Another Sign of Autum

Cooler mornings. Time to seek out the sunny spot.



Geez, it's all been dog posts recently, hasn't it? Chores all weekend, including more leaf-blowing and with a break for a short coaching clinic at the club, preparing for Andy — and Liz's (for the first time out here) — visit next weekend.

Ren Fair

Renaissance Fair time of year again; we went that first time, then skipped the next two even though GCNM and Greyhome have a presence there, so we get in for free and get to bring our dog. Last year was awfully busy in September, plus we didn't have a thing to wear. This year, though, with preparations and planning, we were ready to take the hound for an afternoon at Las Golondrinas.



Thing was, it was brutally hot on Sunday. We were in a nice, large, covered portal kind of thing, but venturing out into the sun was pretty rough. But we did, for a bit, wandering down the hill to the creek to check out the dueling, Celtic feats of strength. And meet another rescue.



Checked out the vendors, grabbed some snacks, took in the sights. Mostly, though, sat in the shade and let the Ren Fair visit us. Including a visit from La Reina, a big fan of the hounds.



When the other couple there packed up their dogs, we stuck around for another hour or so. Sitting in the shade, visiting with Jon and Susanne, winding down.



Getting Cheyenne out proved to be difficult; I think she got so comfy in the cool dirt that heading out onto the hot stones made her balk like it was a thunderstorm. All we could do to get her to the entrance, where I had to pull the car around. Again. But did make it to clean up, change, and back out to spend the evening at Jon and Susanne's.

Update: Santa Fe Reporter's posted a slideshow, looks like from the same day we were there. Warning: music and no obvious way to mute it.

Welcome (Back) To Santa Fe

Took the Rail Runner to and from Albuquerque for the 7000 BC meeting yesterday. Probably been more than a year since we've been on the train; gave some time for watching the landscape, using the wi-fi, reading, though not really enough of any one. Hour-and-a-half passes pretty quickly, though probably if you only make the trip occasionally.

Back in time for a little outing to the dog park around sunset.

(Notice the dog on the wall?)

Cheyenne, Watching Nature

Part one of Dogs That Changed The World.

Fall Palette

At Tuesday's Farmers Market:





In the side yard:



Up at Aspen Vista:



Not pictured: chamisas.

vote early, vote often

So, I'm sure all our crafty friends out there have heard about Spoonflower, right? For those not in the know, it's a website/service that lets you design and print/sell your own fabric (suck it, N+A!). They also host weekly (hence the name) "Fabric of the Week" design contests.

So, who wants to vote for my fabric design (at right, there) that's currently in the running for this week's contest?

All the designs appear in random order, so you'll probably have to page through a few screens (there are 7 total) before seeing mine. You can vote for as many or as few designs as you like (not just mine) by clicking on the images you like best. A green box will appear around the design(s) you select for voting. You submit all your votes on the last page. Any and all votes are appreciated!

UPDATE: Well, I didn't win, but I did make the top 10! Woo hoo! Number 8! Thanks for voting, everyone.

One for Two

Letting Cheyenne out Friday night before bed, there was the sound of a scuffle in the bushes, the stench of skunk, and a bleeding dog limping towards us. Her injury turned out to be minor* and the skunking not even as bad as last time, but the hydrogen peroxide was running low and the novelty had worn off. Appropriate end to a long week.

I mean, it's tough to fault her. That's the deal we cut, millennia ago: they hunt things for us, protect our den; in exchange, we give them food and a place to sleep (and when needed, as Stacy pointed out, pajamas).

Saturday, after listening to Rocque on Gardens, Food & Santa Fe and finally catching Stacy's show, a day of gettin' stuff done. Monica wrapping up her Ren Fair outfit and making a fall/spring-weight pajamas for the dog. Me, becoming the thing I long despised, out in the front yard with a (rented) leafblower. The blog post I've been writing in my head for months about the unexpected difficulty of maintaining a rock yard in the middle of the desert just keeps getting longer and more complicated.

Evening, we were hosting comics creators John Porcellino and Noah Van Sciver on, as it turned out, their last night of a three-plus-week-long road trip** promoting their books. Just in Albuquerque for the day, but the toll of all the travel was evident when we saw them. Burgers around the fire and an early night.

