Jury Duty Completed

For the last couple of weeks I've been on standby - having been called as part of the jury pool for Metropolitan Court in Albuquerque.

My time of service came to an end on the same day I was chosen to be on a jury - only to learn upon return from lunch break that a mistrial had been declared.

I picked up my certificate of service from the friendly folks in the juror services office and was on my merry way out the building.

All in all, I have to tell you the court and its systems appear to run very well.

 

Chief Judge Judith Nakamura dropped in on the waiting "masses" - there must have been a hundred or so waiting to be called.

The amount of traffic handled by Metrocourt is astounding. The 19 judges handle upwards of a thousand cases a day. She's booking hearings right now for her November docket.

It is a beautiful building, the systems in place appear to be good - and everyone from the security officer at the front door to the clerks of the respective courts had a smile and a good attitude.

That's refreshing because most of the folks who have occasion to visit the courthouse aren't a very happy lot.

Good Job!

Oh, and there weren't any TV shows on in the jury waiting room.  Our Judge Judy said cable was cut off due to budgetary restraints a couple years ago.  However, she said things are looking better and she promised to check on the possibility of lighting up the screens once again.

Now, can you imagine - watching Judge Judy or any of those other shows while waiting to be chosen to be in a real trial?

Historic Hospital in Taos burns

It was 1936, Mable Dodge Luhan donated a house to the Town of Taos to be used as a community hospital.

For about 25 years, the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth operated the 10 bed facility.

I was born there, as were most of the people at our high school reunion last weekend.

This is what it looked like when we grew up:

Photo from Holy Cross Hospital web page.

This is what it looks like now.

A few days before our high school reunion on August 11th, in the dark of night, somebody took a torch to the building.

I don't think any of us did it in commemoration of the 49th anniversary of our graduation from dear old Taos High!  (I know, 49 instead of 50  -  but this is Taos.)

The original hospital and convent had not been used for a number of years.  A new hospital was build just in front, then it was turned in to offices and a newer hospital  - in use today - was built about 4 miles away.

Another page turned.

HERE'S MORE ON THE STORY FROM THE TAOS NEWS

You're outta here!

At least 2 significant events in the world of sports have occurred in the last couple of days...

#1)   Badminton players who were trying to throw the game - almost by throwing the little birdies instead of hitting them over the net - were ejected from the Olympics.  

I guess to them, winning is everything.  And maybe that's true.  They came from South Korea, China, and Indonesia.  If they don't go home with a medal, maybe they don't get to go home!

#2)    The Public Address announcer at a Daytona Cubs minor-league baseball game was thrown out of the game by the umpire just after the announcer and his musicologist chose to play "3 Blind Mice" subsequent to a questionable call!  Here's the story from MLB.com (thru their minor league website):
After a questionable play at first base, Harper argued the call with infield umpire Ramon Hernandez. Daytona first baseman Taylor Davis appeared to pick a ball in the dirt thrown by shortstop Tim Saunders, but it came out of his glove when he turned to toss it around the infield. Hernandez ruled Davis had bobbled the ball rather than dropping it on the transfer and declared Fort Myers' Andy Leer safe.

Seneca wheeled, pointed to Dye in the press box and shouted, "You're done!" Ditto for the Cubs' public-address announcer.  "Turn the sound off for the rest of the night," Seneca could be heard yelling during the Cubs' broadcast.


To quote Warner Wolf...the famous sports announcer from New York,
  let's go to the video tape:


Summertime in the city!

Ponce de Leon

The Ol' Swimmin' Hole

I learned today of significant news relating to my upbringing.

When we learned to swim, we did so not in the private pool of Duane Van Vechten Lineberry, but rather in a public pool of hot springs water south of town.

We just called it "hot springs" and that was it.

A fault in the Picuris Mountains of the Rocky Mountain Chain allows hot water to ooze into a stream that fed the springs.   (I don't know what heats the water, but it probably has something to do with molten lava and not so much to do with heaven or hell.).

Sometime back in "the olden days" a resort of sorts sprung up there. When we were kids there were locker rooms, a concession stand, and generally a fun place to go.

Here's what the ol' swimmin' hole looked like last year, according to a website I visited.

And here's the news of the day, courtesy of an instrument of the Town of Taos:

==================================

 WHEREAS the springs in Llano Quemado, known as The Ponce de Leon Hot Springs, have been a scared site since time immemorial for Native People, and

WHEREAS the springs, with 95-degree groundwater pools, were a popular resting spot along the Camino Real and a community gathering spot throughout the centuries, and

WHEREAS the springs, like many ancient, special land parcels in Taos, have seen ownership, preservation and issues of public access wrestled with throughout the decades, and

WHEREAS this 45-acre parcel, through the coming together of the Taos Land Trust and Taos Pueblo, has found a steward in Taos Pueblo, and

WHEREAS through this stewardship appropriate access and a conservation easement to eliminate development have been preserved and will match the wishes of the $500,000

anonymous, private donation that enabled this exceptional stewardship, and

WHEREAS we have all come together today to celebrate this stewardship of the Ponce de Leon Hot Springs by Taos Pueblo,

NOW THEREFORE, I Darren Cordova, MAYOR OF TAOS, do hereby proclaim July 14, 2012 as

“PONCE DE LEON HOT SPRINGS DAY”

In honor of this significant day in the history of Taos, New Mexico, and to pay tribute and honor both the Taos Land Trust and Taos Pueblo for this valuable action that directly contributes to our community and its future. 

===========================

Here's more

To that, I say....good!

Break Time

It's time for you to take a break and watch this


Don't let all this mullarky get you down.  It's a wonderful world!

Monsoon

OK, to the folks in Puerto Vallarta and points south, a monsoon is one thing - torrential rain that fuels the rain forests and jungles - and sometimes overwhelms the rivers.  To those of us in the good ol' US of A, it's something else.  Our monsoon brings rain to our very thirsty lawns, and a feeling of contentment amongst those of us to gather on the porch and watch the rain come down.

Here are a couple of shots out our back door.  The first, a "mini-monsoon" that occurred on July 4th - while the sun was shining.  And the second, which occurred one day later when it clouded over and dumped - if even for a few minutes.

Let the rains continue!

Pool Toys

Here's one way to clean out the pool: