Thursday May 4, 2006 New Mexico

I've spent the last 2 weeks in New Mexico. It's warm and dry. Temperatures about 75 to 80 and humidity about 10%. They've had less than 1/2 inch rain since last October. The forests and grasslands have to be watched very closely to make sure no fires get started. The wind comes out of the west and southwest keeping things dry. It's very different from green and moist Missouri. Nobody has grass in their yards(not enough rain). Most yards are landscaped with native bushes and plants and river rock. There is little maintenance of yards required - this allows people much more free time. They get little or no snow and very little rain so all their homes only have to deal with the sun and the dryness. It's really a pleasant place. Albuquerque is about 5,000 feet in elevation, so it doesn't get too hot in the summer and it's far enough south so it doesn't get too cold in the winter. They just celebrated their 300th anniversary of the founding of Albuquerque. An interesting town. A good place to visit.