It's a Zoo Out There!

It was lovely. A concert at the zoo.

I was at the Albuquerque Zoo / BioPark (with friends) for a concert last night and it couldn't have been much better. The weather cooperated, the concert was, well...spicy in a cajun sort of way and knee-slappin' fun, Gail brought the food (and a table and tablecloth AND a candle), Ed provided drinks, I donated carrots and dark chocolate (an interesting gourmet combination) and the crowd was friendly and colorful.

It was a night of toe tappin', arm swingin' music, covert people watchin', friendly camaraderie and dang good food and drink - all done in camp chairs spread as far as you could see on green grass beneath peacock laden trees. (I am choosing to leave out lengthy commentary on forgetting my hair tie and considering a bungie as an option to pull my hair off my neck, inadvertantly locking my keys in my trunk and not realizing it until the end of the night, and other self-inflicted and unimportant incidentals of an otherwise marvelous night).

Back to the topic....yes, peacocks. In the trees. And some struttin' their stuff on the ground too. Real peacocks, not men. Birds with beautiful long feathers. (sheesh)

AND, cottontails...genuine honest-to-gosh, look-like-they're-stuffed-but-they're-real cotton tailed bunny rabbits. (wanderin' free near the condor aviary, which made me a bit nervous); they were hoppin' all over the place, and so cute!

And, that's not all, we also saw New Mexico's famed grey wolf, an endangered species. We saw two, in fact, and they were beautiful animals the size of a german shepherd.

And flamingos (just like in the picture >), and bald eagles and monkeys (not in the same cage)....and more!

Now, in case you are wondering, the animals - with the exception of the peacocks, were not sharing the concert venue with us, they were safely sequestered in their respective "natural habitat" spaces SURROUNDING the concert venue. Now, why doesn't that give me a sense of comfort? Anyway, during a break in the concert (before dark), we were able to wander some parts of the zoo and visit with some of the non-human zoo inhabitants. They weren't much for conversation, but they did stop for a minute and look at us curiously - well, the bunnies didn't, they were too busy hoppin'around , probably lookin' for a partner and a place (altho something tells me that they aren't real particular) to continue their prolific habits. (speaking of strutting peacocks, how about bouncing bunnies?)

I would have watched those bouncing bunnies all night, but it was suggested that I should listen for the lions; I took the advise very seriously. It made me wonder just how close the lion enclosure was AND if cajun music was especially appealing to the huge felines AND if the cages were securely locked. I suddenly had a vision of lions roaring in a kind of sing-a-long effort, then came the thought of the wolves howling in harmony - and then, how long would it be before the monkeys started banging on bongos?!? We could have had our own zoo symphony, a sort of Doctor Doolittle band.

And we did, but not with the wild animals or Doctor Doolittle: "The cajun band, Fuefollet, is just like a classic gumbo, Cajun music is fresh, spicy, and full of flavor! “Feufollet” is no different. Their blends of music tantalize the ears and captivate the mind. With each new album the band dances farther into the kitchen to rewrite the book of traditional Cajun affairs.

Their newest album screams “bam” and awakens our senses to the future of Cajun Music. During the show this quintet will re-teach us the traditional Cajun and open our eyes and hearts to future of this unique musical genre that is taking the nation by storm." (quoted from the Albuquerque Zoo Concert website)

Fue follet is french, in English we would say "will o'the wisp".

Will o'the wisp is a term used to describe the ghostly lights sometimes seen at night or twilight over bogs, swamps, or marshes. It looks like a flickering lamp, and is sometimes said to recede if approached. Today's city version of "will o'the wisp" is the Jack-O-Lantern.

A zoo with Jack-O-Lanterns flickering, now that's a thought: not sure who would be more scared, the humans or the animals. Which leads to a follow up thought (or two) - if zoo's are designed to protect humans from wild animals, 1) why do we have them in the first place - we could just leave the animals where they belong and reduce the risk to city-living humans greatly, and 2) why are the animals protectively situated behind bars and in cages and beyond moats and wide expanses of 'natural habitat' and fences, while we are allowed to wander aimlessly through their midst - at night, no less?!?!? Oh, never mind.

