Entrance to (in the distance you can see a freight train rolling across the desert floor)
The morning we were leaving for home, the G-man, Gertie & I went for a little hike at the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute located 4 miles south of Fort Davis on the road to Alpine. The morning was glorious, we had just had a scrumptious breakfast at the Wayside Inn (the B & B where we stayed), and were ready to walk off the calories. As (almost) always you can double-click on the photos to get a much larger & more detailed image.
Visitor Center
Parking area
Sit and rest in the shade.Texas Wildscapes: Texas Habitat Demonstration
From this I hope to get some ideas for my yard. Though I don't live in a desert I do have to be concerned about drought tolerant plants & plants that will hold up under high temperatures. For instance today we are expecting to reach 102 degrees F or 38.8888 degree C. I'm ready to get out of town! Let's meet in Taos where the temperature is in the 80s today!
Rocky area with hills in the distance
Lizzy & GertieGertie loved roaming around. She's a good little hiker. I had to keep her on a leash as requested by the CDRI... if you bring your dog it must be on a leash.
G-manThe sky is an incredible blue...
The ViewThe vastness of the landscape can take away your breath.
Magenta flowering cactus
Purple wildflowers
Western Kingbird in the morning sun.
Black-chinned hummingbird getting a sip of nectar in the little man-made oasis.
An oasis in the desert.
Ocotillo ribs make a pretty natural sculpture.
Weaving together of the ocotillo ribs.
Ocotillo plant (very much alive).
Blossoms on the ocotillo plant.
Yucca
Blossoms of yucca.
Yucca garden.
Century plant: Candelabra-like flowering salk rises from a rosette of gray-green leaves.
Blossoms of the Century plant.
A natural seep where grasses are growing.
Prickly pear cactus blossoms.
Gourds in the making.
18 comments:
What beautiful pictures! My goodness,they are like taking a walk through a National Geographic magazine! I really love the Century plant - I have never heard of it before.
Wow! This is great. The landscape is completely different from where I live - everything seems different.
What views! Wow. And Cheryl I must say you look absolutely PERFECT in that cowboy hat.
Thanks for taking me along on your walk!
it looks very much like the australian desert , great photos very intersting 'Lizzy'thanks !!
Hi Lizzy
that was a great walk. I love to see the plants from other zones.
Thanks Lizzy
Happy days
Fantastic post and beautiful pictures. A very relaxing feature. Many thanks.
Greetings from London.
I really must get to Texas ......it looks fascinating.
Thank you for the lovely comments & for going on my little walk with us. It is difficult to say what it is that I like best about the arid regions of Texas, but the vastness is certainly one and the lower humidity invigorates me & makes me want to hike about the area. I feel such freedom when I visit these areas of Texas.
Lizzy-
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Thought I'd return the favor. These are great pictures of West Texas. It's one of my favorite areas in the state. We went there on our honeymoon and saw bluebonnets that were two feet tall! Quite a change from the little short things we were used to in the Hill Country.
Yes, I totally agree. The cowboy hat is great on you! Fabulous dessert pics, Cheryl.
oops...did I just type dessert? Humm...must be hungry.
Ooooh - HEAVEN! Beautiful photographs of big blue skies and land stretching, unblemised by urbania, to the far horizon. My idea of total blissfulness. One of these fine days, I will visit Texas...I feel it in my bones. Love, love your cowboy hat, too, Lizzie!
And thank you so much for visiting my blog and for your lovely, heartwarming comment. Made my day - and Janie's too! xx
Wow! I like the Century plant. It almost seems other-worldly. I have to agree with what Audrey said, it was like looking at National Geographic!
I especially enjoy how you find art in the somewhat mundane, like the fences.
Good eye!
I love these pictures! Thank you for that.. (great hat, too, of course!)
Interesting plants in the dessert - it's such a different view than the one I'm used to.
Superb post, so much variety and so much wonder about it - and so different from anything I have experienced. Thanks.
Hi Lizzy,
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God bless.
Very nice for visiting my blog.
Your blog is very interesting.
greetings from Spain.
Great pictures with lots of desert details. I loved them all.
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