I have really come to appreciate Albuquerque as a city a lot more in the last six months than I did in the previous six years of living here. Now that I'm home with Kate and we get out and do things, I actually have time to go and find out what there is to do here, and while the kinds of things I'm seeking out now aren't things I would have wanted to do before Kate was born, there really are a lot of public places that are very kid-friendly. This gets a city big points with me now. One of our favorites is the sprayground at the Manzano Mesa Recreational Center. I think these things are pretty common now, but I had never been to one in my life before I took Kate for the first time last summer, and it is so neat! It's basically a giant sprinkler system for the kids to run around in. So last Wednesday we met some friends and spent some time getting wet. Kate and I got there a bit early, and I was able to get some pictures before it got really crowded, which it does. That's understandable because it is HOT, people, and unless you can get wet, it's hard to want to go outside.

A lot of the sprinklers have fun shapes, one of which is a giant daisy. I kept trying to get a picture of it, but the sun was in the wrong spot and I was getting too much glare. Then I realized you could see its shadow on the concrete, and that shows you what it looks like.

Kate was alternately in love with and terrified of the sprays of water. She'd want to get closer, but then when it would hit her in the face she'd back waaaaaaay up and think about it for five minutes or so before she went back. So like her cautious mama.

My mistake this year was that we didn't go until pretty recently, and it closes down in August. But our pass is good through next year, so we'll be sure to take advantage more next summer. I am pretty sure my tax dollars frequently pay for things I either don't like or don't care about, so it's nice to have something like this for public use in the city. Kate is pleased to see her money spent wisely.