An almost full moon rises over the Sandia foothills.
Moonrise in the Sandia Foothills
Storksbill, aka Red-Stemmed Filaree
This is one of the weirdest wildflowers I’ve ever come across (although birdsbill dayflower is even stranger). You can see how this flower got its name (more or less) on the right. On the left, you can see one of the “stork’s” bills starting. I will also complain and say it grows very, very close to the ground … so getting a shot of it required a few calisthenics on my part.
Here are the flowers in more detail:
Tucumcari Mannequin
Buildings in downtown Tucumcari (New Mexico) are reflected in the window of the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store.
Placitas Sunset
A classic winter sunset.
Cricket on a Blade of Grass
I found this little guy hanging onto a blade of grass for dear life. It may have been that he was on his way out, or perhaps it was simply that the summer was on its way out (it was quite chilly that morning).
Black-Tailed Rattlesnake
Someone I ran into last summer in the Sandias, or more accurately, someone I would have run into if it hadn’t warned me it was there by rattling.