We went for a walk at the Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park a couple of weeks ago. It is New Mexico's 34th state park and has just observed its first anniversary. Living in the Chihuahuan Desert as we do, it's a real treat for us to be able to wander through such a watery environment.
The bosque (pronunciation is here), or riverside forest, is just minutes from the center of Las Cruces, but you might think you are miles and miles away, enjoying the peace, looking up at the mountains, and seeing signs of the bird and mammal residents all around you. I will be posting some more photos of those signs over the next couple of days.
Gateway to the visitor's center, opening out onto a lovely patio and gardens
A trail through one of the many different natural habitats. That's Picacho Peak in the distance, a sight we see at home from a different angle
An explanation of the irrigation and drain system
Part of the Picacho Drain (see the sign in the photo above this one), home to many water and land species
4 comments:
Interesting place. It looks much warmer there than here. Today it's just 15F degrees up here at 7,000ft. We still have snow on the ground and are expecting more snow tonight and tomorrow. What elevation are you in now?
Happy New Year to you,
~Lisa
Lisa, we're at 3900 feet here, down from 4200 in Clovis. For some reason, it seems higher--perhaps because we are outside so much in the sunshine and we have to watch for sunburn and remember our sunblock.
It seems very cold here today at 45 degrees with a little wind, but most afternoons it feels quite warm in the sunshine.
We were at the Bosque again yesterday and it was lovely--shirtsleeve weather.
P.S.: Happy New Year, Lisa, to you and your beautiful family!
It is interesting to see so much water available in a desert. Looks an intersting area and a mild place to live.
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