Tuesday - Trip to the MVD

Today was an errand day.

It started off with me going to exercise first thing this morning. Normally, Betty would go too, but she's still working to get rid of this bacterial infection. As soon as it's gone, she'll get back into the exercise habit.

Then I went to the place that I hate almost as going to the dentist - the Motor Vehicles Department. My driver's license expires on September 16 so I figured I better get it done now. New Mexico has gone to a new 'secure' driver's license. It supposedly has a slew of security features. Initially, they give you a temporary license then you receive your permanent license in the mail.

I showed up at the entrance to the MVD about 9:30 AM and it surprised me to see no one at the check in desk. Usually there's a line. I got my number - 59 - and waited first to get my picture made - you know - the one you hate most of all - the one that makes you always look like a dork. Then I took my seat among the masses and waited for my number to be called. They were calling number 40 when I sat down so only 19 people ahead of me.

Fortunately I remembered to bring a book with me and I got several chapters read before I heard them call for number 57. Good, I'm getting close.

I heard them call for number 58 to go to desk number 5. In a few minutes they called my number, 59, to go to desk number 5. Oh, I figured whomever had number 58 either left of went to the bathroom - their bad luck.

As I walked toward desk 5 a little old lady walked in front of me to desk 5 - she was number 58. She had gone to the wrong desk and was confused about where to go. The MVD lady asked me to take a seat and she would get to me next.

The little old lady had a hard time with the instructions she was given - how to use the eye test machine, what forms to fill out, was she taking any diabetes medicine, etc., - so it was taking a little time. Naturally, I heard number 60, 61, 62, and 63 called for other desks as I sat there waiting.

Finally, she got everything finished and I went up to get my license renewal. The young lady who worked there apologized and, you know what, it was OK. It was no big deal.

God has always been working on me to learn how to be content in all circumstances and this was just another object lesson for me to learn, I guess.

Finally, I went to Comcast to turn in some equipment that I no longer needed and that went smoothly. The rest of the day was regular chores around the place. Hopefully, we'll get some rain tonight.

Today is August 26 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Keke Palmer (actress - "Akeelah and the Bee" - great movie by the way), Cassie Ventura (R&B singer), Macauley Caulkin (actor - "Home Alone"), Brandford Marsalis (jazz saxophonist), Geraldine Ferraro (VP candidate), Mother Teresa (Catholic nun), Chris Burke (actor - "Life Goes On"), and Albert Sabin (developer of the polio vaccine).

On this day in 1920 the Constitutional Amendment to allow women to vote went into effect and in 1939 the first Major League baseball game, between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers played at Ebbetts Field, was broadcast by the experimental station W2XBS.

A Friend

I want to talk briefly today about a friend (and perhaps embarrass him a little) because he is someone who I admire and from whom I learn much about what it means to be a man - especially a man of faith.

His name is Max Wade and he and his lovely wife Michelle run Galloping Grace Youth Ranch.

This is a picture of Max at a horse event held yesterday in Corrales. You can read more about the event and what Max was doing there in Michelle's blog for Sunday, August 24 - "Horsing Around". The two boys are Max and Michelle's sons - Grant (the smaller one with the balloons) and Garrett. They also have two neat daughters, Claire and Brooke.

This is a picture of Max and me at the event yesterday. (Thanks, Michelle, I stole it from your blog.)

Max is first and foremost a man of faith. His relationship with God comes before everything else and motivates everything he does in his life.

Next, he is a good husband and father. After God, it is clear that his family comes first in his life before all else.

He has a great sense of humor and is a lot of fun to be around. The kids who come to the ranch love him and he makes each one feel special. He has the ability to quickly evaluate each kid and match them with the right horse. He's also not afraid to let them stretch themselves a little and discover that they can do things they didn't think would be possible.

He's also a good horseman. When he rides, it looks as if he put super glue on the seat of his pants before planting himself into the saddle. He and the horse are one. It is my dream to be able to ride like that some day.

But, what intrigues me the most about Max is he's the most honest and humble man I know.

When I say humble I don't mean he thinks of himself as weak or he puts himself down. That's not an accurate understanding of humility.

Max is humble because he sees himself as God sees him - no more and no less.

He recognizes his strengths and realizes that he can take credit for them just about as much as he can take credit for the color of his eyes. He knows his strengths are gifts from God to be used in his service. He also recognizes his weaknesses and finds compensating strengths for those weakness from Michelle and his friends - and from his faith in God.

Betty and I are truly blessed to have Max and Michelle in our lives and, hopefully, we have been able to share a little of our lives with them.

Enough embarrassment for Max for one day.

Today is August 25 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Claudia Schiffer (supermodel), Rachael Ray (TV cooking show host), Billy Ray Cyrus (country singer and Dad to Hannah Montana), Tim Burton (slightly twisted director - "Beetlejuice" and "Edward Scissorhands"), Elvis Costello (punk rocker), Gene Simmons (singer - "KISS"), Regis Philbin (TV host - "Live with Regis and... whomever"), Sean Connery (actor - James Bond and Indian Jones father), and Walt Kelly (my favorite cartoonist of all time - "Pogo").

Today in history the National Park Service was established as a part of the Department of Interior in 1916.

Sunday in Corrales

Corrales is a nice place to live. A lot goes on in the Spring, Summer and Fall. One of the highlights on Sunday mornings is the Corrales Growers Market. It's held every Sunday in the parking lot of the recreation center. The vendors come from all over the area, but the requirement is everything they sell must be grown or made locally - no buying boxes of fruit and produce from a distributor. So, most of the vendors are local people with small truck gardens. It's a popular place to be on Sunday morning.

Enterting the market with shopping bags in hand.

Stylish hats are always in style on a sunny morning (and most are) and there are always plenty of dogs.

More dogs after encountering each other.

The line for the breakfast burritos (with green chile of course) - they're delicious. I like the guy with the long, gray pony tail wearing shorts and knee boots.

Late in the Summer, roasting green chiles bring a special aroma to the air that we all know and love (more on that in a later post).

A nice way to spend a Sunday morning before heading for church.

And, for my friend, Michelle, who asked to see the flowers I bought for Betty, here they are. I buy fresh flowers and Betty enjoys arranging them.





Today is August 24 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Rupert Grint (actor - Ron Weasley in "Harry Potter"), Dave Chappelle (comedian), Marlee Matlin (actress - "Children of a Lesser God"), Craig Kilborn (commentator/actor), Cal Ripken, Jr. (baseball player - most consecutive games played), Steve Guttenberg (actor - "Police Academy"), Yasser Arafat (Palestinian leader - known liar), and Duke Kahanamoku (Hawaiian surfer).

Kids Will Be Kids - Even Birds

For those of us who have children, we know they can be the greatest of blessings - and the greatest of pains. We have a resident Roadrunner, Simone, who lived in our stable all winter. Then she stopped coming and we speculated whether she had gone off to have a baby Roadrunner.

Normally, Roadrunners are like pigeons - you rarely, if ever, see young Roadrunners.

We were just about to go out to feed the horses their lunch today when we saw an adult Roadrunner (Simone?) with an obvious youngster following her around.

Here are some pictures to show that kids are kids... (double click on any picture to enlarge)

"Hey, Mom, don't you think it's time for lunch? Feed me!"

"Come on, Ma. Don't turn away from me. Feed me!"


"Maybe if I act like a baby horse and nudge underneath your belly, something will happen. Feed me!"

"Ma. Ma. Don't run away! There's no where you can go that I can't follow. Feed me!"

On second thought, it's most likely a teenager.

Today is August 23 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Kobe Bryant (NBA superstar and Olympic player), Nicole Bobek (Olympic figure skater), River Pheonix (actor - "Stand By Me"), Shelly Long (actress - "Cheers"), Rick Springfield (singer), Keith Moon (drummer - "The Who"), Barbara Eden (actress - "I Dream of Jeanie"), Vera Miles (actress - "Psycho"), and Edgar Lee Masters (American poet).

Another Day

All I did today is set up a new cable modem and wireless router for our computers. Oh, I bought some flowers for Betty since she's still a little under the weather.

Today is August 22 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Howie Dorough (singer - "Backstreet Boys"), Tori Amos (singer - "Little Earthquakes"), Cindy Williams (comedian - "The Laverne & Shirley Show"), Valerie Harper (comedian - "Rhoda"), Carl Yastrzemski (first baseman - Boston Red Sox), Ray Bradbury (author - "The Martian Chronicles"), Norman Schwarzkopf (Army General - Desert Storm), John Lee Hooker (jazz quitarist), Deng Xiaoping (Chinese Prime Minister), Dorothy Parker (author), Claude Debussy (French composer - "Claire de Lune"), Honor Blackman (actress - "Goldinger"), and Milan I (King of Serbia).

Bad Days for Birds While We Were Gone

We are home and Betty is still up and down with this bacterial infection. It definitely was the right decision to cancel the rest of our trip and come home.

While we were gone, our horse sitter said two weird things happened - both in Gletta's stall.

First, she found a dead quail in Gletta's stall and a couple of wall boards broken - obviously by Gletta's kick.

Her best guess was the quail ran/flew into her stall while Gletta was eating. This startled her and she kicked out resulting in one dead quail and two broken boards.

The other weird thing is the Roadrunner (Simone?) had a run in with one of our fly strips.


None of us have any idea how that happened, but we know it did.

Weird.

Today is August 21 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Kim Cattrall (actress - "Sex and the City"), Kenny Rogers (singer - "The Gambler"), Wilt Chamberlain (NBA superstar), Jack Weston (stage and screen actor), Chris Schenkel (ABC sportscaster), Count Basie (bandleader), Archie Griffin (Ohio State All-American running back), Princess Margaret (British royalty), and Alfonso VI (King of Portugal).

Driving Home

This morning, Wednesday, August 20, we'll leave Raton, New Mexico and drive South to home in Corrales, New Mexico.

We're disappointed that we're not making our trip to Montana and Canada to visit with friends, but we know we're making the right decision.

Today is August 20 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Amy Adams (actress - "Enchanted"), Fred Durst (rapper - "Limp Bizkit"), Al Roker (Today Show weatherman), Robert Plant (singer - "Led Zeppelin"), Connie Chung (TV journalist), Isaac Hayes (composer - "Shaft"), Jacqueline Susann (author - "Valley of the Dolls"), Benjamin Harrison (23rd US President), Shirley Booth (actress - "Poseidon Adventure"), and Bernardo Bittoni (composer).