The Speed Limit is 35, slow down...

Some people have a habit of pointing out things you know but are trying to ignore.

I call these people, husbands, parents, aunts, evil friends.

I try to remind them to buy fabulous presents. They try to remind me of the number that is impending. Half past thirty, five till forty. Whatever. Then the bratty high school kids have to graduate and I realize I am more likely to know their parents, and have even gone to school with some of them. Then my quote unquote friend I graduated with has to post pictures on myspace of his son who is graduating THIS YEAR. Dude, that kid was born senior year! What the "HEdoublehockeysticks".

The point is, thirty five, as a number seems high. So far age milestones haven't really mattered to me, but this year it hit me for a while. Even the thought of one of those fancy chocolate cheesecakes to eat didn't cheer me up. Then we went to see Indiana Jones for my birthday and I couldn't help think as the movie opened how Mr. Ford is starting to show his age. Then he started kicking butt and I realized I still have thirty years until I get that old and if he can kick butt that age so can I. Do not dare burst my bubble and tell me that they used stunt men and special effects in the movie. DO NOT, old people can be grumpy. ; )

No Country for Water Lovers

Friday night we didn't have anywhere we had to be. Wow. It has been a few months since that has happened. While contemplating what to do, the little one had a fit about something and was sent to his room, he promptly fell asleep, while I finished up dinner, big brother also fell asleep, so it was dinner for two instead of four.

While we ate hubby and I were talking (I know!) and decided that he should go down and rent No Country for Old Men since we weren't able to get to see it in the theater. We have really liked all the Coen brothers films we have seen. Personally I like the way no matter who they portray they seem to always give an honest portrayal of the characters.

In particular this movie was relevant to us since the story line takes place near where we live and quite a bit of it was filmed in New Mexico and the places in Texas where it was filmed are near us as well. The opening scenes with the hunter are typical of what the landscape looks like around here. That is what I see as I look out my window typing this. When we watched the extras the film makers talked about how the landscape, it's harsh environment was critical to the film, almost a character even.

It is a harsh environment, to date, we have had about 0.86 inches of precipitation for the year. (On average our yearly total is less than 8 inches.) This is a dry year, normally we would maybe have double that by now. The wind has been brutal ripping up everything that isn't nailed down and some that is. Even in the summer when I think the pasture looks green after monsoon rains, most of you would find it yellow and tan, they are always the dominant color. I know many people who view all the native plants as weeds, and the landscape as ugly. I find beauty in them. I revel in every blooming plant I find, sometimes no bigger than few inches, and I marvel at how they can survive, even bloom on so little.

Last spring I took a few pictures of the plants in the pasture. Some of you may take exception to my using that term for our land, but it is where the horses eat.

Devil's pincushion.




Paper flower (Tagetes lucida) about two inches tall.

Prickly Pear (Opuntia) in Bloom


Native Verbena (Verbena species.)

This flower I haven't taken the time to try and identify, I didn't know it.

Soaptree Yucca (Yucca elata) our state flower

Poor shot, but a close up of a yucca flower.

On a large scale is harsh country and a bit wild. I still marvel at the little bursts of beauty and love it despite its harsh nature.