"Better Call Saul" Filming Locations - Season 6

Links to 28 different "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" posts can be found on the sidebar of the Marc Valdez Weblog desktop website.  Choose the link that works best for you.  

This post focuses on Season 6 filming locations for "Better Call Saul" (updated on March 28, 2025).

Let me know if you have any problems or questions (E-Mail address: valdezmarc56@gmail.com).

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To avoid unnecessary friction, I have redacted the addresses of all single-family homes in these books. (These addresses are still available at Marc Valdez Weblog, however.)  The pictures in the print editions are black-and-white, in order to keep costs down. 

"A Guidebook To 'Breaking Bad' Filming Locations: Including 'Better Call Saul' - Albuquerque as Physical Setting and Indispensable Character" (Sixth Edition)

Purchase book at the link.                                                                                                                   This book outlines thirty-three circuits that the avid fan can travel in order to visit up to 679 different filming locations for "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" in the Albuquerque area.  Some background is provided for each site, including other movies that might have also used the site for filming.

"‘Breaking Bad’ Signs and Symbols: Reading Meaning into Sets, Props, and Filming Locations” (Second Edition)

Purchase book at the link.                                                                                                        “‘Breaking Bad’ Signs and Symbols,” aims to understand some of the symbolism embedded in the backgrounds of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” in order to decode messages and stories Vince Gilligan and crew have hidden there.                                                                                                    A series of tables are used to isolate how certain (particularly architectural) features are used: Gentle Arches, Tin Ceilings, Five-Pointed Stars, Octagons, etc. Daylighting innovations that were either pioneered or promoted in Chicago are examined: Glass Block Windows, Luxfer Prismatic Tile Windows, and Plate Glass Windows.

Certain symbols advance the plot: foreshadowing symbols like Pueblo Deco Arches, or danger symbols like bell shapes and stagger symbols. Other features, like Glass Block Windows or Parallel Beams in the Ceiling, tell stories about the legacies and corruptions of modernity, particularly those best-displayed at Chicago’s “Century of Progress” (1933-34). 

In addition, a number of scenes in the show are modeled after Early Surrealist artworks. The traces of various artists can be tracked in both shows, including: Comte de Lautréamont, Giorgio De Chirico, Man Ray, Max Ernst, Leonora Carrington, René Magritte, Toyen, Yves Tanguy, Remedios Varo, Paul Klee, and in particular, Salvador Dalí.

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The Influence of Salvador Dali on "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" 

On June 24, 2021, I gave a talk to the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, FL!  Here's some bio information on this strange fellow, Marc Valdez.  There are other museum talks of interest here too. 

Exploring Frames: The Impact of Michel Foucault and Surrealist Artists on “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” 

On February 25, 2022, I gave a talk to the Southwest Popular American/Cultural Association in Albuquerque, NM on the impact of Surrealists other than Salvador Dali on these television series.

 

End Game – Streamline Moderne and Surrealism in the Last Two Seasons of “Better Call Saul” 

On February 24, 2023, I gave a talk to the Southwest Popular American/Cultural Association in Albuquerque, NM on the final two seasons of "Better Call Saul."

 

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Wine and Roses

Kim is cutting her nose to spite her face.

Nacho is lost in the Time Tunnel.

A shout out to American photographer William Eggleston. The spoked wheel of the tricycle may represent the Salamanca family, since spoked wheels (abstract spider webs) have previously been associated with them.

Framed by the Marble Run, Mike becomes the moral center of "Better Call Saul."

---------------------------------
Hit and Run 

In Vince Gilligan's universe, architecture may be used for humor. 

For example, after Ted and Skyler's tryst in BrBa "Green Light," we see a drawing on the wall of a half-barrel vault in a gallery such as you might find in a Romanesque church. Skyler complains that Walt is frustrating her efforts to throw him out of the house. 

In BCS "Hit and Run," we get a view of Gus' tunnel to his neighbors' house. We see a small-scale half-barrel vault. The message seems to be that, unlike that lunatic Walt, Gus knows best when and how to leave his house. 

Half-barrel vaults are rarely-used in either television series. Why they seem to be related to leaving the house is a mystery to me. Alternatively, they may be an artistic reference to the half-barrel eye sockets of the Hopi's Kachina Tawa. Gus' tunnel is last seen at Summer Solstice in the Hopi Ceremonial Calendar, when Kachinas disappear to the Underworld, the Land of the Dead. Half-barrel vaults might also be masculinity symbols, since Kachina Tawa represents the Sun, a masculine deity (e.g. the Tawa plaque on the White family's fireplace).

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Saul Gone

The plot of "Better Call Saul" suddenly dovetailed nicely with "The Music Man," another story where the con man let himself get caught, for the sake of love, and the crew couldn't help but pay homage in the Prison Bus scene.

 

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New Season 6 Filming Locations


I will present some of the work of James Gelet, whose love of photography and expertise in location hunting helps produce works of the highest quality!

Northeast Heights (E. of Wyoming, W. of Juan Tabo, S. of Osuna)


Savoy Bar and Grill, 10601 Montgomery Blvd. NE.

Gene Takavic plays dumb in order to roll an arrogant businessman (BCS 611, “Breaking Bad”).

Savoy Bar and Grill, 10601 Montgomery Blvd. NE.

The Savoy was originally seen in "Breaking Bad," where Walter and Gretchen meet for an argumentative lunch (BrBa, Season 2, episode 6, 'Peekaboo') 

Saul Goodman's Office

Saul Goodman's office is located in a shopping center at the southeast corner of Eubank and Montgomery Blvds. NE (Seen again in "Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run'; First seen in "Breaking Bad," Season 2, episode 8, 'Better Call Saul'.)

Picture taken in August, 2010.

Kim:  "It's small, it's dirty, and this whole place smells funny."

Over the years, a number of nightclubs have occupied this spot. Prior to the coming of Saul, "Cowboys" was most-recently located here.

When I was an undergraduate student at the University of New Mexico in the late 1970's, I remember coming to this place. Unfortunately, I can no longer remember the name of the nightcub at that time. I was following the Holy Grail of all young men, of course: trying to get loose and 'get laid'. I remember big-hair rockers, too much cigarette smoke, and music so loud that conversation was impossible.

It's amazing to see the place reappear in my life as the offices of a criminal lawyer!

Saul's is available to the highest bidder. But you knew that already!

Saul's. Wow! They've been here recently!

Round arch on the sidewalk outside Saul's.

Saul's Office doorway is still preserved!

Arcade of round arches west of Saul's Office.

The Dirty Bourbon and Duke City Sports Bar, February 2018.

Saul's Office (February 2020).

Remarkably, for Season 6 of "Better Call Saul," the showrunners once again have access to the site of Saul's Office.  Glory be! (Probably due to the business ruination of the Covid-19 pandemic).

Saul Goodman's Office, February 23, 2022.

Mike watches Stacey's home on Alameda Dr., 8618 La Sala Del Centro NE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 6, 'Axe and Grind').

