Commencement Day

Getting off to an early start west of Tortugas

With the large number of people on the mountain this morning you'd have thought our local college, New Mexico State University, was holding its spring graduation ceremony out here.  Becca and I were bumping into hikers, bikers and dogs left and right.  One mountain biker, obviously pleased by Becca's good behavior, said, "What's your dog's name?"  When I told him he said, "Hi, Becca--you're such a good girl."  On the way back we ran into a woman mountain biker who asked if Becca was part Heeler.  When I responded in the affirmative she promptly told me about her five dogs, one of whom is a Heeler mix.

Up in the foothills

Strange twist in a Soaptree Yucca flower stalk

Closeup of the twist

Where a Yucca once lived

Looking east toward the Tortoise

Becca sees a jogger in the distance on Geothermal Road