The Ruins

These are photos of the where the ruins are. 1st photo is of the remains of an actual ruin. Next is a pile of modern made adobe bricks that are being used to help keep part of the ruins in shape enough so that people can tell where these ancient Pueblo Indian homes were. Most of the photos are of rebuilt walls that are on top of what is left of the ancient walls. There has been one 'home' completely rebuilt. It has a ladder on the side as most of the homes were entered through the roof for protection, and privacy. There are doors there are barely wide enough for an average person to enter. The roof is low, and there is a fire pit for warmth and winter cooking. Vigas or wood poles were used to support the roof. Some of the 'homes' or apartments were as much as 4 stories high.

As It Might Have Looked 400 Years Ago

These are photos I took of distance views from around Coronado State Monument. Of course the fences are new. 2nd photo shows a brush ramada or outdoor cooking area that would have been similar to those used by the Indians at the time the Spaniards first saw this area.

As always the Sandia Mountains can always be seen. Coronado State Monument is just north of Albuquerque and a couple of hours drive south of Santa Fe. It is right on the edge of the town of Bernallio, and about 20 minutes drive from my house. Don't know why it has taken me about 25 years to get back here since the last time I went. I plan to go more often if I can.

New Blogs

I have been looking at some new (new to me) blogs. Most on horses, cats, dogs, or flowers. Other readers might want to take a look at them, too.
http://greyhorsematters.blogspot.com
http://onceuponanequine.blogspot.com
http://desertgardendp.blogspot.com
These will also be listed on my links.

Yellow Roses

• Last week I saw a perfect yellow rose on my rose bush named by the hybredizer as 'Henry Fonda' after the great actor. Then there were five buds around the center flower. Over the week they gradually opened and I took a series of photos of all the roses. They were all perfect yellow roses on one stem. They were some of the best I have had on that bush.
  

Redtailed Hawk

We frequently have redtailed hawks come sailing through out sky looking for mice and other things to eat. We have open areas full of native desert sage and tumbleweeds. The hawks will circle over and around trying to make a mouse give away it's hiding place. Very seldom do we get a chance to take a photo of one. Hubby got this one the other day when the hawk took a break on the power line over our backyard.

Kitten in Towels

"But, Mom! Warm, clean towels make such a nice bed."

Tumbling Tumbleweeds

This is a small tumbleweed. The best known of the weeds we have here. These, too, will grow with no water as do all of the weeds we have. The tumbleweed is called that because in the fall when they dry they come loose from the dirt and 'tumble' across the desert with the least little breeze. A wind can send them for miles. They will then stack up against any thing that gets in their way- fences, houses, cars, (they love to go down the roads and get stuck under moving cars and can even catch on fire from the hot undercarriage of the car). Again we fight them constantly as each tumbling tumbleweed has millions of very tiny seeds on them that fall off as it tumbles and will then sprout where ever it falls off. Again this plant is not native to here and the story I have heard is that it is a Russian thistle brought over from Russia about 200 years ago to be raised as cattle feed and as food for people. I have heard that it is a good 'green' if pulled and cooked like spinach soon after it sprouts. If left to long it gets the stickers on it and isn't good for people eating. Horses, cows, sheep, goats will eat them from the time they sprout until there is nothing left of an old, dried-up weed. My horses beg for them when I am pulling them as weeds. They do cause allergies for lots of people when they bloom. Some blooms are a nice shade of blue and almost big enough to be seen. There are several different kinds of tumbleweeds and we seem to have some of all of them.

Goathead Weed

This is another of the horrid weeds we have here in the desert. I have no idea of any other name for it besides Goathead which really makes people that don't know what it is wonder until they experience the terrible thing. It doesn't look that bad. Doesn't seem to cause allergies. Has a cute little yellow blossom. Grows in a circle that some people, at first, think is a nice groundcover as it will grow with no water what so ever. Until you find the seeds which give it it's name, Goathead. The seed are round with two 'horns' that want to break off into the foot or hand of what ever encounters it. And it HURTS. Boy does it hurt. I have known of several people who have had to have the 'horn' off of one of these seed surgically removed after it has become infected. One man I know of almost had to have his foot amputated. I was unable to find a seed to take a photo of as I try to keep them all picked up and all plants pulled. They are easy to pull and will die when it freezes, but leaves the seeds to sprout next spring. And each and every seed will sprout. I fight them constantly. Each seed is sent to the trashcan and each plant without a seed is pulled and turned with the root up to die. Several of my neighbors fight them but a lot of people don't fight them and they will stick to anything and make their way back to mine or your yard. They love to hitchhike on car and truck tires and on the rubber soles of shoes, as well as bike tires. They are death to bicycle tires. If you ride a bicycle in the desert you are sure to go buy the special tubes that can't be punchered by the 'goathead seeds'. And of course dogs and cats hate them as well as those of us that try to get rid of them. Again this weed is not native to the desert but I don't know where it did come from

Ragweed

Ragweed. This is the weed that is making me sneeze, and itch with allergies. It is just one form of ragweed as there are many many different times from what I understand. This is the kind that grows here in our desert but is not a native plant here. I fight it and fight it and it always seems to win. On the plus side the horses seem to think it is as good as candy although how they can eat the stickery stuff is beyond me. These are little ones that escaped my figures and hoe. I have seen them get up to six feet tall with multiple stems full of flower stalks and seeds. And it is a very ugly, very tiny flower.

Althea

One of my Althea or Rose of Sharon bushes. They are easy to grow elsewhere but I have trouble keeping enough water to them here. It is kin to the Hibiscus plant that is so common in Hawaii but this one can survive our winter cold. The bad thing about it that each flower only lasts for a day.

Blue Sage

Blue Sage sometimes called Russian Sage. It is really drought tollerent here in the desert but really, really hard to take photos of as blossoms are so tiny. It is blooming right now and starting to give me baby plants as it spreads well from seed.

Blue Mist Spirea

I really like this very drought tolerant bush. It is called Blue Mist Spirea. There are other colors of it from light to dark blue. It takes less water than about any plant I have but still it does need some here in the desert. I have two that are about 8 years old and are about 6 foot in diameter. And the bees love it. At this time when it is blooming there are bees all over it. But I have never been stung by one even though I get really close to take the photos as the flowers and bees are so small.

It is hard to take photos of the bees as they move constantly not landing on a flower for more than a second which probably means there isn't much nectar in the blossoms. They have some nice sent to me, if you get your nose in a flower but it isn't much.