2012 Vacation

We managed to sneak away mid-August for some rejuvenation time in the mountains of northern New Mexico and will share some of our sightings over the next few posts.

While living in Santa Fe, we spent much time hiking in the Pecos Wilderness, but didn't get to Lake Katherine...an alpine lake we both wanted to see.  This is the journey to that very special place.

Happy hikers ready to go!

Little meadows provided many nectar sources and lots of butterflies to watch...

and cool fungus such as this fly agaric to check out.

It felt good to have a pack on again.  (Jennifer started with around 23 or 24 pounds...Steve with almost 30.)

Puerto Nambe (11,017 feet) offered a great place to take off our boots with views of Santa Fe Baldy (12,622'), breathe some cool, mountain air...

and eat some tasty roasted red pepper spread on tortillas. The first day out on a backpacking trip we almost always eat some sort of perishable food.  Trail food gets real old by the end so why not spice it up at the beginning?

A block of parmesan goes a long way (and keeps a long time) on a backpacking trip!

A blue grouse walked by us while we ate...

and joined up with a friend!

Comma butterflies were a common visitor in these high elevation meadows.

Inviting, yes?

We think so...

Jennifer is almost to the top of the saddle to cross over to the other side of this mountain range and begin the trip down to Lake Katherine.

Steve felt like King...

Jennifer had a moment with this view of true wilderness.  There's nothing like it.  You just have to see it, feel it, know it.  (New Mexico's highest point: Wheeler Peak - 13,161' is in the distance.)

Here's our trail switchbacking down the mountain...

August is a great time for mountain wildflowers.

The final leg to our destination...

Next....Lake Katherine.

Summer Fun: Nature, Visitors...

Cool nature sightings are so happening this summer.  Here are some highlights...

Our place: 

Red-legged buprestid beetle in our front flower bed...

Progressive bee fly on our garden fence:

Robber fly sunning on our house...

Black-eyed susans with a special guest...

Look closely and you will see a camouflaged looper caterpillar (will turn into a wavy-lined emerald moth)...

Hover flies like the black-eyed susans too...

The awesome native spiderwort....

Cosmos in the garden with nectaring honeybee...

Cool sunflower with bee in flight...

White-dotted prominent caterpillar (will turn into the white-dotted prominent moth)...

Mount Gilead State Park: 

Cherry dagger moth caterpillar (will turn into a speared dagger moth)...

A forest floor ablaze with wild leek flowers...

Brown's Lake Bog: 

Eastern eyed click beetle:

Smartweed Caterpillar (will turn into a smeared dagger moth)...

Pitcher Plant, a carnivorous plant...

Pitcher plant flower....

Malabar Farm State Park:

Steve's parents enjoying the area with us....

Hope everyone else is enjoying this summer too...

Creating a Wetland: Part II

After digging a shallow depression for wildlife, Steve added a wildlife friendly liner to retain water.  He created shelves in the soil beneath the liner to allow for plants preferring different depths of water. 

Before we added plants though, Steve added soil and rocks to the bottom of the wetland for invertebrates and vertebrates that require a diggable substrate for various parts of their life cycles.

During this stage of the process, Jennifer's sister and some of our nieces came for a visit.  Garden harvesting is always part of our time together and carrots called our name for lunch.  Steve took a second to capture this moment....morning, family, the outdoors, homegrown vegetables and coffee.  Could it get any better?

The littlest member of our tribe broke away for a bit to haul stone for Steve...

and to begin adding some water to our wetland.  Our well got us started on water and a subsequent rain (almost 3", finally!) helped tremendously.  In a future post we will show how we plan to keep this filled with water without well water assistance.

The addition of water was a momentous occassion.  Wildlife showed up almost immediately (within 24 hours in fact)...

dragonflies began hunting and depositing eggs; water boatman and water striders flew in and began swimming around searching for food; Northern leopard frogs claimed this wetland as their territory; birds bathed and drank.....AWESOMENESS.

Native plants went in around the edges: mountain mint, swamp milkweed, marsh blazing star, boneset, various sedges and rushes, swamp rose, swamp hibiscus and so on.

And now we are to the final stage: establishing our water source and seeding the surrounding land this fall with more native plants.

This time next year, this area will be ablaze with color and no doubt teeming with wild critters.

As we put the final touches on this amazing little wildlife haven,

we find it provides endless fascination for us....

and adds a little bit more space for all those wild creatures that deserve a place to live, just like we do.