Wed 1 Aug 2012
A weekend trip to Chihuahua, Sonora, and Baja California, Mexico – concentrating primarily on some mountain drives in Sonora. Here is the first part: a quick nighttime dash from San Diego to Columbus, NM, then crossing over to Palomas, Chih., then heading west and south to Hermosillo, Sonora.
Not actually in Mexico. here is an Arizona sunrise, somewhere around Benson.
Some clouds over a Sonora mountain landscape.
Tue 6 Sep 2011
We pick up in Iowa, where we decide to stop heading east in order to get to New Mexico. We see flooding along the Missouri River, and catch a thunderstorm in Kansas.
Minimum maintenance road.
Flooding causes standing water. Standing water causes mosquitoes and other insects. A fresh source of food means the dragonflies grow fat and happy. This one was about three inches long, with a five inch wingspan.
We’ve got ourselves a good old fashioned lightning storm. Western Kansas.
Tue 12 Jul 2011
the third day of the Gila River trip, in which I return from New Mexico back home to San Diego.
Campfire from the night before. I don’t remember why we decided that Frosty the Candle Snowman had to go, but we certainly sent him off to Valhalla in style.
An old alignment of New Mexico state route 32 yields this tilted, decrepit junction assembly. It dates to the late 1960s or so.
This grassland – just east of Springerville, AZ – burned in the Wallow Fire just a few weeks after I took these photos. But, it will grow back, as that is how these things tend to go.
Sunset through Telegraph Pass, just east of Yuma on I-8.
Sun 12 Jun 2011
the second day of the Gila River trip – now with special guests! Dale, Beverley, and Shelly live in a completely different section of New Mexico, but when I discovered that they were camping on the western side of the state (only a 630 mile drive from San Diego!) I knew I had to drive out there for the weekend.
I find them at Lake Roberts, and we head up to the end of New Mexico 15 to the Gila Cliff Dwellings, find some hot springs, and generally have a quality time of things.
I took over 1000 pictures on this day – quite a lot of things to be seen!
Shelly, Dale, and Beverley at the entrance to the cliff dwellings. The ladder is a modern touch for modern folks. The original inhabitants, of course, flew from door to door on the power of their awesomeness.
Today’s theme ingredient is: forest fire.
I believe this is a desert spiny lizard (Sceloporus magister). Dale spotted the little critter first and it took me a good several seconds to note what he was pointing at. The camouflage is dang near perfect!
The Gila Cliff Dwellings. They were built around 1280 by the Mogollon people, and were abandoned sometime in the 1300s. Due to the desert climate, they remain very well-preserved; almost exactly how they looked over 700 years ago.
Dale. No further explanation needed.
A lazy evening spent at a hot spring. I took this photo while sitting in the pool. Probably not the smartest idea ever, but hey, the photo came out!
Sun 12 Jun 2011
A trip to New Mexico, essentially following the Gila River all the way. Part features the first day, and the morning of the second – driving from San Diego to Lake Roberts, NM.
Adventures in terrible light-post placement. There are only two known 1957-spec interstate shields in Arizona. (The other one is on this exact gantry, facing the other direction.)
Extremely pointy flower in morning light. Highway 90 between Lordsburg and Silver City, New Mexico.
Heading north from Silver City on state highway 15.
Wed 27 Oct 2010
some photos from favorite old haunts … northeastern New Mexico, including a trip to Sierra Grande, the tallest mountain in Union County.
Two days of photos – one of just hanging out, the second of actually going somewhere.
Flowers still in bloom in late October at 6800 feet. Someone does one hell of a job with the gardening!
Why has Dale ascended to such magnificent heights atop this flimsy half-a-utility-pole? Because he can.
Iridescent clouds, and a radio assembly on top of Sierra Grande. (Or: a flying saucer comes in for a landing.)
Fri 13 Aug 2010
not featuring any photos from Union County – this was the return trip of over 1200 miles, in time to even show up to work in mid-afternoon!
We are on an old US-70 alignment, and here is the obligatory photo of the curves warning sign with the treacherous mountains in the background.
Wed 21 Jul 2010
a trip to Mills Canyon, along the Canadian River in northeastern New Mexico.
A demon beetle! These creatures are all over Mills Canyon. They’re two inches long and make shrieking noises. Oh, and they fly.
The Canadian River, in infrared. This is where we park for a lazy day of being lazy.
Really, this is our parking spot. It’s a little-known feature of the International Harvester Scout: Jesus Mode.
Here, damselflies engage in, ahem, damselfly production activities. This is in the middle of the river. I floated out there on an air mattress, camera several inches away from getting soaked.
Sun 18 Jul 2010
fireworks on the fourth of July in Raton, New Mexico – and other odds and ends.
Sunset over highway 64/87.
A few test shots before the last of dusk.
Perfectly clear skies at 6800 feet. 5 1/2 minute exposure.
Tue 13 Jul 2010
more from my trip to New Mexico, home of thunderstorms and brilliant orange sunsets.
It happens to be raining in sunny Union County.
Fence post, and observer, at sunset.
Orange skies are orange. I had not seen this sort of sunset since just after a thunderstorm in South Dakota in 2006!