Bosque Journal: May Flanerie

I've started a new routine of strolling along the river in the Bosque near my Downtown Albuquerque home in the mornings. While I would like to say my motivation is a deep appreciation of nature, I have to confess what got me to lace up my shoes was reading the advice I would burn off more calories if walked before eating breakfast. This appealed to my inner sloth.

I've never been into competitive sports, other than racing a sail boat, the ingenuity being I could skipper while staying comfortably seated in the back.

With the need to get more movement in my life, I've discovered the lost art of being a flaneur. Described in the 1800s as equal parts curiosity and laziness, it was a leisurely way to become an urban spectator of boulevards, parks, arcades, and cafes. Perfected in Paris, it was a philosophical cousin to the development of the dandy, minus the fancy clothes.

On my first couple of outings, I spent most of my stroll scrolling through my phone to check messages. When I returned home I didn't feel particularly refreshed. I've since learned to pay attention. The walk is an hour long meditation of footsteps.

We don't have an English translation for the French word flanerie. It remains a foreign concept. I recently read an advice column which posed the question-- What would you do if you came across a windfall? What if you were gifted with a large amount of unexpected money? How would you spend it?

The article went on to lecture the reader that wealth should be invested, not wasted on frivolous pursuits. As an example, the author stated using a home equity loan was better utilized for a kitchen remodel than blowing the money on a month-long vacation. Upgrading a home's kitchen and bathrooms was an investment in real estate.

How very American! We are taught from a young age to be small-minded about the rest of the world. We value the shiny new toilet. Never mind that unless the house is about to be sold, the kitchen and bath upgrades will soon be outdated. How does anyone calculate the value of a month of sabbatical? What if it saves the marriage of a decades married couple? Getting divorced is more costly in the long run than a great vacation.

We've lost any concept of leisure. Of how wasting time can broaden horizons. We are so busy doing we stop seeing the world around us.

During my jaunts in early May along the Bosque I am watching spring unfold. The geese are tending new babies, wild roses are blooming along the water, beavers are busy gnawing down trees, ducks strike off in pairs, the occasional rabbit crosses my dirt path, while song birds gather at the south end of the ponds.

The world changes a bit each day.

One Day of Keeping the Sabbath

An Experiment in Spirituality

 

I decided to join a friend, on the first Sunday of the new year, in taking the challenge to keep a Sabbath. My husband and daughter were away visiting family. I didn't have any obligations on my time. I figured the task would never be easier than a cold winter day spent alone.

Looking for Something

The impetus for the Sabbath was a to unplug. My friend reasoned it would give her a chance to better hear the voice of God. I can't say my own motivations were as noble, but I did feel I was spending too much time every day consuming passive media, like reading Facebook posts instead of having real conversations in person.

Amish

As a child I went to a summer camp located in Holmes County, Ohio. The small farm was the equivalent of an Amish dude ranch. Set among the rolling hills it lacked municipal services and was surrounded by an Amish community. It was a magical time of learning simple farm chores and living without electricity.

As an adult I ask myself if it's possible to be a little bit Amish? Could I turn my back on modern ways?

The Amish preserve their way of life by rejecting all outsiders, following a strict religion with iron-clad patriarchy, receive little education, and completely shun any relative who refuses to obey all of the strict community rules.

They believe their lifestyle is an all or nothing choice--black and white. They don't tolerate shades of gray or dabbling. They would likely be amused by someone thinking unplugging for a day would be enough. Still I decided to give it a try--kind of.

 Modern Life

Since I'm not about to buy a horse and buggy, I'm left navigating the modern world. While I appreciate time saving devices and enhanced communications, I also have to wonder if our gadgets have begun to control us instead of the other way around. Can we find balance without creating a closed society outside of the mainstream?

Sabbath

I have almost no religious education. My understanding of the purpose of the Sabbath is to spend a day a week in rest and spiritual contemplation. Given my sporadic attendance of any formal religious services, it's no wonder I'm at a loss as to how to keep a Sabbath. However, my friends, many of whom do espouse an adherence to a specific creed, don't seem any more engaged in keeping the Sabbath than I am.

Figuring Out the Rules

I got up Sunday morning, checked my emails on my phone, then made myself breakfast with a pot of tea. Until that point I hadn't decided if I was committed to the Sabbath idea or not. Chewing on my toast I decided I was.

