TG and I both reached a milestone birthday in 2024, a year shaping up to be full of memorable moments. We celebrated my big day by spending a week in Crystal River, FL snorkeling with the manatees.
TG, a lifelong Rolling Stones fan, was over the moon when we learned that the first stop on the Stone’s Hackney Diamonds tour was in Houston, conveniently on our way to New Mexico. We added two nights onto the beginning of our trip and could barely contain our excitement as we purchased tickets for the April 28 concert. Happy Birthday, TG!
It was a great show, with the timeless talent of Mick, Keith, Ronnie, and the band combined with incredible technology. We had a fantastic time, singing along to old favorites and grooving to songs off their new album.
The following morning, we continued our journey west. After two visits to the Bosque del Apache in November, we were eager to experience the unique charm of New Mexico’s desert in the hot summer months with its colorful rattlesnakes, lizards, and toads.
This visit marked our third stay at Casita del Crane’s, Pam’s cozy Airbnb in Lemitar. It has become our home away from home and a perfect base for explorations.
Pam is always interested in our photo safaris and sharing goodies such as fresh greens from her organic garden. These personal touches make our stays here so special.
You can find her listing here:
https://www.airbnb.com/Casita del Cranes
Something we’ve always enjoyed about staying at Pam’s is all the nature that greets us right outside our door.
A stroll through her garden or a walk on the dirt road alongside the creek is a wildlife adventure in itself. We’ll often see roadrunners scurrying along the railroad tracks — so cliché it’s comical!
And the rumble of the freight trains that pass by, accompanied by a long, lonesome whistle and clickety-clack of the cars, is charming.
You can view all our photos from our walkabouts at Pam’s here:
We explored Spring in the Bosque del Apache – a different time of year than previous visits. It was a tranquil place, with none of the mad frenzy we witnessed during the sandhill crane migration in November.
While we searched for reptiles,
We also enjoyed all the birds and other wildlife that call this area home.
We drove to the Valley of Fires, a lava flow covering 125 square miles. From a distance, it looks like black, barren rock, but as you hike the trails, you’ll see many varieties of desert flowers, cacti, and trees.
The valley was formed around 5,000 years ago when a volcano erupted, leaving behind a trail of molten lava. It’s a fascinating place, a stark contrast between destruction and new life.
Thanks to TG’s keen eyes and trusty binocs, we watched as ground squirrels and Harris’s antelope squirrels foraged for breakfast.
It’s a birdwatcher’s paradise, and we spied ash-throated flycatchers, black-throated sparrows, and western tanagers among other birds.
Just a week after settling in, we were back on the road for another concert. The Stones were performing in Glendale, AZ on May 7, just a seven-hour drive away. One of TG’s best friends from high school and his brother live in the Phoenix area, so along with Dan, Bill, and their wives, we purchased Stones tickets for a second show in as many weeks.
After dinner and some quality catch-up time, we piled into our cars and headed over to State Farm Stadium. The atmosphere was electric, with fans of all ages eagerly anticipating the show. And the Rolling Stones did not disappoint.
Their performance was off-the-charts, even better than the tour opening in Houston.
The drive to and from Arizona was beautiful. Our route took us up and over the mountains, with every curve in the road a new, breathtaking view.
We finished our second week with a lot of rock and roll …
A lot of rocks …
And a lot of lizards …
But no rattlesnakes – unless you count the what-we-thought-was-dead snake lying in the middle of the road. By the time we turned around to get a proper ID, it was gone. Either a raptor scooped it up or it slithered off on its own! 😲
On the night of May 10, the Earth was hit by a G5 solar storm, a rare and powerful event that occurs when a large amount of energy is released from the sun’s atmosphere. This was the strongest geomagnetic storm in 21 years, causing the KP index to spike to 9. The internet exploded with photos from as far south as Key Largo, FL, capturing the stunning auroras that were a result of this storm.
TG woke me at 2:30am. “You’re going to want to come outside,” was all he had to say for me to be up and out the door with my camera and tripod. Visible even to our naked eyes, we were amazed at what we could capture with our lenses.
In the hour we stood outside, awe-struck, the sky changed colors from vivid reds to purples & greens to pinks & oranges. It was hard to put away our cameras and go back to bed!
