Senecio Aster
Originally uploaded by stannabelle.
One of the many, many wildflowers from last week's outing: a Senecio Aster (thanks to this great site for the IDs). More here. And the rains keep coming, and the flowers keep blooming...
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Saturday, August 19, 2006
The Wild
We took a little drive today, undeterred by the continuing threat of rain and road washouts, and came across some interesting neighbors:
The bear came to see what we were having for lunch -- he was downwind of our picnic, and I saw him or her in time to scuttle the kids into the car, call Lucy, and grab my camera. Lucy was smart enough to let the bear see her protecting us but not to bark or bait the creature. It looked like a yearling or two-year-old, not so big but not small enough to have a mama bear nearby (though I kept my eyes pealed), and it sauntered down to the creek when we waved some sticks and yelled (from the safety of the car, of course).
The rattler was on the side of a dirt "road" that we were "driving" on (more on that in a moment) and Antonio spotted it (good eyes!). I took this picture from, again, the safety of the car.
Looking at the map after arriving home, I was surprised by how close to home we stayed. We had intended to go further, but on the first leg of the journey we had already crossed over a creekbed that totally washed out the "road" we were on, necessitating a dogleg down the creekbed a bit to a gentler slope back out than the eight-foot cliff where the "road" formerly exited. With rain threatening and perhaps already filling up the arroyos upstream, we doubled back and then went east for a ways. I had been in this terrain before, due north of Magdalena in the Bear Mountains, but I hardly recognized it because it is so green now. Here's one of the "roads" we took, and I was shocked to find it on our DeLorme map:
I took many, many pictures of the wildflowers that somehow managed to survive the winter/spring drought and have emerged from the dust and rocks; I'm still processing them, so I'll put them up later. Here's a car-window shot for Mom and Dad -- you guys know this place (and will get to know it a whole lot better soon) but might not quite recognize it:
The bear came to see what we were having for lunch -- he was downwind of our picnic, and I saw him or her in time to scuttle the kids into the car, call Lucy, and grab my camera. Lucy was smart enough to let the bear see her protecting us but not to bark or bait the creature. It looked like a yearling or two-year-old, not so big but not small enough to have a mama bear nearby (though I kept my eyes pealed), and it sauntered down to the creek when we waved some sticks and yelled (from the safety of the car, of course).
The rattler was on the side of a dirt "road" that we were "driving" on (more on that in a moment) and Antonio spotted it (good eyes!). I took this picture from, again, the safety of the car.
Looking at the map after arriving home, I was surprised by how close to home we stayed. We had intended to go further, but on the first leg of the journey we had already crossed over a creekbed that totally washed out the "road" we were on, necessitating a dogleg down the creekbed a bit to a gentler slope back out than the eight-foot cliff where the "road" formerly exited. With rain threatening and perhaps already filling up the arroyos upstream, we doubled back and then went east for a ways. I had been in this terrain before, due north of Magdalena in the Bear Mountains, but I hardly recognized it because it is so green now. Here's one of the "roads" we took, and I was shocked to find it on our DeLorme map:
I took many, many pictures of the wildflowers that somehow managed to survive the winter/spring drought and have emerged from the dust and rocks; I'm still processing them, so I'll put them up later. Here's a car-window shot for Mom and Dad -- you guys know this place (and will get to know it a whole lot better soon) but might not quite recognize it:
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
An outing
Last Saturday we paid our respects to Antonio's grandma and grandpa Sisneros, who died some time ago but waited patiently for the family to scatter their ashes in one of their favorite fishing spots, the Cimarron River east of Eagle Nest.
Lazarus and Maggie enjoyed themselves thoroughly, especially at the very end when a rain shower descended upon us and they could finally use their new umbrellas.
The rains here have been amazing, especially after our long winter of drought. Even more amazing is how green everything is. I hardly recognized many spots along the long drive to and from the site -- I'd seen plenty of green around Taos before, but never on that long brown stretch between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. A sight to behold, for however long it lasts.
I love the contrast in these pictures -- my boy casting his eyes skyward, my girl intently focused on earth and stones:
Lazarus and Maggie enjoyed themselves thoroughly, especially at the very end when a rain shower descended upon us and they could finally use their new umbrellas.
The rains here have been amazing, especially after our long winter of drought. Even more amazing is how green everything is. I hardly recognized many spots along the long drive to and from the site -- I'd seen plenty of green around Taos before, but never on that long brown stretch between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. A sight to behold, for however long it lasts.
I love the contrast in these pictures -- my boy casting his eyes skyward, my girl intently focused on earth and stones:
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