The first, and most difficult, problem was deciding on the rules, particularly when you're winging it. An easy target seemed to be avoid as many electronic devices as possible. Sitting at the table I realized I'd already blown it by using the toaster and oven. If I had planned ahead I could have had iced tea and a cold breakfast devoid of cooking.

As I mulled over how strict to be, I decided some appliances are more harmful to turn off than leave on. Who wants a fridge of spoiled food or a pipe burst in house without heat? I needed to get into the spirit of the Sabbath in a way which was respectful.

I decided not to use the car (which isn't really a sacrifice since I often travel by foot or bike), avoid cooking, and skip my usual Sunday laundry loads. Could I wash the dishes by hand? I contemplated the use of hand tools for awhile, but then pictured a busy mother spending her morning sweeping with a broom. While the image has a certain Zen appeal, what is the point of her spending twice as long to do half the work? She has still spent the morning doing chores.

I'm not against appliances, per se. They serve useful functions. I decided the point of Sabbath was to skip regular chores. I wouldn't clean. Strangely the cobwebs started to bother me and I felt a longing for Monday morning to get rid of them. Perhaps making them forbidden added to the allure.

When I got dressed I wondered about make-up. Should I go the Amish route and be modest? Or would I do better to dress up in honor of the day? I thought of Baptist women I've met in their Sunday best dresses topped with outlandish hats. I can't say either approach is better.

That is the problem with spiritual tourism. I am taking bits and pieces without having a good grounding in what I should follow.

Surprises

I decided I was fine with spending money, particularly shopping locally and getting out in the community. At lunch I walked over to Duran Pharmacy to buy a Sunday New York Times newspaper. I was dismayed to see how small the paper had shrunk. The clerk accidently rung it up as a weekday edition, agreeing it appeared unusually small.

I folded the paper into my purse. No matter, I decided, I would walk over to the Downtown Flying Star Café to read the free magazines. One of my joys has always been to dig through the racks. Years ago I felt I was making it as a freelance writer when I could spot three different publications at once who'd published my articles.

Imagine my dismay when I found most of the black racks empty. A sign was taped to the bare shelves explaining their customers had turned to digital and they were removing the magazines to make way for more outlets.

Plugged In

As I stood in front of the empty racks my Sabbath experiment started to feel more real. Up until that point I figured using my digital devices was optional. I could easily spend the day without them. Suddenly, I wasn't so sure. If I have to log into an electronic device for reading materials, what is going to stop my from checking emails or surfing the web? The digital slope was getting slippery.

Evening

In modern life we've lost touch with many of our natural cycles. By walking I'm forced to stay in touch with the changing seasons. What about day and night?

I decided I would experience the sunset. It came faster than I expected. I barely made the walk home from the grocery store when my downstairs went dim. I had to hustle to get showered before dark.

I lit candles and my fireplace. While I expected to enjoy the ambience nestled with my two dogs, I quickly grew restless and bored. I had decided to use the phone, since it connected me directly in conversation with other people. Despite calls with family members, however, I still had trouble coping with the dark. My eyes strained to finish the paper by candlelight.

I lasted less than an hour before I flipped the lights back on. Even the Amish use bright lanterns to light up their homes. It's inconceivable to me how many hours a day people used to lose before the invention of decent night lighting.

Lessons

I occupy myself quite a bit by reading. I'm not sure how I would cope without an education and access to information. I think being plugged in isn't as much of a problem as not having access. Still, I found I got twitchy when I had to turn it off. I think it would take several Sundays to get used to the feeling of tuning out.

I suspect a Sabbath is best kept within an extended community of like-minded people. While it's probably not important whether you're allowed to use the phone or not, it would seem to matter that you are following a set of guidelines with peers.

While the voice of God didn't come to me, I did find I was more creative. I thought of a couple design projects I wanted to do around the house and felt more ready to get busy on Monday morning. I'm not, however, sure I would try it again by myself.


(Photos of stained glass windows at the Chicago Art Institute.)

Contemplation

When I travel I often visit a museum.

View the Slideshow.

Why?

 

This past Thanksgiving my family and I journeyed to New York City. The week was dreary—cold with rain, sometimes turning into face-stinging sleet. In short, a perfect time to see The Cloisters. Part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the museum sits like a medieval castle on top of a hill overlooking the Hudson River. The immense grounds have the feel of a countryside, rather than being in the nation’s largest city.

