Her favorite chair is the one that you were just going to sit down in. She often looks so comfy that I sit on the floor instead. How messed up is that?
come to think of it, even the rats can give me heart-melting looks, hanging sadly on the bars of their cage if I haven’t taken them out for a while.
I bet even rhinos can be cute under the right circumstances. Point taken, though, that if a rhino steals your seat, it’s kind of moot what kind of look he gives you; you’re not getting it back.
What a wimpy excuse for a critter. Now a dog, a DOG, is a real critter, worthy of inclusion in dog and general critter blogging. Coming from a former cats only owner I’ve been waiting to say that for months.
More reasons I’ll never garden — I know the deer, squirrels, chipmunks, and bugs would end up getting more it than I would.
I’ve done some nice hiking in northern NM — I really like the Pecos Wilderness area. And I destroyed a very nice pair of boots in the lava tubes at El Malpais.
NM is a beautiful place pretty much everywhere you look. My favorite spot is Chaco Canyon, where the ancient Puebloans built huge complex structures.
White sands and Carlsbad caverns are probably next on my New Mexico list.
My favorite site in the Pecos area is Montazuma canyon, with it’s hot springs. Mmmmmmmmmmm. And yes, El Malpais is very hard on shoes, but lots of fun.
Chaco is awesome — in the very literal sense of the word. I especially like hiking up above the main ruins — not just for the other ruins but also because you could see the overall layout, the old roads, and the steps carved into the canyon walls.
The light dusting of snow meant we also had the place almost completely to ourselves. There was only one other person in the campground braving the well-below-freezing temperatures that characterize nights in the high desert country.
It was so cold we almost couldn’t sleep, and that was in very good quality (zip-together, for sharing warmth) sleeping bags. Fortunately I’m a furnace (I run a bit hot, and radiate a lot of heat through my skin), which Imogen says is one of my best qualities.
This is one of the biggest over wintering spots for birds.
On the morning I took this photo, the park service estimated that were at least 35,000 snow geese and several thousand Sandhill cranes. And at least five Whooping Cranes (there were only 70 Whoopers left at that time and they were trying to raise their numbers by putting Whooper eggs in Sandhill nests – this ultimately didn’t work because the resultant Whoopers thought they were Sandhills, and one such cross mating produced the “Whoops,” which I’ve seen).
How can you say that? The puppy is very colorful. As are the kids.
You’ll be glad to know that Imogen and I gave our kid quota to her slightly strange but overall left-leaning brother, and his lovely wife. We already have one adorable niece, and are expecting several more nieces and nephews to appear over the years.
BdA is an hour and a half drive south of where I lived in NM for seven years. Which meant getting up and hour and a half before dawn, in coldest winter, to see this.
When I took this particular photo I was traveling with Imogen, and we stayed a lot closer, in Truth or Consequences NM (abrievated TorC), at the Honey Dew Inn. It was a real blast from the past. Oh, and natural hot springs as well.
We spend most our time in the southwest on the Colorado Plateau so we haven’t been south of Albuquerque. Mostly we go to southern Utah. But these pictures certainly make the area look very appealing.
I’d say that next time you go to Colorado, head south and see Bosque del Apache. But you don’t travel in winter, and during the warmer months BdA is actually farmed to grow corn. By agreement, the lease holders leave a portion of their crops for the birds to eat in the winter – which works out nicely for everyone.
But you should still see White Sands, and Carlsbad Caverns, which are easy to do as a loop (if you are driving, swing through the very top of Texas to see the Guadalupe Mountains). And there’s the Living Desert State Park, with a fantastic herberium, Javalinas and Bison, not far outside of Roswell.
Thanks for all the photos and mentions of some of my favorite places – haven’t been there in many years, but I still love it. Camping in a dusting of snow brought back memories of having to break the ice on the water before washing up in the morning.
The sky reaching down to the land is go gorgeous I’ll never forget the sight.
but, unfortunately, not nearly enough.
They have shelter. Not that they use it very often.
Good morning/afternoon/evening/night keres.
How are you doing?
I’m fine, as is the rest of the family. It’s a few minutes to 10pm, so I’m off to bed now. I’ll re-join the discussion in about 9 or 10 hours.
Asta mañana.
Have a good sleep keres.
stop by one foggy morning.
Her favorite chair is the one that you were just going to sit down in. She often looks so comfy that I sit on the floor instead. How messed up is that?
You’d have to be a pod person to resist that face and those eyes.
What a pretty puppy!!!!!!
the sad hound face. Our dog has the sad hound face, too, and man, it’s impossible to ignore, counter, or stay mad at.
pretty much like a Toto face or nearly any critter face. One exception might be a rhino or a hippo. but then they’re too big to ignore.
come to think of it, even the rats can give me heart-melting looks, hanging sadly on the bars of their cage if I haven’t taken them out for a while.
I bet even rhinos can be cute under the right circumstances. Point taken, though, that if a rhino steals your seat, it’s kind of moot what kind of look he gives you; you’re not getting it back.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
All hail the new benevolent despot of the Nature household.
And I really like the name of this bug: spotted cucumber beetle.
What a wimpy excuse for a critter. Now a dog, a DOG, is a real critter, worthy of inclusion in dog and general critter blogging. Coming from a former cats only owner I’ve been waiting to say that for months.
distract you from the important reason why this picture is being posted — which is that this time keres can’t tell me my picture of a bug isn’t a bug.
Well, just don’t try to say my glowing pickle is not a glowing pickle.
“Well, just don’t try to say my glowing pickle is not a glowing pickle.”
I wouldn’t dare.
Why is it glowing? runs and hides
To make an illuminating salad, of course.
Indeed, it’s a bug, and the bain of my veggie garden when I lived in NM.
I had a 6000sqft organic garden, on prime river bottom land right next to the Rio Grande. It fed me and my partner for more than half of each year.
Two bugs, the spotted cucumber beetle, and the squash bug nearly drove me buggy trying to keep their numbers to a minimum.
Thanks for bring back the memory. 😉
More reasons I’ll never garden — I know the deer, squirrels, chipmunks, and bugs would end up getting more it than I would.
I’ve done some nice hiking in northern NM — I really like the Pecos Wilderness area. And I destroyed a very nice pair of boots in the lava tubes at El Malpais.
NM is a beautiful place pretty much everywhere you look. My favorite spot is Chaco Canyon, where the ancient Puebloans built huge complex structures.
White sands and Carlsbad caverns are probably next on my New Mexico list.
My favorite site in the Pecos area is Montazuma canyon, with it’s hot springs. Mmmmmmmmmmm. And yes, El Malpais is very hard on shoes, but lots of fun.
Chaco is awesome — in the very literal sense of the word. I especially like hiking up above the main ruins — not just for the other ruins but also because you could see the overall layout, the old roads, and the steps carved into the canyon walls.
This is the trail you mean. Between Pueblo Bonito and Pueblo Alto.
This poster hangs at the foot of our bed
This panorama needs more work. That’s Imogen on the right.
The panorama is very good — the light dusting of snow does a nice job of adding interest.
The poster is spectacular.
The light dusting of snow meant we also had the place almost completely to ourselves. There was only one other person in the campground braving the well-below-freezing temperatures that characterize nights in the high desert country.
It was so cold we almost couldn’t sleep, and that was in very good quality (zip-together, for sharing warmth) sleeping bags. Fortunately I’m a furnace (I run a bit hot, and radiate a lot of heat through my skin), which Imogen says is one of my best qualities.
This is one of the biggest over wintering spots for birds.
On the morning I took this photo, the park service estimated that were at least 35,000 snow geese and several thousand Sandhill cranes. And at least five Whooping Cranes (there were only 70 Whoopers left at that time and they were trying to raise their numbers by putting Whooper eggs in Sandhill nests – this ultimately didn’t work because the resultant Whoopers thought they were Sandhills, and one such cross mating produced the “Whoops,” which I’ve seen).
Oops, I forgot to segue – Bosque del Apache is pretty much in the middle of New Mexico.
The best time to be a BdA is at dawn, when tens of thousands of birds take to the sky.
There are cranes standing in the water, if you look closely.
Sandhill Cranes. Possibly my favorite bird. They used to graze in our goat paddock in winter.
I always felt blessed by their presence.
My world is so small and colorless.
How can you say that? The puppy is very colorful. As are the kids.
You’ll be glad to know that Imogen and I gave our kid quota to her slightly strange but overall left-leaning brother, and his lovely wife. We already have one adorable niece, and are expecting several more nieces and nephews to appear over the years.
I’ve got a really “colorfull” house for you in red rock country.
This is Canyon de Chelly, in Arizon on Navajo land.
I’ve drawn an arrow indicating where Chocoan people built a row of houses a the cleft in the cliff.
I bet they didn’t sleep walk, at least not twice.
but I love this one. It makes me feel how wonderful it must have been to be there.
BdA is an hour and a half drive south of where I lived in NM for seven years. Which meant getting up and hour and a half before dawn, in coldest winter, to see this.
When I took this particular photo I was traveling with Imogen, and we stayed a lot closer, in Truth or Consequences NM (abrievated TorC), at the Honey Dew Inn. It was a real blast from the past. Oh, and natural hot springs as well.
We spend most our time in the southwest on the Colorado Plateau so we haven’t been south of Albuquerque. Mostly we go to southern Utah. But these pictures certainly make the area look very appealing.
I’d say that next time you go to Colorado, head south and see Bosque del Apache. But you don’t travel in winter, and during the warmer months BdA is actually farmed to grow corn. By agreement, the lease holders leave a portion of their crops for the birds to eat in the winter – which works out nicely for everyone.
But you should still see White Sands, and Carlsbad Caverns, which are easy to do as a loop (if you are driving, swing through the very top of Texas to see the Guadalupe Mountains). And there’s the Living Desert State Park, with a fantastic herberium, Javalinas and Bison, not far outside of Roswell.
Thanks for all the photos and mentions of some of my favorite places – haven’t been there in many years, but I still love it. Camping in a dusting of snow brought back memories of having to break the ice on the water before washing up in the morning.
The sky reaching down to the land is go gorgeous I’ll never forget the sight.