Another Corner of Leon's "Office"

Took a little excursion to a section of BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land here in New Mexico that hubby Ranger Leon has to patrol periodically. CLICK TO ENLARGE PHOTOS:

While much of his job is not "glamorous" (picking up trash like the shrapnel from TVs, microwaves, bottles, that shooters used for target practice, human waste, tires, etc. or hauling gravel for a nature trail), he does enjoy his outdoor "office" which is a far cry from his cubicle at headquarters in town.

 

 

You can see the Tacoma (white truck) off in the distance. Click to enlarge.

A friend of ours drove us all out in his Tacoma for a day of seeing the countryside. 

  

One interesting feature which I did not get a picture of was the watering holes dug by feral horses in the sand. Here in a dry, rain-starved desert, the "wild" horses can find water and dig several feet down until they can drink. Leon has seen horses on their knees, reaching into the watering holes for a drink. 

EDIT: from Leon's files - horses drinking at their watering hole. (Video may be "unavailable" on your device. You can see it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk7B9QEZ91M

The highlight of the trip was hiking around in a petrified forest: a geologic feature that, I would say, most New Mexicans don't even know about.  

Lots of petrified tree fragments but also some very large specimens. Pretty fascinating.

 

 

This photo does not do justice to the subject which is a large, probably 10-foot long, petrified tree, just below the juniper, about centered in the photo. 

 We would have hiked further but I've had a bad left knee for several weeks and physical therapy is ongoing, so I didn't want to push it to the limit.

Below: Suque, our friend's dog, checking out the log from a prehistoric forest.

Several large "logs" are scattered over a fairly wide area of this wilderness site.

P.S. One of the reasons I don't blog much anymore is due to how cumbersome blogger has become. I have such difficulty moving photos and had to upload all the photos a second time because several disappeared when I attempted to rearrange them. Trying to get commentary to line up neatly between photos is aggravating.

Also, our internet can be slow at times.

The other, more significant reason I don't blog much is that I have nothing of interest to share...or at least nothing I'd want to bother you all with. Our life is pretty hum-drum and you've seen my vegetable garden, my flower garden, my pizza, bread and pasta creations, a few of our travels...but the quotidian is no longer good fodder for this blog. 

Besides, my "audience" has dwindled to a handful of loyal viewers. I appreciate your visits and apologize for not being more prolific.