The U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewel was in the area for two days last week touring the proposed Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, which President Obama may be willing to create using a 1906 law that allows him to bypass Congress. The proposal, put forward by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Tom Udall (D-NM), calls for 500,000 acres to be set aside for wilderness and national monument status.
Congressman Steve Pearce's (R-NM) plan asks for only 55,000 acres to be set aside around the Organ Mountains. This is the same Steve Pearce whose recently released book, Just Fly the Plane, Stupid!, suggests that a wife's duty is to submit to her husband. It reads: "The wife is to voluntarily submit, just as the husband is to lovingly
lead and sacrifice. The husband’s part is
to show up during the times of deep stress, take the leadership role
and be accountable for the outcome, blaming no one else." Apparently his philosophy stems from his reading of the Bible, the same Bible that suggests that man has dominion over the earth. No surprise, then, that Pearce, owner of an oil-field service company, sees the creation of wilderness areas and national monuments as threats to our right to exploit as many of our natural resources as possible. I pray that President Obama takes this opportunity to assert himself over a do-nothing Congress. Apparently, last year was the first Congress since World War II to not set aside any land.
Read more here: http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_24994406/interior-department-secretarys-visit-renews-land-protection-debate
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Monday, January 27, 2014
Sunday, January 26, 2014
It's a Beautiful Morning
| Easter Island |
| Becca working a bush |
| Heading for the southwest section of Tortugas |
| Striking ahead through the grassland |
| Statuesque Torrey Yuccas |
| Becca and Packrat heading back |
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Mostly Overcast
| Starting out on a cloudy morn |
| Purple Prickly Pear Cactus |
| A hint of the sun |
| Saddle in the Organ Mountains |
| Behind the Ocotillos: the Franklin Mountains near El Paso |
| Experimental area "J" ? |
| Trail back to Tortoise Mountain |
| We're about to encounter a mountain biker |
| Brightening up |
| Heading in opposite directions |
Friday, January 24, 2014
At Week's End
| Hunting for sun |
| Near the arroyo on the Crosscut Trail |
| Striking back for Tortugas |
| Sunny, but cold |
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Weather Change
The arctic cold front has dropped down into our area, and our temperature will only reach the high 40s today. The wind is supposed to gust to 40 mph this afternoon. These conditions will last for the next few days. My cousin in Lexington, Ketucky--who sent me beautiful photos of the 4 inches of snow in her yard, and who's suffering through temperatures near 0 F--probably thinks we've got in pretty good over here in the desert Southwest. I'd have to agree.
| Black-throated Sparrow |
| Clouds and contrails |
| White-winged Dove |
| Shaque, Becca and JC |
| Dog caravan |
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
In and Out
| Hiking along the high side of the mountain |
| The desert below |
| Part of the eastern section of Las Cruces |
| Back down on lower ground |
| Clouds come and go |
| Temporary clearing |
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Lost in Thought Again
| Centennial High School in the distance |
| A trail directly up the mountain |
| What's around this bend in the road? |
| How far away from him can I get? (center) |
| I'm waiting for him |
| Shaque and JC |
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