What do you do in ABQ?

Lots of farmers markets.  This one in downtown ABQ features jam bands, chorizo bread (it looked good) and amazing lemonade.

We have really enjoyed having people over for dinner in our backyard,

and got these rad lanterns to help us stay out there longer.

We saw a classic car parade at the route 66 festival this past Saturday,

and checked out the local flavor.

The next morning we checked out this awesome hike,

At the bottom there were lots of amazing cacti.

Be careful not to fall in this one.

I told Ben to pose with this one, and he got poked.  Cacti 1, us 0.

Check out the view of ABQ in the background.

Big ass rocks.

One of the most amazing things about this hike is that is it 15 minutes from our house,

and that this trail is used for trail running.  Those people were insanely fit.

We got a little more than 1/2 way up,

but plan on coming back in a less hot part of the year to reach the top.  A terrific day!

What's new Mexico like?

Stressful.  At least for some of our family members.

It is hot.  Hot enough to melt tapes you leave in your car. 

Luckily, we have entered the monsoon season so it rains pretty frequently in the early evening.  Sometimes even hard.

And the nights are perfect - warm and breezy with killer sunsets.  You could spend all night outside with pals under the stars.

Did I mention it is sunny and clear almost all of the time?  

Check out this acequia which is an irrigation ditch.  Nice to see a spot of water every now and again.

At home in Albuquerque

Thanks to some nice pals in New Mexico, we were able to rent a small two bedroom house in Albuquerque.  We have an extra room for lots of visitors.

Our house is in the adobe style.  Few houses are still truly adobe in Albuquerque, but many look like they are.

We have a large backyard covered in rocks and dirt (having a lawn is kind of ridiculous in this climate), and we just bought a picnic table off craigslist.  We are looking forward to having some nice meals out here.

The backyard also features this amazing tree that provides a lot of shade, and a nice place for the many neighborhood birds (notice the power line above the tree).

We have a big living room,

a comfy guest room (picture yourself here),

and a spacious uncluttered bedroom.  The best part is the ceiling fan with 3 speed settings.

And a huge eat-in kitchen!

I think it is probably as big as all of the kitchens we have ever had in one.

Here is a beautiful unidentified plant from the front yard.

Because the hiking trails have been closed because of wildfire risk, we have had to do most of our work-outs in the neighborhood.  Here I was channeling my friend Bill by lifting weights in the sun on my back patio.

On the 4th of July, our friend Jessica's parents hosted us in Corrales, a nearby town.  Because of the altitude this one beer was all it took to put me to sleep essentially.

Road trip!

Because we have two cats who don't love riding in cars, we tried to make the trip to Albuquerque as fast as possible.

We had a minor mishap with the truck along the way, but it wasn't serious.

And could see the Las Conchas fire in the distance as we drove past Santa Fe.

Our friends in Santa Fe said they had seen fireballs earlier in the week.  Very sad.

Last days in MN

As you all know, Ben and I were very sad to leave all of our amazing pals and family in MN.  Here are some pictures of some of the many fun things we did to say goodbye to MN for a bit.

No summer is complete without at least one trip to the Pizza Farm.  We discussed libertarianism and Girls Just Want to Have Fun after a brief dip in the cold Mississippi.

 

I am luckily to have two terrific grandparents in my life.

Ben's parents hosted a going away party for us complete with grilling,

a baby/toddler and parents picnic,

                                                         

and a rousing game of freestyle frisbee.

We also got to enjoy a final book/gourmet club with amazing food prepared by Sheridan.

The trees were nice that night too!

The saddest part of leaving MN is saying goodbye to my nephews.  Leo took it seriously despite his decidely non-serious hat. 

Jasper had a different take.

The beginning of a blog (and an adventure)!

Hi family and friends -

Since we sadly left our beloved Minnesota two weeks ago, folks have been asking us for updates about how we have been doing and pictures of our new digs.  Because I really enjoyed blogging for our wedding and this seems like an easy way to let people know about our southwestern adventures, let me introduce you to our blog!  I hope you enjoy it.  And that you come and visit us!