pants watching me get tangled up in the two leashes. This afternoon I tried to renew my state park pass, but was told that it was good until the end of month. So we promptly displayed it and went to the park down by the river. I didn't have any leashes with me, and I was too afraid that the dogs would jump in the river. That was the first place that Noah headed. I wanted to get some pictures of them, but finally gave up and herded them back to the car. In today's post, I have included a picture of Noah in typical Lhasa pose: his tongue out. Then I took some pictures of my rose garden from inside my office. I missed a good one of Mr. Quail this afternoon. I live in a Kodak moment. I forgot to add that my scrapbooking buddy and I spend one or two afternoons a week turning our brains to mush as we try to figure out Elements 7. The picture shows how smart she is: moving me from one background to another. Don't believe anything you see in pictures these days.

New Addition

Well, yesterday was the day. I finally got Noah, the little black and white Lhasa, that had been turned in to Desert Haven. He and Marshall have been having a lot of fun converting the livingroom into a race track. I went to Doc Cardwell's this morning and got Noah's tag with my phone number on it, and then we went to Walmart to get some new doggie toys. Oh, I also gave Noah a bath this morning. I expected him to be a lot dirtier, but still it was a good idea since he jumped up on the bed and slept with me last night. I gave him Chubs' old bed and he does know how to use it, but Marshall got jealous of Noah using his pillow and he went and sat in it. What a funny sight! It looked like an adult sitting in a baby's bath tub.

I've been struggling with Elements 7 most of the afternoon. Nancy is coming over tomorrow afternoon and we're going to "play" with it.

It's only 57 degrees outside and it's snowing in norther NM. So much for global warming. Well, at least the rain and snow will be good for the lake.

Catching Up

Where has the time gone? Today would have been Gary's 66th birthday. A lot of things have been happening but I've just been too lazy to post all the fun things. It would be too hard to go back and catch up, so I'll just begin with Cousin Bernie's visit beginning February 11. I took him to the Rotary meeting on Thursday and they described the trip over Emery Pass, so he conceded to that and the Gila Cliff Dwellings. A really nice couple from New York shared their ski poles with Bernie when they saw that he was having a problem with the heights. He was really grateful. Isn't it great when perfect strangers are willing to help you out for no reason other than they are nice people. Bernie was really impressed with the scenery. Then Sue and Marty came for the weekend as they had originally intended to do. We showed Bernie around the lake. Then on Monday morning when Marty and Sue left for ABQ, Bernie and I left for White Sands. It was a perfect day for the dunes and I could have stayed there all day taking pictures. We needed to get to Carlsbad in time to find a Chili's so that Bernie could have a margarita with his dinner. He learned to like those when we took him to the Dam Site Restaurant at Elephant Butte. The pictures inside the caverns are not very good because I was experimenting with settings and the lighting was tricky to say the least. He called me the perfect tour guide and I was beginning to doubt my abilities when I thought I was running out of gas about 50 miles east of El Paso out in the middle of nowhere. I guess we were both praying hard, because all of a sudden there appeared a gas station with the most outrageous price. Who cared? He ended up staying a week and we both had a great time: me as tour guide and he as the reluctant tourist.

Home

Before landing in Tucumcari on Friday evening, I discovered that Marshall had eaten his leash. How am I to walk this beast? Not to worry, Mom. I love you. He was a perfect gentleman. After all, he knows who feeds him. On the way to Elephant Butte yesterday I took pictures of the black-eyed Susans taking over the high desert. Not to worry again. When I arrived home, they had taken over Marshall's west 4o of the property. It's good to be home. From emails and correspondence in route, I'll have a busy week. One of the pictures is of "a weed" in the front yard that was quite beautiful. As of tomorrow, it's history. As I was checking out my pictures, I forgot some of the wild flowers I shot along the way on Friday. I guess I need to get a book to identify them. I just can't pass up beautiful flowers. Mom always said that I had to marry a florist or a doctor to take care of my bronchial asthma. My sccond husband Gary the surveyor measured the land and all its flowers. When we were out on a job, he hated it when I would pick up "pretty" rocks for my garden. Needless to say, I thank God for my wonderful life!

This picture is in the woods on Bernie's property. I couldn't resist the beautiful wild ferns.


Yesterday I drove from Jackson, TN to Henryetta, OK. The weather finally cleared after lunch. Most of the rain was only drizzle. No opportunity to take pictures. I have to get the oil changed in the truck. Luckily there's a Pennzoil place up the street. I saw the strangest thing in Russellville, AK. There's a thing that looks like a nuclear power facility that was spewing smoke all over. If it hadn't been drizzling, the effect of the smoke would have been more pronounced. Many years ago on a cross-country trip with Tess Lopez in the RV, we attempted to stay at a state park on the lake adjacent to the facility. The smell in the water was too awful to stay. If this is the way this facility operates, I can't believe the residents don't complain. Darn, I should have taken a picture, but again there was no opportunity to stop. Marshall is just going to have to learn to take pictures. On Wednesday for dinner, I made my green bean, tuna and tomato salad with my sister's home-grown green beans and tomatoes. The green beans were awesome. Thanks, Diane. I'm looking forward to another one tonight.