Tis Cold---

Al Hansen

Well-known member
I know I'm a whimp. Years ago I didn't hesitate to hunt when it was -20F. Never gave it a thought---just dressed for it, that was all. I just glanced at the thermometer and we have -19F here in Luis Lopez, NM. It is damned cold out for this ol man. Well not that cold. Soon Bev and I will be out walking the dogs, talking, having fun, holding hands, and most likely complaining about the cold. Oh, well, it is just part of life.

Yesterday I took the car (it has front wheel drive) and drove to Bosque del Apache. I just wanted to drive on some snow and ice covered roads once again. Got down there and found a frozen world, darn near.
Al

IMG_4085.jpg


Met one other guy down there from Port Angeles, Washington. We laughed about being the only two nuts out in weather like we had.

IMG_4077.jpg


Of all the thousands of birds reportedly being here, I saw less than a 100. I'm sure the Rio Grande was teeming with them. Too bad the season still wasn't on.

IMG_4078.jpg


I did find a few birds in the irrigation channel.

IMG_3778.jpg


IMG_3813.jpg


There is no doubt that she forgot to shake the water off of her when she decided to sit on the bank with the rest of the birds. Some pretty big hunks of ice on her.

IMG_3819.jpg


This is a very poor shot but it will show the ice build up around her beak.

IMG_3845.jpg


Bev always told me that red and white go together. I have never seen this combination before down here. Rather striking!

IMG_3835.jpg


IMG_3895.jpg


The wind was kicking up allot of snow as he walked along the frozen bank.

IMG_3872.jpg


These two shots are my favorites.

IMG_3906.jpg


IMG_3909.jpg


There is a new look to our environment. We haven't seen it like this since we moved here in 97.

IMG_3707.jpg


8 inches of snow might take a while to melt! I wonder how long?

IMG_3688.jpg


Moms don't necessarily tell their kids to go out and play in the snow.

IMG_3720.jpg


IMG_3690.jpg


IMG_3699.jpg


Hard to imagine that just three days ago we were working on our drip system and watering the rose bushes. This is normally the time we lop all of our roses getting ready for spring.
Al
 
Last edited:
Really nice pictures Al...I like the picture of the Hollywood drake...And that hen looks like she wished she had flown further south...I have never viewed a bird in that condition...Seems like that could be very dangerous for her without the natural oils on her feathers keeping them dry...

What type of vine or plant is that with the large spikes...It that some type of cactus...Those look like they could put some pain to you if you accidently grabbed one or fell into it...

Hope all is well...

Kristan
 
There is a new look to our environment. We haven't seen it like this since we moved here in 97.

Al

I was going to ask if this is "normal" for New Mexico...just kept reading and my question was answered.

Great pics as always! Those ducks are probably wondering just how much further south they need to go to escape winter!

Chuck
 
Al, great pics as always. It was -3 here this morning. I have never seen it this cold here in souther NM. No school again!!! Yah baby!! I know....a whole mess of you laughing right now. The masses here have nooooo idea how to handle icy roads... Very scary!!
 
Al,

The photo of the twisted thorns with the snow, nice..

That 8 inches will be gone in no time. I do not think you will stay in the deep freeze for long.

A couple of those ducks look like they are saying "Why me?...did I make a wrong turn some where?"


Matt
 
Al,

The white board that list the number of birds.....for some odd reason it always makes me laugh we biologist types will say some thing like 46,444 ducks...are we sure it is not 46,445? or 46,443? or some other number....such precision. The model that is used to estimate that number from some type of sample method probably has a margin such that saying 46,400 or even 46,500 is more than sufficient (even saying 46,000 is likely close enough). Field method and model, both have inherent bias and variance and then report it with great precision. Such funny business with numbers and stats.


Matt
 
Really nice pictures Al...I like the picture of the Hollywood drake...And that hen looks like she wished she had flown further south...I have never viewed a bird in that condition...Seems like that could be very dangerous for her without the natural oils on her feathers keeping them dry...

What type of vine or plant is that with the large spikes...It that some type of cactus...Those look like they could put some pain to you if you accidently grabbed one or fell into it...

Hope all is well...

Kristan

Thanks, Kristan---
That hen spoonbill sure doesn't look to be in good shape especially with all of those hunks of ice on her.
The long spikey looking plant is called an ocotillo. (o-ko-tee' yo) It sits out front of the garage and is now about 12 feet tall. They have gorgeous red flowers in the spring right at the top of the spike.
The other one was a pear cactus.
Al
 
There is a new look to our environment. We haven't seen it like this since we moved here in 97.

Al

I was going to ask if this is "normal" for New Mexico...just kept reading and my question was answered.