Upper Northeast Heights (E. of Juan Tabo, S. of Osuna)

J.P. Wynne High School (3), Eldorado High School, 11300 Montgomery Blvd. NE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 11, 'Breaking Bad'). Saul prepares to enter the school.

Northeast Heights (N. Of Osuna)

(no new locations offered with this update)

Lower Northeast Heights (W. of Wyoming), & Lomas Blvd. Corridor

Saul Goodman's House, 4317 Altura Ave. NE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 1, 'Wine and Roses').  Flash forward to Saul's fall.  Saul awakens to Journey's "Any Way You Want It" ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 9, 'Fun and Games').  

Gus Fring's House, 1213 Jefferson St. NE (previously-seen in "Breaking Bad" and in "Better Call Saul," season 4, episode 7, 'Something Stupid'). Gus at home ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run'; episode 5, 'Black and Blue'; episode 8, 'Point and Shoot').

Gus' Next-Door Neighbors' House, 1209 Jefferson St. NE. Living amidst security ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run'; episode 5, 'Black and Blue'; episode 8, 'Point and Shoot').

Gus' Next-Door Neighbors' House

Twin Pine Trees with Carport, 4623 Sunningdale Ave. NE ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run'). Classic Mid-Century Modern House.

(Photo by Mary Arnold)

Twin Pine Trees with Carport.

Tomato-Red House, 4526 Sunningdale Ave. NE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run'). Poor neighbors!

(Photo by Mary Arnold)

Tomato-Red House

Sandpiper Crossing Carport, Sandpiper Crossing, Sunset Pointe Apartments, 6500 Montgomery Blvd. NE ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 5, 'Black and Blue').

(Photo by Mary Arnold)

Sandpiper Crossing Carport.

Alley, supposedly behind Saul's office. Behind Chez Axel, 6209 Montgomery Blvd. NE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 6, 'Axe and Grind'). Saul helps Francesca with a call. (Same alley where Walt got his money barrels.) (35.131777ø, -106.576749ø)

 

Gene breaks into a house, 4201 Royene Ave. NE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 11, 'Breaking Bad'; episode 12, 'Waterworks').

Gene's Bus Stop, San Pedro Dr. and Prospect Ave. NE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 12,'Waterworks').  Just south of real bus stop (35.107015ø, -106.577458ø). This is the view across the street.

The view across the street at Gene's Bus Stop.

Kim's Florida House, 3800 Andrew Dr. NE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 12, 'Waterworks').  Lots of digital help.

Downtown

Huell and Jimmy debrief at a parking garage after copying Howard's car key ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 3, 'Rock and Hard Place'). Bank of the West Center Garage, 500 4th St. Garage, 500 4th St NW (35.089882°, -106.650373°).

Eating Outside Courthouse ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run') No one wants to eat with Jimmy. (Photo by Mary Arnold)

Tabletops.

ADA Suzanne Ericsen calls Kim ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 13, 'Saul Gone').  Saul's testimony will affect Kim.  Also just outside Old Bernalillo County Courthouse.

Boxing Ring, 1512 First Street NW ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 5, 'Black and Blue'). I've been told that interior shots came from somewhere else, but I don't believe it. I think this is the actual boxing scene location, and that the scene showing the slide rule encased in Lucite was also filmed nearby.

Saul drives (1) - heading south, About 374 5th St. NW ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 9, 'Fun and Games').

Saul drives (2) - heading east, On Lomas Blvd. at 4th St. NW ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 9, 'Fun and Games').  Decoding the reflections.

Francesca's Driving (1) - Eastbound on Tijeras Ave. at Fifth St. NW ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 11, 'Breaking Bad').

Gene hides in a dumpster. The alley is located one-half block north of Central Ave., between 5th and 6th Streets NW ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 13, 'Saul Gone').  (35.085329ø, -106.653476ø)

Bernalillo County Courthouse, Probably the real deal courthouse, but there are two courthouses near 400 Lomas Blvd. NW, so it's still unclear to me which one is the correct one ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 13, 'Saul Gone'). 

Prison kitchen at ADX Montrose, Albuquerque Convention Center ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 13, 'Saul Gone').

Downtown West and Old Town

Howard's Therapist, Rio Grande Plaza, 901 Rio Grande Blvd. NW ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run'). Jimmy re-parks approximately: (35.102744ø, -106.672342ø)

(Photo by Mary Arnold)

Howard's Therapist

Howard's Therapist

Howard drives to therapist (1) Westbound, about 1701 Lomas Blvd. NW ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run').

Howard drives to therapist (2), Eastbound, about 1878 Mountain Rd. NW, next to the NM Museum of Natural History & Science ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run').

Jimmy drives in celebration (2) Southbound, about 805 12th St. NW ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run').

Lalo climbs out of the sewer, 7th St. and McKnight Ave. NW ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 7, 'Plan and Execution').

Gus makes a donation to YDI, Albuquerque Basketball Club, 501 Main St. NW ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 7, 'Plan and Execution'). Lalo's call to Hector has been detected.

Albuquerque Basketball Club.

Albuquerque Basketball Club.

I was having trouble figuring out where Gus' Wine Bar is (Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 9, 'Fun and Games'), so I asked Teresa Martinez (moderator of Better Call Saul Three Strikes Group) and she said a friend of hers thought it was Casa Esencia at Hotel Albuquerque, 800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW.  I was skeptical at first, but now I think her friend is right.  Looks like the area behind the bar was completely redesigned for the show.  But it means many of us were in that same exact space for the 2014 Breaking Bad Fest.  

Above is a fuzzy picture of that space, featuring KT Au-Yeung, Adam Ramirez, William James Dickey, and maybe the mysterious RH too.  Other folks were here too: Donna McGregor, Frank Sandoval, Jennie Rexer, Charles Baker (Skinny Pete), and many others.  Things sure look different on TV.

Breaking Bad Fest 2014. Left to right, Charles Peters, Charles Baker (Skinny Pete), Fran Padilla, and Donna McGregor. 

Breaking Bad Fest 2014. The little Territorial-Style emblem on the lintel helps mark Casa Esencia as being the same location used in "Better Call Saul."

This picture of Casa Esencia comes from Flickr (Photo by Jeff Caven, 2010).

On August 29, 2022, James Gelet and I visited Casa Esencia.

Casa Esencia.

Marion rolls on griddish sidewalk, Probably adjacent to Pinkman family home - driveways at 501 and 509 11th St. NW ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 10, 'Nippy'). View from directly-above.

Buddy drives away with his dog.  Approx. 509 11th St. NW ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 11, 'Breaking Bad'). Taxi dispatch of a sort.

Marion gets stuck, 12th St. and Roma Ave. NW - particularly SE corner ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 10, 'Nippy'). Sidewalk was snowy!

Jimmy pushes Marion's scooter, 407 and 409 12th St. NW ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 10, 'Nippy'). Good times!

Marion's and Jeffy's House, 305 12th St. NW ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 10, 'Nippy'; episode 11, 'Breaking Bad'; episode 12, 'Waterworks'; episode 13, 'Saul Gone'). Bird displays, cat videos, and a garage.

