What We Need Here is Some Rain

AP image of the Las Conchas fire above Los Alamos. Since it first sparked three days ago, it has grown to 61,000 acres and counting.

Although, it did rain here yesterday. It started off as a smattering of hopeful sprinkles for a few minutes before gathering up full force and letting loose with a hard-driving downpour. For about 7 minutes, 39 seconds.

And it fell selectively. A good friend who lives 10 miles south of us didn't get a single drop. The folks in Los Alamos, nothing.

Things out here at the back of the mountain aren't too bad, but Albuquerque was enveloped in smoke yesterday, which obliterated the mountains and the mesas and volcanoes at the west side of town. We're holding steady at 10 percent chance of rain every day until mid next week, when it shoots to 60 percent for a couple of days.

In the meantime, the entire state is shut down. Even the scenic road to the top of the Sandia Mountains is closed to traffic, the first time ever. The trails behind my house, where we walk the dogs and run? Closed. The river and bosque trails? Closed. The Jemez and Pecos Mountain trails? Closed. Looks like road running and leash walking for us. Which I'll gladly do if it means we up here in the East Mountains escape this:

That's Los Alamos National Laboratories in the foreground.

Haiku Mondays: SHORT

A Dozen Mr. Right Nows; One Mr. Right

Too tall at thirteen,
too fast, too smart. Only one
man since measured up.

* * *

Señor Czar is taking time out from wrangling commas and the wholesale misuse of affect/effect to host this Monday's 5-7-5-er. Whose theme is: SHORT. Fitting. Head on over to catch the fun.

Nineties Nostalgia

That's it. I've officially become my parents: "What's this crap you're listening to?!? Music was better in my day!"

I just don't hear much new music that excites me. Do you? If so, let me know and I'll tune in. Otherwise, I'll just have to cling to my nostalgia.

King of the Beasts

Disturbing, yes. But, in what way?

Movie Clip Wednesdays: One Hit Wonders

What a great subject for this week's Movie Clip Wednesdays! I chose this one not so much because no one knows who Tatum O'Neal is or what happened to her (in fact, we probably know a little bit too much), but because she never really went anywhere after her first movie, Paper Moon, for which she was nominated, and subsequently won, the Academy Award for Supporting Actress.

There was that teen flick Little Darlings with Kristy McNichol and Matt Damon, but after that she disappeared into marriage, motherhood, divorce, and addiction. Only to reemerge as an actress in B movies and television shows as well as a peddler of dirty family secrets on the talk show circuit. Ah, well. With the kind of childhood she had, more power to her, if this is the way she needs to work things out.



For grins and giggles, click here to see Tatum's acceptance Academy Award speech (You Tube's disabled the embedding): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf2J8hktI5Y

It's interesting to note that another child actress and one hit wonder, Linda Blair, was also nominated the same year. The clip also showcases the juxtaposition between Jill Ireland's cool blond beauty and her husband's eternally craggy looks. They were married forever and a day before she passed away from breast cancer in 1990, so he must have had something to recommend him.

At any rate, to see who's playing this week, head on over to the Meme's Supreme Hostess, Ms. Cake's place.

Haiku Mondays: MEMORY

Ding-a-Ling Moi

Morning’s frantic search:

Keys? Lipstick? Sunglasses? D’oh!

In hand and on head.

• • •

If you'd like to participate in this week's Haiku Monday challenge, head on over to Miss Fleur's place to post.

Or, just read what everyone else is posting.

Rock of Ages

"Man fulfills his dream and by photographic magic produces a precise image of the Grand Canyon. The result is not that he adores nature or beauty the more. Instead he adores his camera—and himself."
— Daniel J. Boorstin

"Essentially the camera makes everyone a tourist in other people's reality, and eventually in one's own."

— Susan Sontag