Snow on Cactus

The effect is beautiful, and I will long for this come the dog days of summer.

Once again we awoke to snow.  We have had more snow this year than the past 10 years combined!

The mountains have several feet. 

You can glimpse the bright blue sky behind, so at least this will melt today.

More typical of our snows, a couple of inches that melt by noon.

The cacti have had quite a winter.

Nash Metropolitan

Nash Metropolitans are my favorite cars of all times!  I see them on the auctions, however I don't believe this one is quite to those standards...

I saw this one sitting on a car lot along with a few others that you can see in the background.

We are not a mecca for vintage autos. 

Gate Header

I have decided gate header is the best term for these.  You see alot of them made from wood, some from old telephone poles.  Notice the wind has moved the name from the middle to the side.  We have had some severe windstorms this winter.  I wanted to note that this is my 200th post!!!  WOW.  When I started this blog almost a year ago, I was not sure how long my commitment would last.  I worried about running out of things to post about.  I shouldn't have.  There is so much that I have not even begun to scratch the surface on, I have a mental list.  The weather has been dreary/cold.  I hopefully anticipate spring. 

Oro Vista

Oro Vista is an area just south of Alamogordo proper, technically part of us.  Not a subdivision that most would recognize, but I suppose it is that. 

The weather yesterday and again today has left beautiful snow lines on the mountains.  The mountains were quite striking out in Oro Vista, I love the undulating forms they have in this area.

The snow makes the different elevations apparant.  You don't normally notice or realize the difference in the ranges.

As you can see it did not quite make it down to us.  Which suits me just fine...

A Beach Cottage dream

Ah, more weather.  Winter for sure!  We are only in the first month of the year and everyone is ready for this to be over!  We are desert rats after all.  I read a lovely blog from Australia called a Beach Cottage

http://abeachcottage.typepad.com/my_weblog/   They are in the middle of summer and I read her blog and dream of a white cottage by the sea....

Here we have no sea, no summer in sight, no white cottages...We do have clouds looming, mesquite smoke in the air and bare trees awaiting their time to bud...

This horse is at the Mountain View Riding Stables, waiting along with us.

Roadrunner

I spotted this guy this morning while stopped at a stop sign.

The Roadrunner or Chaparral is our state bird.  They eat all sorts of things, most notably, snakes.

He paused long enough for a couple of snaps.  I think they are gorgeous.

He has noticed me....

And off he goes...

Johnson House

 This old home is in the process of being torn down and an new home built.  The home is the old Johnson house and 11 kids were raised here...

The lot has newly planted trees and shrubs, even before the demolition is complete.  I like that, new life beginning as the old ends.

This is next to the old Johnson house, the area is being regentrified slowly and it is looking so much better!  Some old homes like the Johnson house are making ways for new structures and others and others are being rehabed.