Marion's and Jeffy's House.

Marion's and Jeffy's House.

Huning Castle & ABQ Country Club

Albuquerque Country Club, 601 Laguna Blvd SW.

Albuquerque Country Club.

Albuquerque Country Club.

Thinking this place, where Kim and Jimmy spy on Howard and Cliff, is near Tingley Dr. and Central Ave. SW, about (35.090477°, -106.678241°) ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 1, 'Wine and Roses').

Kim and Jimmy spy on Howard and Cliff.

Margarethe's House, 1220 Iron Ave. SW ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 5, 'Black and Blue'). A bit of Europe in the ABQ.

(Photo by Mary Arnold)

(Photo by Mary Arnold)

Margarethe's House.

Gene flees as a helicopter flies overhead, Near Central Ave. & Tingley Dr. SW ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 13, 'Saul Gone').  It's the Albuquerque Biopark Train Tunnel!  (35.090309ø, -106.678867ø)

Gene flees.

Tunnel

Barelas

(no new locations offered with this update)

Huning Highlands/ Martineztown Locations

Francesca's Driving (2) - Francesca turns right on Edith Blvd. from Roma Ave. NE.

Then Francesca approaches Martineztown Park on Marquette Ave. at Edith Blvd. NW, Francesca gets paranoid, turns right on Edith Blvd., then right again on Martin Luther King, Jr., Ave. NE.  Then Francesca approaches Martineztown Park again on Marquette Ave. at Edith Blvd. NW, and turns left ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 11, 'Breaking Bad').

University Area & Near Presbyterian Hospital

Crossroads Motel, 1001 Central Ave. NE, Central Ave. and I-25 ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run'). Jimmy and Kim hire Wendy for a job.

Crossroads Motel.

Crossroads Motel Office exterior, with its two gentle arches.

Picking up the video crew, UNM Science and Technology Park, 800 Bradbury Dr. SE ("Better Call Saul," Season 3, episode 7, 'Expenses'). "Maybe we should catch the bus." Jimmy runs to deliver the photos ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 7, 'Plan and Execution').

Trumbull Park, University of New Mexico (UNM), Just north of Zimmerman Library, about 1949 Roma Ave. NE (35.085667ø, -106.621360ø). Filming a payoff to the judge ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 7, 'Plan and Execution').

(Photo by Mary Arnold)

Filming a payoff to the judge - aka, Trumbull Park.

Francesca's Apartments, 1601 Gold Ave. SE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 11, 'Breaking Bad').  Seeds and stems.

Francesca's Apartments.  The gridded facade really stands out.

Copper Lounge, 1504 Central Ave. SE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 11, 'Breaking Bad'). A man with cancer.

Nighttime exterior of the Copper Lounge

Copper Lounge ceiling.

Copper Lounge ceiling.

Copper Lounge ceiling.

Nob Hill

Jimmy Walks with a Cone, Alley behind 3205 Central Ave. NE, near Richmond and Central ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run') Jimmy dressed as Howard.

(Photo by Mary Arnold)

Jimmy Walks with a Cone.

Jimmy Walks with a Cone - steps at the end of the alley.

Cliff Meets Kim for Lunch, Cafe Limonata, 3222 Silver Ave. NE ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run'). Kim sets Cliff up for a show.

(Photo by Mary Arnold)

Cafe Limonata.

Wendy Dumped on Silver Ave. (35.079103ø, -106.607792ø) ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run'). Car stops on bike-lane sign.

Mural, Adjacent to Empire Board Game Library; Central at Amherst ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run'). Jimmy's hair looks great!

(Photo by Mary Arnold)

Mural

Mural

Mural

Mural

Kim's mom shoplifts earrings from Svenssen's. Classic Century Square, 4616 Central Ave. SE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 6, 'Axe and Grind'). The former location of the Texas Flag Mural is also visible in the scene.

Kim's mom shoplifts earrings from Svenssen's.

Jubilation Beer, Wine, Spirits, 3512 Lomas Blvd NE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 6, 'Axe and Grind'). Saul buys Zafiro Anejo.

Kim waits on a traffic light. Westbound Zuni/Lead Ave. at Washington St. ("Better Call Saul, Season 6, episode 8, 'Point and Shoot').  There are beautiful Glass Block Windows at Langford Sports and Physical Therapy.

Langford Sports and Physical Therapy.

Langford Sports and Physical Therapy.

Langford Sports and Physical Therapy.

South Valley (West of River), Southwest Albuquerque and Pajarito Mesa

Baptism in oil in an abandoned tanker ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 3, 'Rock and Hard Place'). Concrete-lined irrigation ditches are more-common in southern NM than in central NM. The Arenal Main Canal is an exception.  Nacho's Truck Stop is (34.967186°, -106.705494°). 

I understand that the cast and crew were fired upon during filming. The area might be contested gang turf. Exercise all caution in the vicinity of this location.  Nevertheless, on my visit, there was no sign of any problems at all.  So, probably no need to worry excessively.

Baptism in oil in an abandoned tanker.

Baptism in oil in an abandoned tanker.

Baptism in oil in an abandoned tanker.

Baptism in oil in an abandoned tanker.

Baptism in oil in an abandoned tanker.

San Jose Neighborhood and South Valley (East of River)


Supermarket, Stadium Super Market, 1312 Broadway Blvd. SE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 10, 'Nippy'). Schnauz Farms' cheddar is too sharp.

Supermarket.  Unfortunately, I understand it is closed now.

Supermarket.

Southeast Heights

Albuquerque Sunport. The airport, itself, plus parking at the ABQ Sunport, Level 4 ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 12, 'Waterworks').

Riding bus to Sunport Car Rental facility. Mostly on Sunport Blvd. SE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 12, 'Waterworks').

Sunport Car Rental Center, 3400 University SE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 12, 'Waterworks'). 

Sunport Car Rental Facility.

Sunport Car Rental Center.

Sunport Car Rental Center.

Sunport Car Rental Center.

Central Florida Legal Aid, 925 San Pedro Dr. SE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 13, 'Saul Gone').

Pigeons at Central Florida Legal Aid.

Near "Q" Studios

Lalo gets mad at the Coyotes, just east of where Ira Sprecker Rd. crosses Tijeras Arroyo ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 1, 'Wine and Roses').

Hay truck location is approximately (35.019211°, -106.608474°). Final camera position about (35.019689°, -106.609063°).

Mike's Burn Barrel ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 9, 'Fun and Games').  Probably at same location of the Preliminary Scene for Werner's Execution (see Season 4 post).

"Q" Studios

According to the BCS Insider Podcast this image is a studio creation ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 1, 'Wine and Roses').

I wonder, is there a Puebloan connection here with this straight road?  A characteristic feature of places like Chaco Canyon are straight, ceremonial roads to the horizon.

