Tableaus

I thought there were alot of picturesque qualities around this property.  It would make a nice painting....

I loved this arch with the cow tongue cactus in the foreground.

Lantern Nicho

Happy Birthday Jorn

Can't forget the irises

Spring has been slow in coming this year

which means we are enjoying a late and long show of color.

Just love these graceful blossoms.

JM

Artistic Frugality

I found this inside of a shed, obviously set up as a work area, but note the creative choice of canvas.

It makes me think of my great uncle and grandmother.  Wasting nothing and making do...

The paintings aren't bad at all...

I particularly like the cowboy diving into the stock tank.  I've been there....

Quail-Gargoyle?

Walking up to a home today I noticed a bird on the roof.  Not too strange until I realized it was a Gambel Quail.

Are You Looking at Me???

Might as well get my good side....

Strange Tree '10

Well, here is my first post of my little (or not so little anymore) tree for the year.

We lopped off the second trunk so it will straighten up and grow right. 

This was taken two weekends ago,  It had gone from swelling buds to this in one week.

This was taken last weekend.  What a difference a week makes!

The buds have sprouted and will be branches before we know it.  If it is a catalpa as we suspect, it is supposed to have a large canopy.  We will see as it grows.

Perhaps you noticed the digging around the tree in the previous photo.  WELL, if you look close, you can see the orange spray paint on either side of the hole.  Yep, planted it smak on top of the sewer line.  sigh.

We dug and dug.  The silly thing has a tap root several inches in diameter larger than the trunk.  That tree is not going ANYWHERE.  So our choice is to chop down the tree, or move the sewer.

La Azteca

Another home, soon doomed I am sure.  This one is down on Delaware,

Sky Watch Saturday

We do have a unique situation with weather here.  I caught this rain band coming in from El Paso direction.

It, of course, sprinkled just enough to make my car dirty.

Cactus and Poppies

This cactus was in fine form!  I thought you all needed a break from purple...

Close up of the same plant, These days make the rest of the year worth while.

Sneaking in some poppies....  I am really big on plants that come back every year and sort of take care of themselves.  The less work on my end the better!

Purple Spring IV

Enter the Iris growing wildly~

The sturdy stalks supporting the blooms, basic and hardy, these cheer me up every year!

You can see St. Francis peeking through the foliage.

Purple Spring III

These lilacs are larger than what I commonly see, I confirmed that they are lilacs through scent....

Another old-fashioned plant that has stood the test of time...

This is typically what you see, they always remind me of Easter.

It seems like an oxymoron to say white lilac...

They smell just as divine.

I wish I could share the fragrance~

Purple Spring II

Fragrant and such eye candy for us here in the desert~

Spring has unfurled her colors for us~

Wisteria showy, old fashioned, and my favorite~

Purple Spring

Wow!  Thanks for the comments!  I appreciate the feedback from the Alamogordo group!

You guys are great.  If you have any suggestions, let me know.  I had 1,564 hits on Friday alone, my biggest day yet.  I love it!

This desert plant reminds me of wisteria and is sweet smelling, the bees agree, it was covered with them. Obviously a desert plant, but I don't know what it is.

Here is a close up of last years seed pods, they look like peanuts.

The seeds are dark red and very hard,  My sister planted some and it took two years for them to come up.  I know that is pretty common with some plants. 

Bluff Springs History

This is an old photo of Bluff Springs from 1918.  All of this is completely gone and no trace remaining.  I have taken photos and it is a beautiful meadow.

This one of Bluff Springs is from 1926.  If you browse back through my blog, you can see current photos of the waterfall.  It doesn't look much different at all.

Space Shuttle Columbia

A few days ago I mentioned that the shuttle landed here once.

1982 while I was in high school.....  I got these great photos of it landing here from Marcie. 

It was some sight watching it land.  I feel lucky to have seen it the only time it did.  I heard they had heck getting all of the sand out of the parts afterwards.

Cloudcroft Train

I got ahold of some great old photos and had to post them.  I love railroads!  This is the Mexican Canyon Trestle.  I met a gentleman last year that was a volunteer at the Malpais and we got to talking about trains.  He told me that he rode this train as a child.  His father was an engineer and they would run logs down to Alamogordo every day.  What a great history.

This is the train depot in Cloudcroft.  I love the attire.  It looks like an outdoor pavillion. 

Another colorized view of the same area.

I have a post of the trestle as it looks today.  It hasn't changed much.

This one is labeled The Toboggan Road.  It seems to be a photo of the back side of the train station.  I am sure you could still find it.  The name sounds familiar to me.

   

First Figs

The first fruits of the season are now growing and evident on the trees!  They have survived the frosts and if we can get them through the spring winds we will have a fantastic year!

I think it is interesting how the figs grow directly from the branches and not from a flower.

San Augustin Pass

     Divide between Tularosa Basin to east and Jornada del Muerte to west, cut between Organ Mountains to south and San Augustin-San Andres Mountains to the North.  White gypsum Sands glisten to northeast.  Roadcuts in Tertiary mozonite.  Organ mines yielded copper, lead, silver, gold, zinc and flourite.  Elevation 5,710 feet.

This Marker is at the peak of the pass, Jornada Del Muerte was named by the Conquistadors, aptly.

It means Journey of Death.  The route was arduous to say the least for the early settlers.  This pass also played a part in the Civil War with Canby and Sibly.

This is also at the top of the pass.  You can see White Sands Missle Range off to the right.  Distances are deceiving in the desert.  Things that look a few miles off are often fifty or more.  Most especially at night, you will see the lights of the town and think you are close.  You aren't.