Edna and Mike arrived yesterday morning, and it was good to see them. We went down to the Bosque, and saw some spectacular raptors. Not many sand hill cranes left, as they are beginning their way back north. The same with the snow geese, but we did see a few of them. Lots of ducks and some coots still hanging around, as well as Canada geese.

However, we saw four different types of raptors, but unfortunately, we could only identify one - a beautiful bald eagle sitting up on a dead tree in the middle of a field which is starting to be drained for summer planting. It is the first sighting of a bald eagle for me at the Bosque. Then we saw an eagle or hawk flying low to the ground, straight along one of the irrigation canals, hunting. And then several more sitting in trees, their light colored breasts fluffed out and soaking in the warmth of the sun. One took off, and I gasped. Their wing span is incredible. No pictures unfortunately, as we were looking through binoculars to see them.

We also watched a juvenile sand hill crane walking along one of the irrigation canals, when suddenly he jumped into the water and pulled out a really big fish. But he couldn't hold on to it, and the fish got away - probably grateful for another chance!

There were several herons in the ponds or just standing on one leg near them. I haven't been to the Bosque for quite a while, and it is so different now since many of the birds have left.

Here are a couple of pictures at sunset, where I used to watch the cranes and snow geese fly in for the night. You can see how empty it is now...

Tomorrow there is a Civil War reenactment happening at the Plaza in Socorro. We plan on going to it, before we go to Tech to listen to an Irish group called McPeake, and an Irish singer, Cathie Ryan, who is also a songwriter and was named "Female Vocalist of the Decade" by liveireland.com. I am also taking them with me to our Friday lunch group, which will be fun. Yesterday, Mike took us to the Socorro Rotary meeting and lunch, which was interesting. Mike is going to be the new president of the Lawrence, Mass. Rotary, and that is how he knew about this meeting. We are very busy!!!

Saturday I am taking an all-day Writer's Workshop, taught by my favorite New Mexican writer, Steven Havill. It is going to be at Mary Mac's, a restaurant in Magdalena. They have a really great room for these types of events. Then Mike and Edna are coming out at 4PM so they can meet Steve, and we will have dinner there.

I have finally finished my appendix of "Words and Phrases" used by William H. Hawley in his letters that folks today may not understand. These include a number of military words and phrases. I have sent them to a friend who is a 14th Connecticut Volunteer re-enactor. I asked him to go over them and correct anything that I have wrong. There are only a couple of things that I could not identify. At least not yet. Now I will be going over all the names in those same letters and attempt to give them full names and their connection with William.

On March 4th, Matilda and I hit the road again, heading east to my granddaughter Rae's wedding, which will be on the 11th. I will be staying in Elkton, with Siobhan and Brie. Kat will also be attending. Phil and Gihan unfortunately can't attend, as Phil starts a full time job on the 5th of March. After seeing friends and family in the area, I will be going up to Massachusetts for a few days, and then head back to New Mexico, via Iowa and Colorado.

And now for the viewing.....Matilda is sporting a new license...

And "Serenidad", the name of my little adobe house, has a blue door! Inside and out!

This is one of my offerings to my poetry group this past Tuesday - and yes, I wrote it:

A straitlaced young lady from Lemitar
Went out to the plains in her car.
She smoked some peyote,
And kissed a coyote,
Then danced wildly under the stars.

Sally Atwell Williams Feb. 2012


That's it for now. Watch for more.

I love you all,
Sally