Finding Desert Roses

  Last night's sunset was very "easy, soft, wispy, whimsical"....pastels, painted with a wide brush...

I covertly snuck out the camper door, crunched through the gravel and took a couple photos. It wasn't as vibrant as some of our sunsets, but it fit my mood....less intense, more like filmy strand of cotton candy... 
  This morning at 7:15AM, Den peeked out his window and stated that it looked like a nice sunrise...I thought about it for about 10 seconds, then I jumped out of bed, put on my slippers and did a repeat performance of last night, except I crept to the other side of the camper to get these...

As you can see, we are much closer to the mountains on our East side, making for better sunrise photos. There was a guy out walking his dog, and I felt a bit like a fool in my nightshirt and slippers. I thought he would never get going , his dog doing his duty at every brittlebrush, but they finally left  our area and I took one more...

   We have been trying to decide where to go after we leave here, heading back East into Texas. I got on the New Mexico State Park site and became intrigued with Pancho Villa State Park, in Columbus, New Mexico. In 1916, Pancho Villa raided the town of Columbus, NM...This was the first time a raid was conducted on the US since the War of 1812..and the last. The town still has some buildings that were standing during that raid.  If you know me at all after following this blog, you know I LOVE HISTORY!!! So we had to flex our dates to get 7 consecutive days there, but, hey, we have no real schedule!! Now we will be staying here until March 6th. We will be at Poncho Villa State Park March 6th for 1 week, and from there we will take 2 days and 1 night to get back to Canyon Lake, Texas...Whew!! I AM thrilled to get a taste of  some New Mexico history..
  We took our daily walk out into the desert. I haven't given up on the StoneMan, but I want to wait a few more days and sneak up on him...
  We got off the trail and walked into the desert...I love it here...

This was becoming a walk in pursuit of Desert  Rose Chalcedony, an opaque, waxy looking stone that takes on the look of a rose...When I look for rocks, I walk with my head down and could walk right into a cactus if I didn't look up once in a while. Dennis actually did walk into a little cactus bud from a Chainfruit Cholla, and it stuck in his shoe...

...You have to be careful when pulling it out or it will just turn it's sticker on your fingers...I know this because I have done it..
I was sure we were alone....until I heard some rustling in the brush ahead. I told Den to stand still and listen...he didn't hear it, but he doesn't hear a damn thing! I heard it again...then I thought I heard voices...Just over the ridge we met 2 guys walking a dog...Gringos from our campground..The "rustling" sound I had heard was the WalMart bag used to pick up the doggy pooh...I need to quit watching old Westerns..

  That little tiny strip of white at the upper left is our campground....

...Wouldn't you think that after pulling stickers from his foot he would have more sense than this???
   We ended up walking about 3 miles again today, but it paid off well. We did find some of the Desert Roses....

Den found this one..It is about 1 1/2" across....very nice find...

..These are much smaller..The one on the left has about 3 good roses in it...The one on the right is one rose...
I wish I would have majored in Geology in college instead of Boy Watching...

  I neglected to mention that last night , about 5PM, one of the young Indian boys who live here came around selling fresh, HOT, tamales...Homemade, by the lady that makes the famous Indian Fry Bread. I bought 1/2 dozen. They were really big, so I saved two for lunch and froze the rest. We had the two for lunch today and they were MAGNIFIQUE!! To our surprise they had a green olive inside (with a pit in it)...This may be the way they make them down here..I have never heard of it...all I know is they were wonderful!!!
 There is a motorhome across from us who are towing a huge trailer ...

...just guess what is in it???

....Ya just gotta love it!!!!

Well, it's time to get supper under control...pork and noodles, maybe a salad and cottage cheese...Tomorrow we are going to the Fiddler's Contest at the Country Club....Let's see....Country Club/Fiddling Contest...they really don't coincide...but I guarantee we will have fun....I will blog it...Thanks again for playing....