Elk and Bending over Man

These are two neat oddities that if you use a little imagination you can see on Highway 60 between Datil and Pie Town. The elk may be more obvious than the man... let me know if you can't see him in the 2nd picture. He is in the middle of the picture and is above the wires.
We are in the throes of spring: wind, cold nights and sometimes warm days. It is very dry and conditions are great for fire so if you drive through this canyon--no throwing of cig butts!
For that matter all of this area is off limits for any kind of fire starter. It is a tinder box out here in frontier country.

Roly Poly gets a shave

Roly got his annual hair cut and bath yesterday. Last year we tried to do it ourselves and worked all summer on it b/c he really doesn't like it too much. THis year we hired the professional and although his dad says he looks "ridiculous" he really looks good without those dreadlocks! And he thinks he looks quite good himself, he even posed for his picture to be taken.
THe groomer gave him the bandana but it was gone this morning on our walk so I think he didn't like that so well. I will take more pics of him as it starts growing back... isn't he sweet?

continued from last post, read it first

You should start at the previous post and work your way back up here....
Here is another shot of the river as I was going back UP the trail. The trail starts out as a lovely meander as you can see from the trail head. When you think there is no river and are about to give up you get to a gate and the trail goes back the other direction so you can see the beautiful green trees indicating water... then the steep decline starts and you have already come this far and there is hopes of a hot springs at the bottom. Well, not this time! I was let down like I said but the river was a bit facinating and the trees just budding out were a beautiful testament to spring. But I did have to climb back up out of there and that was a chore. The last picture is those same Gila Mountains now closer to sundown instead of sunrise. I got home just after 9pm and started this journey at 5:30am so it was a long day and only took me 5 min from the time I got home until I was in bed!!

Day trip to Siver City and the Gila

On my way to Sliver City for a workshop on grant writing... BORING!! I took some pics on the way down and then stopped for a hike on the way home. The 1st pic is the Gila mountains at sunrise. Then the next is looking the other direction at the foothills bathed in first morning light.

The beautiful purple tree which I think may be a crabapple b/c it was the Crabapple B&B in the community of Glenwood NM and it was just the best example of spring I have seen yet in Catron County.

THe pics of the river were on my hike in the afternoon... in the next post (didn't have enough room for all the pics) I will show you the name of the trail. This is the San Fransisco River which eventually joins up with the Gila River, I think. Anyway, there had been a flood of sorts here in January when some snow melt from the mountains came down in a rush from some unexpected rain and it was amazing how fast the water was running and the amount of damage and destruction that was left behind. I could hardly get to the bank due to all the log jams and debris. I was disappointed because there is supposed to be a Hot Spring down there and I couldn't find it after much exploring.