Hill top Exploration // Las Cruces New Mexico

This was a really fun walk.

I started out with this adorable chocolate lab . . . 

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But she's still a puppy and was therefore quite the bundle of energy . . . constantly wanting to either chase things in the bushes or "walk"  approximately 25 miles an hr. ;)

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Suffice to say, I was not able to take really any pictures with her along . . .

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 She just didn't know how to really to enjoy a walk- like to stop and pet the cute cacti for instance-

(just kidding I didn't pet THOSE cacti!!)

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And she kept scaring the quail . . . ;)

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So I took her back to the house and started off again, frequently stopping to catch the ever changing view. :)

It's kind of hard to see, but in the middle there, that's the valley of Las Cruces!

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Here's a zoomed in shot where you can kinda see it better:

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Ever wander what kind of fences they have down in Las Cruces?

Cacti fences, that's what!! ;)

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Architecture appreciation . . .

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These people... they had like 30 different kinds of cacti in their yard! Round, skinny, short, tall, prickly, blossoming, fuzzy, branching- I believe I stopped and just stared at them all for a good 5 minutes!

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This is one of them- it reminded of me of a rosebush with rosehips- just minus the leaves. ;)

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Now this cactus- this is the one that is fuzzy- and you actually CAN pet it! I know because I did, and it wasn't a bit prickly. :D

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Zoomed in shot showcasing fuzziness:

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Ahhh...the lovely Sage bushes.

These beauties were taller than your average human! :D

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Sage bush appreciation <3

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And then- I finally got to the top of the hill, and was rewarded for my trek in the sun with an almost 360 degree view! :D

This panorama I took with my phone captures about half of it:

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Behind me were the mountains:

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So many different kinds of desert plants!!

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Organ Mountain range appreciation. 

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and some more Architecture Appreciation. ;)
(and cacti variety appreciation) 

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On the way back down, I finally saw a roadrunner!! Of all the times we've visited down there, somehow I've never gotten a decent look at a live roadrunner!

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And then, to my great disappointment, HE DIDN'T EVEN RUN ACROSS THE ROAD

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 The little stinker flew! So much for being a Road"runner" . . . 

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Well that wraps up this post!

Hmmm...Guess I really should've named this the "Desert Views Appreciation" post! ;D Oops.

Tell me a bit about yourself though- have you ever been to New Mexico?

Was it like you were expecting? :D

 I feel like a lot of people haven't gone there, and can only guess at what the desert there actually looks like, and seeing as I've gone down there almost every year, I decided I should take and share pictures of the scenes I now tend to take for granted! :)

Hope you enjoyed this post!


Through His Grace,

                                     ~Jenny