We started Week Three with high expectations. We were each going to have a solo adventure, with TG embarking on a trip to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, while I stayed back at Pam’s with Oscar and Maddie.
I dropped TG off at the Albuquerque airport on Monday afternoon. He was due back on Friday after an overnight flight from Vancouver. The three days stretched before me, and I planned to make the most of them.
When I took O & M out later that evening, we stumbled upon a woodhouse’s toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii) sitting in the driveway! These toads are native to the western United States and eat a variety of insects and scorpions—so a welcome visitor to have around the house!
The following morning, I decided to hike the Canyon National Recreation Trail in the Bosque del Apache. This trail is a 2.2-mile “lollipop” loop through the Chihuahuan Desert, the Solitude Canyon, and a climb to the top of a 200ft mesa.
I had no doubt I would see birds and lizards
But with snakes proving challenging to find, I started my hike with zero expectations. Little did I know I was in for an astonishing surprise.
As I stepped off the trail for a closer look at something, I found myself face to face with a magnificent western diamondback rattlesnake, basking in a puddle of warm sunshine! The sheer beauty of the moment left me breathless.
After capturing countless photos, I continued my hike. When I returned to the start of the loop, I retraced my steps, hoping to catch another glimpse of my resting beauty. However, she had gracefully moved on. I whispered a silent ‘Thank You‘ to the wilderness and made my way back to the car.
What an exciting start to my solo week!
The following day, I returned to the Canyon Trail. To my delight, Resting Beauty was still in the same area, nestled under a bush with thick, tangled branches providing a near-perfect camouflage.
Ater taking a few shots, I moved on, leaving her undisturbed. As I continued my hike, I was thrilled to spot four more different lizards, each one new to me.
And then, as if to add a touch of whimsy, I came across an adorable desert cottontail, its soft fur blending perfectly with the sandy landscape.
You can see all the photos from my Canyon Trail hikes here:
On Thursday I woke to a thunderstorm, but by noon the skies had cleared, and the cheerful chirping of birds beckoned me to the nearby Socorro Nature Area, a BLM reserve just three miles from Pam’s.
The sky over the mountains looked ominous, but there was sunshine overhead. So, I ventured out on the one-mile loop to see what I could see.
As I walked along, the air was filled with the calls of many different birds, including a pair of Gambel’s quail. These birds, with their distinctive topknot of black feathers, captivated me on our first visit to New Mexico in 2021. Their call resembles a meowing cat; when alarmed, they gurgle like they’re underwater. On that first visit, I thought they were rare and intriguing. I still find them charming, but they are so common that these days I’m much more selective about when I snap a photo.
I checked the dead logs and scrub for signs of life and was thrilled to spot several lizards. I’ve learned the ID’s of so many lizards on this trip: “A common side-blotched,” I whispered to myself, and later “a checkered whiptail!”
You can see all the photos from my Socorro Nature Area hikes here:
That night, TG called while awaiting his flight from Vancouver. He was excited about everything he had seen in Prince Rupert and couldn’t wait to share his experiences with me. And I was just as excited to share my three days with him. Our solo adventure week had been a win-win!
You can read TG’s Prince Rupert blog here (right click on title to open in a new tab):
TG wanted to work on his photos, so on Saturday I returned to the Canyon Trail hoping to spot Resting Beauty – or one of her cousins. There were no snakes that morning, but I was delighted to add another new lizard to my growing list: a long-nosed leopard!
TG and I went back to the Canyon Trail three more times after that, and on two occasions we spied Resting Beauty tucked tightly beneath a thick tangle of branches. She didn’t give us *quite* the photo-op of my first sighting but it was a thrill nonetheless!
Pam and Steve invited us to a BBQ party one afternoon. We wanted to stick close to home, so that morning we headed to the Socorro Nature Area.
We spotted several lizards, including two new ones: a desert side-blotched lizard and a Chihuahuan spotted whiptail.
TG stepped towards a rock to photograph yet another lizard when WHOOPS! he almost stepped on a five-foot bull snake, fully stretched out and basking in the morning sun.
I saw him jump out of the way before I saw what made him jump. What a big, beautiful girl she was! As we watched, she slithered up a pile of dirt and into her little hidey-hole.
Later that day, we walked next door for the BBQ. Most of Pam and Steve’s friends are musicians, and we were treated to a delightful afternoon of good conversation and the soulful sounds of rock and roll.
One day we couldn’t resist checking out one of the quirkiest roadside attractions you will spy driving around Albuquerque: a giant rattlesnake gliding down the median on a long hill near the airport.
The snake has spawned many urban legends, but the real story is simple. When the city hired Sites Southwest to landscape the median, they were faced with a challenge. Plants were not an option, as there was no water source. So, they decided upon a sculpture that spoke to the region, and what better way to represent New Mexico than a giant rattlesnake made of rocks?!?
With incredible geological formations, New Mexico’s many wilderness areas allow you to immerse yourself in the tranquility and beauty of nature. San Lorenzo Canyon, a mere six miles from Pam’s, is one of these unique gems.
This natural wonderland contains picturesque sandstone cliffs, mesas, arches, and hoodoos.
It reflects millions of years of Earth’s history – a landscape shaped by the movement of tectonic plates and erosion.
The beauty of the place is truly inspiring!
We dedicated two days to exploring the San Lorenzo Canyon. Our goal was to search for wildlife while capturing the breathtaking landscapes.
On our first morning hike, we spied several lizards, colorful desert flowers, beautiful birds, and four antelope jackrabbits that scattered as soon as they caught sight of us.
We stuck to paths we felt confident to hike. However, there was one climb that I decided to abort midway.
I feared that what went up might not be able to come down, so I turned around and let TG scramble to the top.
On our second visit, we drove the 5 ½ miles to the canyon’s end. The road dead-ends at a small spring, surprisingly full of cold, somewhat muddy water.
We hiked around on the rocks, looking for lizards and other wildlife while also shooting the stunning rock formations.
Not intending to rockhound, I found two lovely pieces of sparkling pinky-white quartz!
We got up early one morning to explore the Petroglyph National Monument, just outside of Albuquerque. This national park is home to one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America.
There are multiple trails at the park, each of varying length. We chose to hike the Piedras Marcadas Canyon, a 1.8-mile loop. Although the Piedras (rocks) Marcadas (marked) were named by the Spanish settlers who came to this area during the mid-1600s, most of the petroglyphs were made by ancient Pueblo people 400-700 years ago, and to this day have profound cultural and spiritual significance.
Upon starting our hike, we were delighted to spy a jackrabbit feeding in the early morning light. Later we came across a mother and four baby Harris’s antelope squirrels scampering around on the rocks.
That evening, Pam and Steve invited us to a “Sundowner.” We drove to a remote area to view the ocotillo cacti blooming on the hillsides and enjoyed cheese & crackers while watching the sunset. As the skies grew dark, nighthawks and bats swooped in the air above us.
It was a wonderful end to our fourth week in New Mexico!
We were under no pressure during our final week. Our count was now up to 14 lizard, one toad, and two snake species—including four sightings of the western diamondback. We revisited many of the trails we had hiked before and began preparing for the next stop on our road trip.
However, New Mexico had one more surprise in store for us. Pam’s sister lives in Polvadera, just a ten-minute drive away. A pallid bat, Antrozous pallidus, had decided to take a nap on the side of her house! Pam drove me over to photograph this lovely little creature, sharing in the excitement of the moment.
Some might call us crazy for dedicating more than a month to the pursuit of snakes, lizards, and toads. And rest assured, we’re not planning to swap our beloved Oscar and Maddie for a pet python any time soon! But after a lifetime of capturing the wonders of our world underwater and the dozens of birds and mammals we’ve encountered on land, we felt it was time to turn our lenses towards the often-overlooked cold-blooded creatures.
The animals in New Mexico’s desert are uniquely beautiful, and our journey of photographing them has opened our eyes to a whole new world. We hope this blog has sparked a sense of wonder in you, inspiring you to seek out and appreciate the beauty surrounding you, no matter where your journey takes you.
To view all of our photos from New Mexico visit our Flickr albums below.
TG:
JET:
Coming next … “You can observe a lot just by watching.” – Yogi Berra
On The Road with Tall Guy & JET 