Sandia = Watermelon

We are always waxing quixotic about our beautiful and beloved Sandia Mountains that border the eastern edge of Albuquerque.

For those who are not familiar with the Spanish language, "sandia" translates to "watermelon". It is believed that the mountains were named after the fruit because at sunset the sun's glow on the mountain paints them a lovely pink shade reminiscent of watermelon. The pink hue is due to the granite that forms the core of the mountain.

An alternate theory regarding the name of the mountain is that it was named for the abundance of squash that native people grew there. The Spanish who conquered the land had no direct translation for the watermelon-like vegetable they found growing in the mountain, so the term "sandia" was used.

I prefer the first version of the history of the name, and the moments where the mountains are glowing a lovely magenta are some of the most beautiful moments of the day. It isn't a great photo, but I managed to snap this one of the Sandias at prime pink time yesterday while walking the dogs. As the colorful glow is a daily occurrence, I'll try to get a better one tomorrow, but in the meantime I just wanted to share another beautiful thing about my hometown.