March 2025 in review

This is the twenty-ninth post in my Month in review series.

We’re already starting to feel the arrival of Spring! It rarely snowed this Winter. It’s not bloom time yet, but it’s nice and warm outside for 3-4 hours at the peak of the day.

Activities

We celebrated Riya’s birthday with friends, and we went to Ojo Caliente Spa. It’s free on your birthday!

We visited Chaco Culture National Park, which is about 3.5 hours drive North East. It’s a rich archeological site, and sacred site of the Chaco people which are still alive. Visitors are allowed very specific paths and areas, but we get to see very interesting things up close. This place was a major cultural center around CE 900 and 1150. It’s difficult to imagine settling here in the desert, but the canyon was probably more lush back then. Wikipedia says the area started depopulating around CE 1150, triggered by dryer climate.

Houston

I’m grateful for the time we got to visit Houston and The Woodlands. I probably wouldn’t have come here if it wasn’t for Riya’s work trip. I worked for 1 week from the hotel room.

Riya had a work trip to the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2025 in The Woodlands, Texas, near Houston.

While she was at the conference, I worked from the hotel room near the conference center. I would meet Riya and her work friends for lunches and dinners.

Riya and I also spent one half day in Houston, by ourselves. We visited the Rothko chapel, which is a non-denominational gallery-chapel in a hexagonal shape. The interior is modern, concrete with a ceiling light well. On the walls hang monumental Mark Rothko paintings, all in enveloping black tone, in which light and colour nuances, so rich and layered, are vivid and captivating. It’s very effective.

We also visited the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. This was also very enjoyable. It’s quite a big complex, with three or four buildings connected with artful tunnels.

Photography

Month favorites

• Riya birthday party.
• Ojo Caliente Santa Fe.
  • Free on your birthday!
• Santa Fe businesses:
  • Taite’s antique workshop.
  • Crash Murder Business.
  • Joann’s Fabrics and Crafts.
• Chaco Culture National Park.
  • Visit of archeological sites of Chaco pueblo culture and architecture.
• Trip to The Woodlands and Houston, Texas.
  • Many dinners, lunches with Riya and work friends.
  • Houston day!
    • Texas and Houston highways.
    • Rothko Chapel
    • Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
  • Partial lunar eclipse.
    • A fire alarm at our hotel at 3:00am forced us to witness the partial lunar eclipse that night.