Spring? Originally uploaded by heinemanfleck. I’ve got work to do this afternoon, but I’m completely distracted by the show outside. It’s been so dry here that I had to turn on some water in the backyard. That’s drawn the birds like nutso – juncos, sparrows and house finches mostly, but I saw a couple lesser …
Big Toe’s Christmas Visit Originally uploaded by heinemanfleck. Our old friend Big Toe stopped by on a trek through the Southwest, and was on hand today to help us decorate the family Christmas tree. (That’s him hanging one of our rubber chicken ornaments.) It was great to see him. Big Toe used to be Inkstain’s …
cactus fruit Originally uploaded by heinemanfleck. A tray of cactus fruit, which Lissa is processing for later holiday treats. She harvested what must be about 50 pounds (~100 kg) from the prickly pear in the front yard this morning. The picture doesn’t quite do justice to the lovely purple color. She cooks it down and …
We used to call Nora “our little loaf of bread,” because that’s how big she was. Lissa recalled this morning taking her with us to the polls in what must have been November 1988, her very first election. Last night, I was alternately working up a frenzy and sitting in the newspaper office, waiting for …
Free Iris Originally uploaded by heinemanfleck. It took about 10 minutes from the time Lissa put up the “free iris” sign this morning until the first neighbor drove up to grab a bag. The iris bed has gotten a little out of control, and Lissa and I skipped our Saturday morning walk to work on …
Prize-winning Treats Originally uploaded by heinemanfleck. On the drive over to the Lavender Festival Saturday, my sister, Lisa, was explaining how she uses vanilla in baking. It’s like salt, she said – a little helps the other flavors. The Lavender Festival is an annual affair down at Los Poblanos Farms in Albuquerque’s valley – an …
Last week, Lissa heard a sound in our chimney. Faint flapping. A bird had somehow become stuck. For days, she tried figure out how to free it, tortured by its grim fate. She tried using a broom to shoo it down into the living room, banishing Sadie so she wouldn’t eat the poor creature if …
Obstructing traffic? Nora is traffic.
Back in the late ’80s, Lissa and I were camped along the lower Colorado River somewhere near Blythe. It was winter, but it’s always warm there. Out in the middle of the river, on an island, we watched an enormous bird, just sitting. The bird book and binoculars suggested a great blue heron. Our old …
When I was coming of age, I spent six great years in the Pacific Northwest, and I’ve always held a romantic fondness as a result. I’ve not been back in a long time, so Lissa and I are off for 10 days to Seattle and the islands to the north. They’ve got oceans and boats …