August 2026 Part Two: Denver Trip Report

I was invited to a birthday bash to celebrate the 80th birthdays of two Denver friends, which gave me the reason I needed to finally get up to where I lived from 1982-1993. At a rest stop on Las Vegas, NM on the way, I took photos of some of the old Victorians near the Plaza. I did this sketch from one of the photos when I got to Denver. 

First Stop: Lakewood

I spent the first part of my trip with Susan and Jean in Lakewood. Susan was one of the first friends I made when I moved to Denver for the Mennonite Voluntary Service in 1982. The first day, we went into Downtown Denver for a celebration of Women's Suffrage at the Center for Colorado Women's History. This museum is housed in the historical Byers-Evans house, right by the Denver Art Museum. I did this sketch of the house later.

At the museum, I learned that Colorado was one of the first states to pass the ERA, and the very first to pass Women's Suffrage. Below is the dress of Martha Conine, one Colorado's 1st female state representatives, elected in 1896. 

After the museum, we walked to the 1100 block of Acoma. I lived on this block for a little over a year in 1984-85. The building I lived in has been torn down, and was located where this parking lot now stands. This purple building (with a great bird mural) was in a major state of disrepair at the time.

  

We had lunch at the Schoolyard, right across the street from where I used to live. This grand old schoolhouse was abandoned at the time of my residence. It has now been renovated to a commercial space, housing a few restaurants and retail stores.

The next day we did a light hike along Bear Creek at Lair of the Bear. The stone structure has been there since the early 20th century. It once had a working well to provide water needed for the car radiators of the time.

While Susan and Jean went to an appointment, I went to the Bear Creek Greenbelt by their place and sketched Lakewood's oldest Stone House. They came by after their appointment and Jean took a photo of me at work.

 

Next Stop: Denver

On Friday I headed to Denver for the weekend. I met my friend Annie at the Denver Botanic Gardens, where we  had a very lively and stimulating conversation while walking, much the way we did in the old days.

I regret that I didn't get a selfie of Annie and I: I guess we were too busy talking. We met in the late 80s when we both worked at City-Wide Case Management. Later she moved down the street from me and we were neighbors for a few years. We frequently went for walks at Washington Park, just down the street from us. This photo of the south lake and the sketch of the north lake come from my visit to Washington park on Saturday. 

After a walk in Washington Park, I stopped by the street where I lived near the park for 8 years. The four-plex I lived in next to the Royal Crest Dairy still looked like it did back then, as did the Candlelight Tavern across the street. I took a photo of the tavern as reference for a sketch. I think this may be my favorite sketch of the trip. 

I then headed to Pablo's coffee on 6th Street. Annie and I frequented this placed back in the day, though back then it was called the Newsstand. It still has the relaxed and friendly vibe I remember. It seems to attract urban sketchers, as I was one of three who were sketching that afternoon. The management puts out sketch books, a new one each month, and invites people to use them.   

Saturday evening was the big 80th birthday bash at Andrea and Jan's for Jan A, Jan M, and George. I realized that I had met both Jan M and Jan A when they were 40, half their lives ago! Many of the guests were people I knew from the Denver Women's Chorus and the Rocky Mountain Rainbows (gay square dance group) in the 80s. It was fun to reconnect with so many folks from my young adult days.

The birthday celebrants, Jan A, Jan M, and George F, each holding their favorite type of cake.

Sue S entertained with her accordion, and we sung along with a lively rendition of Happy Birthday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Anne C, Jan A, and I. Jan dyed her hair purple for the occasion.

 

The day after the party, I went birding at Bluff Lake Nature Center with Jan A, Sue, and DD. Among other species, we encountered two Eastern Phoebes, Wild Turkeys, a group of juvenile Red-Winged Blackbirds, and a very healthy looking coyote.

 

 Last Stop: Louisville

I ended my trip with a visit to my friends' Cheryl and Ana in Louisville, near Boulder. We had a very relaxing time hanging out, perfect for the last stop on an eventful trip. I've known Cheryl since the very beginnings of the Denver Women's Chorus, in 1984, and Ana from a few years later.

We went into Boulder for a great lunch, stopped at Guiry's for Ana and I to get art supplies, and visited their lush community garden.

Ana and I shared in our enthusiasm for sketching and painting, and Cheryl and I went for  several lovely walks. We did some birding at Walden Ponds (it's really a mudflat this year, barely any water) and at a nearby Lake. In the open space near their place at dusk, we are pretty sure we saw a Merlin, and we definitely saw these gorgeous sunset clouds.

As you can see if you got all the way through this, it was a very good week; a time to renew treasured long-time friendships, check in on my old stomping grounds, and enjoy a bit of art making along the way. Thanks for reliving the trip with me. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 2026: Part One

 

Birds of August

Blue Grosbeak male

 

In August, the first of the fall migrants start to come through, while most of the summer breeding birds still remain. 

 

On the CNP survey, we had a Rock Wren and couple of Loggerhead Shrikes.This Shrike had caught a large insect and was attempting, unsuccessfully, to impale the insect on a branch without spikes. Perhaps a young one just learning Shrike ways?

  

 

The Swainson's Hawk Fledglings were still hanging around, begging for food. I assume they've headed south by now. 

Across the river, on the ditch east of the Bosque School, a flock of Lazuli Buntings were foraging with Lesser Goldfinches. There are also yet another Rock Wren, and a recently arrived Western Wood Pewee. (Photos are presented in the order named in this paragraph).

