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| On my day off last week, I explored the beginning of the TJ Corral Trail. The wooden sign at the trailhead explains that there are mountain lions, bears and Mexican wolves in the area, so hikers are urged to stay alert to their surroundings. Happily, I didn't encounter any animals except for birds and lizards. |
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| The trail goes up out of the valley and onto the mesa top where the views of the surrounding mountains is spectacular! |
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| The trail is very easy to follow! |
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| This butterfly stopped on the trail to "lick" the minerals in the soil. |
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| These beautiful purple morning glories were growing on a dead tree on the side of the trail. |
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| The brilliant orange of these Indian Paintbrush plants dotted the hillsides and the trail's edge. |
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| All morning I walked along the mesa tops with these magnificent views of the surrounding mountains. |
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| These yucca plants dotted the hillsides also. The people who lived here hundreds of years ago used yucca fiber for weaving mats, shoes and paint brushes. They used their sharp leaves for sewing needles and their roots as a kind of shampoo. |
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| More beautiful views! |
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| This raven was admiring the view too! |
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| After a hot day of hiking, I walked down to the stream to cool off! |
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| The water was moving pretty swiftly, but it was not very deep. It felt good to soak my feet in the water before heading back to camp! |
Hello Ms.Ellen how are you doing
ReplyDeletefrom:Johnathon Spencer
Hi Jonathon,
DeleteI really miss you too, but I hope you are doing well in Third Grade! I like it a lot here. Imagine that you can spend the whole day doing something you love to do. That's how I feel about being here at the Cliff Dwellings!
you were the best teacher ever
ReplyDeletefrom:Johnathon Spencer
pleas comment back we miss you
ReplyDeletefrom:Johnathon Spencer
I like your trip
ReplyDeletefrom:Johnathon Spencer
Hi Ms.Ellen,Kai is talking to you right now.The pictures you published are very calming and cool.I hope you have a good time in new mexico.:) It's nice how on your last day we had a good time.You were a really nice teacher.Josh was crying tho.He really misses you,and so does me and my family.I will miss you Ms.Ellen.And if you can, please tell me more about your gob,it seems fun so far.the animals are different from what we have down here.It looks very dry down there.How much does it rain down by you?Do you have fun down there? let me know soon.Bye!:)
ReplyDeleteHi Kai,
DeleteI miss you guys very much, but I hope you are all doing well in Third Grade! You're right, it doesn't rain that much here. It's something like 14 inches of snow and 11 inches of rain a year. There are mountains surrounding the Cliff Dwellings though so sometimes one place will get a lot of rain and another place will get very little. The seasons here are not like our seasons. The seasons here are determined by rainfall, not temperature. For example, the wildflowers are in bloom because there has been more rain than usual around here. Also on the trail to the Cliff Dwellings I have seen a lot of tiny lizards (about 2 inches long). The lizards break out of their shells when it rains.
I'm very happy here! I love spending the whole day outside! Imagine that you got to do your favorite thing ALL day, EVERY day! That is how I feel! I never get tired of nature and the beautiful views wherever you look! Thanks for writing me! Ms. Ellen
Hi Ms. Ellen! Your blog is SO interesting! We are in enrichment right now reading it! The pictures you took are so amazing. The plants and animals are so different from what we have around here! I look forward to hearing more soon! We miss you!
ReplyDeleteI don't know who this comment is from, but thanks for telling me that you are enjoying my blog!
DeleteI miss you guys too!
It is really interesting here because there are the cliff dwellings and then there is the wilderness which surrounds it. At night it is so dark that you can see Mars, Jupiter and Saturn along with the Milky Way Galaxy. The park is trying to get something called a "Dark Sky Designation" which means that there are no cities or lights from buildings that light up the night sky.
I really like it here! I feel very lucky that I get to spend all day, every day, outside! Imagine that you got to do your favorite thing all day every day and you will fell what I feel!
Cool...i would b carrying double strength bear spray n a big walking stick.. For those critters....
ReplyDeleteI don't have any bear spray, but I sang the whole time I was hiking. That's way more powerful than bear spray!
DeleteWas already stalked by a cougar a couple yrs ago...everything around me went absolutely quiet...i swear even the bugs...i turned n faced it ...scared it really...i spun around..knew something was wrong...n it spun around
ReplyDeleteWhere were you?
ReplyDeleteTEAM Larsen loves and misses you. We love to keep up with you through your blogs. Be safe.
ReplyDeleteI miss "Team Larsen" too! I'm thinking that this will be the first year in many that we will not be carving pumpkins together! I'm glad you like my blog!
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