I wish I had photos of last night

Yesterday afternoon I bundled up and headed out. It was raining, but quite gently, as I left my house. As I drove along the mesa the rain let up but I could see it descending in the distance in almost every direction. When I got onto the freeway there were occasional snowflakes hitting my windshield. When I got to Old Town I was not dealing with precipitation but was very grateful for a flannel shirt, a very heavy leather jacket, and a scarf wrapped around my neck.

Folks like Caminante will wonder why I even bother to mention anything this mild. Remember, this is a California boy living in the high desert whose one experience of snow in his home town, all one inch of it, was a giddy highlight of his teen life.

I joined my friends Scott and Lawrence for a tour of the "Temples and Tombs: Treasures of Egyptian Art from The British Museum" exhibit at the Albuquerque Museum. [You can read about this traveling exhibit at the Oklahoma City Museum web site here.]

Head from a Statue of Thutmosis III Probably from Karnak New Kingdom, Eighteenth Dynasty, reign of Thutmosis III (ca. 1479-1425 B.C.) Graywacke, Height 17 ½ inches (44.5 cm) EA 986, acquired in 1875, purchased from Selima Harris Trustees of The British Museum Courtesy of the American Federation of Arts

This was similar to a larger exhibit I saw years ago in Los Angeles and I think the same recumbent lion was in that one, though I could be wrong. I saved my fave for last: an encaustic funeral portrait. These would be put on the coffin to identify who was buried therein. They seem to be the very immediate ancestors of icons when I look at the brush strokes and highlighting. What blows me away is their individuality and high level of artistry. One feels one is looking at a specific person with all the uniqueness imaginable. Stunning. Here is one example of that sort of thing (not the one I saw yesterday):
Next I met my friend Susana at a nearby Starbucks and we headed north to Santa Fe. This entailed driving in the snow but there was not much of it and it was no big deal. We meet other friends and met a bunch of new people as we had dinner. As we dined it snowed and the world was transformed with a fresh layer of powder by the time we emerged from the restaurant. We walked several blocks to the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis, crunching through the almost-virgin snow. A winter wonderland.

The Desert Chorale is an amazing ensemble, singing a wide variety of music with great skill and grace. We enjoyed their winter concert including Britten's Ceremony of Carols, the well-known Carol of the Bells sung in Ukrainian, and other works. The Cathedral is an amzing setting. Earlier this year I heard them perform the Rachmaninoff Vespers, a concert that blew my socks off--truly one of the most amazing musical experiences of my life (and I was familiar with the work).

This is an old snow photo from last December but you work with what you got, right?
When we got back to my car it had about 3-4 inches of snow on it. I had a flashback to my first experience of this (a newbie here, remember) leaving work on December 19, 2006.
Only this time it was downtown Santa Fe, a world of adobe buildings and farolitos. And this time I had devices for removing snow and ice from the car, leather gloves, and the knowledge that a large container of kitty litter was in the trunk in case I got stuck and needed traction. One does learn. Quickly.

I only wish I could have snapped some pics last night, especially of the cathedral in the snow. Lovely.

Back now in the far southwest end of the South Valley of ABQ where it's much warmer. I doubt there was anything here but rain. Striking how the north end of the same town can have snow and we see none..