**cough cough**

This is the sun setting this evening....

The sun looks like a red fireball in the sky because of all the smoke in the air.

When there is a forest fire in the area our skies fill with smoke.

The smoke is irritating to the eyes and the throat especially.

There is nothing that can really be done...... even the indoors begin to smell through the air vents and air conditioning.

It seems as if the forest fire is just down the street......

NOPE

It's coming hundreds of miles from here from a forest fire in either Arizona or Colorado.

But it's only May......usually by late June or July we'll have forest fires all around our state.

With the lack of enough rain...... the forests are a virtual tinder box.

**Sigh**

the RING of FIRE is a jewel you CANNOT wear

Tonight is the annular solar eclipse where the moon blocks most of the Sun.

According to NASA, the eclipse will begin at sunrise local time in southern China, then pass over Hong Kong, Taipei and Tokyo. After entering California's view, the moon's shadow will block the sun's light along a course from Reno to the Grand Canyon in Arizona to Albuquerque to Lubbock, Texas. The full "ring of fire" effect is visible in ONLY eight states in the western United States this evening.

The RING OF FIRE is when all of the moon covers most of the Sun....leaving a ring of sunlight blazing around the moons circumference. The moon is near apogee--the farthest point from Earth in its orbit around our planet--so it's too small in the sky to cover the sun's face completely.

We set out to catch this AWESOME celestial event aka the annular solar eclipse.
We were fortunate to witness this AMAZING event at the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum.

The photo above is a view of the eclipse in the display of a video camera with a special eclipse viewing lens filter attachment on the front. 

Can you see the beginning stages of the eclipse???

(I debated whether to include this photo in the blog....)

Can you see the moon is on the way to completing the RING OF FIRE....

(the reflection of the eclipse on a sheet of paper is cast from the binocular lens)

(BTW: you should NEVER fully view a solar eclipse with the naked eye....you must use proper viewing tools like a #14 welding shield or special eclipse viewing glasses)

Tah Dah......THE RING OF FIRE

We witnessed the RING OF FIRE 

---via the reflection

---via #14 welding mask

---via the special eclipse viewing glasses

The RING OF FIRE lasted only 4 minutes...... and it was well worth every second!

But the rest of the eclipse lasted until sundown.

Inside the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum they had LIVE broadcasted coverage of the eclipse on various LCD screens inside and outside the museum.

I clicked this photo by accident on my little old camera with no filter........ 

Let hope I didn't ruin my camera.

(Although I might add.....it is a rather stunning photo)

 This is the viewing balcony where we watched the eclipse.
After sunset we took in the museum and went out to the museum lawn where they had tons of activities like a rock climbing wall, jumpy house for the kids, crafting stations, face painting, food trucks and an outdoor SCI-FI movie.
---------
Persingerfive +plus+ Eclipse
equal = Persingerfun

waiting in Arizona.......

NM West i-forty

Yes, we're traveling to see Nana and Cheii at the ranch.

But before we go there, we must make a detour to Arizona to take care of some B.I.A. business.
(B.I.A. is the Native American government)

  The office hours state they're opened until 12p today.

Yet when we arrived at 10:48a, they were already CLOSED!!

Ohhhh........geez!

We waited around until noon but they must've CLOSED early without notice.
(perhaps another day B.I.A....)

In Arizona, among the sacred and healing rock formations

Waiting worked up our hunger, so we decided to have lunch in Window Rock.

 lunch at Pinky's......

Afterward we left Arizona, back to New Mexico, to the ranch, where our Cheii and Nana awaited our arrival.

A+ looks like this.......

Take a look at New Mexico history, culture and food at Fifi's school.

In the commons they're having the New Mexico culture exhibit today.

Fifi made this design on a paper plate

Informational and display boards made by students of the New Mexico history class filled the exhibit hall.

Fifi crafted these super cute baby moccasins

Singers, dancers, storytellers and drummers performed traditional New Mexican talent for the students, staff and parents.

Princess Fifi did her info board about Native American Food. 

All display boards had to feature historical and geographical information in combination with the featured topic. Fifi included a map, pueblo style home, pottery design, moccasins, rug sample, and FOOD.

Fifi brought in samples of tortillas, fry bread and posolé to share with those interested in sampling a portion.

She did a phenomenal job on her New Mexico info board celebrating Native New Mexican foods and history.

admiring the popcorn

This picture was taken by Princess Fifi while we were running some errands.

Sweetheart said it reminded her of popcorn.

She thinks its a sign that we should go to the cinema.

I though it was a good attempt for movie theater time, although we had to continue on with our errands.

The changing leaves on the cottonwood are splashing the town with some lovely colors.

--over the Rio Grande--

The leaves are enjoyable when they're scattered all about the ground.
Although they have not fallen off the trees yet.
Nevertheless the colors are impressive.

BEMP along the Rio Grande

Cookie's class had a field trip visit to Bosque School today.

A school representative toured and hiked them through the Bosque along the Rio Grande River.

The Bosque school has a fun and informative guide (white shirt to right)

The Bosque school is a private school that integrates science, stewardship and the environment.

Beautiful day for a hike.........

The school works closely with Sandia National environmental scientist and the University of New Mexico collecting data along the Bosque for the BEMP database.

BEMP (Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program)

Cookie is measuring and documenting the water table levels

The Bosque school has been mentoring Cookie's science class on the importance of the environment, the local watershed, ecology and biodiversity of the desert and woodlands in the Bosque along the Rio Grande River.  

Can you find Cookie??