The winter darkness created a contemplative mood. The collections of the museum feature Medieval European works, which focus on the religious, and include sculpture, stained glass, tapestries, painting, manuscript illumination, and metalwork.

 

Looking through the artifacts my daughter asked me about Lilith. Remember Adam’s first wife before Eve in the Garden of Eden?

Me neither.

From Wikipedia:

In Jewish folklore, from the 8th–10th century Alphabet of Ben Sira onwards, Lilith becomes Adam's first wife, who was created at the same time (Rosh Hashanah) and from the same earth as Adam. This contrasts with Eve, who was created from one of Adam's ribs. The legend was greatly developed during the Middle Ages, in the tradition of Aggadic midrashim, the Zohar, and Jewish mysticism. In the 13th century writings of Rabbi Isaac ben Jacob ha-Cohen, for example, Lilith left Adam after she refused to become subservient to him and then would not return to the Garden of Eden after she mated with archangel Samael.

 

I was reminded we are never too old to learn. In my own writing I am l learning I haven’t developed my evil characters well enough. The author Margaret Coel advises the antagonist should be as well developed as the protagonist. What better example than Lilith? She is a complex character, Adam’s equal, who leaves the Garden to be replaced by the younger Eve. Lilith is the original member of the First Wives Club, along with the embodiment of evil.

 

 

People of the Middle Ages spent much of their time, resources and energy on their spiritual lives and the hereafter. While modern society offers a much longer and more comfortable lifespan, I was reminded we can get so focused on daily living we forget the bigger picture.

Do we spend enough time in contemplation? Have we contributed enough to our community? What legacies do we want to leave behind?

View the Slideshow.

 

ABQ Bosque: Fall Drawings at Tingley Ponds

ABQ Bosque: Shades of Red

Fall in the Bosque

Illustration of the river Bosque and Tingley Ponds in Downtown Albuquerque in early November.

View the drawings.

ABQ: Winter Garden

ALBUQUERQUE

Sasebo Japanese Garden at the BioPark


City of ABQ:

Built in honor of Sasebo, one of Albuquerque's Sister Cities, the four-acre Sasebo Japanese Garden hosts a majestic waterfall, an elegant koi pond and a mixture of Japanese and local plants. Stone lanterns and pagoda sculptures dot the grounds and stone and wooden bridges straddle small streams.
Upon entering the garden, you'll walk past the large bell tower, through huge wooden gates, and along immaculately manicured paths. You'll be surrounded by traditional Japanese plants, along with native New Mexican trees pruned and sculpted in the Japanese aesthetic.

Noted landscape architect Toru Tanaka, founder of Portland Landscape Design and Japanese Garden Speciality, designed Albuquerque's garden which opened in September, 2007.
Just inside the gates and to the right, visitors will find the Japanese Garden's newest feature, a 'garden-within-a-garden' designed by five members of the Ogata Kai organization of Japanese landscape architects. The five architects, trained under the late Kenzo Ogata, created this beautiful garden in just four days (September 14-17, 2009).

Sasebo Garden is included with general admission to the Botanic Garden.
Docent-led Garden Tours are offered on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

ABQ: Solstice

ALBUQUERQUE

Winter Solstice


“I stood transfixed, the silence ringing in my ears. From the field of wild grasses; cocksfoot, tufted hair, wild oat, tall fescue, reed canary and perennial rye, their subtle shades of green, ochre and pink softly patching and blending in rustling movement, suddenly rose a small flock of starlings that had been feeding quietly unseen among the tall waving stems, the swish of their glossy wings startlingly loud in the stillness of midday. Heat held me captive.”
― Nell Grey

ABQ: Winter at BioPark

 

 

ALBUQUERQUE

 

Winter at the BioPark

 

 

“Is it snowing where you are? All the world that I see from my tower is draped in white and the flakes are coming down as big as pop-corns. It's late afternoon - the sun is just setting (a cold yellow colour) behind some colder violet hills, and I am up in my window seat using the last light to write to you.”
― Jean Webster, Daddy-Long-Legs

 

 



ABQ: Bridge in Garden

ALBUQUERQUE

Bridge in the Japanese Garden at the ABQ BioPark


“Between death and hell a bridge shining silver wings offers his soul hope.”
― Aberjhani, The River of Winged Dreams

ABQ: Bird Tracks

ALBUQUERQUE

Bird tracks along the Rio Grande in Downtown ABQ.