Opening with blue flower. Rain starts falling on glass sliver ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 3, 'Rock and Hard Place'). On stage, according to BCS Insider Podcast. At first, I thought the flower was a Morning Glory, but now I'm thinking it's a Desert Bluebell (which, unfortunately, doesn't grow at the Upper Sonoran Zone elevations of the actual place).

Gus' Office at Los Pollos ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 5, 'Black and Blue'). This is a set.  The dingy office for the fake ID buyer is also the same space ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 12, 'Waterworks').

The sewers of Albuquerque ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 7, 'Plan and Execution').  According to Tom Schnauz on the BCS Insider Podcast, the sewers were created in the studio, in part, from the recycled oil tanker.

Mall Security Office ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 10, 'Nippy').  Beautiful architectural space.

Saul's Pit - 2 ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 11, 'Breaking Bad'). According to Insider Podcast, out beyond the sound stages.

Strip Club ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 11,'Breaking Bad').  According to Insider Podcast, club thrown together on sound stage.

Jail cell ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 13, 'Saul Gone').  Maybe studio.

Walt and Saul discuss regrets ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 13, 'Saul Gone').  Maybe studio.

Chuck says it's never too late to change direction ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 13, 'Saul Gone').  Maybe studio.

Flight back to ABQ ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 13, 'Saul Gone').  Maybe studio.  Nice view of southern Utah, however, plus a view of Navajo Mountain on the Arizona border.

I-25 Corridor, North

German Bar, Ranchers Club of NM, 1901 University Blvd. NE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 5, 'Black and Blue'). Lalo charms Margarethe.

(Photo by Mary Arnold)

(Photo by Mary Arnold)

Palm Coast Sprinkler, 2121 Claremont Ave. NE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 12, 'Waterworks'; episode 13, 'Saul Gone').  The cubes on the facade were placed there by the BCS crew.

Offices for Palm Coast Sprinkler, Albuquerque Journal Publ. Co., 7777 Jefferson Blvd. NE ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 12, 'Waterworks'; episode 13, 'Saul Gone'). By BCS Insider Podcast, offices were staged at the Albuquerque Journal (see post for BCS Season 4).

The Big-I, eastbound on I-40 ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 8, 'Point and Shoot').



North Valley

El Camino Motor Hotel, 6851 4th St NW, Los Ranchos De Albuquerque, NM 87107 ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 1, 'Wine and Roses'; episode 4, 'Hit and Run'; episode 5, 'Black and Blue').

Adjacent to South Wall of Motel ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run') Kim confronts her followers. 

The very first money I ever earned was here at the El Camino, at the age of 14, as a dishwasher. Just one or two sessions. Glad to see the beautiful neon sign is still in good shape!

El Camino Motor Hotel - South Wall.

El Camino Motor Hotel - South Wall.

El Camino Motor Hotel.

El Camino Motor Hotel Dining Room.

El Camino Motor Hotel Dining Room.

El Camino Motor Hotel Dining Room.

El Camino Motor Hotel Dining Room.

El Camino Motor Hotel Dining Room.

House with Spanish-tile roof, 6633 Guadalupe Trail, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 11, 'Breaking Bad').  17 Delmar Place.

Northwest Albuquerque

Prime Mart Plus!, 3731 C Cottonwood Dr. NW, Cottonwood Corners ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 7, 'Plan and Execution'). "Listen to me; I'm a philosopher!" (According to BCS Insider Podcast, this is a quote from Tony Kushner's "Angels in America").

Lash Kissed at Cottonwood Mall.

Mall Security at Cottonwood Mall. The Department Store is said to be the old Sears space at Cottonwood Mall ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 10, 'Nippy').

Police Station, Albuquerque Northwest Area Command, 10401 Cibola Loop NW ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 12, 'Waterworks'). Jeff is under arrest!  This location was previously-seen ("Breaking Bad," Season 5a, episode 1, 'Live Free or Die'), where Walt and Jesse use their big magnet.

Police Station.  I talked with the guy at the counter, and he confirmed that the scene with Marie and Saul facing off was indeed filmed here.  Unfortunately it's an active police station, and no one is permitted to enter for the purpose of taking photographs.

Howard's House, 40 Camino Vega Verde. Bowling balls ("Better Call Saul," Season 5, episode 4, 'Namaste'). Howard warns wife about Jimmy ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 6, 'Axe and Grind'). Kim hands Cheryl an affadavit ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 12, 'Waterworks'). 

West Mesa (except Pajarito Mesa)

Kim driving to Santa Fe, Central Ave. on Nine Mile Hill ("Better Call Saul, Season 6, episode 6, 'Axe and Grind'). Discovering Casimiro has a broken arm (35.065624ø, -106.773793ø). (U-Turn takes place at same place as time lapse scene in "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie").



Sandia And Manzano Mountains

Gas Station ("Better Call Saul", Season 6, episode 3, 'Rock and Hard Place'). About 40 NM-333, Carnuel, NM (35.063399°, -106.460824°) The building just to the west of the gas station was a major filming location for that obscure 2005 Zombie movie, "The Stink of Flesh."

Drive to ADX Montrose, Highway 337 south of Tijeras.  Mirror-flipped elevated image of prison bus near Thunderbird Mountain Estates, about (35.016911, -106.344792).  Roadside view of passing bus (35.016117, -106.342691) - ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 13, 'Saul Gone').

To'hajiilee

Route 66 Travel Center, I-40 and exit 140, adjacent to Route 66 Casino. Lalo takes a shower ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 7, 'Plan and Execution').  Here are some photos from 2017.

Route 66 Travel Center, February 2023..

Zia Pueblo, San Ysidro, and Cabezon

Big Chief Truck Stop (35.494607°, -106.728325°). Used in "Breaking Bad" ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 11, 'Breaking Bad').

Stock Tank ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 13, 'Saul Gone').  Regrets, and a drink of water (35.489964, -106.821725).

Santa Ana Pueblo & Algodones

On the road to Jemez Dam. (35.373617°, -106.563313°) ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 2, 'Carrot and Stick')

Bernalillo and Placitas

(no new locations offered in this update)



Santo Domingo, Cochiti, and La Bajada Hill

(no new locations offered with this update)



Santa Fe & Lamy

ADX Montrose, Just outside Santa Fe ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 13, 'Saul Gone'). Appears to be the real NM State Penitentiary (35.561755ø, -106.068650ø).

Near Los Lunas and Belen

Mesa Inn, 849 Highway 314 SW, Belen, NM 87002 ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 1, 'Wine and Roses'; episode 2, 'Carrot and Stick')

Courthouse in Los Lunas - BCS Season 6 Office

Nacho runs on a ditchbank. Many places look like this ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 1, 'Wine and Roses'). Ditch Road north of E. River Rd. (Hwy 309). Approximate location - needs in-field verification (34.658473ø, -106.745472ø).

 

Moriarty

Big Pat's, 500 Central Ave., Moriarty ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 11, 'Breaking Bad'; episode 12, 'Waterworks').  Gene contacts Francesca - and Kim. Rancho Elisa Stables tack shop.

