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Early spring down on the farm in Albuquerque

Snow in spring.
Snow in March: Been there, done that. This is a pic of our old house in Franklin, Massachusetts. Okay, this was in December, but you get the idea. I never took pics of March snow. By then it wasn’t welcome.

 

So, the whole country is watching the east coast for a second time this late winter / early spring day. I know what I’m talking about when I say that two nor’easters in one week is a big, old bitch. See, weather like that is one of the MAJOR reasons Tom and I picked up in 2015 and moved to New Mexico. From Massachusetts. Yeah, we’re both native New Englanders, but we got tired of the winters.

Spring flowers at Heritage Farm.
Cheery daffodils yelled “SPRING” and welcomed me to Heritage Farm yesterday.

Don’t get me wrong, snow’s pretty and fun to play in. I don’t even mind shoveling (now and again; we had a snow blower). BUT that self-same snow is only lovely for a day or so, then it gets all nasty and brownish-gray. Out here in Albuquerque we can drive forty minutes around the Sandia Mountains and visit snow. The dog loves it. Then we get back in our car and head home where this winter it’s been mostly in the 50s and 60s. Hey, that’s not typical, and because we’ve had very little snow in the mountains, we’re back in a drought situation. Which means that there’ll be a BAD fire season. (We won’t be affected by that, but I have friends who most definitely will be.) Don’t even start me on the juniper poison pollen that’s been out since January. It’s something we never even considered when we chose a new home.

Nonetheless, yesterday a few of us from the guild were doing our usual gig demo-ing rug hooking at Albuquerque’s Botanic Garden, part of the BioPark. (We’re there the 1st and 4th Tuesdays each month except June and July when they kick us out for summer kid programs.) There was a good breeze going, and temps were in the low 50s (oddly enough lower than the norm), so it was a slow day in the park. I figure folks are waiting till it hits 70 tomorrow and Friday.

Heritage farm in the early spring/late winter.
A shot of the Heritage Farm farmhouse. The tulips are sucking up the sunshine. It’ll truely be spring when we go back on the 27th.

It was a good time to wander outside and look for spring.

 

AWAG demos at the Rio Grande Heritage Farm, a section of the Botanic Garden. The farm’s a reproduction representing a New Mexican farm circa somewhere between 1925 and 1935. We hang in the farmhouse or out on the porch in rocking chairs when it’s nice. Out back there’s an apple orchard. They’ve got a vineyard too! And then there’s the barn with its requisite farm animals. Fun times, though not with one of the sheep yesterday. 🙁

 

Spring plants at Heritage Farm
The chicks and hens are enjoying the warmth. See the green in her center?

 

 

 

 

I thought I’d share some of the signs of early spring at “our” farm. Enjoy!

 

Early spring plants.
Fresh chives! Now all I need is a baked potato.

 

 

 

 

Sheep in an early spring coat.
One of the churro sheep (I think it’s one of the churros) is having NOTHING to do with me. She (?) posed this way. Cold!

 

Turkey at Heritage Farm in spring.
The turkey was far more accommodating.

 

 

 

Goat at Heritage Farm in spring.
Goats are by far the friendliest of the farm animals.
Goat and sheep pose at Heritage Farm in spring.
Then the goat got his (???) churro buddy to pose. Nice!

 

 

 

 

Lilacs at Heritage Farm in spring.
The leaves were just coming out on the lilac. (I was so happy to find lilacs out here. There’s even one in our yard. Their scent says SPRING’S ARRIVED.)

 

 

The Heritage Farm barn at Albuquerque’s BioPark. Looks like a movie set, no? If you get a chance, come visit. The Botanic Garden’s been rated one of the best in the country.

 

Dog with hooked rug.
Tynan’s back! He very enthusiastically presents (given the presence of the doggie beef jerky treat) this week’s “What’s on the frame.” It’ll be a happy sunflower table runner hooked in upcycled t-shirt that’ll be available at the Albuquerque Recycled Art Fair April 14 and 15. Will we see you there?

 

 

 

Meanwhile back at the Salamy homestead, Tynan’s back with “What’s on the frame.”

What’s on your frame today?

 

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Preparations

It’s Easter week and there are all sorts of preparations to make. Okay, we”ve had time for a little New Mexican exploration too.

Monday, Tom and the dog and I headed over to a part of Petroglyph National Monument

The view from Petroglyph National Monument looking south down the RIo Grande river valley.
The view from Petroglyph National Monument looking south down the Rio Grande river valley.

that we’d never visited. For those not familiar with the park, it “protects one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America, featuring designs and symbols carved onto volcanic rocks by Native Americans and Spanish settlers 400 to 700 years ago. These images are a valuable record of cultural expression and hold profound spiritual significance for contemporary Native Americans and for the descendants of the early Spanish settlers.”

We observed very cool rocks and their lichens. (This is for you Karen Miller of Karen Miller Designs.)
We observed very cool rocks and their lichens. (This is for you Karen Miller of Karen D. Miller Studio.)

The national monument – which stretches about 17 miles along  Albuquerque’s west side, right near our house! – also includes several volcanic cinder cones. We hiked up one of them and were treated to fabulous views of the Rio Grande river valley.

 

 

As I mentioned last week, I was juried into a big farmers’ market here, the Rail Yards Market, which starts in early June. I’ll be vending about every other Sunday morning through September. That means I need to get on the stick and make several small mats. They tend to sell better. While there are a fair number of hookers in these parts, the general population is far more used weaving as the prominent fiber art. Here’s hoping they embrace my slightly less than traditional offerings. All I can do is try.

A new 8"x8" mat almost completed. Just needs to be pressed and finished off. Woo hoo!
A new 8″x8″ mat almost completed. Just needs to be pressed and finished off. Woo hoo!

 

The Colors of the Southwest show is next week! While I finished hooking “Ribbons Over Albuquerque,” it needs to be sleeved. It’s due in by Tuesday or Wednesday. Guess I better get on that too.

And lest we forget, it’s Easter week! When I joined a church out here, I volunteered to be on the Art and Environment committee. Turns out not to be as sexy as it sounds. It means that I help to take down various decorations during holidays and put up liturgically appropriate ones. At Christmas time, I did a lot of ironing for them too. We’ll see what’s in store for me Friday and Saturday. I’m hoping not to break any glass candle holders this time.

 

Some kind of tiny, yellow flowers on top of the cinder cone at Petroglyph. They were well protected from the crazy winds we've been having.
Some kind of tiny, yellow flowers on top of the cinder cone at Petroglyph. They were well protected from the crazy winds we’ve been having.

To those who celebrate, I wish a Joyous Easter.  Enjoy your own preparations. To everyone in the northern hemisphere, I bid you a happy spring. Albuquerque is full of flowering trees and shrubs. And pollen. Don’t forget the antihistamines!

Lilacs before Mothers' Day. Who knew that was possible?
Lilacs before Mothers’ Day. Who knew that was possible?

 

 

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