This morning, Kevin joined us for breakfast, then everyone off to True Believers for the presentation. Some friends and fans, then sent John and Noah homeward.



* From the look of things, scraped on something in pursuit.

** Covering the country in segments; I think John said he's logged around 20k miles this year. Ladies and gentlemen, the hardest-working cartoonists …

Non. Stop. Party.

OK, not really. But it's been a whirlwind blast of a long birthday weekend, a welcome break from last and this week. Work and travel ran late Friday, but it was an epic night from True Believers. As noted, Farmers Market and much loafing around Saturday before a nice dinner out at the bar at Ristra and usage of the Borders coupon to get current on Ex Machina before it concludes. Sunday, well, was chore-ful (tiring, but gratifying) and an end-of-summer cookout with Stacy, Jim — and for the first time at our house, Bernice:



Prepared with layers and the firepit, the former of which was only barely needed and the latter not at all, with a warm, cloudy evening. This morning, quick bagel breakfast and a couple hours on the Chamisa trail (top), then home and wrapping up a little stuff that needed doing, soundtrack provided by Zoltar's latest podcast. Dinner out with James and back here for a bit, cake before he had to head back to work.

Now, done posting, Imma read that new comic.

-=-=-=-=-=-

I've always really liked September and autumn, especially here. Problem is that it's followed by winter.

Suddenly, Autumn, and All That Entails

(Photo by Pete)

Seriously, it was a bit unseasonably high for most of August. Then a couple Mondays ago, we had a big (well, "big") evening rainstorm, and woke up to autumn. Cool weather, golden light. Nice — but a little too sudden.

-=-=-=-=-=-

But August's end means two things: Jamie's annual gallery show and Bubonicon. On the same weekend this year. A problem because we were staying in Albuquerque Saturday (after such a great time last year). Meant that Cheyenne had to get to the dogsitter (the other one, about 30 minutes out of town) Friday. The night of Jamie's opening.

Monica was able to juggle her schedule, pack the dog up, meet me downtown so we could all go to the opening. Cheyenne just loves Jamie; generally dancing around when he appears, pestering him for pets and, I'm told, talking to him last time he stopped by. All the crowds threw her off, but she was still happy to see him.



Opening was apparently a big success. We made it to the dropoff and home. Up and on the road early so I could set up for a 10:00 presentation Jamie, Pete, Paul, and I were giving at the convention; sparsely attended, but went well. Staffed the 7000 BC table, sporting the Babelfish that Susanne made to go with the con's Hitchhiker's theme; with all other members there, we could come and go, so I took some time to run errands in the big (well, "big") city.

Gathered up a group, none of us from Abq, to head out dinner. To the Vietnamese place we went last year, one of two places I know in town. Where they were out of rice. And rice noodles. Well, everything really. But they directed us to their sibling restaurant nearby. Which apparently decided to close early. So, to Flying Star, the other place I know, just before low blood sugar just did us in. Worked out well, and even ran into Chris.



Stayed up late gaming with Jon and Susanne. Staffed the table for a little while, added to the rats drawing, then lunch (Flying Star again) to catch up with Rob. Spent a while there, visiting, falling for his iPad. And then on home, exhausted.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Been busybusy at work. But also, let's see, in there was also a day at a fencing clinic run by the coach's coach, dinner at Stacy and Jim's, and forgetting M+D's anniversary (wince; sorry).

-=-=-=-=-=-

And Thursday night. Cheyenne, as is often her way when she's had enough of us, was outside in her bed. Some sort of yelp or squeal had us rushing out into the dark, where she was just kind of standing. The stink said skunk activity, though it wasn't much worse than the average summer night smell.

The blood on her collar, well, that spoke to something else. And she did kind of have the stench on her face, but no other visible marks. While Monica got the peroxide/soap/baking soda bath going, I went outside to find messy evidence of Cheyenne's victory. It was only the next morning that we discovered it was just a stub of tail. Ecch.

-=-=-=-=-=-

This morning, Farmers Market in my new birthday shirt.