All I can say is that the musical version of a jack-o-lantern lit up our spirits and caused our souls to dance. The Louisiana-based Feufollet was fun, unique and entertaining. You can find out more about them by clicking here .

And that's all the thinkin' this redhead can do right now, so to sum this up....

Last night I thoroughly enjoyed spicy gumbo music served up with ghostly lights while sitting on a camp chair midst silent lions, odorous flamingos, accomodating friends and cotton-tailed bunny rabbits - all in the middle of a zoo and under the cover of peacock-decorated trees and a clouded sky. By candlelight. Barefoot. Without a hair tie. And with the realization that there are some things in life you can't get enough of. "Please sir, I want some more....."

Feufollet

Just me and Willie

There was a time in my life when I ached for road trips....and the beach, but that's a topic for another post.

I still love road trips. They clear my mind. As a friend says (more or less) there's nothing like seeing dust in the rear view mirror.

Well, yes, pretty much, sort of...that's almost true. The past few months have given me ample opportunity to see dust in my rear view mirror as I have trekked back and forth and back and forth between Albuquerque and Salt Lake City as if it was a normal commute. At this point, I am ready to see my rear view mirror laying in the dust somewhere, while I sit on a camp chair and drink something wonderful with NOWHERE to go!

Life has been hectic, but every trip has been worth it, no matter how much I am complaining at this moment. It could be a result of my sore bottom, a lack of sleep, two new lines beneath my eyes, a dwindling back account due to so much travel, or..........MAYBE it's because I got a ticket last night.

Yep, I did. I was not happy about it either. No signs, no warning, two lanes, but I was ticketed for passing in a no passing zone.

If it hadn't been so late, if it hadn't been dark, if he hadn't looked like a typical, irritatingly macho and very skinny UT trooper, I probably would have done a quick U-Turn after signing on the dotted line and gone back to take pictures.

But I was tired, and he was ornery and I just kept moving forward, irritated as hell, but moving forward.

I have always enjoyed dust in my rear view, and I am certain I will again....but last night, I enjoyed seeing that skinny uniform disappear IN the dust in my rear view. And it won't be long before I am back in the saddle, so to speak.

I may not ACHE for road trips these days and Southern Utah will be a bit richer when I pay my fine and I will be a bit poorer, but no one can take away my love of seeing the dust in my rear view. Not even a skinny uniformed trooper in the middle of the night.

On the road again...........but I am taking my camp chair along.

Willie Nelson "On the Road Again"

Burnt Eggs and Lemonade

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"...so goes the age-old saying. (my Mom made the best lemonade I have ever had - from scratch, with just the right amount of sugar - I can still remember how it tasted. Mmmmm).

"There's nothing worse than burnt eggs"....so goes a favorite quote from my Mom. She probably never imagined that her daughter might someday burn hard boiled eggs. I think she was thinking more along the lines of scrambled or fried eggs. But I managed to burn hardboiled eggs last week.

Yes, that's what I said. I burned hardboiled eggs. It's taken me a week to hone in on the fact that I really did burn hardboiled eggs and just as long to own up to it.

It takes talent to burn hardboiled eggs. Not a lot of focus, however.

I seem to have a knack for letting things simmer too long. I draw things out long beyond their natural, healthy lifetime.

Diets come to mind. I have been on a diet for 17 years, and look where it's gotten me. Nowhere. It's not that hard, when you think about it. Eat less, move more. Turn on healthy foods, turn off unhealthy foods.

Relationships are another thought. I seem to be able to nurse a bad relationship along for much longer than is healthy, for all involved. I can hang in there, I can give second chances, I can recreate myself, I can comply, I can rebel, I can turn things on, I can settle. So, what is it that prevents me from turning things off? This could be a question for the eternities. Longsuffering? Patience? Bullheadedness? The inability to admit failure? A refusal to change? The fact that I am a redhead? Never giving up? Carelessness? Enduring to the end? A combination of all of the forementioned?

Oh. Wait.

