There were some good times and high points in an otherwise difficult year. Envy and intolerance bring out evil in what you thought were otherwise good people. While the trend seems to be reviewing photos and quotes blogged over the year, I don’t see any reason to rehash old posts. But since it seems to be a good idea to have something that summarizes the year, enter the Average White Boys (AWB), and the Cute Cuddly Calf Band (CCCB). With a little prodding, they gave me inspiration and helped me put together a parody video that is a good allegory for 2017 in review. Its off key innuendos, delivered in perfect compás, are light hearted, humorous metaphors for anyone who got a lot of undeserving BS in 2017.

I kissed a Calf

I Kissed a Calf
Music by Katy Perry
Lyrics by Timothy Price
Vocals by the AWB
Calves by the CCCB

I was simply walking by your fence, I heard you tooting
I looked, you caught my eye you know, you’re so good looking
It’s not what we are use to, but we had to give it a try
It was interspecies curiosity that caught our attention.

I kissed a calf I didn’t like it
The sloppy taste of hairy bovine
I kissed a calf just to try it
Ugh a big wet tongue was behind it
It’s just so wrong
There’s nothing right
This bovine romance has to end tonight
I kissed a calf I didn’t like it (I didn’t like it).

So now I feel you’re not the same, what does it matter?
You are just a four legged game, just messing with nature
It’s not what guys and cows do, not how we should behave
Was I confused or what, you know you taste like hay.

I kissed a calf I didn’t like it
The sloppy taste of hairy bovine
I kissed a calf just to try it
Ugh a big wet tongue was behind it
It’s just so wrong
There’s nothing right
This bovine romance has to end tonight
I kissed a calf I didn’t like it (I didn’t like it).

You calves seemed kind of magical
Hairy skin, rough lips, not kissable
Big tongue is not so touchable
If you ask me I’ll deny it
Is it a big deal or innocent?

I kissed a calf I didn’t like it
The sloppy taste of hairy bovine
I kissed a calf just to try it
Ugh a big wet tongue was behind it
It’s just so wrong
There’s nothing right
This bovine romance has to end tonight
I kissed a calf I didn’t like (I didn’t like it).

With all of Laurie's family in town, Liz and Leah pulled out slides, a projector and a slide sorter, and we all gathered and partook in the retro-family-activity of sliding. We got through several boxes of slides from the 50's, 60's and 70's with much nostalgia for Laurie, her sisters and parents, and much amusement, with spots of hilarity, for husbands and the boys. All of us had great fun looking back at times gone by.

Western Blue Jay in among the Jetties

Rosencrantz: "Is that it?"

Loki: "Do you see anymore stuff in there?" Spunk: "It's awfully dark in here!"

Late afternoon Christmas day 2017 on the Rio Grande at the south end of Corrales, NM, USA.

Had a half moon to light our way back home

The Fab in the dark — A view of Intel on the hill in Rio Rancho from where the drainage channel meets the clear ditch at the south end of Corrales.

Spunk

All the kitties, Laurie and I wish everyone a kitty Christmas.

Najar

Sasha

Rosencrantz

Caught Santa on a flyby when I was photographing the quarter moon tonight.

Marble

Loki

Silver

Lola

Sunlight kisses mountains goodnight
Day is done
Clear sky cold
Dressed in blue
Tries on pink under gray
Night likes dark
Goes for same old black

Branches curled 
Clear cold night
Circles sliver moon
Cranes settle
Breezes whip darkened skies
Only eagle dares to fly

Into path’s darkened way
Clawing fingers 
Reach through briars
Tearing clothes
Scratching skin
Screeching voices fall
We loose their clinging holds

Reflections dive deep
Swift water’s still
Winter’s magic ethereal light
Walks on water’s solid ground
Under thin light’s gleaming eye 
Watchful sliver moon
Soft shadows lead us home

Spunk: "Listen carefully PAPARAZZO. Put down that stupid camera and get me off this stupid roof!"

Hunting pterodactyl under sliver moon
Leafless branches claw at cloudless sky
Dusk turns dark shivering cold
Primordial shriek breaks frozen gloom
Silhouetted against twilight’s glow
Aim, shoot shutter fires clicks
Pterodactyl shot with sliver moon

The lights on in the empty baseball stadium south of the pit had a nice shine to them.

Tristan graduated with a Bachelor's of Liberal Arts in Linguistics and Philosophy. She took part in the graduation ceremony, so off we went to the Pit. The University of New Mexico's Fall 2017 Commencement Ceremony was a popular affair. All the seats they had available for the audience were filled. Graduation ceremonies are the last bit of torture the university puts students and their families through, along with any friends dear enough to attend, before the university turns the graduates loose on the world.

The 2017 ceremony was no exception. The keynote speaker loved to hear herself talk and she said "I", "Me", "Mine" at least 3 million times, but I lost count after the bored crowd got louder than her. Soon after she started her speech, people in the audience started talking among themselves, playing their mobile devices, getting up to get popcorn and burritos — basically doing whatever they could to entertain themselves while ignoring the speaker. I was entertained listening to and observing the audience's actions and reactions to the keynote speaker. After about 30 minutes of "I, me, mine", she seemed to make a final point. The crowd cheered at the prospect of her keynote finally being over. She paused for a moment, then, encouraged by the applause, started her chin wagging again and went on for another 15 minutes. Her talk was excruciating and she said nothing that seemed to be of much interest to anyone but herself. 

They went through some more formalities, recognized various faculty, gave out faculty awards, and finally started recognizing the graduates, which was quite entertaining after the keynote speaker and other formalities. There were lots of students receiving PhDs. About the same number of students received Master's degrees as those who received PhDs. Of all the undergrad degrees, students receiving Bachelor's degrees in Arts and Sciences were the vast majority taking part in the ceremony. I think Bachelor's in Nursing was the smallest number represented when only two students stood up to be recognized. The next largest block of graduates received Bachelor's of Business Administration. The rest of the colleges had handfuls of students taking part in the ceremony.

The Pit full of graduates, families and friends.

Tristan shaking the President's hand after receiving a diploma.