Great pics as always! Those ducks are probably wondering just how much further south they need to go to escape winter!

Chuck

Thank you.
What you said is so true, Chuck. Most of the ducks just head towards Chihuahua, Mexico. Bev and I live only 144 miles from Las Cruces, where Jake lives, and that is darn near on the Mexican border!
Some of the old timers have told us that back in the 60's or 70's they experienced some -20F weather. this is a first for us.

I took this shot at 9AM of the thermometer. It is still brutal at noon. I just loaded a half cord into a friend's truck. Thank goodness that activity kept me warm. Dad always told me that messing around with firewood has quite a few ways to keep you warm! Boy, was he right!

IMG_4098.jpg
 
Al, great pics as always. It was -3 here this morning. I have never seen it this cold here in souther NM. No school again!!! Yah baby!! I know....a whole mess of you laughing right now. The masses here have nooooo idea how to handle icy roads... Very scary!!


Thanks, Jake. That had to be really tough on the folks down there, Jake. Like around here, there are so many homes that are just not built for this kind of weather. Back in the summer of 97 when our contractor began building our home, he called me up when we were still living in Wisconsin and told me that I was wasting my money on over insulating our home. I told him that I wanted it insulated like any home that would be built in northern Minnesota or Wisconsin. Sure glad that I kept to my guns on that one. By the way it really helps keep the house cool in the summer, also.
Al
 
Al,

The photo of the twisted thorns with the snow, nice..

That 8 inches will be gone in no time. I do not think you will stay in the deep freeze for long.

A couple of those ducks look like they are saying "Why me?...did I make a wrong turn some where?"


Matt

Thanks Matt.
It should be in the middle 40's by Saturday. However, like so many other places in our great continent the weather pattern can change in minutes. I'll play that one day at a time. I sure hope it will be gone by Super Bowl Sunday. Go Pack!
Al
 
Al,

Are you a Vikings fan also? Just that you are from MN and it seems that that is a passion of my in-laws and my wife Barbara (they are from MN). Just another thought on those cool temps...come July what will you be wishing for? Cooler temps? Maybe not 12 below, but surely not 106 above...

Matt
 
Last edited:
Al,
Thanks for the photos. Those shot of the cinammon teal are nice. That is one of my all time wish list birds right along with a harli. Saw my first cinammons same day as my first harli-1979 in Yellowstone park.

Who was the guy from Port Angeles you mentioned?

Stay warm my friend.
 
Al,
Thanks for the photos. Those shot of the cinammon teal are nice. That is one of my all time wish list birds right along with a harli. Saw my first cinammons same day as my first harli-1979 in Yellowstone park.

Who was the guy from Port Angeles you mentioned?

Stay warm my friend.

Thanks Kevin,
I hope you get your cinny some day. What a grand trophy they are.
As for the photographer from WA, I don't know his name. Sorry
Al
 
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/...ow-and-yet-you-whine

I really do feel for all of you down there.

You get to experience something that we call "wednesday" up here.

Out melting snow in February isn't any fun either.


Thanks for the article, Ray. I enjoyed it. I have never experienced -60F but have been in -58F. I hope you won't quibble over 2 degrees. Yes, and I did try that spittle routine-----they are correct.
I can still remember them trucking in snow to get the mushers out of Anchorage and on their way to Nome in February for the Iditarod.
Al
 
I sure hope it will be gone by Super Bowl Sunday. Go Pack!
Al

[/QUOTE]


All great pictures. I knew I liked you for a reason, I concur on your other sentiments as well!!!
Stay warm! You were smart on building that house the way you did, nice job. Hope all is well.
 
I sure hope it will be gone by Super Bowl Sunday. Go Pack!
Al


All great pictures. I knew I liked you for a reason, I concur on your other sentiments as well!!!
Stay warm! You were smart on building that house the way you did, nice job. Hope all is well.


Eric,
I have been wearing my Packer sweatshirt forever it seems. With all the Dallas Cowboy fans down in this neck of the woods, I do get their attention when I'm in town. The last day of duck season I wore my Packer sweatshirt as my camo outfit. I figured a little bright white and yellow with all that green wasn't going to hurt.
Al
[/QUOTE]
 
Al when I saw your title

She so cold cold cold... she so cold cold cold...

( HUM THE TUNE ) from the Rolling Stones

While shoving my drive way She so cold cold cold.....

I like your pictures of the red ducks.


Go Pack Go
 
Al, Great photos, I went to High School in Scottsdale Az. so I do have a love of the desert!! country.

The Cinnamon teal are neat birds, love to get one some day.

Kevin If you ever want to shoot a Harli just ask I can;t keep the pesky buzzards out of my decoys on the salt, must have seen 30 last week out there.

Fred
 
Back
Top