Bleak Crossroads (34.997106, -106.032413), Pso Poniete and Martinez Road ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 11, 'Breaking Bad').

More Distant Locations

Howard's shoes are on a beach.  According the BCS Insider Podcast, it's Leo Carrillo Beach, off the Pacific Coast Highway, near Malibu, CA ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 8, 'Point and Shoot').

Kim driving to work, Eastbound on George King Blvd. at Dave Nisbet Dr., Port Canaveral, FL ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 12, 'Waterworks'). About (28.404654ø, -80.617288ø)

Gene drives and sings, N. Broadway Ave. and Northern Heights Dr. NE, Rochester, MN (44.049105ø, -92.455697ø) ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 12, 'Waterworks').  Blondie's "The Tide is High."

----------------------------------

Guessestimates and Wish List

Pleasant house, with some unpleasant things going on ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 1, 'Wine and Roses').

I don't think this is Hacienda Antigua Inn, but it begs the question of where it actually is ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 1, 'Wine and Roses').

Complete bicycle trek ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run').

Jimmy drives away in celebration ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run').

Kim drives - car follows ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 4, 'Hit and Run').

Creating a German keepsake ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 5, 'Black and Blue'). Embedding a slide rule in Lucite. According to Insider Podcast, shot at same time and in nearby/adjacent space to boxing scene.

Boxing Scene ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 5, 'Black and Blue'). Interior wasn't at 1512 First St. NW.  Where was it?

German residence in woods ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 6, 'Axe and Grind').

Industrial Laundry Security ("Better Call Saul," season 6, episode 6, 'Axe and Grind').

UNM film classroom ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 7, 'Plan and Execution').

Dark room at media lab ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 7, 'Plan and Execution').

Motel ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 9, 'Fun and Games').  Looks like Hiway House in Nob Hill, but I don't think that's it.

Snowy Field ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 10, 'Nippy').  It's so big, but I still don't know where they are!

Third Bar in montage ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 11, 'Breaking Bad').

Various houses in montage ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 11, 'Breaking Bad').

Mobile homes across the canal from Kim's House ("Better Call Saul," Season 6, episode 12, 'Waterworks').

----------------------------------

The Influence of Salvador Dali on "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul"

My talk was well-received today at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, FL!  Here's some bio information on this strange fellow, Marc Valdez.

There are other museum talks of interest here. 

Celebrated afterwards by eating at Dali's Kitchen.

 

Visited The Delta King at Sacramento's River Front

I Went To Clear Lake For a Few Minutes

The pictures are proof.

The Influence of Salvador Dali on "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul"

Please join me today, Thursday, June 24th, for a livestream YouTube presentation entitled "The Influence of Salvador Dali on 'Breaking Bad' and 'Better Call Saul.'" I will be on chat. The talk is sponsored by The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, FL. 

 The talk will be presented at 6 p.m. Eastern time, which works out to 11 p.m. in London; 5 p.m. Central; 4 p.m. Mountain (in the ABQ); 3 p.m. Pacific. Here is a link to museum's page: 

 Or you can go directly to YouTube. 

 Afterwards, I anticipate the talk will join the other captivating presentations on the Museum's YouTube page. There are so many interesting videos there. You can actually learn about art!

A Cat Stalks Jasper

I kept Jasper away from the skunk under the parked car. Just as well. 

Jasper remembers things, but doesn't pay close attention. Jasper barks at trees where squirrels once were a week ago, but where they are no longer to be found. If I let him chase a squirrel, he misses it when the squirrel dodges into brush, preferring to bark wildly at phantoms instead. 

The other night, a cat was stalking Jasper from the gutter. I pointed at the cat, and said "Look!" Alerted, Jasper scanned the trees for squirrels. "No, Jasper, look!" I repeated. Jasper kept looking at treetops. Spinning in circles, Jasper eventually startled the cat, but it wasn't through any skill on his part.

Elaine Mystifies Nextdoor

I notice Elaine Borelli, who was once a coworker at Sierra Research about 20 years ago, posted a photo of a mysterious object she found near Sac State on Nextdoor. Much discussion ensued.

The Neighborhood Century Plant is Dropping Florets Now

Mia Piazza's High School Graduation Party

I forgot how these things go! People without masks, and everything!  Out in the wilds of Woodland.

After conquering the FFA during her high school years, Mia is off to Cal State Fullerton.

Southwestern Monsoon Stuttering To Life Over Next Week

 It'll be a little early this year, but more than welcome.  I just hope it's strong and sustained!

Lorde - Solar Power

 

 When I saw this video, I thought it looked familiar. Apparently it's Cactus Bay on Waiheke Island, in New Zealand. I visited Oneroa Bay on Waiheke Island back in 2008. So, quite close!

Wet Leg - Chaise Longue

 

 As Covid-19 becomes passé, and the Roaring Twenties start in earnest, I have great expectations for pop music ("I couldn't stop shaking.")

Invisible Drought Assistance

I found this optimism to be a bit unexpected, but I'll take it:

Far below the Sacramento metro area are two large groundwater aquifers. These are able to hold 1.8 million acre-feet of water — nearly twice the amount of water as Folsom Reservoir — in the soil and rock crevices 2,000 feet below the surface. Unlike other parts of California, our groundwater aquifer is stable, sustainable and ready to serve as our drought buffer.

This wasn’t always the case. More than two decades ago, groundwater levels were declining dramatically, threatening the long-term viability of some groundwater-dependent communities. The American River was also overtaxed. So, in 2000, leaders across the region came together in the historic Water Forum Agreement to balance the needs of our communities and the environment by jointly managing surface water and groundwater.

Today, thanks to that effort, the Sacramento region’s groundwater aquifers are no longer declining, and mechanisms are in place to ensure they recharge on a regular basis. They are so stable, in fact, that we are able to use them as a Water Bank, storing water during wet years for use during dry years. 

We’ve achieved a lot of groundwater recharge naturally, simply by reducing reliance on the river. The less we pump out, the more water is available to seep into the aquifer. This means a significant portion of the Water Bank can be filled up without expensive new infrastructure.

Water Quality In Local Rivers is Deteriorating

Swimming in local rivers might be a bad idea. The legacy of extreme drought. It's just like 2015 all over again!

On June 8, a round of testing indicated that several locations along the Sacramento River were substantially above safe levels of the "bacteria objective" that the state goes by. 

Discovery Park had the highest levels of E. coli at that time, testing well above 900 MPN/100 ml.

Recent Forest Fire Perimeters

This is a very useful interactive map (at the link), showing how forest fire perimeters have been rapidly-expanding over the last 30 years. 2020, in particular, was a horrible year. Here is another useful map. 

Yet, I'm optimistic about the future. Some places have been burned over several times, especially in the Coast Range north of San Francisco. The mass of overgrown vegetation that's built up over the last century is being taken care of in the only way it ever could - by burning! It will be harder to sustain large fires in these areas in the immediate future. 

 Lots of areas in the Sierra ripe for fire, though. Maybe that's the area for big fires this decade.

