Last week, we had planned to camp in the nearby Lincoln National Forest for a few days. However, since our favorite campsite in our favorite campground was available, we decided to stay for a week. 

The New Mexican monsoon season has begun. That means that it is now hot and humid in Las Cruces instead of hot and dry. But it was cool and humid in the mountains. Everything was green and bursting with life. The plants and animals were healthy and abundant. The daily rain showers gave us an opportunity to take afternoon naps in the trailer after morning walks in the woods.

Our Campsite

Aspen grove.

Ponderosa forest.

Great Mullein.

Thistle.

Rocky Mountain Zinnias.

Thistle.

The Rim Trail runs for about 30 miles along the ridge overlooking the Tularosa Valley. 

We only hiked a couple of those miles, but it was beautiful. 

Mike along the Rim Trail. 

Mike taking a picture of a flower. 

Feather found lying on the ground. 

We have no good ID on it, but one friend has suggested it looks like it's from a Great Horned Owl. 

Dennis along the Rim Trail. 

Gypsy Moth Caterpillar.

Since the Woods were very damp, there were mushrooms everywhere. These are Velvet Foot mushrooms. 

Pinewood Gingertail mushrooms.

Pinewood Gingertail mushrooms with Wood Sorrel.

Bronze Capped mushroom.

Some mushrooms even had snails munching on them.

Mule Deer doe. 

Young Mule Deer buck. 

Three wild stallions in the woods

Harebell

Red Admiral butterfly on Verbena

Mike on the trail into an abandoned Boy Scout campground.

Boy Scout building.

Boy Scout Via Dolorosa path to the assembly ground.

Dennis and another Boy Scout building. 

More mushrooms along the trail. 

Broad-Tailed Hummingbirds dining on Verbena.

Ponderosa Springs Ranch and the Capitan Mountain range and wilderness. 

A very colorful grasshopper.

Indian Paint Brush.

Yellow Primrose after a shower. 

We are not sure, but we think this may be a female Cassins Flycatcher. 

 We spent last week camping in the Red River, New Mexico area, visiting Cochiti Lake, Taos, Angel Fire, Eagle Lake, Cimarron Canyon, and Mountainair along the way. It was another lovely trip, and the longest outing we've had since the pandemic began. We had way too many pictures to share, but we hope you like these samples from our adventure. 

Sunset at Cochiti Lake

The moon above Cochiti

Ponderosa Pine forest at our campground outside of Red River, NM

The chipmunk for campsite #9 

Mike and his bear in the park in Red River

Colorado Poppy

Primrose

Hiking along the Red River

People fishing the Red River (in town)

Mike hiking along the Red River

Iridescent Green Beetle

Apantesis Moth ?

Mike often loves to draw while we are on our trips. This one is from our Red River Campsite.

Scenes from our visit to Taos, NM

A Marmot in the Taos Ski Valley

A Variety of Flowers in Taos

More Taos street scenes

More Flowers from Taos

Taos Ski Resort

Sights around Angel Fire

And the Cimarron River Canyon

A male Grosbeak 

A female Grosbeak

A White-Breasted Nuthatch

The Shaffer Hotel and restaurant in Mountainair, NM is a study in folk art - all handmade by Pa Shaffer when he built his hotel on the site of his blacksmithing shop that had burned to the ground. 

This is an illustration on a lampshade in the dining room.

And this is a ceiling panel in the dining room.

One more Sunset

And finally, back home to the Organ Mountains.