Emerging from the Ground, Spring has Sprung in Northern Arizona

It has been an incredibly hot "spring" here.  Actually Spring doesn't officially come for another month, but the bulbs are blooming and the willows, lilacs and fruit trees are flowering and leafing out!

Here are a few beauties from my garden photographed on February 22nd, 2016! They do say that March, April, and May 2016 will be wetter because of the El Nino which usually also means cooler weather.  I expect there will be a snowstorm in Colorado when we pass though in early May.  We have been sleeping with the windows open for weeks now, how weird!

Spring in New Mexico and Living out of a Suitcase

Left Arizona Saturday and will be living out of a suitcase for more than 4 weeks. It's fine with me, I like to see new things, especially natural areas in the southwest.  Many of the old ranches have been subdivided into large lots with significant common lands for the common people like Galisteo Basin Preserve near Santa Fe and Timberlake Ranch near Ramah, NM.  We have seen lots of afternoon wind and billowing cloud formations and even a few sprinkles of rain. We have a particular fondness for El Morro National Monument and El Malpais National Monument.  Tomorrow we will visit Pecos National Historic Park.  We hope to see the Randall Davey Home on Friday afternoon at the Audubon Center.  Below are a few recent kaleidoscopes of our travels in New Mexico.  Enjoy!

 New Mexico Clouds

Muddy Water in Ramah Lake

rocks over Ramah Lake

spring has sprung

the stock tank

the photographer

Timberlake Cliffs

feral kitty