Boulder and Greta.


This picture portrays their personalities very well.

Tahoe takes a break.




He chewed this ball so much that it split in two and had to be thrown away.

White Sand Dunes National Monument.




This was my favorite part of the trip.
















We hiked the Alkali Flat Trail which is a 5 mile loop. The day was cool and sunny - perfect for hiking on the sand.











The white dunes went on for miles. It was quiet and peaceful out on the trail. Few people walked further than a half mile out.














The sand is made from gypsum. It was very fine and soft. Tahoe enjoyed running on it.











The sand was packed very tightly by the wind, so we had no trouble hiking on either side of the dunes.
















A torrey yucca. I was amazed at the tenacity of the plants which grew on moving sand.

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.


The Mogollon people lived there in the late 1200's.











The structures were architecturally impressive and well preserved.














Visitors are allowed to walk in each of the rooms of the ruin. There were ladders provided in order to reach some areas.





















The view was breathtaking.










Tahoe and I hiked along the Gila River afterwards.
















There were many pictographs on a nearby canyon wall. They were all drawn with red clay. This was my favorite.

Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico.

These caverns are huge! I hiked down through the natural entrance and into the big room which was two miles and took a couple hours. The caverns are made of limestone, and it is a living cave which means it is still growing.












I have been in several caves before but nothing on this scale. It had all the usual formations: stalagmites, draperies, soda straws, flowstone, and popcorn.


I was surprised that visitors could tour the cave alone. I was even more shocked when I got to the end and found a gift shop and an elevator - in the cave!











I watched the bat flight that evening. Hundreds of bats flew out of the cave at the same time for their night feeding.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park.


Northern Texas.






I hiked the Smith Spring and Manzanita Spring Trails. The desert landscape was mixed with sections of maple and elm trees.
















We camped on some BLM land. When we woke in the morning, something caught Tahoe's eye, and he bolted after it. Then, I heard a loud moo, so I called him back. After he ate his breakfast, he looked for the distressed cow, but it was long gone.

Spring Break.

I spent the week travelling with Tahoe. My first stop was Holy Trinity Monastery near Benson.













I have never been to a monastery before. It was really pretty. I walked around, lit a prayer candle, and hoped to see some monks. I wondered if they really had those funny haircuts. Sadly, I never found out.














This is the meditation garden. It had a pond with the biggest koi I have ever seen. They were about a foot and a half long.










We camped at City of Rocks State Park. The name is very fitting. This "city" was out in the middle of the flat desert and seemed somehow out of place.











The boulders are volcanic tuff which have been shaped by wind and water. They made a nice hiking and camping spot.

South Mountain.


This is Fat Man's Pass. Tahoe and I managed to squeeze through it.














We hike and hope for rain.

140 dry days now.














Tahoe ponders his precarious position.

Me.





Look at this cutie.

Salt River.


Tahoe went on his first canoe trip this weekend.











I think he liked all the ducks, egrets, and herons.














We stopped an a small island and had lunch.












Tahoe didn't want to get back in the boat, and he had good reason. We fell in the water!