What Were We Thinking???

We've moved to a spot I was sure I wouldn't like and have been telling everyone is a place we would never camp. But was I ever wrong.

Let me back up a bit.

Some time last year, we were staying at Oliver Lee State Park over in Alamogordo and decided to take a trip to check out Leasburg Dam State Park. Leasburg is located about fifteen miles outside of Las Cruces, the second largest city in New Mexico. Our thought was that this might be a good place to sit a spell.

But when we arrived, I don't know what we saw, but it wasn't good. We both looked around and went YUCK! we don't ever want to stay here, so we just wrote it off. For the last year or so have not even considered it as a possibility.

Then a few weeks ago, we were talking about where to land after Rockhound, and we thought that we would come to Leasburg for just a day or two, since we KNEW we wouldn't want to stay here for an extended time.

But, what can I say? We pulled in yesterday and went, Hey, this doesn't look too bad!

We had to dry camp one night, but woke up this morning to a glorious sight, cactus in bloom, a lovely desert scent, birds, bunnies, it was just so swell we decided we would stick around for a while. We even had our choice of a couple of different sites and found one we like a lot.

Here's a shot of our campsite. Pretty wonderful, don't you think?


Remember you can click on any of these photos for a larger version. Most of them look a lot better when viewed in a larger size.

At dusk, we took a stroll around the campground and I took some shots for the blog.

Here's a shot of one of the many yuccas that are blooming here at Leasburg. The light wasn't great so bear with me on this one.


Here's an ocotillo that's trying its best to bloom. I thought I might take a series of shots so you can see its progress. The ocotillo is an amazing desert plant, as so many are. With just a bit of rain, it will sprout numerous small green leaves, but when the water gets scarce, it will drop them all to conserve mositure. The flowers are an intense desert orange and quite lovely.

Hopefully this one will continue and there will soon be flowers to share with you.

Here's a shot of the sunset this evening. I believe I'm going to like it here!



I have a few other photos I've been saving for the blog, so this is as good a time to post them as any.

Most of you know that Cholula Red is named after a hot sauce and that Terry and I both love chili peppers. While in Deming, we had lunch at a Mexican restaurant named Canos. As we went to leave, I saw this guy hanging in an alcove. Well, I'll tell you, I would have bought him right then and there, but he wasn't for sale, so I had to make do with this picture.

Just before we left Rockhound, we had a bird that flew into one of our windows and stunned himself. We found him in a kind of stupor, sitting on the ground. Terry picked him up and tried to give him some water but he was just so shellshocked, he wouldn't respond.


Here's one more shot, shortly after this was taken, he came around and flew away to join the other birds. Thank Goodness he was OK!

And I just couldn't resist, here's one more shot of the desert at sunset.


Life is good.