Gilman Bridge

these are views from the Gilman Bridge just off the main road going to Jemez Springs. Gilman is an even smaller village. The Jemez Creek flows under the bridge. We stopped to see how well the water was flowing in this time of drought and found it doing ok on this day. I expect it will be really down in a few weeks if we don't get some rain. This water is probably the last of the spring snow melt water.

Aspen Leaves

The aspen trees were just leafing out and their leaves almost looked like flowers when the sun would shine on them.

Dandilions & Moss

I didn't find any flowers in the mountains except lots of dandilions. I like dandilions but would have liked some other kinds of flowers to go with them. I did find some moss, or alge, or what ever on a lot of the rocks so took soom close up photos of some

Porkypine Canyon

On this day we decided to go to a place we hadn't been to for about five years, Porkypine Canyon, or that is what we call it as the first time we went there we saw a porkypine. This was about 25 years ago. Porkypine was wattling along down the road but when it saw us it went up into the rocks. I don't think it was the rocks I took so many photos of this day but a simular bunch that I didn't get a photo of. I really like this jumble of rocks with an almost square rock sticking up like a giant childs lego block. It was squared off so well it looked like it had been done by a giant machine. We didn't find any porkpines this day but did see a lot of fresh deer and elk tracks.

Battleship Rock

This is a big rock cliff sort of north west from Jemez Springs called Battleship Rock. There is a big parkinglot so visitors can park and view the cliff or take a hike down into the canyon below it where Jemez Creek flows.

Jemez Springs, New Mexico

I took some photos of the village of Jemez Springs the other day. I keep meaning to stop and take a group of photos of this quaint little town. It is something I'll have to come by my self to do as hubby doesn't seem interested. The one photo here is of the steeple of the Catholic church that is in use there now. Jemez Springs Momument is located in the town and the ruins of the old mission chuch from about 300 years ago are still there. I need to visit there again and take some photos of it, too. I have photos from when I used a 35 mm camera but no digital photos. The other photo in this posting is of the main business section of town. The saloon is on one side, a gift shop on the other side from it. The Bath House which is a true hot springs is also to the left side but hid from view. The police station is just down the street in the photo.

Casa Blanca Gift Shop

This little gift shop is across the street from the Laughing Lizard Cafe. Someone did some great work on the outside. I haven't been in it in years so not sure what kind of merchandise they offer. I need to go in again.

Laughing Lizard Cafe

The Laughing Lizard Cafe in Jemez Springs, NM has been there for over thirty year that I know of. But I think it has changed hands several times. It sits right on the main road almost in the middle of town. We have eaten there a few times and it was excelent food. They have a few rooms for rent but I've never heard anything about them.

Bird Baths

I decided to get really fancy to water the local birds. I gathered up some old hupcaps, put some directly on the ground and one on the cast iron legs to an old wood stove, and some on broken pots turned upside down. The birds don't care what it looks like. They seem to prefer the low to the ground. The quail really like them low and it took them a long time to get up on the ones on the broken pots. I don't want them any deeper than these hubcaps as then the baby quail drown when they go to drink. It was a sad lesson a long time ago that I don't want to repeat. Because they are so shallow I have to fill them everyday especially in the summer when the heat sucks them dry quickly. And of course in summer the dirty birds have to take more baths and splash out the water.

Clouds

May Day Snow

No May Day Celebration here this year. Just cold, wind, and a spit of snow.

Give a Dog a Bath

So I finished off the day by giving both dogs, Tuffee, and Ziva, a bath. And they sure did need it. But Tuffee has done something to her foot. She is limping not putting any weight on it. She has done this before. What do you expect from a dog that has to run with every step she takes. I never know if she has brused it, or sprained it or what. So the bath was also a way to soak it in some epson salts. Don't know if it will help but it won't hurt.

Maybe Spring

today after that freeze a few nights ago (it was 50 degrees last night) I went out and played the musical horses game where I rotate the horses from their normal pen to a different one. Then took Sunny out, brushed him and gave him a good spray down with the water hose. Not a bath, just got a lot of dirt of him with water. Now need to do another horse but don't have what it takes today. Maybe tomarrow.

Another Freeze

So on May Day, May 1, we had another hard freeze. What is with the weather. My grapevines, Virginia creeper vine, cottonwood trees, catalpa tree, redbud trees had all their leaves freeze so that now they will have to put on new ones, and no telling how long that will take. It didn't seem to effect my fruit trees which were leafed out more. The roses had some frozen leaves and so that are OK.
But I do remember a time back in the mid 1980's when we had snow on Mother's Day. My roses were in full bloom with snow on them. The snow was gone by the end of the day and it didn't seem to bother them or any trees. I got some good photos with my old 35 mm, but don't know where they are now.
Guess this freeze was harder.

Rock Squirrel

this is a few photos of the rock squirrel that has decided to live under our small metal, junk shed. I first saw him earlier this week when he made this trip to get food out of the compost ben that I have. He decided that orange peels where the best I had at the time. I took the first two photos through a window and the last one out the back door that is a sliding glass door. After his forage into the compost he came and looked in the door at us. We have also seen him behind the shed where we discovered there was a hole where he could come and go.