Sprinkly Start

Only one pine nut left?

It looked as if it might rain heavily this morning, but when Dr. K, Becca and I started our hike on the Grand View Trail we only got sprinkled upon.  It was on-and-off drizzle for the first half mile or so, but then it stopped.  A few times on the inbound leg the sky spat at us, though the precipitation was very light.  To make our trek more pleasant the sun put in occasional appearances, painting the desert with impressionistic brushstrokes.  When we got back to our place we had to deal with a small tree threatening to topple over onto our road during the next storm.  I tied a rope around the trunk and played tug of war with the thing until I got it to fall in the desired direction.  The next time we're up here I'll have to take a chainsaw to the tree and cut it into log-sized chunks for the wood-burning stove.

Becca and Dr. K

Fall color on Three-leaf Sumac

Sun breaking through in spots

Greens, red, yellows

Blazing the way

Longing for sunlight

Through the cut

Vista from the Grand View Trail

Down through the canyon

Layers of light

White Sands

San Andres Mountains from the Sacramento Mountains

Same view, a few more trees

White Sands and the San Andres

Pulling back a tad

Pulling even further back

Sacramento Mountains from the Grand View Trail

Looking across the Tularosa Basin

Headed down the Grand View Trail

Near High Rolls/Mountain Park

Why it's called "White Sands NM" rather than "Gypsum NM)

Fritillary

Rocky face

Cowboy at the rodeo

Dr. K with Cowboy and Gage

Dr. K with Champ and Cowboy

BST

Dr. K and Champ (cameo appearance by Becca)