With the long-awaited warmth of summer arriving soon comes the desire to spend our days outside, whether swimming, boating or camping. Although we’re far more unplugged outdoors, many electrical hazards still accompany these leisurely summer activities—and they often lurk beneath the surface.

Q: I often hear claims you'll never pay an electric bill again if you go solar. Is that true?

Our September evening skies feature a growing presence of our fellow planets. Venus continues its very gradual ascent out of the twilight and, by the end of the month, sets around dusk. Saturn, meanwhile, is at opposition—directly opposite the sun in the sky on Sept. 7.

The new year opens with our solar system’s two largest worlds shining brightly in our evening sky. Saturn is in the southwestern sky and sets one to two hours after the end of dusk.

Over the past year, the New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperatives staff have been thinking about how we can redesign enchantment magazine to fully engage our readers. It was last redesigned in 2013, and much has happened during the past 10 years.

With the November elections approaching, it is crucial for rural electric cooperative members around New Mexico to participate in local, state, and federal elections.

Spring is in the air, and with it comes the beginning of the season for our member cooperative annual meetings. Our New Mexico Rural Electric Cooperatives team loves to get out and see all of you as we travel around our great state of New Mexico.

I, along with our cooperative members, get many questions—not only about rates but what makes us different from large utilities, such as Public Service Company of New Mexico. New Mexico's rural electric cooperatives are different from investor-owned urban utilities in several key areas.

Slowly but surely, planets are returning to our evening skies. Venus continues its gradual ascent into the western sky, although it remains deep in the dusk throughout August.