Dawn Patrol

"Aspens," by Christine Gomez. Aspens are a variety of poplar, a soft-wood, relatively fast-growing, shallow-rooted tree which prefers to grow in altitudes over 6000 feet. They are the first trees to return to fire-damaged forests and flourish until the evergreens--pine, juniper, etc--are reestablished. Their long, supple trunks, and their golden leaves in Autumn make them incredibly photogenic.

Photo: Rochy Mountain Autmn Foliage, Sangre de Cristo Division, by Kent Hansen, Santa Fe.

The (fucking) balloons will be up again today, but Budreaux and I will not be out to challenge them, as he is still limping (though not as badly, today) from a strain in his left hind leg that he incurred YESTERDAY morning trying to impress and then drive off a huge, blue balloon with a blue flame motif which seemed to descend on top of us, as we were returning from our daily stroll along the acequia. He's resting today.

 Today, too, the workers arrive to begin wrapping mi poquita "casita y perrero" in a two-inch layer of foam, after which there will be a new layer of stucco applied, which I should not then have to concern myself about for at LEAST 15 years (aka, the rest of my life). This should provide my dwelling with an additional bunch of R-value insulation, of which it probably has no more than what protection a concrete block provides, which is just about nothing. It's an OLD house, built cheaply in the '50s. There appears to be ZERO insulation in the walls. Along with the foot of new fiberglass I pumped into the "attic," this summer, I'm hoping this makes the place a LITTLE warmer when them chilly winds take to blowing in the hard winter months to come...

 Have a great week!