Yucca and Desert

On another day we went out to a place called Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park. We think it was very new and found there was no one there. It was one of those parks where you read signs and follow trails on your own. Even the bathrooms were locked, apparently do to vandalism. We could see no sign anyone had been there for some time. So we did as it said, read the signs and followed the trail for a ways. We saw much of what we had already seen on our travels so didn't linger very long.

 Barrel Cactus

One unique feature here was a rock wall around the parking are. When we looked closer at the wall we could see all kinds of fossils in the rocks. Very festinating. Most were plant fossils.

Here were the yuccas that one things of finding in New Mexico. Unlike the stotol yucca we had seen on the east side of Organ Mountains. They make for great photos, either as seen here in the fall or in the spring when the white blossoms are so pretty. These yucca were called Candles of the Lord by the Spanish Conquestors because they almost glow in the dark when blooming.

Flower Photos

So I may have put some of these on before but I am in love with these tulip trees. Plus I know the flowers will be gone soon.

All of the good flowers are so high up I couldn't get a photo looking down into the flower. And the ones that I found on the ground were to far gone. Any way you can almost see the inside of this one.

this is a couple of the flowers on the clematis that I bought last week. I had always wanted one and they just won't grow in New Mexico. I tried but they refused in that hot, dry weather. 

 Close ups of honeysuckle blossoms. In the morning the sweet smell is almost over powering it is so strong.

 Wild flower found by the road while walking Ziva.

I have been pleasently suprised that there is a clump of some sort of yucca in our yard. The neighbors have some, too. I didn't know there was any kind of yucca that would live in this much wet. I think the ones we had back in New Mexico would rot with this much water. Have been looking yuccas up but can't find this one, or at least that it is this one for sure. There are several different types of yuccas and some kind or another can be found over most of the Americas.