Today I received a completely unexpected phone call.  This morning the phone rang and the caller ID indicated the U.S. Government was calling me…this was a little after 8 o’clock.  I assumed it was just my local office calling, but I didn’t notice the area code and couldn’t fathom why they would be calling me since I was due for an upcoming shift in just a few hours.  To my surprise, it was the Human Resources Department calling from Boulder, CO informing me that I had been selected for the new General Forecaster position here in Albuquerque!  I wasn’t expecting a decision for another few weeks, so this really caught me off guard.  I very happily accepted the position offer and received a congratulatory hand shake and confirmation from the boss later today at the office.  It’s so relieving to have that monkey off of my back.  I was really hoping for this promotion, not knowing when the next vacancy might come available.  Being married to a meteorologist, there have certainly been challenges regarding employment in the same field and in the same city, but I have no doubt been blessed over the last couple of years.  Although my career in the National Weather Service is still young with hopefully a long and prosperous future, this is a giant step toward meeting many of my career goals.  Thanks to everyone for your support, prayers, and encouragement.

The southwestern monsoon is one of the things I absolutely love about living in the Albuquerque area. It’s almost like a switch is flipped in early July: the upper level winds die down and gain a southerly component, and subtropical moisture is pumped up into Arizona and New Mexico giving way to convection and some the most amazing lightning displays. Storms are so high-based, that the entire channel of every cloud to ground strike remains visible. It seems like the earlier storms of the season produce the best lightning displays, due to the cooler temperatures aloft and ease of graupel or hail production which helps build the potential for a strike.

These pictures were taken back in July around the Albuquerque area. I was actually quite disappointed when I had this roll of film processed. Regarding the lightning shots, it was quickly apparent that I was shooting with too wide of a lens. I was worried about catching a good foreground with the city lights, but a longer lens would have reduced some of the apparent distance between myself and the main subject (the lightning).

I also caught a quick glimpse of a pileus feature at the top of a cumulonimbus with some faint crepuscular rays extending from the top of the cloud.

Mammatus clouds are rarely seen around the desert southwest, but occasionally a hint of some texture will develop on the under-side of the anvil like in the photo below.

Kirtland Air Force Base held an anniversary celebration at the Sandia Casino and Resort…not sure why, but that’s where they chose.  Anyway, it was a very small showing, but because it was so close I decided to venture out for an afternoon and hopefully catch a few shots.  A fly-by was done by an F-117 Stealth, as well as a paratrooper drop.

There was also a VC-22 Osprey, the tiltrotor aircraft capable of vertical take-offs and landings.  Unfortunately, it was just a stationary exhibit, and I didn’t get any stand-alone pictures of it without people in the shot.  These aircraft are truly amazing to see up close, and even more impressive when in flight (the same aircraft in the opening scene of the movie “Transformers”).