I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show.

Andrew Wyeth

ABQ: Late Autumn

ALBUQUERQUE

Late Autumn


Leaves

"How silently they tumble down
And come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet, rich and rare,
Beneath the trees without a care,
Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colors gleaming in the sun.

 

Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow." - Elsie N. Brady, Leaves

ABQ: Bosque Dusk

ALBUQUERQUE

Bosque Dusk

“Dusk is just an illusion because the sun is either above the horizon or below it. And that means that day and night are linked in a way that few things are there cannot be one without the other yet they cannot exist at the same time. How would it feel I remember wondering to be always together yet forever apart?”

― Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

SECRET ABQ: Veterans Memorial

ALBUQUERQUE

Veterans Memorial at Alvarado Square


On the grounds of Alvarado Square in Downtown is a memorial to people who have served in the military. While the monument is open to the public, it's not visible from the street. The memorial is accessed by walking into the courtyard behind PNM's large fountain at the sidewalk.

This is my favorite memorial in Albuquerque. It's public while still creating a sense of quiet and seclusion within the middle of the city. There is a globe with plaques below to commemorate each branch of the service. A few feet away is a tall wall, covered in ivy, with a bench. It provides a serene space to sit in silence to view the memorial. People seem to treat it reverently as I have never seen anyone sitting on the bench to eat lunch or talk on a cell phone.

The complex is for sale. I haven't seen any discussion of who actually owns the memorial and whether it will move when PNM leaves the building.


Alvarado Square:


Notes NM Business Weekly:

PNM, the building's current occupants, are vacating and the square is for sale.

The building is unique in Albuquerque as it spans Silver Avenue and might be the only building Downtown that has an airspace agreement with the city. PNM kept it in immaculate condition, but a new owner most likely will have to invest in new finishes and other cosmetic upgrades. The building has eight floors and all its mechanical systems are operational.

Emporis:

Technical Data

Height (architectural)

184.00 ft

Height (roof)

184.00 ft

Floors (above ground)

12

Construction end

1974

ABQ: Autumn Song

ALBUQUERQUE


Autumn Song

Know'st thou not at the fall of the leaf

How the heart feels a languid grief

Laid on it for a covering,

And how sleep seems a goodly thing

In Autumn at the fall of the leaf?

And how the swift beat of the brain

Falters because it is in vain,

In Autumn at the fall of the leaf

Knowest thou not? and how the chief

Of joys seems—not to suffer pain?

Know'st thou not at the fall of the leaf

How the soul feels like a dried sheaf

Bound up at length for harvesting,

And how death seems a comely thing

In Autumn at the fall of the leaf?

 

 

By Dante Gabriel Rossetti

1828–1882 Dante Gabriel Rossetti

ABQ: Cranes

ALBUQUERQUE

Cranes


Brochure about Sandhill Cranes in New Mexico.

Sandhill Cranes migrate to New Mexico for the winter, stretching from Albuquerque south to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

About the Refuge:

The Refuge is 57,331 acres located along the Rio Grande, and is located at the northern edge of the Chihuahuan desert, and straddles the Rio Grande. The heart of the Refuge is about 12,900 acres of moist bottomlands--3,800 acres are active floodplain of the Rio Grande and 9,100 acres are areas where water is diverted to create extensive wetlands, farmlands, and riparian forests. The rest of Bosque del Apache NWR is made up of arid foothills and mesas, which rise to the Chupadera Mountains on the west and the San Pascual Mountains on the east. Most of these desert lands are preserved as wilderness areas.




The Refuge is an important wintering home for Sandhill Cranes, and will host as many as 14,000 during the winter months. Cranes will begin arriving in November, and will leave as late as the end of February, heading for Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge and Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge for a month or two before migrating onwards to Greys' Lake, Idaho, their breeding grounds.


The Bosque provides a critical Refuge for Sandhill Cranes and other migratory birds, providing food, protection and shelter. The Bosque is a critical habitat for a large number of resident birds and wildlife as well.

The Bosque is also home to over 32,000 Snow Geese and Ross Geese, dozens of Bald Eagles and Goldens, Great Blue Herons, Occasional Pelicans, Avocets, and many, many other birds. This beautiful Refuge is also home to small herds of Mule Deer and families of Coyotes. Seeing the sunset "Fly In" and the dawn "Fly Out" is an experience you will never forget! If you are lucky you can also see what we call "Puffs" of Snow Geese, thousands rising into the air, sometimes within 10- 20 feet of you. The sound of wings and the sound of geese talking is a fantastic, primordial experience, guaranteed to "wow" you out of your worries and "wow" you out of your own body, and guaranteed to lift your soul to join them.

ABQ: Autumn

ALBUQUERQUE

Autumn in the Bosque, Downtown Albuquerque


Changing Seasons:

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” 

― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky (Discworld, #32)

ABQ: Autumn

ALBUQUERQUE

Autumn in the Bosque


“October is a fine and dangerous season in America . . . a wonderful time to begin anything at all.”        
Thomas Merton   Source: recalled on his death, Dec. 10, 1968

ABQ: Bosque Wetlands, Fall

ALBUQUERQUE

Bosque Wetlands Restoration Project

Fall 2006

View the photo journal.


The photo was taken in 2006 of the Bosque wetlands in Downtown Albuquerque. This is early in the restoration project, as not much vegetation has grown up yet around the ponds. It was still easy to walk around the perimeter of the ponds on paths.

Now the south end of the ponds has returned to marsh. I suspect it's an excellent spot for watching birds. The cranes will likely come in November. Black boxes are attached on the telephone poles in the pictures at the photo journal. They are "bat houses," like bird houses, but with slats instead of round holes.

ABQ: Fall in Bosque

ALBUQUERQUE

Fall in the Bosque

View the photo journal.


Photo of the Bosque Wetlands Restoration Project.


October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations above them once again. 
Hal Borland 

ABQ: SnapSpace

ALBUQUERQUE

SnapSpace

Photo journal of the SnapSpace landscape.

On the edge of the Raynolds Addition and Barelas neighborhoods near the zoo in Downtown, local developers Sean Gilligan and Marilyn Keller are trying a new concept in Albuquerque home building--"stick-built" modular homes that can be moved to other locations throughout the state.

The concept embraces both green building and simplified compact living. They have a model home on Iron that is less than 900 SF. Which means that more time and attention is spent on outdoor living. The photo journal at the top of the page shows their attention to the details of creating an urban sanctuary landscape, which includes 3 separate outdoor decks, fire pits and BBQ, a pond and a garden.

The enclosed yard is reminiscent of the Medieval concept of a Hortus Conclusus, literally a walled garden that served as a contemplative outdoor room within the larger garden.


Explains Landscape Design + More--Hortus Conclusus is the archetype of an enclosed garden.  A walled garden, one with a fenced enclosure, became synonymous with the term “garden” in medieval times.  Its nomenclature, “hortus conclusus,” is believed to originate from King Solomon’s “Song of Songs” 4:12 "Hortus conclusus soror mea, sponsa, hortus conclusus, fons signatus" ("A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed up.")

The enclosed garden was a common setting for images of the Virgin Mary in medieval artwork.

In secular terms the garden became a symbol of earthly love, typified by Guillaume de Llorris 13^th century poem the Roman de la Rose, an allegory of man and an enclosed garden. In this walled garden, the interior represents romance, while the exterior is emblematic of everyday life.

Artificial nature is the basis for the hortus conclusus - shutting the space off from the outside world, creating an image of an inner paradise. One could begin to suggest that this archetype has been translated into present day public pocket parks in urban centers. A more private example would be the jewel box size gardens behind brownstone buildings - is an oasis, a refuge of peace and tranquility among the chaos within the urban infrastructure.




Information about SnapSpace:


SG Properties is the sales representatives for SnapSpace NM, LLC.  We build movable, modular, green homes for delivery throughout the state.  These homes are "stick built" at our factory yard in Albuquerque and moved to your lot.  

Models:  We currently have one model for sale.  We have schematic designs for a number of other models and are in the process of completing the working drawings and pricing them.  The current model can be seen at 1104 Iron SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102.

 

Process:  Our homes are built in our factory yard and then shipped to your lot.   Customers either pay for their unit with cash or with financing.  Once the home is finished it is shipped to your lot for installation on your foundation.

 

Find Out More About SnapSpace:  Please call or email us if you have questions, want additional information, or would like to schedule a tour of our model.  Be prepared to be impressed.  
 

Sean Gilligan

SG Properties. Qualifying Broker

Phone  505.440.5814

Fax  866.630.6946

Email  sean@sgproperties.biz