 

At Los Poblanos Open Space, Western Bluebird fledglings dabbled in a parking lot puddle.  

 

Lark Sparrows were everywhere that the habitat was suitable. This one was in a field at Los Poblanos Open Space. 

 

 Sketching the Summer Doldrums Away

I was feeling a need to find something to engage me at home in the hot August afternoons. This led me to the internet for some watercolor and sketching tutorials. A friend told me about Ian Fenelly's "Introduction to Urban Sketching," a very generous free internet offering, and loved it. The ideas I learned from this class put me in perhaps my most productive period of sketching yet. 

I will start with the sketch  that I did during his tutorial. I was using his photo reference, and following what he did step-by-step, so I don't claim the results as completely my own, but I loved it, and for those interested in signing up for the class, this will give you an idea of what you'd be doing.

Here is what I did on my own after the class. I started by going to Old Town Plaza and taking some photos to paint from at home:

 

 

I wanted to try an ink drawing using the brush pens and micron pens that I was introduced to in the class. I sketched this one afternoon at the Satellite Cafe. Fortunately my subjects stayed in place long enough for me to complete this, which doesn't always happen.

 

Then I turned to my archive of photos from my photographer days. These two are of Los Ranchos icons near where I lived until 2019: Casa Rondena Winery, and the El Camino Dining Room.

 

 So that's what I did in August, up until my trip to Denver the last week of the month. That memorable trip warrants another post, which will be coming soon.

 

 

 

July 2026 in Five Chapters

 

Chapter 1: Happenings at the Candelaria Nature Preserve

Every summer on the bird survey, we get to watch as the Swainson's Hawks arrive, reclaim their nest, and bring some new Hawklets into the world. At the beginning of July, we got to see these chicks in the nest.

By the last week in July, all three Swainson's chicks were fledged. Their begging calls could be heard throughout the preserve, and the parents were ranging all over to find them food. (Top photo: Adult. Bottom photo: Fledgling.)

We also found three Western Tanagers that day. Western Tanagers breed in the higher elevations. It seemed kind of early to see them coming through in the valley. This one had captured a large insect.

This is also a good time of year to see a Green Heron. 

 

Chapter 2: Mississippi Kites on the Golf Course

This is the first summer to my knowledge that Mississippi Kites have nested on the UNM North Golf Course. I read that Kites often nest on golf courses, but usually the small populations we have in Albuquerque are closer to the river. You can only see the nest later in the evening when the green is clear of golfers, and I've been visiting once a week to see what's happening.

  I  got my first sight of feeding time on July 12. The chicks looked quite small.

 

The following week, I watched the parent lay food in front of the chick to self-feed. (No good pics from that day.) By the next week, the more mature of the two chicks had branched out of the nest, with the other one still in the nest. You can see in these photos how much less down and how much more feathering is the on chick that's out of the nest.. 

When mom arrived with food, the branchling hurried back to the nest.

 

Chapter 3: The Quest for Water

In early July, I visited the Tingley Bosque. The river was completely dry, as it has been for awhile, and there was an active fire. Fortunately, the firefighters were there and had it under control. Still made me nervous to see smoke and some small flames.

 

I heard that the river was still running up in Corrales, so I made a trip up to the Romero Road Bosque to check it out. Sure enough, low but flowing.

Where the river flows, there will be Snowy Egrets, and also Dragonflies. While at Romero, I saw two new-to-me dragonflies: A Band-Winged Meadowhawk, and my first female Roseate Skimmer (I saw my first male Rosate Skimmer a couple of months ago.)

 Driving across Alameda Bridge to get to Corrales, I saw that there was also water running south of Alameda, so I retuned soon to check it out. The water there attracted Snowy Egrets, Great Blue Heron, and a couple of Black-Crowned Night Heron (pictured)

Chapter 4: 10K-Sometimes Just a Puddle will do

Drought affects the mountains too. I heard that the large parking lot puddle by the 10K trail that normally provides a bird bath in July had dried up. I also heard that some people were bringing water to create temporary puddles in a pothole there, and that the Red Crossbills were using it. So when I next trekked up the mountian I too brought some water.

The Red Crossbills were already using the pothole to forage in the mud left by the last watering.

I waited for them to leave to add the water I brought. They didn't return during the time I waited.  After a short walk, I came back to find the water mostly evaporated, but with two Pine Siskins poking around in the wetness that remained.

 

Chapter 5: July Sketching 

Mid-July, I took myself on an "artist date" Railrunner trip to Santa Fe. While there, I sketched in graphite pencil, including this one of the San Miguel Mission.

 

I did a quick pencil  sketch of the native vendors' market on Santa Fe Plaza. When I got home I did this watercolor of the scene, using one of my photos of the day as a reference. I've been working on capturing scenes with human activity.

 

The following Sunday I met with the Sketcher's Group at the ABQ Botanic Gardens. I followed the same pattern I had in Santa Fe: A pencil sketch while at the Biopark, then watercolors of family groups when I got home, based on some quick photos I had  snapped there. 

 

 

While the group met by the Biopark Pond to share our work, a bold Wood Duck female approached us to see is we had anything to offer. I don't think she was there to look at the art.

 This month I tried for the first time to print digital copies of my watercolor paintings on regular photo paper and put them on a card, the same way that I do regular photo cards. They turned out better than I expected, and I'm thrilled with this new possibility.  

 

Now that  I look back, July was an eventful month!  See you next time!