Wrappin' up the summer

Friends, spas, trails, rodeos, operas, weddings...the last half of the summer was a bit busy! That doesn't even cover work, furniture shopping, or house decorating. Or copious amounts of Netflix and Hulu viewing. Some of these are more interesting than others. Don't worry, I'll stay on the fun side.

So, White Collar and the Bachelorette. Can you BELIEVE...

...kidding!

This is pretty much a photo dump to catch us all up, dear readers. Even more photo-dumpy than usual. The fall months with impending actual couch arrival will be more conducive to blogging with words. 

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Friends
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Within a week of each other, I saw my favorite bethanys. The first visited New Mexico "on the way back" from a work trip to Florida (nothing says, "brief layover" like three extra flights). I was beyond thrilled to have my first visitor. She enjoyed my canyon:

From Los Alamos 2012

I introduced her to Oppenheimer:

From Los Alamos 2012

And we spent several glorious hours soaking in the mineral springs, getting massaged and prickly-pear salt-scrubbed, and eating amazing food at Ojo Caliente.

From Los Alamos 2012

Bethany was a saint and helped me shop for couches in Santa Fe. I'm enjoying this whole real-job thing! Previously, all of my furniture was free or Ikea. We found a beautiful non-Ikea couch that will be delivered this week. Furniture really does take its time...

The rest of our weekend involved lots of New Mexican food (she's a convert), shopping for the perfect turquoise earrings (she's still looking), and avoiding the rattlesnake museum in Albuquerque like the plague. It has cute tortoises outside, though:

From Los Alamos 2012

My house felt so quiet and lonely after she left! Thank heavens I saw her a week later at my sister's wedding. :)

From Los Alamos 2012

But before the wedding, I saw Second Bethany!

From Los Alamos 2012

She picked me up from SeaTac and took me downtown for lunch and wandering. (My family was at wedding in Oregon. Yes, the week before my sister's. Aaagh!) I discovered that the Seattle waterfront sprouted a ferris wheel:

From Los Alamos 2012

And also, that the Space Needle suddenly supports Princeton:

From Los Alamos 2012

(Or it went retro for the anniversary of the Seattle World's Fair.)

It was wonderful to catch up with her, too, and I hope Second Bethany makes it down to Los Alamos soon. :)

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Trails
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Los Alamos is situated on several finger mesas extending off the side of a supervolcano in the Jemez mountains that blew its top (much like Mt. St. Helens, only 2000 times bigger) a very long time ago. (This is my source, along with Wikipedia, natch.)

Mesas (and the Sangre de Christo mountains in the distance):

From Los Alamos 2012

  What's left of the volcano is the Valles Caldera:

From Los Alamos 2012

(source)

My new friend, Madi, and I have hiked twice in the caldera. We've learned that while we may feel okay down here at 7300ft, hiking up steep trails that begin at 9000ft is killer. But the views! The viiieeews!

From Los Alamos 2012

From Los Alamos 2012

From Los Alamos 2012

There's still a lot of damage from the fire last year,  but it's still pretty in a different way:

From Los Alamos 2012

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RODEO
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Several friends and I ventured out to the Los Alamos County Rodeo. The Fair took over the entire downtown and consisted of good ol' fair food and arts and crafts. No rides, sadly, unless you count the bouncy slides and paddle boats on Ashley (Pond) Pond. After stuffing ourselves full of dripping-with-grease french fries, we procured liquid courage and drove out to North Mesa to find some cowboys.

This is about how we felt walking into the dusty, gritty arena as scientists with our fancy espresso drinks:

From Los Alamos 2012

But this is Los Alamos. While there were certainly real cowboy-type folk, the majority of the crowd was of the lab variety.

The rodeo started off with a winner in Mutton Bustin':

From Los Alamos 2012

Sheep were set loose with small, brave children clinging desperately to their backs. The children did not last long.

On the sheep. They were unharmed.

There were the requisite bull riding, cattle roping, and barrel riding events. Besides the kids-on-sheep, my favorite moment was when the sole boy in the barrel riding couldn't get his stubborn horse to move. A nice cowboy pulled the horse around the entire course:

From Los Alamos 2012

Summer is not complete without ice cream:

From Los Alamos 2012

I leave you now with...
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Gratuitous Faraday Pictures
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SQUIRREL.

From Los Alamos 2012

SUNBEAM.

From Los Alamos 2012

WHAT?

From Los Alamos 2012

Just let me lounge...

From Los Alamos 2012

Yes, there are still cardboard boxes in my living room. My couch hasn't arrived yet! I don't have the motivation.

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Next Time
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WEDDING. OPERA.