Seems like I’ve been gone forever, but in reality it was just a week’s vacation to visit friends in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Â Have you ever been there?
We were fortunate to be able to use our airline miles to purchase tickets ~ 3 legs were first class and one was economy. Flying first class is very different from economy. Â It made me wonder why there are different classes though. Â Why can’t they just have airplanes that have all first class seats?
Oh well …
After a two hour layover in Houston, our friends picked us up at the El Paso, Texas airport and whisked off to Las Cruces.
Although we were only in New Mexico for 5 1/2 days, we had 3 days where the temperature reached 85°.  It really didn’t feel hot though ~ as long as we stayed in the shade. The afternoons brought strong breezes that quickly died down by evening.
I must say ~ it was pretty. Brown, yes, but pretty nonetheless. I had never realized that the desert could have so much color.
We were warmly welcomed by our friends who moved here in September 2014. The back of their house faces the Organ Mountains. It is quite pretty.
Here is a picture of the back of their house ~
And here are a couple of pictures of the view they have of the Organ Mountains ~
The sky was blue most of the time we were there with an occasional almost cloudy afternoon.
I was surprised ~ really really surprised ~ at how much color the desert can have. Perhaps this is during springtime when everything comes to life.
Even the trees were starting to bloom …
The colors ~ so vibrant.
The Ocotillo plant was also blooming. Some believe this is a cactus but … it’s not.
We visited the City of Rocks State Park which is located between the cities of Silver City and Deming. The park is in the Chihuahuan desert region of southeastern New Mexico and sits at an elevation of 5,200 feet.  The “city†is a geologic formation made up of large, sculptured rock columns that rise as high as 40 feet and are separated by paths or lanes that resemble city streets.
I was intrigued by this camper who set up his tent right in between the rocks with a rock hanging overhead. Â Would you camp here?
I was surprised this picture of a raven in flight came out so well. Â It reminded me of the poem “Quoth the Raven, Nevermore” by Edgar Alan Poe. Have you read it? I first read it in high school ~ so many years ago.
Here’a another picture of the Ocotillo plant.
Here’s the view looking out from the City of Rocks.
We didn’t get out and walk around but chose to drive through the park and enjoy the scenery ~ me in the back seat. It was nice to have a driver so I could just snap pictures.
Every time we returned home the Organ Mountains loomed from every area of the deck. So peaceful and relaxing …
Isn’t New Mexico pretty? Â I’ll post a few more pictures soon.