"Petite Mort" Pas de Deux - Jiří Kylián

 

I remember having Cable TV in the early 1990s - maybe 1992. Late at night on an obscure channel, they had classic culture shorts, often featuring works by the Czech choreographer Jiří Kylián. 

It was my instant opinion then that Jiří Kylián must be the world's best living ballet choreographer. 

I still don't know much about the ballet choreographers of the world, so I'm sticking to my initial impression. Everything Kylián touches is magic!

Marc Shark At The Zoo - 4

Sacramento Gay Men's Chorus Meets Again

I know some of the folks here: (see video at link)

Potential Tropical Cyclone Three Moves Into the Gulf Coast

Wet:

Although the disturbance has wind speeds of tropical storm intensity, it has not been named a tropical storm yet since its center is ill defined and broad as evident in the Air Force Hurricane Hunter data and surface observations. Regardless of its status, heavy rains and tropical-storm-force winds are spreading across portions of the northern Gulf coast, and these conditions will spread inland through tonight.

Walt in SC Had a Stressful Day

All this crap was on his street:

Aiken County Sheriff Office Deputies responding to the scene of a shooting incident ended up in a standoff with a man in his home.

Aiken County Deputies responded to the home on the 1100 block of Ridgemont Drive Friday morning following a report of a shooting incident at that location.

Upon arrival, the subject, now identified as Brian Keith Salter, had barricaded himself inside the home.

After several hours, the stand-off ended around 5:30 p.m. without any injuries.

Salter reportedly surrendered without incident after deputies made visual contact with him.

He has been taken to the Aiken County Detention Center to be booked on discharging a firearm into a dwelling and aggravated breach of the peace

No word on what’s caused the incident.

Sacramento Zoo - June 17, 2021

View of Highway 99 From 5th Avenue

Here is a view of Highway 99 from the 5th Avenue overcrossing. Since the highway was closed for several days for the replacement of the 21st Avenue bridge, I was surprised to see northbound traffic, but I guess there was no reason not to have it - the northbound cars were driving away from 21st Avenue. I was kind of looking forward to taking the bike onto a big, empty freeway, just for fun.

Duly Warned

Ominous "Breaking Bad" Echoes in My Neighborhood

 

Taking Flight at the Sacramento Zoo

 

Return of the Possum

Could it be? Yes it is! Tonight, on our nightly walk, Jasper and I saw a possum! 

Back in 2005, possums were common in this neighborhood, but they vanished around 2010, and were replaced by raccoons. Now raccoons seem scarce. 

It’s that big pendulum at work again!

Albuquerque Marks 50th Anniversary of Uprising

I never expected to see a bit of Albuquerque history on Axios, but here it is! After the unrest of the Sixties, people had a pretty good sense of their rights. They wouldn't take crap from the police.

Activists in Albuquerque this week commemorated the 50th anniversary of one of the first modern Mexican American rebellions against police over discrimination and harassment.

Why it matters: The "Albuquerque uprising" is part of the forgotten history of protests against police mistreatment of Latinos in the 1960s and 1970s. Since the murder of George Floyd, Latino advocates have tried to draw attention to that history and the often-overlooked police violence against Hispanics today.

At My Cousin's Suggestion, Started Watching Tik Tok

Learned one useful thing - how to prevent an ostrich attack:

"In The Heights"

Rachel and I went to the theater. Have you ever heard of those? You can see movies there!

   

 Interesting article on Director John Chu:

Though Chu is a film director, it may be more appropriate to think of the 41-year-old as a magician whose favorite trick is injecting wonder into stories, even those grounded in reality. His movies are maximalist feats of controlled chaos committed to celluloid: Dance-offs are staged in the pouring rain, weddings take place in indoor jungles, and a neighborhood gossip session turns into a Busby Berkeley–style number at the local pool. With his most recent film, the 2018 hit Crazy Rich Asians, Chu showed that he could, through the same sleight of hand, revive a stale genre while providing a launchpad for Asian movie stars and mainstream Asian stories. The movie became the highest-grossing romantic comedy in a decade, while its cast—the first all-Asian ensemble in a studio film in 25 years—went on to score a slew of magazine covers and prestigious leading roles. 

Not to give away the secret, but Chu’s guiding principle is a simple one: Music, movement, and marvel can translate ideas in ways dialogue cannot. “Words are not sufficient,” he told me over Zoom recently. “For me, three notes can say what a paragraph could never say. One picture can say what a whole [essay] can’t say.”

 

I really liked the musical number "96,000."

   

 And "Paciencia y Fe"

 

Dance Tonight (Jerry Ropero Classic House Remix) - The Terri Green Project

So, we are supposedly in a new Golden Age of Disco, but it doesn't feel quite right yet - discos aren't open, the new tunes aren't quite right, the vibe is off, etc. So, what we need now is a self-consciously nostalgic new tune as a reference point. Like this tune!

 

I've Been Looking at Real Estate

Thinking I should leave this two-level house before I get, like, old. So, been looking, in Carmichael. I can sell my house for a killing, but I get killed on the opposite end too. First, I'm looking at my house's weaknesses. A fellow will come next Friday to give the foundation an inspection.

All Lives Matter/Black Lives Matter

The Mystifying New Mexico GOP Party

Strikes me as a mystifying decision: to hold a major party event in Amarillo rather than someplace in New Mexico. I know they have good hotels in Amarillo, and all, but still…. If they wanted to cater to the oil crowd, why not host the event in Midland, and save everyone some travel expenses?:

Two weeks before the GOP had its first chance to pick up a seat in Congress since Joe Biden became president, the Republican Party of New Mexico hosted a three-day event dubbed “Operation Freedom.” State Sen. Mark Moores, who was running for the open seat, addressed a crowd of a few hundred party leaders, activists and donors in a hotel conference center. Afterwards, he left the hotel and drove nearly 300 miles back to Albuquerque, where he was actually competing for votes.

New Mexico Republicans had opted to hold their marquee event in Amarillo, Texas. 

When the votes came in, Moores had lost to Democratic State Rep. Melanie Stansbury by 24 percentage points—even more than the margin by which Joe Biden had won the district. Nationally, it was seen as a referendum on Biden’s first months in office. But in New Mexico, the story is longer and more complex. For some frustrated New Mexico Republicans, the Amarillo episode and Moores’ loss last Tuesday highlight deeper problems with the state party’s leadership and direction over the last few years....

Seven Year Old Sings "Highway To Hell"

Cute!:

The children are definitely alright, and will be alright for a long time if seven-year-old Jesús del Río is any indication. He performed AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" and much like the judges, I could not believe what I was hearing. 

As much as the reactions were fun to watch, del Río channeling his inner Bon Scott and nailing the vocals was the true sight to see. del Río will be making it to the next round, and we can't way to see him become an even more powerful singer. 

Virgin Galactic's Launch in New Mexico

Captivated as much by the background as by the spaceship. There is the Rio Grande River Valley, and the malpais near Carrizozo. It's a clear day. You can see EVERYTHING!

