Dog Days of Winter ....

Forty Degrees today and time for a brisk walk, or rather run. Jake and Farley are enjoying their time outdoors! When it was all said and done, we found an angel laying on the ground.

Cabin Fever ....

So it's only been a few days since I was out in the New Mexico forest cutting trees, but this weather has been suffocating! Wind chills fell as low as 20 below zero (Fahrenheit for my international watchers), and the snow drifts in the yard were easily three feet high. Today, the weather was a balmy 20 degrees. This meant that at least the dogs could go outside for at least more than a minute. Also, it meant that I could actually spend a couple minutes photographing outdoors.

As soon as I stepped outside, I saw this huge bird sitting on top of one of the branches; I'm thinking that Farley and Jake looked like a tasty meal after the brief cold spell. This bird was fast. It hovered just over the field at about 40 MPH (paced it later in the day with the car). I think it's called a red-tipped hawk, but I'm not certain (feel free to correct me if you know). Also, as I headed into the office, I noticed this other bird of prey watching the cars go by on the side of the road. Amazingly, it's an immature bald eagle. I found this to be pretty amazing because I haven't seen an eagle this far away from the river (about three miles). It makes sense, though, because a good portion of the river is jammed with ice and there are very few open spots left to fish.

Finally, since it was such a nice day. we all took a quick road trip to the Palisades Park near Savanna. Jake and Farley got to get out and stretch their legs. Farley, a little more than Jake.

The last image you see here, courtesy of Rochelle, is what my week was like after work. Jet lag finally set in, and Farley, my little furnace, made it difficult not to fall asleep.

New Mexico ....

No matter what time of the year it is, it has always felt like the same temperature in the mountains near Las Vegas, New Mexico. This time, however, it did feel a slightly colder; but, it was still bearable, and as always, beautiful.

My brother and I were able to finish prepping a fence line through the mountains (see the not so great photo) that goes east to west through the mountains for approximately a mile. While initially this may seem like an easy feat, keep in mind the terrain drops about 50 feet in some places and shoots straight back up. Each morning began with a purchase of t-posts and approximately an hour's drive through paved, gravel, and finally dirt roads into the mountains; using the description of roads is actually a generous term as the terrain is more aptly a jeep trail. Then, we would work the entire day hammering posts into the ground manually with a post pounding hammer. While this process may not seem hazardous at first, you can feel the goose egg on my head which proves otherwise.

When the sun slipped under the peaks, we would begin our way back into town, grab a bite to eat with the family, hit the natural hot springs, and then sometimes have a drink. We would repeat this process each and every day.

The hot springs near the Arm and Hammer International College are not only rejuvenating, but offer a wonderful view during the evening of the old monestarey. This college hosts students from around the world an opportunity for advanced studies here in the United States and was once funded by the queen of England.

Other events that occurred besides the goose egg were a dog attack, a spider bite, and a brief ride to the hospital in the ambulance. So, if you want to find out more, you'll have to ask! I can't wait to go back!

A good day for fishing ....

I drove out past the highschool today and watched the Duke get ready to hunt. It was definitely a sunny, clear day; one of the very few this winter has brought us.

Some more images of Arizona

I finally had an opportunity add some more images from my venture to Arizona. It was an absolutely beautiful environment, from sun to rain, desert to snow, 60 degrees to only 6, it was a contrast in and of itself. By far, though, the Grand Canyon was the most magnificent and awe inspiring natural monument that I experienced on this trip, not to mention my life. As for the seminar portion of the trip, I was able to learn a great deal, too, more about 1983 litigation, county governance, and other civil government practice. It was well worth it.