A Walk Through the Bosque

This morning started out too early and too cold.

I did what any committed dolly mama would do.

I over dressed my doll.

Then, I finally took my mother's 35 year old advice,

and got dressed (if it is cold out, put on warmer clothes!).

The temperatures and early morning clouds

whispered of the coming fall,

and it just didn't look like the brightest day to go to the zoo

as I had wanted.

 

I took Ella for a walk down to the Rio Grande instead.
The trailhead has log carved sculptures

in honor of the firefighters who fought a fire here

throughout the night in June 2003,
sparing lives and personal property.

http://www.bosquebill.com/photosPuebloMontano.html

 As a trailhead, it is the entrance to a group of trails

that lead to the Rio Grande and around its forested areas.

The area surrounding the river has more trees than most areas

further away from the river.

The forested area is called the bosque.

My favorite log sculpture is that of La Llorona,

the weeping woman who will take naughty children

if they come to close to the river at night!

What?!!!

We continued down the path toward the river.

No, this is not the Rio Grande.

This is an arroyo (ditch)

running parallel to the river about 1/4 mile away from it.

The bosque was late-summer green

with lots of yellow and purple flowers!

Are you coming?

We finally arrived at the edge of the river

under the highway bridge.

The Rio Grande and mountains to the north of the bridge.

The Rio Grande to the south of the bridge.

A few more yards down the trail...

To the south...

To the north (toward the bridge)...

We saw the small details in the world around us.

After a few minutes at the river,

we headed back toward the trailhead.

Look, a place that is my size!!!

Aren't I cute?

Some of the trees on the north side of the bridge

have a darker color.

Even though the fire was 11 years ago,

I wonder what evidence still lingers.

The area has recovered well.

By the time we had returned to the trailhead,

the morning clouds had burned off,

and the sun was bright.

We had heard the scuffling of little lizards

and seen them at the trailhead when we arrived earlier,

but they had been too fast to photograph.

This one clung to its moment in the sun.

It finally departed over the edge

of the fence post Ella wanted to sit on.

 Did you get the picture of me

with the firefighter?

 The time had slipped into noon,

and it was time to go.

The roadrunner is the state bird.

I see it as a good luck sign when I see real ones.

I love that there is a roadrunner welcoming visitors

to the trailhead by the parking lot.

The weather warmed up by the time we left,

but Ella had a chance to be photographed with the summer green leaves.

We'll have to come back in 5-6 weeks

and look for the changing colors of fall leaves.