Deep into Winter

 Although we've had an early significant snowfall in late October and a couple cold snaps, the weather in the Botanic Garden and Albuquerque as a whole continues to be more or less seasonable.  Lows are in the mid to low 20's; highs in the 50's.  While at my desk typing this (a day ahead of publication), I can glance behind me at the wireless weather station and it reports 39.7°F at 4:00 in the afternoon.  It's been an overcast day with just enough of a breeze to cut through a polypro jacket.  Sunday looks to be about the same, perhaps even cloudier. 

The Garden is open to the public today and this evening for the trail of holiday lights.  This is the year that I'll not go to see it.  Virus numbers are still bumping along at a moderate-low level.  Even out-of-doors with masks, it's just to risky for my old bones.  

We've been getting by with Insta-cart grocery deliveries and 95% home cooking.  Curbside takeout is the best we manage to support our local restaurants.  Ditto for Rx pickup at Duran's Pharmacy.  

Every now and then I make a run to Kelly's to stock up on wine and whiskey.  A glance at the parking lot when I drive up will tell me what the risk is.  Around 2:00 in the afternoon, I'm usually the only customer in the store.  Back when the numbers were crazy high, we were getting mail-order wine.  

Meanwhile, back to the Garden, I've been working on a digital map of the xeric berms in the HDRG.  These are the rocky xeriscaped areas to the north and south of the so-called Atrium.  I have drone photographs taken a couple years ago courtesy of Alan Osterholtz.  I've digitally overlain them on the hand-drawn base map that Cecilia provided me before she took maternity leave last summer.  Here's a screen capture of the work so far. 

The plan for the week ahead is to get out to the HDRG and identify all the green blobs in the map above.  That'll be Tuesday afternoon, weather permitting.