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Thursday, October 31, 2024

Day of Departure

Mountain home
Cold this morning:  34F when we started our hike.  Did practically the same trek as yesterday.

After the outing we packed up for the trip back to the lower desert, where we are now.

Willow and Dr. K heading up our drive

Light and shadow

Willow and Dr. K at the bend in our road

Willow turning around

This & next:  Three-leaf Sumac


This & next:  Sacramentos again


Willow in the lower 40

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Long Hike on Our Mountain

Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay? (Aphelocoma woodhouseii)
Because it was windy and cold when Dr. K, Willow and I set off on our morning trek we were of the mind (at least Dr. K and I were) that we'd do a short hike.  Turns out we did a longer one to the top of the mountain behind our cabin.  We started from the bend in our upper road and made a huge loop through the forest, returning to the cabin via the lower 40.

After we got back we all piled into Whitey the CR-V and drove up to Family Dollar in Cloudcroft to buy six gallons of water, a bottle of Brisk ice tea, a box of Special K Pastry Crisps and a 20-pack of Werther's Original Caramel Hard Candy--all the necessary food groups.

The cold front that blew in overnight has caused the temperatures to plummet; high today 53F, low tonight 33F.

This & next:  Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

Haynes Canyon

This & next:  Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay


This & next:  Sacramentos


Haynes Canyon again

This & next:  Willow is so cute


?

White Sands NP in the distance

This & next:  Tularosa Basin


White Sands NP

Hedgehog Cactus

Former trees

Sacramento Mountains

Our front yard

Sacramentos again

From up near the pumphouse

This & next:  groan--another two of Haynes Canyon


Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Steep, Pre-Flapper Hike

Getting started
We did a strenuous hike in the forest behind the cabin this morning, and, according to Dr. K's watch, we ascended the equivalent of a six-story building.  Now that I write this it doesn't seem that impressive.  Add the amount of bushwhacking we did, though, and it was quite a bit of exercise.  Willow loved every minute.

After the trek I drove down the mountain to both Home Depot and Lowe's in Alamogordo to buy two flappers for the toilets in the cabin.  Oddly, both had started leaking at the same time.  With Dr. K's help I was able to replace the old ones with not too much difficulty.

Willow giving side-eye

How's this for camouflage?

Stump with peeling bark

We passed this way yesterday

Dead tree sculpture

Two crows

Willow on alert

Three-leaf Sumac bush

Late-bloomer (Golden Crownbeard?)

Form

Three-leaf Sumac

Down in the valley

Bushwhacking through

Branches

Almost done for today

Trek and a Ride

This & next:  Soaptree Yuccas 34F when we started off this morning, but no wind.  Sunshine made it feel quite bearable out there. We did...