A Glimpse into New Mexican Culture -Our Skies

Now before you start arguing on why your cities sky is much better...read this blog.

New Mexico. Land of Enchantment.

(or enTRAPment if you are between the ages of 13 and 18)

We have lots of sky here. LOTS of it. So much that when I was searching for New Mexican "Sky" pictures I found many other people blogging about how wonderful the skies are here..

Angel Station
Atma Jyoti
Caffeinated Gonzo

So why then are they so beautiful? How are they different?
Well first, there isn't anyone I know that sits watching a New Mexican sunset saying "gross". Secondly, the layout (?) of our wonderful state (especially Albuquerque) allows you a view of practically everything.

This allows for wonderful skies.

The Bosque

One of my favorite times in NM is monsoon season (July-August). Not only because we finally get moisture, but because around 4:00pm in the afternoon every day you can see the storms coming. The clouds? HUGE. I could swear they are at least 30 stories tall.

A storm. (from the blog - Atma Jyoti)

During the aformentioned storm you can watch the wonderful lightning strike the city in a blaze of glory. Let me explain. Because you get a view of everything, you can check out one side of the sky and talk about how the sun looks like one big red circle (you know what i mean..) and then BAM! Out in the corner of your eye is a smattering of lightning. This happens every day! (during a monsoon) Plus, watching it in the safety of your own home? Priceless.

And I say safety of your own home because New Mexico has a high rate of lightning striking people. Cause we like to be outside. To see the sky.

Lightning on the mountains!

 Not to mention our sunsets. The sunsets in New Mexico can't be beat. In a recent trip to ol' NM, I took some pictures of our sunset for this blog. I realized its pretty hard to convert 6 pictures of a sunset into 1 panoramic picture of a sunset without the necessary tools. So what I'm asking you hear is to picture this 2-part sunset picture as 1. 

Our sunsets.

This is the point in the blog where you go..."WHOA. That IS pretty. But wait, I bet you were in the country like many of these pictures I've been looking at have been taken. What about the city?"

The city you ask? Well, reader, I walked probably 200 feet from my parents front door (in order not to get the trees in the picture) to see this wonderful sunset. In good old Albuquerque. The biggest city in New Mexico.

We used to live in the mountains where the Sandia's would block us from this spectacular view, but the view at night would make up for it. The view in NM's night skies? The Milky Way. You can SEE it. Not just a bunch of "stars" but a magnificent i-don't-know-what jumble of beauty. But I could be biased.

Actually taken in New Mexico!

Our skies. We love them. Most of us don't take them for granted ( I say most, because I can't speak for everybody). And so shouldn't you when you come visit our wonderful state. Can I recommend a good place to see the sunset? Anywhere in the east of ABQ (because its on a 'slant'), anywhere in the middle of New Mexico on the side of a road, anywhere on a mountain....Basically Anywhere my friend. Anywhere. So come see 'em and take a lot of pictures because you'll miss 'em when you're gone.