So sorry for another hiatus. We have been having a lot of fun this month, and boy are we glad it is over! Sometimes it is so comforting to get back to normal...May began with our family vacationing with the Raynes clan in Ruidoso, New Mexico, home of Neil Patrick Harris, aka Dr. Doogie Howser. Never saw him around town, but we sure felt his spirit. Ruidoso is a beautiful ski resort town nestled among mountain peaks smack dab in the middle of the Southwestern deserts we call home. We stayed at a lovely condominium that Ron and Sue reserved for a family getaway before Leah and Brandon (Meghan's sister and brother-in-law) headed off to Guatemala for their study abroad projects.
Ruidoso itself didn't have a whole lot to do beyond hiking and finding scenic points on mountain tops, so we took advantage of its proximity to several New Mexico tourist spots. First on our list was Carlsbad Caverns. Let me encourage all of you to find a way there someday; it was spectacular. The caves are ENORMOUS and full of stunning features. Perhaps the best part of the experience was the mile plus hike descending into the main caverns. It is not too strenuous as long as you can walk that far (although the constant downward grade was a bit tiring). If you're up to it, go that way rather than the elevators.
The entrance to the caves is a gaping maw-like opening that smells very strongly of urea, thanks to all the bats! According to the park rangers, every dusk the bats exit the caves en masse in an impressive display of nature. People gather every evening to see the spectacle.
The next shot is taken from the opposite viewpoint (from within the entrance looking out). It's hard to put it all in perspective, but let me assure you the space you see below is MASSIVE. I don't know the actual dimensions, but the cave is 100+ feet high, possibly much more.
Once you finish the trek in, you come to what is called the "big room." This is a continuous, looping cavern that comprises an area bigger than six football fields. The picture below is just one example of what you see there. The US Parks Department has done an incredible job with lighting the caverns and creating paths. This was definitely worth the three hour drive to get there!
Once you finish the trek in, you come to what is called the "big room." This is a continuous, looping cavern that comprises an area bigger than six football fields. The picture below is just one example of what you see there. The US Parks Department has done an incredible job with lighting the caverns and creating paths. This was definitely worth the three hour drive to get there!On the way back to Ruidoso we made a quick stop at Roswell, home of UFO enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists. A cute tourist trap, but nothing too memorable, other than the ubiquitous alien memorabilia and decorations around town. Even the street lights had alien eyes!
We also visited the rolling white sand dunes outside of Alamogordo, NM. We did some sledding down the dunes but found the oppressive heat wore us out very quickly. (Blogger isn't letting me post pictures currently, sorry.)
We also visited the rolling white sand dunes outside of Alamogordo, NM. We did some sledding down the dunes but found the oppressive heat wore us out very quickly. (Blogger isn't letting me post pictures currently, sorry.)My graduation also kept us on our toes this month. My family (parents, grandparents, and my brother Trevor) came to town, and Meghan's mom Sue and sister Sarah were also on hand to witness the big day. Of course, the day wasn't really about me; the true honored guest was President Obama. His attendance meant that 60-70,000 people would fight for the chance to be at ASU's commencement this year. As you can imagine, tickets were hard to come by. I was fortunate to find a seat for all who wished to come see me graduate. Meghan took the picture of the amassed throng in Sun Devil Stadium.
Here's a shot of the fam trying to withstand four long hours in full, 100 degree sunlight. And that was just to be in place for the start of the 2 1/2 hour ceremony! Security was tight so everyone had to arrive four hours early. Sheesh!
The President gave a remarkable and memorable speech. As a doctoral grad, I sat three rows from the front and dead center in front of the lectern. Amazing! To top it off, after I was hooded by Dr. Russell, I got to go on stage and shake the President's hand. Meghan got this shot of me approaching Obama as seen on the jumbo tron. Dr. Russell took some close-up shots but he hasn't emailed them to me yet...
Here's a shot of the fam trying to withstand four long hours in full, 100 degree sunlight. And that was just to be in place for the start of the 2 1/2 hour ceremony! Security was tight so everyone had to arrive four hours early. Sheesh!
The President gave a remarkable and memorable speech. As a doctoral grad, I sat three rows from the front and dead center in front of the lectern. Amazing! To top it off, after I was hooded by Dr. Russell, I got to go on stage and shake the President's hand. Meghan got this shot of me approaching Obama as seen on the jumbo tron. Dr. Russell took some close-up shots but he hasn't emailed them to me yet...
As you can imagine, after a nearly eight-hour ordeal in the hot sun, we were exhausted. We found our way to Jack in the Box (the only open restaurant we could find) for a celebratory dinner and collapsed in bed. Below you can see bleary-eyed versions of me and my grandparents.
The picture below is of my father and my doctoral hood. The lovely pink signifies that my degree is a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts). The maroon and gold on the inner part of the hood designate that my degree came from ASU.
The next day we got to do it all over again at the Herberger College of the Arts convocation. Here I am posing with Sylvia beforehand.
We've sure had fun this month--and we hope things stay quiet for a while so we can recover!
The picture below is of my father and my doctoral hood. The lovely pink signifies that my degree is a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts). The maroon and gold on the inner part of the hood designate that my degree came from ASU.
The next day we got to do it all over again at the Herberger College of the Arts convocation. Here I am posing with Sylvia beforehand.
We've sure had fun this month--and we hope things stay quiet for a while so we can recover! 
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