Land of Enchantment: Monsoons, Hummingbirds and Coyotes in the Arroyo

Summer in the Land of Enchantment is predictably hot. Most (but not all) deserts are. At least it's not always as windy as the Spring. The weather becomes more interesting with the near-daily thunderstorms; often called the monsoon season. The clouds build up during the day over the mountains and let loose in the afternoon. The lightning displays are suitably spectacular, but they do often touch off wildfires. The streets are flooded for a while but it all runs off eventually. The mountains green up after weeks of being brown.

The Black-Chinned Hummingbirds continue to visit the feeder. However, from about the middle of July, they are joined by Rufous Hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus). They are passing through on their migration back to Mexico. In line with their common name, they can be quite red, particularly their backs. They have a spectacular throat patch (gorget) which glows metallic orange or red in the sunlight. They are beautiful but incredibly territorial. The number of squabbles at the feeder soars exponentially! Rufous and Black Chins fight constantly over feeding rights. They can't quite get their little heads around the fact that the feeder has six separate stations. We've never observed more than three of any species feeding at once; they are usually the females, who have more sense.

Very early in the morning, it's still possible to hear the coyotes howling in the arroyo near the house. An arroyo is a depression cut into the ground by water, past or present. This one used to be natural and a little wild. Until recently, it was possible to see the occasional deer, coyote, roadrunner or jackrabbit on the ground; hawks flew above. Now, unfortunately, it is built down to the bottom. Not smart, given it's an old stream bed. The far side now has cheap-but-pricey high-density housing. Add a bridge connecting the sides of the arroyo, plus traffic. Wildlife hardly gets a chance these days. Hearing the coyotes is reassuring. All is still well in the Land of Enchantment.

http://www.newmexico.org/

http://www.newmexico.gov/

Budget recipe of the day:http://notecook.com/bread/navajo-frybread/

This piece can also be viewed at: http://trifter.com/usa-canada/new-mexico/land-of-enchantment-monsoons-hummingbirds-and-coyotes-in-the-arroyo

Spring in the Land of Enchantment: A Flash of Orange

Land of Enchantment 3

(Image: Wikipedia)

As with many places in the world, Springtime in the Land of Enchantment involves changeable weather. There was snow in May and now hot (30 C/85 F) weather in June. Plus the previously-mentioned Spring winds. Add in the odd thunderstorm and a few tornadoes here and there and it gets interesting. It will get hotter, of course, as Spring advances to Summer.

The trees are fresh-looking now but will start getting browner soon. The real rainy season locally comes later in the Summer, with a true monsoon pattern. Then any greenery not previously burnt to a crisp in wildfires will freshen again. The flowers in the garden gave a colourful display due to the previous month's moisture but will now need watering to survive the coming hot weather.

The hummingbirds (Black Chinned/ Archilocus alexandri) usually return by the middle of April. They were delayed somewhat by the cold and snow, but were buzzing in front of the dining room window by the end of the month. They clearly remember that the Mad Scientist's household puts out a feeder every year and duly remind us if we are late. The cats enjoy the presence of the hummers, while the birds ignore the cats completely. All seem happy enough with the arrangement.

We were watching the momentarily vacant feeder while discussing plans with another family member. There was a brilliant flash of orange and black at the feeder, which startled and stunned us both briefly. Then the latent twitcher in Us blurted out 'Bullock's Oriole' (Icterus bullockii)! The sun caught the bird full on the glorious sunset yellow-orange of its breast, set off by the surrounding black markings. They are occasional visitors to the area, but not real residents. Previously We've only seen them as distant bright spots in the trees; never so close up.The poor Oriole was too large for the hummingbird feeder, although they do eat flower nectar when they can. He quickly realised he couldn't get anything out of the feeder and flew off. The bird book (you knew We had one didn't you?) was consulted to verify the sighting. Undeniably, splendidly, goldenly Bullock!

What nice punctuation to a Spring day in the Land of Enchantment.

http://www.newmexico.org/

http://www.newmexico.gov/

Budget recipe of the day: http://notecook.com/soup/new-mexican-green-chile-stew/

Cleveland: The Best Things In Life Really Are Here!

So Forbes Magazine has recently rated Cleveland, Ohio as 'America's Most Miserable City' . But anyone who has lived in Cleveland knows that The Best Things In Life Are Here!

Cleveland, Ohio is certainly not a city for wimps. Yes, it does have very hard winters. It's located on what is often called 'The North Coast' of the US. Situated on Lake Erie, the weather is indeed harsh. Icy winds blow down nearly unobstructed from the Arctic. But people bundle up, the streets are cleared as soon as possible and life goes on.

The summers are what one would expect on the Great Lakes: hot, humid and grey. Plenty of thunderstorms and the occasional tornado watch or alert. Shops do a brisk trade in air conditioners, raincoats and umbrellas. It's good for business.

A valid complaint is the high crime rate. Cleveland has a population running just under 500,000 (down from a 1950 high of about 900,000). What city of that size in the US doesn't have a high crime rate? New Orleans, Louisiana (about 300,000) and Camden, New Jersey (about 80,000) both have higer crime rates at last count. It's not ideal of course. People and the public safety agencies do their best.

There is high unemployment in Cleveland; just under 9 percent. Formerly an industrial powerhouse (steel and manufacturing) it is now part of the American 'Rust Belt'. Those jobs have moved to the Third World. They are gradually being replaced by jobs in the service and high tech sectors, such as manufacture of medical equipment and biomedical research.

The professional sports teams are considered 'lackluster'. Fair enough, really. The Browns, Indians and Cavaliers (football, baseball, basketball) aren't at the top of their respective leagues. But games are well attended; 2009 attendance for Browns football games totalled over 500,000. That's more than the population of Cleveland and higher than for many other NFL teams. Similarly, attendance at Indians baseball games totalled over 1.5 million and attendance at Cavs basketball games (the season isn't over yet) stands at over 500,000, which is *second* in the NBA.

So why would anyone want to live in Cleveland (as people still do)? Simple: a lot of world-class facililties. There is world-class healthcare and research at the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals and many more. Music? The Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Chamber Music Society, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra and numerous clubs and music groups. Art? The Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Institute of Art and plenty of galleries. Not forgetting the other museums and gardens in the University Circle area. And the glorious West Side Market, a foodie's delight!

Cleveland is often referred to as the 'Mistake On The Lake'. After all, how many cities have their river (the Cuyahoga) catch on fire? Really. Happened in 1969. The phrase 'The Best Things In Life Are Here' was coined in 1975 after Cleveland was emerging from one of those 'bad phases'.This of course was offset by 'Cleveland: You've Got To Be Tough', also from the 1970s. They are both still true. That's one of Cleveland's charms to those who know and love it.

As a city, Cleveland has its share of problems. However it's not a bad place in which to be miserable.

http://www.positivelycleveland.com/

http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/

http://www.plaindealer.com/

http://www.westsidemarket.org/

The Land of Enchantment: 2

This being a desert, it doesn't rain much. Otherwise it wouldn't be a desert, would it? Most years about 11 inches/28 centimetres descend upon Our locality. However, that rainfall comes during the monsoon season in the summer. It is a true monsoon pattern, something We've always associated with tropical settings. The anvil-shaped thunderclouds (cumulonimbus anybody?) form over the mountains every afternoon after a day of blazing heat. Eventually they let go with a lot of noise and enough rain to cause flooding. Despite the fact this has been happening every summer for centuries, local government hasn't caught on yet. Storm drainage in town is still inadequate. We are fortunate though. Our street slopes down to a large arroyo which used to be a river bed anyway. All that water just rushes past the front garden (why yes, it does happen to be gravel, thank you for asking) and ends up right where it feels at home. We will only start to worry when the arroyo fills up. The people who live at the *bottom* of the arroyo will worry sooner than that.

It also frequently gets windy in the Land of Enchantment. Wind speeds can range from a gentle breeze right up to hurricane level. Any wind that doesn't blow small dogs or children off their feet is considered a gentle breeze.There are actually two specific windy seasons. The Spring Winds last from March until September. The Autumn Winds go from September through March.

People are often surprised to find that it also snows here in the Land of Enchantment. The Rocky Mountains (and various offshoots) run through the state; no mystery there. Not to mention it is also the home of the Continental Divide. Those of you who aren't smarter than a 5th-grader can look that one up. There are several good ski areas whose snowfall can be measured in metres. It's usually dry enough for decent powder and there's plenty of sun. Unfortunately, a certain number of tourist skiiers from the Nether Regions (the flat parts of the country) end up needing medical attention due to the altitude. People don't seem to associate mountains with heights. Strange, isn't it?

www.skinewmexico.com/

Budget recipes of the day:

http://notecook.com/soup/southwestern-cooking-posole/
http://notecook.com/bread/southwestern-cooking-sopaipillas-fried-bread/