We are in Boulder, CO at CLASP V, an Interdisciplinary Conference on Culture, Language, and Social Practice, where Laurie is presenting a paper tomorrow. After the presentations this evening, we all went to the Dark Horse Bar & Grill to socialize. One of the organizers told me "You have to come to the Dark Horse. It's one of the most interesting places in Boulder." He was not exaggerating — the place is covered floor to ceiling with interesting stuff.

360º panorama of The Beach on the Rio Grande that I used to create a virtual tour.

One of the photo ventures that I have been up to lately is learning how to create virtual tours using panorama images. Below are three virtual tours I created using four 360º panoramas. 

A virtual tour of The Beach and The Bosque.

Click here to go to the web page with the tour.

Virtual Tour of the University Heights United Methodist Church's sanctuary.

Click here to go to the web page with the tour.

Virtual Tour of a model home by Pulte Homes on Albuquerque's westside.

Click here to go to the web page with the tour.

Yes Sasha. The world is sick*, depressing.

*Note: Sasha is not sick. She is making a comment on the state of the world.

Interesting treatment of concreting an irrigation ditch around a cottonwood tree.

The irrigation ditch, bosque and Rio Grande about 8 miles south of us.

Jetti jax all lined up

Bag-O-caterpillers hanging in a cottonwood

Mangled jettis and a cottonwood

View of the Rio Grande with the Sandias in the background 8 miles south of the views I usually post.

Walking under 
moonless sky
Flashlight pokes 
Through clouds on high

Face to Face 
Black cows on black
Eyes shine bright
Lights flash, dance
 

Owl in tree 
In formal dress
Laughs and mocks 
Quite a sight

This is one of the tacky old landmarks that persist in Albuquerque. The Royal Fork Buffet Restaurant was at the corner of 4th and Coal in downtown Albuquerque. The restaurant opened around 1968, and closed in the late 1970's or early 1980's. While we had gone there a few times when I was young, other than the sign, it wasn't really memorable. In trying to find the history of this particular Royal Fork, I saw one reference that said the sign was from 1960, but the first Royal Fork Buffet Restaurant opened in Idaho in 1967.  

Sunset on Sunday, September 3rd. The smoke is adding color but there was not a thick haze.

We are now getting a lot of smoke from the fires in various states northwest and west of New Mexico. The smoke really plays havoc with our sinuses and makes our eyes burn, but it does create beautiful colors for sunsets and moonrises.

What smoke there was, lit the sky behind the clouds on fire.

Tonight the smoke rolled in thick enough for the sun to be viewed as a perfect circle.

Wider-angle shows the gray smoke under otherwise clear skies.

An owl was on top of a dead tree along the river complaining to no end about the smoke.

Orange moonrise from behind the Sandias.

The owl was still complaining as dusk turned to dark.

The smoke turns the almost full moon a soft orange.

Spunk and I were making our rounds on the property together about mid-morning. We were by the wood fence on the south side of the property when I almost stepped on a mouse and it ran up the outside of my pants leg. Spunk knocked it off and went after it, chasing it up and down the fence. Spunk soon discovered it was more like Mighty Mouse. It bit Spunk on the paw, Spunk threw it, it came back at Spunk, Spunk gave the mouse a punch in the face with a left hook, and then they had a face off before the mouse ran under Spunk and made it into the neighbor's yard.  The AWBs insisted on making a music video about the encounter. I said there wasn't time, but they assured me they could do it. So one set about writing lyrics, while another found suitable music. Then they recorded the music track, made the video, then they gave me the video so I could edit in the stills. I've posted the video first, followed by the lyrics, and then selected stills from Spunk's losing fight with the mouse this morning.

Spunk Fought the Mouse

Spunk Fought The Mouse
Words by Timothy Price
Performed by AWB
Music by Sonny Curtis

Spunk was a Rockin in the hot sun
Spunk fought the mouse and the mouse won (2x)

Spunk needed action cause he had none
Spunk fought the mouse and the mouse won (2x)

He lost to a mouse and it felt so bad, guess his race was run
It’s not the best fight that he ever had
Spunk fought the mouse and the mouse won (2x)

Go Spunk! Go Spunk! Show that mousy now
Go Spunk! Go Spunk! Show that mousy how

Spunk punched the mouse with a left hook
Spunk fought the mouse and the mouse won (2x)

The mouse won the fight and Spunk lost his fun
Spunk fought the mouse and the mouse won (2x)

He lost to a mouse and it felt so bad, guess his race was run
It’s not the best fight that he ever had
Spunk fought the mouse and the mouse won (2x)

Spunk fought the mouse and the mouse won (4x)

Spunk about to pounce on the mouse.

The mouse jumps up on the fence.

climbs and climbs.

Spunk's strategy is to let the mouse tire himself out climbing the fence.

Spunk makes his move.

Spunk knocks the mouse loose from the fence.

The mouse challenges Spunk.

The mouse tries to get away.

Spunk does a quick grab, the mouse bites Spunk and spunk tosses the mouse in front of him (it all happened so fast I couldn't get the action).

The mouse comes back at Spunk, and Spunk punches the mouse in the face with a left hook.

Un-phased by Spunk's left hook, the mouse challenges Spunk.

They get in each other's faces.

The mouse takes a swing at Spunk.

The mouse ran up on a branch saw the paparazzo with a scary looking device. He turned and made a daring dash under Spunk.

Spunk makes a last dash effort to get the mouse, but the mouse gave Spunk the slip — Spunk put up a good fight, but the mouse won.

After posting the blog and working on the third sack of chiles, while the AWBs continued to party on the deck, my iPhone struck eleven, and my Fitbit said I only had 5000 steps, a little over 2 miles, not quite 30 active minutes and 0 floors. I had an hour to get all my goals for the day of 10,000 steps, 5 miles (10,500 steps), 30 active minutes and 10 floors. In the absence of tall buildings and parking garages, we use the ramps on the levee to get floors. So we walked out to the river under a 3/4 moon to see if I could meet my goals in less than an hour's time. Up and down the levee ramps, I got the 10 floors and up to 8,000 steps in 30 minutes. Then I headed north to clock in 1,000 steps and turn around at 9,000 steps, which would leave me with 1,500 steps to get back to the house and meet all my goals for the day. At about the 8,750 mark, I walked up on a coyote fest of several coyotes yelping and whooping up a storm. They were making enough noise the cows in the bosque started mooing at them to shut up. Since I carry a super bright flashlight, I shined it on the the pack and the rout dispersed allowing me to make it to my 9,000 step turn around. I got back to the house at 11:45 pm with 10,600 steps, a little over five miles, 10 floors and well over 30 active minutes. We went back to work on the green chiles, and finished up at 1:30 am. We went to bed, and the AWBs continued partying on the deck.

I got up at 8:30 am to face the mess from the persistence of chile. Four of the AWBs where still partying on the deck, so I gathered them up and had them come inside to help me clean up the aftermath of the green chiles. Needless to say, they were quite useless when it came to helping me clean, so I had to get them to go somewhere else so I could finally get the place cleaned up. Besides, a few chile seeds left on Lola, the counter shined.

You can see an animated GIF of how the Average White Boys helped clean up at:  https://photoofthedayetc.wordpress.com/2017/09/03/a-persistence-of-green-chile-gloves/

The Average White Boys where still at it when I brought them inside.

But the thought of helping me made them swagger.

Slowly falling over, slipping to the side, and sliding down in the chair.

All four out for the count.

A clean counter with a only a few seeds left on Lola and the chair.