It goes without saying that families love to take their kids to the zoo, and for obvious reasons. Visiting the zoo, exposes young people to animals they may otherwise not ever see, or even know exist, and the zoo helps to foster a respect for wildlife and to educate about the need for conservation. 
     That's all well and good but I'm an adult who doesn't have children and I like the zoo too! Here are my top five reasons why the Albuquerque Bio Park Zoo is one of my favorite places to visit on a regular basis.

     Founded in 1927, the 64 acre ABQ BioPark Zoo (originally called the Rio Grande Zoo) is nestled among the ancient Cottonwoods near the Rio Grande River that runs through the heart of Albuquerque. Over 250 species of animals live here and to see them all requires walking the entire 2.25 miles of paved trail. Conservatively, that is at least 6000 steps and possibly more depending on how many times you circle back around to see the giraffes.  
     The zoo provides a safe outdoor environment for walking (complete with refreshment stands) during all seasons of the year. Albuquerque is known for it's mild winters so the animals are still out on most days even in December and January.
​     My favorite way to meet my step goal is to do so while visiting my animal friends!
     

     It is worth mentioning that the ABQ BioPark actually consists of four different locations: The Zoo, The Botanic Garden, The Aquarium, and Tingley Beach. Those with a BioPark membership can visit any of these locations for free and some membership levels even allow for bringing extra guests! 
     Have out-of-town guests and need help keeping them entertained? The ABQ BioPark has something suitable for guests of any age, mobility level, and for all seasons. Your guests may not feel like tromping around the zoo in the snow but, on a bad weather day, they would surely love the Aquarium! And, on a good weather day, there is positively nothing cuter than a baby elephant playing in the water.

     I never tire of visiting the zoo and, part of the reason, is because I know that each time I go I am sure to see something new. As an example, the Mexican Wolves in the above photo have a wonderful enclosure. It is roughly half an acre of wooded land which provides plenty of privacy for the shy wolves. It is such a wonderful enclosure that the wolves are rarely visible. During my many visits to the zoo, I would occasionally see one of the wolves walking around somewhere near the back fence but most of the time they are hiding out and enjoying their privacy. That's ok because the welfare of the animals has to take priority over appeasing looky-lou photographers like myself but, now and then I still get lucky. On this particular day, my husband and I got there right at feeding time and the wolves were running laps through their enclosure. We didn't plan it that way, but it was a pleasant surprise that once again makes the whole experience worth while.

     The ABQ BioPark plays an important role in wildlife conservation. With the recent addition of two Red List assessors, the BioPark is now at the leading edge of conservation research worldwide. 
     The Red List is a growing database assessing the extinction threat faced by plants, animals and fungi around the world. The Red List is complied and published by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
     Albuquerque's BioPark is the first facility of its type to become a hub for the IUCN and the first facility worldwide to have two Red List assessors. 
     Every BioPark membership and every visit supports conservation efforts to protect the other creatures that call our planet home.
     In addition, the zoo also plays it's own direct role in the preservation of endangered species. Just this year, I have watched two baby Reticulated Giraffes growing up and been able to see the new baby Snow Leopard and there also two new baby Ocelots. Last year, the zoo saw it's 2nd baby Asian Elephant. Many years ago, I remember seeing a bunch of  squirmy baby American Alligators and they now occupy the Gator Swamp!

     Hands down, the #1 reason I enjoy visiting the ABQ BioPark Zoo is because of the animals. There are over 250 species of animals living at the Zoo and everyone has their favorites. Personally, I am totally in love with the giraffes but I can't hardly drag my mom away from the penguins and my cousin would be happy enough to just stand there and stare at the flamingos all day.
     The ABQ BioPark goes to great lengths to provide high quality care for all of their animal residents as well as enclosures that meet their needs. These animals serve as ambassadors and educators so that we all may have a better understanding of the diversity of life that shares our tiny blue planet.

     April of 2019 was a particularly prolific month for the New Mexico sky. Almost every day, I would look out my back door and see something amazing. It took a lot of work to narrow it down to only the best images. I mean, how do you pick which of your children is your favorite?
     Sunset tip: It's all about the clouds. When guessing whether or not there's going to be a good sunset on any given night, look for clouds. Too many clouds could mean an all grey dud, but no clouds almost certainly means a very un-dramatic ending to the day.
     To see my 2019 sunset collection in it's entirety, click here.

     All photos show with a Motorola MotoX4 and edited with Snapseed.

     Earlier this year, I started playing the ukulele and learning from multiple online resources. The site I am most involved with is called Uketropolis and features the teaching materials of James Hill as well as a friendly community of like minded ukulele enthusiasts.
     Every so often Uketropolis hosts a virtual recital in which students are invited to submit videos of the pieces they have prepared. It's all of the fun, and none of the stress, of a live recital since there is no actual playing in front of people. 
     I prepared a couple of songs, and a couple hundred takes later, here they are!
     

     Roving Gambler is a beginner level piece from book 1 of The Ukulele Way by James Hill. Most people would play this piece fingerstyle but I prefer to play it with a pick.

     My second piece is a little more advanced and one of all time favorite songs. This is Wayfaring Stranger from Book 6 of The Ukulele Way, also played with a pick.

     Both pieces were shot in the Sessions Academy (where you can also take online ukulele lessons) green screen studio. The ukulele is a Donner DUC-4E solid Mahogany concert uke, and the amp is a Donner DEA-1.

     Every evening I sit at the dining room window and watch to see what my New Mexico sky is going to do. On some cloudless nights, it doesn't do much, but when those clouds roll in the show is a sight to behold. And all I have to do is step out my back door! I have so many of these sunset images that it would be silly to try to put them all in one blog post so these are my best shots from the month of March 2019.
​     Click here to see the full Year In Review.

     Those of you who follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook know how many sunset photos I post throughout the year. In an effort to keep track of them all, I am archiving them by month. These are my best New Mexico sunset photos from February of 2019. All images were shot from my back yard in Meadow Lake, most while standing on my back steps or from the spot in the back 40 affectionately known as "Horse Poo Hill". All images shot with a MotoX4 and edited with Snapseed. 
     To see my other posts featuring New Mexico Skies, click here.