Autumn Acequia Walk

We're on track in ABQ for the warmest fall on record.  Here in the North Valley, we've not had a killing frost, although basil, Coleus, and tender Hibiscus have been nipped.  The turtles are deep underground and I mulched their bunkers last week.  A couple bonsai-in-training are in the little plastic pop-up greenhouse, but the door has been left open so they get some hardening off.  All the hardy bonsai are still outside.  The old Ginkgo out in the open has lost its leaves, but the two younger ones remain lemony yellow.  The 'Autumn Flame' Euonymus is bright red.  Even our canas are still blooming and there are buds on a hardy Hibiscus.  The Cleome shows no signs of slowing down and is a glorious riot of white blossoms.  

With that sort of background, you can understand why we were eager to get outdoors today ahead of Sunday's storm.  We may not get much rain, but things should cool down from our record-breaking mid-70's.  

Our target was the acequia just north of Los Poblanos, opposite the service entrance.  The west bank isn't weedy at all while the east bank was heavily overgrown.  Following the path north along the Griegos Lateral, it eventually turns a corner, heads east and meets up at a 3-way intersection as the lateral from Matthew Meadow splits off to the north and Tinnin Acres. 

There we turned south along Eakes Road past amazing contemporary mansions and old adobes that probably date back a century or more.  The trees were glorious, some shedding their yellow leaves in the light breeze, others having gone bare.  But most were in their autumn finery.  A splendid walk indeed, if only one and a half miles.  

Murmurations

Today's National Phenology Network webinar is about newsletters.  I sometimes consider writing something on a more regular basis, maybe a Substack.  

The natural science news of the day is the massive solar flare.  On Tuesday it resulted in an aurora that was visible (barely) in the middle of Albuquerque.  The Kp index was 8.67! A repeat was predicted for Wednesday and we were on hot standby.  Unfortunately, it was much weaker with a Kp index of 7.3.  If I'd had the energy, I would've driven north to get a better view far from city lights.  There were reports from rural New Mexico of pretty solid red washes across the sky.  

My buddy Ric was following my aurora-chasing antics and he reminded me that the International Space Station was going to be visible overhead.  Right on schedule it appeared, crossed the NW sky, and faded out as it entered Earth's shadow.

Fall color has been tremendous this year.  Maybe it's due to the long, mild autumn and helped out with some much-needed rain in Sept.-Oct.  We still haven't had a killing frost and the official ABQ weather station has yet to record first freeze.  

My 38-year old bonsai Ginkgo is out in the open and its leaves turned first.  The younger Ginkgoes in training pots under the Chinese pistache are about 2 weeks behind and still holding on to their leaves.

Fallen Ginkgo leaves collected and brought inside.

Ginkgoes behind the still-flowering Salvia and mums.

The forecast is for a cold front rolling in over the weekend, but it's a maritime one, so not particularly cold and possibly wet.  We need the moisture.  

In other non-botanical news, the government shutdown is over with 8 Dems folding.  The base is furious.  The only good I see is that the GOP now fully owns the huge increase in health insurance premiums and that Adelita Grijalva was sworn in to the House.  The Epstein discharge petition has hit 218 and how the entire House will be on record as pro or con pedophilia.  Hide and watch.  

A Study in Contrasts

Today I spent the morning collecting phenological data at the Botanic Garden.  The Cottonwood Gallery was in particularly high form.  Golden cottonwoods, orange crabapples, yellow maples, blue skies, cranes flying overhead.  After a cold start, the NM sunshine warmed things up pleasantly, but a jacket was still needed.  

Meanwhile, in strong contrast to that pastoral morning, 8 Democrats broke ranks and let the GOP end the government shutdown.  The rank-and-file party members are furious at this betrayal.  One can only hope that the release of Epstein files is worth the failure on policy.  

On top of this, our feckless leader has managed another insulting round of pardons, releasing or commuting another tranche of felons convicted of January 6 crimes.  I'm sure the timing is to try and get this under the radar of public perception.  I'm sure most media is covering the shutdown story, so this gets little attention.  The sad news is that the message it sends is, "Subvert an election and I'll get you out of jail."  The bitter solution is left up to the blue states to convict these people of state crimes that FELON47 can't pardon.  

I continue to be amazed that democracy can be completely off the rails in a few short months as a fascist takes over our country, while daily life for me goes on seemingly unaffected.  Sure, grocery costs and energy prices are climbing, but we are among the lucky ones with resources to weather the storm.  Turmoil in Washington seems far removed, yet I know there are still 3 more years of his madness and mental decline.  

