We spotted these two roadrunners (Geococcyx, according to Wikipedia) sparring in the library parking lot. There was a third bird nearby just watching. I’m not sure if this was two males fighting over a female, or a male courting a female while another bird watched. Either way, they are very cool when they run. The guys who animated the velociraptors in Jurassic Park must have studied roadrunners.
This terrific public art piece is outside the Metropolitan Forensic Science Center. If you get there at the right time of day the thumb print throws a shadow on the building wall. I feel lame for posting this without getting a better picture, but it’s pretty cool even without that effect.
Sorry … have been away for a while. I return with this photo of a spider mural painted on the back of a residential wall which faces an arroyo. There are several murals in this area, which seem to be tolerated, if not encouraged, by the area residents. Personally I think this is a great way to make those miles of bleak cinder-block walls more interesting.
Albuquerque is bordered on the east by Sandia Mountain, which rises 1 mile above the city. The antenna farm at Sandia Crest relays radio, TV, telecom, and other signals for the city and elsewhere around of the state.
There’s a pet shop on Eubank a little north of Lomas called Fins ‘n Critters. They have a couple of large, um, critters crawling on the outside of the building. This is one of them. If you get a chance to go inside, they have a cool saltwater tank. It’s about 8 feet tall and a lot of fun to watch.
On Carlisle, near the Cost Plus, there’s a sculpture garden. I believe the objects are made by someone associated with the Art Is OK framing shop located here. I’ll learn more about them before I post another picture of their art. They seem to rotate an endless supply of “heavy art” through the garden. Some of my favorites are the kinetic pieces. For now, enjoy this intriguing geometric form.
This 22 foot steel sculpture was created by Albuquerque artist Ali Baudoin. It sits at the entrance to a new housing development on Albuquerque’s west side (Rio Rancho, technically). This is actually just half of the piece — it has a 33-foot counterpart located nearby. I don’t have anything intelligent to say about it. I just really like it.
Albuquerque saw two large snowstorms at the end of 2006. The second set records (such as most snowfall in Albuquerque on a single day, ever). When not shoveling or scraping, there are a lot of cool things to photograph. After one of the snowfalls, this yucca plant looked like a pincushion.
Outside a museum in Old Town there is a set of bronze sculptures which commemorate the Spanish conquistadors and colonial families who came to New Mexico in the 16th century. Accross the street, the National Atomic Museum has a decommissioned Redstone missile on permanent display. There’s a profound juxtaposition of time and technology.
Some people have protested the inclusion of such an overt symbol of war and destruction in the tourist center of the city (they’re referring to the rocket, not the conquistadors, in case you were wondering). I think both are inescapable elements of Albuquerque’s history. They are woven into its DNA and shape the city, and hiding either one won’t make it any less so.
