Spring in the Neighborhood

Spring came early this year but then went back in hiding again. Emerging life and color is celebrated when most of the year, New Mexico is a drab brown.

Tim Keller for Mayor

Raphael organized a neighborhood "meet and greet" event for Tim Keller who is running for mayor. We've known Tim since 2009 when he was state senator and represented the international district in Albuquerque. He is currently state auditor. Tim was able to obtain 5000 signatures and 5000 - $5 donations which enabled him to become eligible for public financing. By the last count he had 9191 signature.

Tim attended 7 neighborhood events that same weekend but said we had the best food. Thank you neighbors for contributing to the table and for coming out to show your support.

Here are a few pictures from that day.

Cousin Brian and Jewel Visit

March 9 - 13. It was exciting to have Brian and Jewel spend a few days with us. While Jewel was tied up for much of the time attending a wholistic health conference, Brian and I took long walks in the neighborhood, did some spring cleaning in the yard and relaxed. The last day we spent together in Santa Fe -- not surprisingly it was the highlight.

New York, New York

We spent a couple days in New York City on our way to (1/10) and from (2/13) India. It was cold, gray and damp but we eked out a few fun moments. The highlight was getting together with cousin Michael for lunch at Russ and Daughters.

Family Tme in Hosur

A month goes by quickly when you treasure each moment. Dad and mom were in good health. We spent many hours with my brothers and their families. We even got to see Tanisha for a few minutes. A bonus was having Sanjay and Dharti's visit overlap ours.

National Gallery of Modern Art, Bengaluru

A quiet oasis in the midst of the chaotic bustling city of Bangalore or Bengaluru. Our rickshaw driver, however, wasn't familiar with the place and we almost gave up trying to find it. We rounded out the day with a visit to Lal Bagh Gardens and Commercial Street.

Keeping the pollution at bay.

Exploring the Famous Devaraja Bazaar in Mysuru

It's hard to beat the sights and sounds of India. Here are a few pictures of the market. We ate excellent masala doasa and all the sides dishes for a few pennies. The funny miscalculation of the trip was selling off our two forty-rupee locks for two hundred rupees to unsuspecting trusting fellow travelers at the station cloak room. Oh well, it was done innocently.

Touring Mysore Palace

The old palace was pretty impressive; however, we were only allowed to take pictures outside it.