We accepted that we were going to have to change our summer travel plans. Instead of a long trip to Canada, we have decided to take shorter trips closer to home in New Mexico. Lest you think that this was a great sacrifice, here are some photos from our recent two night camping trip to the Sacramento Mountains (two hours away from our front door). The cool pine-covered 9,000 foot mountains are a radical change from the beautiful desert environment in Las Cruces.



Chipmunk

Lincoln National Forest

Moss blooming on dead wood

The Lincoln National Forest is Billy the Kid country.

Canine visitors

The desert here in Las Cruces will not stop blooming this Spring, so we continue going for hikes and taking photos. As the season progresses, new plants are bursting into bloom. Here is the latest batch.


Dennis in Cuates Canyon

 Mike at Buena Vida Park

Hedgehog Cactus blooms in Cuates Canyon

Insects on desert blooms along Sierra Vista Trail

Ocotillo blooms

Prickly Pear Cactus blooms

Mystery blooms

Scaled Quail

Prickly Pear Cactus bloom

Ocotillo and desert peaks

More Prickly Pear Cactus blooms

Ocotillo and desert peaks

More Prickly Pear Cactus blooms and buds

Swallow-tail Butterfly on Yucca

White-winged Dove nest on Cholla

Flowering Cholla

Tiny unknown blooms