Dances With Bats

..baseball bats that is....

Kevin Costner is the latest celebrity to grace the Duke City. Recently we've hosted Russell Crowe [3:10 to Yuma], J-Lo [Bordertown], John Travolta [Wild Hogs] and Michael Bay [Transformers] all films shot here. The difference with Costner though is his involvment in the city itself, which has been kind of cool.

While filming his current movie Swing Vote here he's been getting out around town. He was spotted at the Dylan concert last week. His band Modern West played downtown Sunday night. He has even been to a few Isotopes [our local AAA ballteam] games. In fact check out this article in the paper today:


PCL: Isotopes only too happy to work out with actor Kevin Costner
By James Staley (Contact)
Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Just before the national anthem, Valentino Pascucci scribbled away in the dugout, as he often does, accommodating the children asking for his autograph.

Less than an hour earlier the Isotopes first baseman was the one hoping to get something signed.

The desired signature belonged to Oscar-winning actor Kevin Costner, who participated in batting practice and hung out with the Isotopes before they rocked Colorado Springs 9-3 Monday night.

"I was fanatical (about baseball) when I was a kid," said Costner, who is in the area filming "Swing Vote" but known for multiple baseball movies. "I don't do that anymore. I don't follow it too much in the middle of the season; I have my own life. I start more in August and September. That's when it's exciting."

After contacting the team earlier this week, Costner donned an Isotopes jersey and had a locker set up between those of pitcher Daniel Barone and infielder Josh Labandeira, complete with name plate.

Players and personnel gathered around Costner like he was a campfire. The actor told stories of filming baseball movies - "Field of Dreams," "Bull Durham" and "For the Love of the Game." He seemed to relate to the group, drawing laughs and smiles, when he told them about being cursed out by an extra playing a fan at Yankee Stadium.
Costner also autographed several items.

Albuquerque catcher John Baker had a bat signed.
Pitcher Chris George got a scribble added to a "For the Love of the Game" movie poster.
Costner left his mark on one of Labandeira's cleats and dozens of baseballs.

Monday's was the second Isotopes game Costner attended. He, his wife and infant son Cayden watched the July 20 game, with no fanfare, from the stands.
"That was my son's first game," Costner said.

Throughout his career, Costner has worked out with several teams, including at his alma mater Cal State Fullerton. He has just one rule.
"I always want to make sure it's cool with the players first," said Costner, who has worked out with other teams. "That's the most important thing. Even more so than with the front office. I've had owners ask me to come, and I always say, `As long as the players think it's cool.' "
No problem there.

"Very classy," said Albuquerque manager Dean Treanor, who thought Costner's visit energized the Isotopes. "He went out of his way to talk to all the players. He just wanted to hang out. There was no pretense. He was awesome."
Said Barone: "This is pretty cool. This was the first time I got an autograph since I caddied for Fred Couples in junior high."

Chris Ashby didn't have Costner sign anything. He's not an autograph guy, plus he already has a Costner memory. Ashby had a small part in 1999's "For the Love of the Game."
So, could Ashby and Costner reunite?
"I told him if he had the same stuff he had when he made `For the Love of the Game' I was going to try to get him on the roster tonight," Treanor said.

Kudo's to Costner for participating in city life. By all accounts he's enjoying himself too!!

http://www.albuquerquebaseball.com/

Misconceptions

Way back in the 20th century, circa 1986, [I had just moved to Los Angeles], I was having a burger at the Sunset Grill on Sunset Blvd next to the Guitar Center. when this "tourist" fella sitting next to me asked where I was from. I told him, New Mexico and he says..."oh yeah? man I love Acapulco." ...DOH!!! New Mexico became a state in 1912, FYI.

Think of New Mexico and many people think of the John Ford westerns [which were actually shot in California and Arizona] dust and whirlwinds and saguro cactus etc

.

New Mexico is actually at the tail end of the Rocky Mtns. Half of the city of Albuquerque is over a mile high and last winter two days before Denver had to close its airport due to snow, we closed ours!!! We had almost three feet of snow in some parts of the city. The further south you go the hotter it gets until you find yourself in White Sands [if you've seen the movie TRANSFORMERS, the military base scenes were shot there and substituted for Iraq] , that being said it still does not look like what most folks think New Mexico should look like.

Bordered by the dry dusty Arizona desert to the west and Texas and the Gulf of Mexico further southeast we sit right smack dab in the middle of 'cold air meets warm moist air' and the resulting effect in summer are the monsoons. Drenching rain with thick moisture and humidity. Come September its nice and 70s again and by October we get chilly nights and mornings.

Why bring this up? The following pictures show you how cool the Sandia Mtns can be this time of year. You would swear you were in Seattle or Oregon. Alas...THIS is New Mexico in summer.

News of the Weird Update

Calling Officer Jim Chee: Another workboot has been found along the banks of the Rio Grande -- also with a leg in it. That makes two workboots with two severed legs yet no one has reported anyone missing. Kind of sad.

Also this from KENS Channel 5 out of San Antonio:

Sightings of mysterious giant bird continue in San Antonio
Web Posted: 07/28/2007 01:30 AM CDT
Joe CongerKENS 5 Eyewitness News

Strange sightings of a huge flying creature have been reported as recently as six months ago. Is this a monster or a myth?

Guadalupe Cantu III was busy working his newspaper route but he says the big news of that day 10 years ago flew right over his car. He says he's seen what most have not -- an unidentified flying object.

"We were afraid that it would come at us. So we stayed in the car till it passed this way," witness Guadalupe Cantu III said. "This thing's all feathers, all black. Much bigger than me. It looked at us. It had very stooped-up shoulders." The beast has been spotted from the Rio Grande Valley
to the mountains of New Mexico. "[It] looked like what was possibly two people standing on top of a mountian up there, " said David Zander, who saw the monster in New Mexico. "Something that big...I guess it kinda makes you feel like it could come over and carry you off if it wanted to."

San Antonio's Ken Gerhard has written a book on these dark birds as big as planes with wingspans from 15 to 20 feet! Native Americans called them thunderbirds: depicted in their art, their flapping wings were said to cause explosive noises.

"What is interesting is that the reports of these giant, raptor-like birds do continue into modern times," said Gerhard, a cryptozoologist. Cryptozoology ist he study of and search for legendary animals to proove their existence.

"I believe there is a good chance that alot of large, prehistoric animals, if you will, remain
undiscovered by modern science," he said.

So what could the giant birds be? Some witness sketches eerily resemble prehistoric creatures like the petronadon of 160 million years ago. However, Gerhard theorizes it could be a creature that is a little less extinct -- if that's possible -- a pteratorn. "These are the surviving ancestors of modern condors and vultures. They lived up until 6,000 years ago, we know for sure, in parts of North America," Gerhard said. "In fact, over 100 specimens have been recovered from the La Brea tar pits of California.

Agents Mulder and Scully...please report for duty.

http://www.cryptozoology.com/
http://www.coasttocoastam.com/
http://www.newsoftheweird.com/



www2.mysanantonio.com

Soggy Sunday

Not much going on. Thunderstorms this weekend have turned skies to gray and thickened the air with humidity. I drove by downtown and took a few pics. Maybe an adventure awaits later this week.

I'm out.

Thunderbirds Are Go!!

Strange stories are always popping up on the local news here. On the same telecast last night there was a story about a 'fetus' being found on the conveyor belt of the local water treatment plant. In another story, this couple walking their dog down by the Rio Grande found a workboot -- with the leg STILL IN IT!!!! It had an artificial kneecap too!!!!

What caught my attention though was a story about a guy in southern New Mexico who claims to have seen a 'giant bird' that looked like a pterodactyl. I kid you not. In fact he says he saw two of them on a hill top and one flew over him. He claims it had a 20 foot wing span.

Creatures like BigFoot, Nessie, the Jersey Devil, the Mothman, Dick Cheney and the Chupacabra have always facinated me. I don't believe in them really but just find it facinating that sooooo many people claim to have seen them.



New Mexico's 'big bird' legend stems from the Native Amercian lore of the Thunderbird.



A giant bird that causes lightning and thunder. Interestingly enough the monsoons HAVE returned and everyday now around 5 pm we get huge lightning storms. Also true, New Mexico has the most lightning deaths in the US per capita. Hmmmm...

I find it interesting that if you take a hike to the petroglyphs at the west end of town you will see ancient indian drawings of the big birds. I'm just curious as to what was actaully seen. Along with big bird drawings there are other creatures and weird stuff scrawled onto the volcanic rock. Take a look at one of my first blogs about a hike I took to the petroglyphs. I posted several pictures.

I'm not sure what that fella saw in southern New Mexico. I guess I'll just have to keep my eye on Action 7 News!

For some interesting summer reading:






I also HIGHLY recommend the books of Tony Hillerman. He is a mystery writer who bases his stories in the southwest, primarily northern Arizona and New Mexico. The mysteries are not all that satisfying per se; however, it is his vivid descriptions of the southwest and its Native American culture and lore that are extremely facinating. Officer Jim Chee and Detective Joe Leaphorn are great characters who's investigations usually begin with a murder that is somehow tied to ancient indian lore. I love these books. Several of them have been made into motion pictures. The Dark Wind with Lou Diamond Phillips and Fred Ward has the mystery but in NO way captures the southwest and is frankly, kind of flat. Others have been made for the PBS with Adam Beach and Wes Studi playing the main charcters. They do a great job but the films lack atmosphere which is what makes up about 80 percent of the books.

I'm out.

Welcome to Hillerman country! (The Unofficial Tony Hillerman Homepage) ...www.umsl.edu/~smueller

WWW.IHAWAII.NET/~STONY/LORE90

The R O S W E L L Incident

It was on June 14, 1947 when the legend began.


William "Mack" Brazel rode out onto the ranch he operated and found some shiney tin foil like material. A few days later he rode back out and picked up the material and showed it to some neighbors. Later he showed it to Sheriff George Wilcox who in turn contacted the Roswell Army Air Base. Officer Jesse Marcel was assigned to investigate.
Before the big wigs in DC were contacted a press release was issued announcing the capture of a 'flying saucer'.

Of course the government stepped in, a retraction was released and one of the most famous cover-ups in history began. I've read about the Roswell incident and have seen
documentaries on it and my conclusion is that it is not real and that the actual material WAS from a top secret spy or weather balloon. Besides, the US government would never lie to the public. ....Right?






Fortunately the city of Roswell knows a good thing when they see it and has since made a killing off of all the tourists that go annually to the Roswell UFO Convention. Unfortunately I was not able to go like I hoped as my dad needs alot of help these days so my brother and some friends went and sent me a few shots from the UFO Museum in Roswell. Enjoy.

Beam me up Scotty. I'm out.

Lazy Daze of Summer

Back in town after taking some vacation time to visit my aunt and grandfather. I took my dad to see his brothers. Nice lazy day of summer coming to an end. It was announced today the monsoons are back, meaning late evening thunderboomers and humidity!!

I'm just sittin' back with some ice tea listening to the new Wilco cd which is excellent by the way. Hope you all had a great fourth.




The All-Star Game and festivities are in town....not THAT All-Star game...the Minor League All-Star game...always played the day after the major league one. We might not have Barry Bonds so we'll have to settle for an appearance by Tommy LaSorda. That'll work. I'm out.

The Last of the Great Railroad Hotels Pt. 2

1929 was a tumultuous time in American history to say the least, the stock market crash, the depression, etc;however, the plans for a grand Santa Fe Railroad Hotel at its headquarters in Northern Arizona had already been laid down. More suprisingly than building a place of grandeur during these times was hiring a woman architect to design and oversee its creation.

Fred Harvey had already built a chain of 'Harvey Houses' across America and introduced such things as china, linen, crystal and silverware to the American Southwest. He chose Mary Colter who had already designed several buildings in the southwest for his chain of hotels, including Hopi House and The Watchtower at the Grand Canyon.

The La Posada in Winslow Arizona was her masterpiece. She designed the plans to build it as well as every detail of its interior including the staff clothing. Not much of the original interior remains today but the reproductions are impressive. It is an amazing hotel. I highly recommend taking a stop to visit it if you are ever travelling along I-40 in Northern Arizona.


















This is the Turquoise Dining Room. A 'must see' in person. And yes...dinner is STILL served in it.


http://www.laposada.org/




Next post: The Roswell Incident.