This was my walk this morning--past horses, onion fields, an irrigation ditch, and a pecan orchard.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqf7l9GGvECVErDY4T4uLxzc9a-fCGHbBABoXULjIOOJMXESJSnl1pWnfcAcYZaOK9Y2xi7-1_SA1U0R3N3sbKvT9poooiBSGna10ReKD2GrkemaaEfhprEKl3ONNXdX5iDRnZ46_D_co/w400-h300/IMG-0825.jpg) |
Horses at the neighbors' place |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QUcnu5n19VN3h8IatGm4ogKt23oQZcsBhv8x4rbHFJQuvZ3mLtFRIRGh7AYJ-NUBQmzPB1ZguBScuAHQ_0SGxaer13qRiLUdGS4KCQm7-WXZcH-1ZdcHzEhJeTiej4UrrQl8IvuM6mc/w400-h300/IMG-0826.jpg) |
Field of onions being harvested.
Planted last fall, each onion is now the size of a large grapefruit
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![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfyItqHM3S_9umX_dtBeQ1UInh0xTMWvm9JkPGkHJDzN4Pq10WqeGLUTEhQvbJU30l1MDTJ0xMYlEi66IC5SO7JdDIa-2NT799BOropF61nhYXOrnVg34pEjkRDpY6Qh1hNqxD6x7jsyI/w400-h300/IMG-0827.jpg) |
This field was quiet and empty two days ago. Now it is filled with kneeling workers,
carefully picking onions and placing them into the big crates. A forklift works day and night,
loading the containers onto trucks. |
Irrigation water flowing down from the Elephant Butte Dam, about 80 miles to the north
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVusmWTiOBqprYFoL_lAGYWJtd2ZjP98Bw3X1iNg3qVGP58JkllgbunPZ2greqyhNt5anoHuBMSLIIhJQuplh9sK2lUFUzw8770pGqS8h-OrWcvdBl7lp9ESL-zmO4mq0OiR6kgmBKwE/w300-h400/IMG-0829.jpg) |
Pecan trees. The dust in the distance is from the onion harvesting. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LVZwZNFrLUAOHJ_pdI0gMdCmnUv3azVvw7Af83kive_oewuzy8nUDxvtEGYA1kh5SgwBbM3JV9IO16URsXbLG-ft31o98AQLu9VsZHEFknmuRVvRyT6oJvmlbPb2GF-ubJM_BKqITmw/w300-h400/IMG-0830.jpg) |
The soil under the pecan trees looks like this between flooding by irrigation |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDxvruenWmpofIU9uBTt_0HaBvLkFHTeZSfmTH0L7pzVAp7rBVlfUpjWEbV16LOT70D8CLRv9u2H_XjrL1zTLQBsoakM5LsK9EdRh8Mf_yJ0QEeuZcpM0NmmA5X5LmY-SevecEz-p6b8/w300-h400/IMG-0831.jpg) |
Back home again to the big scary cactus, started with just two pads 11 years
ago and now about 9 feet tall. |