And then there are eggs. Hardboiled eggs. It should be fairly simple. Water, pan, raw eggs. Turn on heat, turn off heat. I, however, seem to have forgotten that last critical step.

Somehow diets, relationships and hardboiled eggs will forever be linked in my mind. I can't seem to turn things off in a timely fashion. I linger. I procrastinate. I hope. I wait. I dream.

And then I burn the eggs.

Which brings me to lemonade. The universally liked drink. Refreshing. Full of vitamins. Almost youth-enducing. The drink that makes any day feel like summer and creates a slight breeze effect in your minds eye. I like mine sweet, but not too sweet.

I am so glad that I like lemonade. I can drink it forever. I don't ever have to turn it off. It doesn't burn. It doesn't hurt my feelings. It doesn't make me wonder who I really am. It's just lemonade.

I can drink lemonade to regroup. I can hope and wait and dream....and drink lemonade.

Mom, baseball and apple pie? Well, yeah, that's American red/white/blue jargon, but come on.

Mom, lemonade and a camp chair beneath the huge tree in our backyard on 18th Street - circa 1960. Now we're talkin. Simple, carefree, sunkissed blissful, innocent days...with a slight breeze.

Those are my memories. What a simple and good life that was. Of course, I was 6 and rather unencumbered by relationships, a need to diet or cooking issues. And I still had my Mom - and pancakes with apple sauce and sun-brewed iced tea, and lemonade.

I will probably burn more eggs in my lifetime and drag things out longer than I should (my blog posts are probably a good example of that), but more importantly, I will always make certain to take some time to stop in the middle of life's chaos to sip a tall glass of lemonade, and appreciate my family, my friends and my good decisions.

I love lemonade. I love life. I still love to sit under huge trees. And I will always wait for that slight breeze to renew my faith in humanity and in myself.

Thanks Mom.

Bob Hope "Thanks for the Memories"

Stupor to Stupendous

Sometimes I wonder about myself. I question my ability to love unconditionally and forgive so easily. I am doubtful about the wisdom in opening my heart without any armor in place.

Then there are the times that I remember the joy I have experienced as a result of these risk-taking traits. Oh sure, I have been hurt because of them as well, but my memories are heavy laden with joyful connections, happy reunions and gratitude for relationships of all kinds, in all stages.

This Memorial Day Weekend has been one of those "Stupor to Stupendous" experiences...beginning in a life-stalling, disappointment induced stupor and ending in a stupendous display of loving friends, circled around a campfire with me, laughing and talking and sharing tales while lounging comfortably in our camp chairs.

Life is one step at a time, even at my age, and I am grateful for the small successes as I work my way through. A favorite quote from long ago: "The only way out is through."

Ok, then. Onward and upward and through - with a little help from my friends.

Joe Cocker "With a Little Help from My Friends"

Some Days Shine Brighter than Others

It's been a roller coaster week, month...well, year. Life has taken unexpected turns and leaps, almost with a whispered message "Be careful, curves ahead" or "Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it." or "Be careful." (period!).

From Kierstyn's early arrival and Karynn's troublesome recovery (blood clots are dang scary) to Kalen's early return from Brazil (OIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Kalers!!!) to Kelly's graduation from SUU (you rock, Kellers, couldn't be a prouder Mom!), to Logan and Kelly's engagement (talk about shining brighter!)....this has been one loo loo of a month.

I am so proud of my kids and their partners -they take life with a grain of salt, honor their commitments, treat others with respect, practice patience, choose tolerance over judgement (with appropriate exceptions), love purely, behave honorably and act with compassion.

In the past week I have listened to an inspiring Valedictorian, felt the confusing sting of mistrust, celebrated a rite of passage at a graduation party and shared life with friends.

Four nights beneath the star-filled skies of NM, circled around a roaring fire on camp chairs with good friends - what could have been a better way to spend Memorial Day weekend? We laughed so hard we cried, we talked about life's shining and duller moments, we strengthened our resolve to be good people and we learned from each other.

Most importantly, we enjoyed the moment.

I am living in the Land of Enchantment...and I am enchanted.

Shine on.

Shine Bright Morning Light