Way atop the cottonwood tree we spotted a porcupine......

Ewww...... a large spider

Aacck SNAKE!!! Oh whew......... it just a stick

Porcupine quill

Cookie's thinking how SHE can help the environment....

"I did all this while you were watching t.v."

Today, Fifi, Sweetheart, Cookie and I are headed to Camp Oro Quay in Sandia Park, NM to pick up Bam.

He is attending a religious retreat at Camp Oro Quay this weekend. Bam is working on achieving his Confirmation sacrament.
Going on a retreat is one of the requirements needed to fulfill his obligations for Confirmation.

The drive to Sandia Park was a beautiful short 40 minute drive past Cedar Crest and Paa-Ko on the Turquoise Trail almost to Golden, East of the Sandia Mountains.

 If only you could smell the fresh pine, cedar and piñon trees.............

The air is fresh and filled with the aroma of the fresh pine and sage. Our eyes and ears were treated to the sights of rabbits hopping along the roadside and birds singing their most heartfelt whistles.

We arrived to Camp Oro Quay a little late for Sunday Mass but we had the chance to enjoy our "cowboy" themed luncheon with Bam and the other families of Confirmation students.

Sweetheart's cowgirl shadow

Long Luncheon Line

For lunch we had tacos, delicious home-made salsa, cowboy beans, spanish rice, a beautiful garden salad, pink lemonade and for dessert; fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies.

Afterwards, the Confirmation students, treated us to some skit performances they put together.

Bam enjoyed his weekend camping retreat with his Confirmation friends.

Plus Bam absolutely loves the outdoors. He was enthusiastic to show me the grounds, the activities and the animals.

---------------------------------------------

As we drove back through Cedar Crest, we decided to stop by Tinker Town Museum.

Tinker Town is this little, off the road, quirky, curio and wood carving museum.

There's always dozens of hummingbirds to greet you on the porch

This place is one of our favorite destinations when we go through the Sandia Peak area.
We always look forward to visiting the place of imaginative, artistic and creative hobby works.

The contents of the museum was built by Ross Ward as part of a traveling exhibit.

The carved dioramas are intricately detailed and push button animated. I recall seeing a sign that said, "We did all this while you were watching t.v.!" 

My children enjoy pushing the button of the various themed showcase dioramas. Also featured in the museum is a vast quantity of collectible items from past traveling circus and vaudeville era items, antiques and dolls from around the world. Featuring a couple of coin operated one man band and a vintage fortune teller machines.

Esmerelda said, "I foresee great thing for you and those around you."

The museum was featured on Antiques Roadshow, Good Morning America and is listed as one of the top ten small museums in American by Fox News, Huffington Post and Trip Advisor. For just a small admission price of $3 adult and $1 children you are treated to an awesome variety of Americana, American talent, and antiques all playfully and creatively displayed.

It took Ross Ward over 40 years to carve, collect, and lovingly construct what is now Tinkertown Museum. His miniature wood-carved figures were first part of a traveling exhibit, driven to county fairs and carnivals in the 1960s and ’70s. Today over 50,000 glass bottles form rambling walls that surround a 22-room museum. Wagon wheels, old fashioned store fronts, and wacky western memorabilia make Tinkertown’s exterior as much as a museum as the wonders within.

Inside, the magic of animation takes over. The inhabitants of a raucous little western town animate to hilarious life. Under the big top, diminutive circus performers challenge tigers and defy gravity while the Fat Lady fans herself and a polar bear teeters and totters.

Throughout, eccentric collections of Americana (wedding cake couples, antique tools, bullet pencils and much, much more) fill Tinkertown’s winding hallways. Otto the one-man-band and Esmerelda, the Fortune Teller, need only a quarter to play a tune or predict your future. Through a doorway and across a ramp waits a big-sized surprise: a 35′ antique wooden sailboat that braved a 10 year voyage around the world.

Ever a work in progress, Tinkertown is ready to inspire your imagination and awaken your creative spirit. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Wishing you a great sunny Sunday with tons of creativity and imagination..............

educational fun

Field trip day to the New Mexico State Fair for Sweetheart's class.

The children, the teacher and eight parent chaperones, walked down to the city bus stop to board public transit to the fairgrounds. It was an educational trip through the fine arts photo gallery, Hispanic art center, and the Native American arts gallery.
There was an wide array of beautiful, award winning art, jewelry, sculptures, pottery and furniture throughout the galleries--we were not permitted to take photos in any of the art buildings.

So then, we headed to the New Mexico agriculture, food, and forestry exhibits.

Splashy local rainbow trout and catfish

Ewww..........baby rattlesnake

Award winning HOT, HOT chile

"Non of your beeswax" said the kids.

Midday, the class took a break for lunch in the courtyard.

Sweetheart decided to take the time to rewrite her observations sheet with more details between bites of yogurt and rice.

 "I just remembered something else I must include on my observation sheet"

After a satisfying lunch we watched the performance of the young chinese acrobats.

The stack of chairs was very wobbly in the light NM breeze

Chinese diabolo aka chinese yo-yo performance

I guess there is more than one way to light a candelabra

The fire twirler is fast with his dagger ablaze

 After the show we headed to the junior livestock barn.

Up close with the chicken

Awwww.... this donkey is named Eeyore 

Goats are cute but really smelly

"Sooie........ pig pig!"

Rams have dignity to not be overwhelm with children

It was a perfectly beautiful day for a field trip to the
New Mexico State Fair.

The ABQ police said, "Come back soon"