Our goats in Eldorado

This summer and fall we have a goat herd residing in Eldorado. They were brought to Eldorado from a ranch south of here, to given the goats a place to graze, and to help Eldorado out with reducing the level of weeds and vegetation.

The goats are contained in a small area on one of the main roads in the subdivision, and are taken out to various sites in Eldorado every day to graze in open areas and also on private property.

It is just the funniest thing to watch them as they are being taken to a place to graze. There are two cowboys on horseback and two herding dogs, all trying to get a bunch of over 100 goats to head in the determined direction. Herding goats proves to be no easy task!

Goodbyes after a great visit.

John and I really enjoyed my friend Susie's visit here a few weeks ago. We are a somewhat remote destination for friends and family, so when we have visitors it is fun to try to pick out as many things as we have time to do. We want them to get a feel for the culture and beauty and diversity of our state... and want them to have the desire to return again to see and do more.

These pictures were taken at the end of Susie's visit:


At the Agora Shopping Center in Eldorado:



At Route 66 Diner in Albuquerque:



(From Susie's pictures):

Bandelier National Monument

Bandelier National Monument is located in the Jemez Mountains several miles south of Los Alamos. It is in an area of incredible beauty.

Humans have lived here for 10,000 years. Nomadic hunters lived here originally, but around 1150 BC ancestral pueblo peoples built more permanent homes and settlements. By 1550 the pueblo people had moved on to pueblos along the Rio Grande (Cochiti, San Felipe, San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, Santo Domingo).

In the 1700s Spanish settlers made their homes in the area on Spanish land grants. In In 1880 Jose Montoya of Cochiti Pueblo brought Adolph F. A. Bandelier to Frijoles Canyon, and showed Bandelier his people's ancestral homelands.

In 1916 legislation to create Bandelier National Monument was signed by President Woodrow Wilson. Bandelier is a wonderful place to explore ancient pueblo ruins, both cliff dwellings and a traditional circular vilage.

Here are some pictures of Bandelier National Monument from our visit several weeks ago.

Stopping to look at the Valles Caldera

The Valle Caldera near Los Alamos, NM, is a 12-mile wide volcanic caldera formed during eruptions 1.47 million and 1.15 million years ago, the eruptions were more than 500 times greater than the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980. The Caldera has a land area of 89,716 acres, with many miles of ranch roads and livestock and game trails. These include a network of trails currently designated for horse riding. The caldera is also a major place for geothermal energy.

It's hard to grasp the enormity of the caldera when you are standing there at the lookout point. It is a place we always like to take visitors because it is so impressive and unusual.

Scenes around Los Alamos

We were in Los Alamos, New Mexico two weeks ago during Susie's visit. The setting high in the Jemez Mountains is scenic. We got some pictures:

Fuller Lodge:




Rose Garden:




Scene of old forest fire from several years ago:



The view from the Jemez Mountains looking east towards Santa Fe and the Sangre de Cristo Mountain range:





Storm clouds gathering over Los Alamos:

On the way up the Hill to Los Alamos

On the way to Los Alamos, part way up "the Hill" there is this descanso at the side of the road overlooking the great view to the east. The marking on the descanso says "McCown":

The area around Abiquiu

Some of my favorite scenic land in all of New Mexico is up in the area around Abiquiu. We were up there recently when my friend Susie was visiting and got these pictures:

The Rio Chama:











Stopping for ice cream in Abiquiu: