San Rafael Mission Church

San Rafael Mission Church, at Salman Ranch in northern New Mexico.

White Rock Canyon

A muddy Rio Grande wends its way through White Rock Canyon, in northern New Mexico.

Globemallow Field

The orange wildflowers are globemallow; I can't honestly say I've ever seen this much globemallow in one place before. And I can't count the number of folks I've run into while hiking over the last few weeks who say, "Can you believe all this green? Can you believe all the wildflowers?!?" I feel exactly the same way....

Water in the Foothills

It's hard to tell, but today's photo was taken from almost precisely the same point as this photo (although I had to be a bit more careful this time about where I put my feet). It has been amazing to watch as a cañoncito has been carved over the course of a couple of months.

Church in Corrales

I wouldn't want to tempt the weather fates -- but it sure is nice to see blue skies again. I believe this is the San Ysidro Church.

Corrales Tail Fin

The side of an old car, held up by fence posts.

Field of Gold

A field of yellow wildflowers in the Sandia foothills. (I swear these colors are real -- no Photoshop magic.)

High on La Luz

The view from high on La Luz trail, in the Sandia mountains.

Reflection in Puddle

The late afternoon sky is reflected in one of many puddles on a trail in the Sandia foothills. I know I complained about how dry it was earlier in the summer, but really -- it would be OK now if it didn't rain for a few days.

Gorge and Vulture

A turkey vulture catches the drafts over the Rio Grande Gorge.

Descanso with Flamingo

A descanso along the roadside in northern New Mexico. I thought the flamingo -- wearing a lei -- was a nice touch.

Mural and Datura

Jimsonweed (datura) and a mural in Santa Cruz.

Sunflowers at the Santuario

Sunflowers at Santuario de Chimayó.

Rio Grande Gorge

Looking south from the west rim of the Rio Grande Gorge.

Arroyo Seco Church

Holy Trinity Church in Arroyo Seco. It may be even more beautiful inside than outside.

Harbinger of Autumn

The ferns (and even the aspens) high in the Sandia mountains are starting to change color. On another note, I'll be taking a website vacation starting today; look for new photos near the end of this week.

Mother Nature's Rock Garden

There's a profusion of wildflowers near Sandia Crest right now -- I've never seen anything like it (here in Albuquerque, anyway).

Michial Emery Sunset

A classic summer sunset, taken from just east of the Michial Emery trailhead, in the Sandia foothills.

Nodding Onion and Ferns

A nodding onion surrounded by ferns, along the Pino Trail in the Sandias.

Cerrillos Hills

Horse riders at Cerrillos Hills Historic Park.

Checkered-Skipper

A common checkered-skipper butterfly (Pyrgus communis).

Thunderstorm

Looking west from the Sandia foothills at a thunderstorm on the other side of Albuquerque. I shot this less than five minutes after I took the photo of the concurrent storm in the foothills.

Mud... Lots of It

You know that old saying, "When it rains, it pours"? Indeed. This is what large parts of Albuquerque (especially on the west side) look like right now.

Foothills Thunderstorm

A thunderstorm moving through the foothills, with Apache plume in the foreground. It's unusual for it to be blossoming so prolifically at this time of the year -- I think it's another benefit of the rain.

Piedras Marcadas

Petroglyphs in the Piedras Marcadas area of Petroglyph National Monument.

Tailed Copper

A tailed copper butterfly drinking from a cut-leaf coneflower.

After the Rain

Two views of Elena Gallegos Picnic Area this summer: the top photo was taken on June 25, before we got any rain; the lower photo was taken yesterday.

Foothills Wildflowers

All that rain has brought green grass and wildflowers (verbena and snakeweed in the foreground) to Elena Gallegos Picnic Area.

Sandia Clouds

More rain today... and it is really green in the foothills!