Did people in Weimar Germany feel this way while the Nazis subverted their nation and led them into a disastrous war?  The Convicted Felon bends the Justice Department to his every whim, the Supreme Court obliges him, and the Republican majority looks the other way while our country is run into the ground.  Education, research, health, international respect, and the economy are all suffering harm that may take decades to repair.  

A Day in the Kitchen

Yesterday had an early start as the delivery men for our new washer showed up at 7:40.  That set me up for an early cuppa coffee and a trip to the market for a few baking supplies.  

By 11:00 I had my high altitude-adjusted version of King Arthur Flour's London Fog tea cake in the oven.  Then it would take another 90 minutes to cool down enough for glazing.  

I took advantage of that time to hit the Co-op and snag some wild-caught salmon for dinner.   Lemongrass, ginger, parsley (subbing for cilantro), and chili jam made up the remainder of the ingredient list. 

By then it was time for Caro and I to deliver the tea cake slices and some flowers to Jane for her birthday.  Between Caro's lingering cold and Jane's stomach upset, there wasn't much socializing, but I hear via txt that the tea cake was a success.  

Dinner was one of Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals, but our version took 75.  Our wild rice / brown rice blend cooks slowly.  I also roasted a head of cauliflower and served that over an easy remoulade sauce.  Then the salmon patties took a quick 6 minute trip to a dry skillet.  The raspberry-chili jam was the surprise ingredient that worked particularly well.

Autumn Color in the Garden

I was out in the Botanic Garden yesterday placing the new QR-coded labels on plants.  It was a splendid (if abnormally warm) day.  Zelkova leaves fell like orange snowflakes in the slightest breeze.  'Autumn Flame' Euonymus were indeed flaming. Cottonwoods were heading towards peak goldness.  Ginkgoes had finally turned their unique lemony yellow.  The bald cypress was a stunning burnt orange.  

Ginkgo and cottonwood behind River of Lights display piece

'Autumn Flame'

Serviceberry, Amelanchier

Ginkgo and Take-Akari

More 'Autumn Flame'

Past the pond

Still more color

Shumard oak, Quercus shumardii

The back path

Croodling through the gardeners' "spy route" between the Sasebo and the Cottonwood Gallery turned out to be a riot of color with smoke trees glowing in the late afternoon sun.  With November and the return of standard time, the sun stays low in the sky all day and makes for golden side-lit views everywhere.  

A brilliant day.  

November Elections

Normally, off-year elections would hardly get a glancing mention on the news.  But this year is not normal.  Every pundit is watching local elections, especially in NY, NJ, VA & CA, with an eye towards gauging the Dem/GOP power balance.  With the shutdown in full swing and rapidly approaching the 35-day record from TCF's first term, one wonders which side will blink first.  Needless-to-say, a Democratic Party run will energize them and probably give the GOP pause to really negotiate.  

SNAP benefits went away and possibly are back at 50% levels, possibly with a weeks-long delay.  After all, 50 states plus various territories will have to modify their benefits distribution software.  Will have to up our contribution to little food libraries.  Already upped our donation to Roadrunner Food Bank.

Health insurance also is on the line.  ACA rates have been published and sent out for open enrollment.  How long before that makes an impact?  Many folks won't look at the numbers until the last week.  

Despite all this, life in my lane goes on apace.  Still consulting at Sandia and getting paid to label plants at the Botanic Garden.  Tagging the newly potted plants in the Lebanon Garden is my current task.  Will get back to the Lark labels with QR codes next week.  

All the tender plants are safe, like the Croton above.  But a few stragglers have been left to fend for themselves:  a couple canas, hardy Hibiscus, the Black Lace elderberry, and a geranium.  I'll probably move the geranium into the cold frame and then bonsai it next spring. 

Samhain

The thin spaces are at their closest tonight.  Tomorrow is Samhain and the Celtic cycle commences.  We had 2 groups of trick-or-treaters for 4 children in total.  They each scored huge handfuls of candy.  

Meanwhile, the shutdown continues, although a judge ruled that TCF has to release emergency SNAP funds.  We'll see what happens.  Health insurance premiums skyrocket and perhaps Head Start will have to close down.  Must ask Ty about that. 

Work at Sandia continues at my usual low level of effort.  Labels are going out into the Lebanese Garden.  Yesterday's early Halloween party saw us dressed up as a warlock with his familiar. 

The brimstone buns came out well.  

Fall has been gentle this year.  The garden is glorious and all the tender plants have moved to shelter.  Last night's freeze nipped the tops of Jane's basil, but I got enough mint today for a good batch of almond-mint-olive-feta pesto for Moreish Aubergines.  

The gold finches have been noshing their way through buckets of niger seed.  The other finches have been enjoying cracked sunflower kernels.