 

Patti Smith: "Land: Horses / Land of a Thousand Dances / La Mer (de)"

I lived through the Seventies. I can't believe I completely ignored Patti Smith. She's great! At the time, I thought she was a punk rocker, and I wasn't interested in that. Listening today, she sounds like a Sixties wild child, a fresh avatar of the Beats, and a reminder of just how creative those decades were!

 

Burglar Reconnaissance

It's summer, and it looks like the usual suspects are getting restless. I was talking on the phone this morning and my dog Jasper came into the house barking, and unusually upset. It did not click immediately that something was wrong. It took me about an hour to discover that someone had intruded into the garage. 

No items appear to have been stolen, but I was surprised at the brazenness of the entry, since I was at home. Some items, like an axe, were moved around. I did not observe suspects.  I reported the incident to the cops, and posted on Next Door Curtis Park and Facebook.

Back at Jamaican Dancehall Again!

Century Plant Wows The Neighborhood!

The neighborhood paper covered the amazing century plant blooming three doors from my house:

Craig Reynolds of California Agave Ventures, a Yolo County agave grower, identified the plant as an agave americana, commonly called a century plant.

“They grow slowly for many years, then bloom only once in their lives, emitting a long central stem, the quiote,” Reynolds said. If pollinated, the flowers eventually form seeds – “then the stalk and entire plant die.”

The seeds fall to the ground; some may produce new plants. Not all agaves are monocarpic, a type of plant that flowers just once, then dies. The chemical change the agave americana goes through to produce the giant stalk, fruit and seeds takes all of the plant’s energy. The mother literally gives her life for her future babies. She can also produce pups and future plants through underground horizontal stems called rhizomes, which the agave already has accomplished.

Most agave americanas live 10 to 30 years despite their “century plant” name, although an extremely well cared for agave americana in a university greenhouse in Michigan was 80 years old when it bloomed in 2014. The stalk grew so high that it burst through the greenhouse ceiling. 

Neighbors estimate the Second Avenue agave is about 30 years old.

Joshua Trees Are in Trouble

Too hot; too dry:

When we visited, dry limbs drooped.

Some barrel-shaped, dead leaf clusters dangled while others had fallen onto ground as dry as death. In decades past, those clusters dropped seeds that sprouted after rains.

“There’s no recruitment” now, Cornett said, scanning an area without a single sprout.

A drier climate means more vulnerability to fires caused by lightning or vandalism.

There’s no more devastating example than last year’s Dome fire at the Mojave National Preserve, an hour or so to the north. The fire, ignited by lightning, incinerated more than 1 million Joshua trees.

At the Queen Valley site, Cornett examined the stems of the four surviving trees and discovered yet another assault on their health.

“This is the first time I’ve seen signs of rodents attacking stems on this site,” he said, pointing out some gnawed branches. As with the ocotillo, the problem seemed to be that the plants usually found around the trees were dead or dying, leaving virtually no moisture for rodents.

They appeared to have dug their teeth into Joshua trees in a last-ditch effort to survive.

At the base of one tree, whose age Cornett put at about well over 100, he noticed another threat: A patch of bark had been scraped away.

Cornett crouched, inspected, harrumphed. It looked like the work of a jack rabbit, he said, which must have been trying to get at the moisture in the stem. 

“To chew through bark like that,” he said, “that is one desperate jack rabbit.”

Patti Smith - "Rock and Roll Ni**er"

I never paid any attention to Patti Smith before. Never had any interest in punk music.  Nevertheless, I had some easy-listening music on (the soundtrack to "Natural Born Killers"), and heard this song. It's great! According to the Wikipedia article on Patti Smith, rocker Courtney Love says it's the best rock-and-roll song of all time. And she should know, right? 

   

 Patti Smith still tours too! From 2015, when she would have been age 69.

 

I Just Like "That's Not My Name"

Final Report on the 2020-21 Rainy Season

My last report on the 2020-21 rainy season. 

California and the Southwest are firmly locked in extreme drought. The situation is just as bad as the 2012-2016 drought, and maybe even worse. 

The 2020-21 rainy season is the fifth driest of the 144 seasons on record in Sacramento (only the 1912-13, 1923-24, 1975-76, and 1976-77 rainy seasons were drier). 

Having two failed rainy seasons in a row is brutal. It doesn't rain in most parts of California in the summer. Fire season prospects look bleak. Violence too appears all but guaranteed this summer in the Klamath Basin. 

Looking forward to rains again come November.

Demise of a Palm Tree

Demise of a palm tree, two doors down. It’s been there, like, forever, and it will be weird to have it gone. 

 Reason for early termination: “uncorrectable structural defects.”

My Upcoming Talk on Salvador Dalí!

I'm excited about a talk I'm going to give under the auspices of the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, FL. My talk is entitled "The Influence of Salvador Dalí in 'Breaking Bad' and 'Better Call Saul'." The talk will be streamed on the museum's YouTube channel on Thursday, June 24 at 6 p.m. EDT (4 p.m. MDT, 3 p.m. PDT). 

I gave the original version of this talk to the 42nd Annual Southwest Popular/American Culture Association Conference (usually hosted in Albuquerque, but held virtually this year on February 22). On a lark, I shared a YouTube link of the talk to the Dalí Museum, and they liked it, in part because it dovetailed nicely with other presentations given at the museum regarding Dalí's impact on popular culture. The talk will be adjusted to emphasize art works held in the collection at the Dalí Museum. 

According to Wikipedia: "With the exception of the Dalí Theater-Museum created by Dalí himself in his hometown of Figueres in Spain, the St. Petersburg Dalí Museum has the world's largest collections of Dalí's works."

Lunar Eclipse, May 26th

Approaching 4 a.m.: approaching totality on the lunar eclipse. 

Man, they’ve got to start scheduling these things at better hours.

How Giraffes Handle High Blood Pressure

Very well, it seems:

To most people, giraffes are merely adorable, long-necked animals that rank near the top of a zoo visit or a photo-safari bucket list. But to a cardiovascular physiologist, there’s even more to love. Giraffes, it turns out, have solved a problem that kills hundreds of thousands of people every year: high blood pressure. Their solutions, only partly understood by scientists so far, involve pressurized organs, altered heart rhythms, blood storage, and the biological equivalent of support stockings. 

Giraffes have sky-high blood pressure because of their sky-high heads, which, in adults, rise about six meters above the ground—a long, long way for a heart to pump blood against gravity. To have a blood pressure of 110/70 at the brain—about normal for a large mammal—giraffes need a blood pressure at the heart of about 220/180. It doesn’t faze the giraffes, but a pressure like that would cause all sorts of problems for people, whether heart failure, kidney failure, or swollen ankles and legs.

"Out of the Woods" - The Vaccine Monologues

A monologue, written by Rachel and performed by noted television actress (e.g., "Blacklist"), Annie Henk.

 

Will We Survive?

