Stupid Computers (and Pretty Mountains)

I think I started about 30 minutes ago to attempt to write a new post. Lately my internet has decided to be super slow though. My mail functions properly, but almost all other sites, including Blogger, are dreadfully slow. I thought maybe the 8 updates I just installed would fix it, but no. Either Vista is still sucking it up or the internet company is punishing us for having a "network." Maybe we are sharing the available bandwidth.

Anyway, there really was a point to this.

I need to learn to carry my camera with me at all times. I have discovered that winter is an absolutely gorgeous time in Albuquerque. First there was the tree lighting and shop & stroll in Old Town (I have never seen this many people in one place in the Burque before).

Then there was the snow.

All this week I have been walking to the bus stop from my house past frozen puddles of the previous day's rain. And then I get on the bus and read a book for 50 minutes, and when I get off I step into snow. Not much - just a bit. Just enough to get my soles wet. And then I look up at the mountains and I pause in my tracks. The Sandias have been covered with snow from top to bottom. A thin layer, allowing the dark rocks to peek out. Allowing the cliffs and canyons to show up prominently. The trees at the top, also graced with fluffiness. Even the radio towers are beautiful - maybe it's snow, maybe it's ice - tall towers of white.

And then there was sunset. Walk out the back of my office building just before 5pm, and the sun is setting over the Rio Grande Valley. Walk out the front, and the sun is casting rosy colors on the mountains. I am used to mountains turning purple and looking like cardboard cutouts in the twilight, but there is something special about the pink hues topping the snow-covered peaks. The sky looked like candy, and clouds still eclipsed some of the peaks. The contrast of white and brown and pink was sumptuous and breath-taking.

And from my co-workers window, the scene was split down the middle by a giant flagpole with an even more giant American flag at the top. Nearly picture-perfect. Nearly.

I stood at the bus stop for about 5 minutes, just staring at the mountains. Mountains are pretty, I know, but mountains dusted with snow are superb.