I am somewhat behind on writing up blogs, partially because I can't keep up with myself and partially because I want to get a good overview of my new home, Roswell, New Mexico and the Chihuahuan desert, before focusing on the sections that I'm exploring on monthly hikes. Also, I'm finding photography to be so intensive in my explorations of biology that I'm branched into a deeper study of photography. Following, I plan to refresh my knowledge of electronics and, specifically microcontrollers and data loggers. So I've rebuilt my prototyping set.
Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art
On my last hike, July 13, 2026, I noticed that the Anderson Museum has reopened following the devastating floods of last year and I stepped in briefly. I will certainly have to revisit next month. This museum features works both in the private collection of founder Donald Anderson and his own works, plus exhibition of members of Roswell's artist in resident program.
Hopefully the Roswell Museum will also be reopened by next month's hike. There are a few places that I was not able to spend enough time at in July.
My lifelong learning is active. I go out to meet the world on its own terms, but I do read (or, rather, I listen. My dyslexia leads me to prefer screen readers). I'm currently reading some works that I.can gladly recommend to readers of this blog.
I'm a sociologist and it's rare enough to find readable literature that accurately delves into the work of the sociologist. Anthropology, History, and American Indians: Essays in Honor of William Curtis Sturtevant, edited by William L. Merrill and Ives Goddard is a readable and fascinating window into the work of the anthropologist. It is volume number 44 of the Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology
I'm also reading through the mathematics textbooks of Frank Lynwood Wren:
Basic Mathematical Concepts
Basic Algebraic Concepts
Trigonometry for Secondary Schools
These are my votes for most approachable math textbooks. They're written for primary and secondary teachers of mathematics, not mathematicians and they're readable, understandable, and surprisingly deep with a lot of interesting sidelights
I've seen people complain that Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum is convoluted and confusing. I don't understand that. It may get academic about the Knights Templar but that's part of the charm. I would recommend it to anyone that wants a thriller that also deserves to be considered a classic.
I've recently introduced myself to Haruki Murakami through his The Elephant Vanishes. It's a collection of short stories somewhere between slice of life and magical realism and I haven't failed to be charmed yet. I'm about half way through
Having moved to Roswell, I felt obliged to reread Dr. Gregory Reece's UFO Religion and enjoyed it so I continued with Weird Science, which I haven't read before. I'll probably reread Creatures of the Night when I finish. One reviewer opined that Dr. Reece should have left out the personal adventures, and adventures they are. Dr. Reece is an Indiana Jones of sociology (actually, his field is Religious Studies). The said reviewer certainly has a right to state his opinion.....but what's wrong with him?
Peggy and Lane Larson's, The Deserts of the Southwest, A Sierra Club Naturalist's Guide, is better than a reference work. It's readable, fascinating, and charming I moved to the Chihuahuan desert and became a desert rat so I figured I should read up on the area.
Desert storm
We're going through monsoon season, Although "monsoon" brings images of horrific storms and floods, the actuality is the Pacific version of Atlantic tropical storms. Ours are not as extreme as the ones in Asia but they're driven by pretty much the same forces. The North American monsoons are milder than their Indian counterparts primarily because the Mexican Plateau is not as high or as large as the Tibetan Plateau. So we get thunderstorms to cool things down between July and September (when they really need cooling down!), an occasional tornado, high winds, and dust storms.
Irrigation ditch
Farmers are irrigating crops now. This irrigation ditch is just about the prettiest stream I've seen in the area. It's fed by artesian wells and can be turned on and off
Monster sand spurs
Desert plants are producing seeds. Many of them travel by sticking to passing animals. They'll also puncture flesh. Sand spurs, grass seeds, and goatheads make their ways into shoes.
Goatheads. New Mexico's professional hockey team is called the Goatheads. "What a strange name for a sports team!" I thought......until somebody explained that the vegetable caltrops that had punctured me multiple times were called "goatheads", because the seeds were sorta, kinda shaped like goat heads (sorta). How appropriate.
Cumulonimbus clouds
Desert skies are spectacular. They're one of the best things about the desert. Visibility is normally very high, You can see weather systems coming from way off.
Juneteenth fireworks
It's hard to see my phone's screen because of the glare so I didn't know my selfie camera was on. Still one of my favorite shots of myself.
The moon
My phone's zoom does surprisingly well!
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