Earlier today, I was listening to DJ Rafft, on local high-school-operated KYDS radio, introduce that favorite 1977 Saturday-Night-Fever hit “Staying Alive,” and thinking MY GENERATION’s Disco music is safe in the hands of Gen Z. Then she bulldozed over the artist name: Beeze Geese, instead of Bee Gees. “I Will Survive” Gloria Gaynor became Gloria Gaynyor. I wondered, does she even know, or care? She was choosing good tunes, but these pesky artist names seemed to be unimportant abstractions rather than critical knowledge. A baton has been dropped in the relay race of knowledge transfer between generations. Will we survive? (I agree with my Facebook friend Bob Reece, who comments:

Because of my experiences working in radio, I can assure you that this young DJ loves the music, enjoys playing it for her audience - no matter how small it might be - but she's not in an environment where she's heard the proper pronunciation of the names. There's nothing more embarrassing for a DJ when she has mispronounced a name on air, and then a listener calls to say, "it's actually pronounced....")

Just Get Out!

I agree with Joe Scarborough’s rant:

"This is not about Joe Biden, this stopped being about Joe Biden a long time ago," he continued. "This is about you, this is about you playing in to what every one of our enemies wants you to play into, that American democracy is not worth being trusted, that American democracy is no different than Russia. If you believe that, I will say to you what many of you said in the 1960s: America, love it or leave it! If you don't have respect in American democracy anymore, if you don't respect Madisonian checks and balances, if your guy doesn't win, if that's the new rules of engagement for this great republic, then just leave our country, because you're unworthy of it, and there are millions of immigrants who will come here and raise their right hand and buy into the creed and believe that we are exceptional, that believe American democracy is the greatest government on the face of the earth, and they will do it proudly! They will salute the flag proudly, and most importantly, they will fight for what that flag represents, while you shame yourself, while you disgrace yourself, while you disgrace our country in the eyes of the world. Yes, this is all on you."

Behold, Marc!

I went to the optometrist today (May 20).

Back when I was a kid, in the 1960s, there was a big difference in cost between Texas and New Mexico for eyewear (due to differences in licensing and regulation). So, it was often cost effective for Albuquerque families to travel all the way to El Paso for eyewear.

I was flummoxed by my first El Paso eye exam. Was I supposed to wear this big “device” on my face? I thought I was going to get glasses. What happens during recess? My friends will make fun of me. This can’t work! 

Apparently today, my retinas are stable (following surgery in 1994 for retinal detachment), but I seem to be developing a cataract in my left eye. Maybe surgery for that in a few years! 

My visit to El Paso resembled poor 2-D Eck’s visit to a 3-D world:

 

Black Fungus

Another reason why it's good not to get Covid-19:

A rare disease in normal times, authorities say thousands have developed Mucormycosis -- or black fungus -- across India as it battles a Covid-19 wave that has killed more than 100,000 people in the past month.

Some doctors say the high use of steroids to combat the coronavirus has caused the black fungus explosion.

The disease kills more than 50 percent of sufferers within days. In some cases, eyes and upper jaws are removed by surgeons to stop the spread of the infection.

"Bad Vibes" - K. Flay

Inaugurating Post-Vaccine Life With a New Refrigerator

Studded Chairs, "Breaking Bad," and "Better Call Saul"

There is so many strange and interesting things that happen in the backgrounds of both "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul." The shows are truly dynamic. 

For example, characters sometimes tell stories while sitting in studded armchairs or couches in both TV shows. 

When the chair studs make a single loop at the end of each arm, and when the stories being told are about the past and its regrets, the creative teams of the shows make sure we see only one arm. Views of the other arm are blocked. "Breaking Bad" makes sure we only see the right arm (as seen from the point of view of the person sitting in the chair). In contrast, "Better Call Saul" makes sure we see only the left arm. 

Here are four examples.

Walter White tells Jesse about selling out his creation, his stake in Gray Matter Technologies, for only $5,000 ('Buyout').

 

Embattled Hank Schrader tells Walt about simpler days, when he was tagging trees for removal ('Gliding Over All').  Note the blocked view.

 

Chuck McGill tells Kim about Jimmy's role in undermining their dad's store ('Rebecca').

 

Jimmy McGill tells Kim about the alcohol and anger management problems of the cop who arrested Huell ('Something Stupid').

What is going on here? Visual messages are sent to the audiences of both of these shows by means of shapes. A single loop of studs, leaning over to the side at the end of a chair arm, forms the outline of a head bowed in prayer. So, prayerful furniture is used as a silent comment on the storyline of pain and regret. Only one arm is shown, in order to avoid the strange look of two heads bowed in prayer away from one another. 

Now, whose bowed, prayerful heads are these? I have ideas about that, but that's for another day.

Sacramento Proud For Saweetie!

Saweetie's career is really beginning to soar! Wow! She went to high school in Elk Grove, and has lots of local contacts:

Before delivering her first album, Saweetie gave fans a taste of what's to come with her Pretty Summer Playlist: Season 1 EP, which dropped April 16. The seven-song appetizer also serves as Saweetie's way of putting people onto up-and-coming rappers, including Atlanta-based MC and fellow Warner Records signee Loui featured on "Talkin Bout," a nostalgia-inducing party starter that samples Cali Swag District’s "Teach Me How to Dougie" and Kstylis' "Booty Me Down." Saweetie promises Pretty B*tch Music will be out in the summer before her 28th birthday, on July 2, during cancer season ("What's your sign? [What it is?], I'm a cancer [That's right]," she raps on "Talkin Bout"). 

"I'm just really excited. I feel like there's just so much growth. I've been putting in a lot of work in quarantine. So, honestly, I feel like everybody else -- I can't wait to get outside," she muses.

I find Saweetie's bougie sound to be seriously disturbing. Mesmerizing, but really hard on the guys.

Mammals Can Breathe Through Anus in Emergencies

How the heck?:

A team of Japanese scientists has shown it is possible for mammals to absorb oxygen via the anus.

Intrigued by how certain sea creatures breathe through their intestines in emergencies, researchers at Tokyo Medical and Dental University were able to prove the same was true under experimental circumstances for mice, rats and pigs, publishing their findings in the journal Med on Friday.

..."The rectum has a mesh of fine blood vessels just beneath the surface of its lining, which means that drugs administered through the anus are readily absorbed into the bloodstream," lead author Ryo Okabe said.

This made the team wonder whether oxygen could be delivered into the bloodstream in the same way.

To answer the question, they decided to carry out experiments on oxygen-deprived mice, pigs and rats using two methods: delivering the oxygen into the rectum in gas form, and infusing an oxygen-rich enema via the same route.

The researchers prepared the lining of the rectum by rubbing it to cause inflammation and increase blood flow, which improved the effectiveness of oxygen delivery.

However, since such a preparation would likely be unacceptable for humans, they also tried using oxygenated perfluorodecalin, a liquid that has already been shown to be safe and is in selective clinical use. 

Delivery of oxygen both as gas and in liquid form increased oxygenation, normalized the animals' behavior and prolonged their survival.

Tonight's Earworm - Junior's Farm - Paul McCartney & Wings

Paul McCartney is so good!