Some destinations exert a magnetic force, compelling us to return time and again. New Mexico’s Villanueva State Park is one such destination for me. Reachable only by a little-traveled county road, it is situated at the end of a fertile valley first frequented by Paleo-Indians and farmed in more recent centuries by Hispanic settlers, with water provided gratis by an early stretch of Pecos River, between its origin in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and its eventual destiny in Texas—the mighty Rio Grande.
During my most recent visit in late April, not only do I travel a distance of nearly 300 miles (480 kilometers) south, I also journey into a more advanced stage of spring, with budding or blossoming trees and shrubs, a few blooming wildflowers, and pleasing temperatures, conducive to sleeping in a tent. The park’s campground is hemmed in by towering walls of sandstone carved by the stream and clad with the juniper-pinyon community typical of vast expanses of the arid Southwest. Rocky trails lead to various overlooks with views that touch infinity. The rushing river, swelled by snowmelt in the highlands, provides constant background music, to which resident and early migratory birds add their joyful voices.
It is a place permeated by a sense of timelessness, even though I am swept up in its daily arc far more than at home: Up and down with the sun, active early in the morning and late in the afternoon, with decreased activity during the heat of the day, like many fellow critters. The more egregious and topsy-turvy the man-made world, the more I long to be reassured that the earth is still spinning around its axis, that flora and fauna still follow their age-old rhythms. We would do well to heed Mother Nature’s mostly patient and persistent, but recently more urgent, pointers that to ignore those rhythms is to do so at our peril and to our detriment.
To enlarge a photo, click on it. To read its caption, hover cursor over it.
Such interesting and beautiful photos Tanja. Yesterday I was photographing very colourful crabapple fruit because we’re right into autumn in NZ, as you know 🙂
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Thank you, Liz. I love crabapple trees in the spring, even though they are not native here. But the blossoms are spectacular and afford some of the first color in springtime, even if they don’t last very long. I am glad that there won’t be any apples on our trees for a while, but I hope you are enjoying your autumn. 🍎🍎🍎
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The Blanco crabapple in central Texas can turn colorful in our autumn:
https://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com/?s=crabapple
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Beautiful!
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Love your photos, Tanja — brilliant moon silhouette!!! Thank you for the tour of Villanueva State Park — Hurray for Spring :)) Dawn
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I feel the same way about spring, Dawn. Thank you for taking the trip to Villanueva with me.
Happy May to you!
Tanja
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Wunderschöne Aufnahmen, Tanja!
Ich wünsche dir einen guten Tag und einen herrlichen Monat Mai.
Mit lieben Grüßen, Brigitte
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Ich danke Dir, liebe Brigitte, und wünsche auch Dir und Buddy einen Wonnemonat.
Seid herzlich gegrüßt,
Tanja
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Wunderschön, mit Dir in diese Landschaft eintauchen zu dürfen. Ich wünsche Dir schöne Frühlingstage und sende liebe Grüße,
Anna
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Danke, mich durch diese Landschaft begleitet zu haben, liebe Anna. Ich hoffe der Mai bringt viele wunderbare Naturmomente für Dich.
Herzliche Grüße auch von mir,
Tanja
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The lower Pecos River, closer to the Rio Grande that you mentioned, is well known for its ancient rock art:
https://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/pecos/art.html
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Thank you for the link, Steve. It would be fascinating to explore this rock art. The ranger at Villanueva SP told me about rock art in the area, but he wasn’t aware of any inside the park, and I didn’t go exploring the vicinity. I think many of them are now on private land.
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Yes, a bunch are on private land. Fortunately there are some public tours:
https://shumla.org/visit/
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…if I am ever in the neighborhood, I will remember them…
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Liebe Tanja,
Deine Fotos bieten mir immer eine feine Augenreise!
Die anschmiegsame Nähe der Schwalbennester finde ich ganz besonders anrührend und wie kunstvoll sie “getöpfert” sind … 🙂
Naturverbundene Grüße von Ulrike
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Es freut mich, daß Dir die Bilder gefallen, liebe Ulrike, und daß Dir die Schwalbennester aufgefallen sind. Diese wunderbaren Bauten bewundere ich bei jedem Besuch, aber bisher war ich entweder zu früh oder zu spät dort, um die Bewohner kennenzulernen. Irgendwann muß ich halt mal im Sommer hin, aber dann werde ich ganz viel im Schatten der großen Bäume sitzen und einige Bücher lesen. 📚
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WOW.. 😇😇
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I am glad you liked it. Thank you! 🙂
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Always a pleasure.. 😇💕
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What a great place and such beautiful pictures!!!!
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It really is a great place, which is why I keep going back there, Valerie. I am glad you liked the photos. Thank you very much.
Best,
Tanja
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My brother and sister-in live in NM.
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Excuse the above comment. I meant to say that I’ll tell my brother and sister-in-law about this area. They might not know about it. The photo at the start of your article is fantastic, by the way.
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I remember your visit to your family in NM last year, Neil. I would be curious to know if they have ever heard of this park. It is small and seems very intimate.
I am glad you liked the featured photo, thank you!
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I’ll send your article to them.
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Thank you, Neil.
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Wenn der Frühling endlich dazu kommt, seine ganze Pracht zu entfalten, dann ist er die schönste Jahreszeit!
Viele Grüsse aus dem nassen und noch gar nicht frühlingshaften Québec!
Christa
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Danke, liebe Christa. Ich hab mich gefragt, ob Du von den Überflutungen in Kanada betroffen bist, hoffe jedoch nicht!!!
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Hallo Tanja,
danke der Nachfrage…ich persönlich bin von den Überflutungen nicht betroffen, unser Ort liegt dafür zu hoch. Aber die Nachbarorte hat es teilweise sehr schlimm getroffen!
Viele Grüsse zurück nach Colorado!
Christa
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Ich bin froh, daß Ihr sicher liegt, liebe Christa. Für die Betroffenen sind diese Überschwemmungen katastrophal. Ich kann es mir nicht vorstellen, und hoffe sehr, daß die Überflutungen bald aufhören. Angeblich soll das in Zukunft die “Norm” sein. Das sind furchterrende Aussichten!
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Ja, leider soll das in der Zukunft die Norm sein! Das ist schon sehr besorgniserregend!
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Oh, den Pecos River kenn ich! Da bin ich mal über eine riesige Brücke drübergefahren, allerdings in Texas! So schöne Bilder, besonders die alte Scheune gefällt mir!
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Das finde ich toll. Ich kenne den Fluß an seinem Ursprung in den Bergen und noch etwas südlicher, aber (noch) nicht in Texas. Kommt noch!
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Beautiful captures, Tanja! Such a peaceful place to camp!
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Thank you, Donna. It is usually peaceful, except for rowdy campers. ☹
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a very interesting post with beautiful photos!
Hi Tanja, have a nice day. 🙂
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Thank you for your kind comment.
Best,
Tanja
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You travel to some wonderful places. New Mexico is so aptly named the “land of enchantment” !
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How very astute of you to point this out. I hadn’t even thought of it when I wrote this post, but you are absolutely right. I love visiting our neighboring state to the south!
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It’s always nice to return to that more natural rhythm of the earth rather than have our days set by mechanical reminders. I also love how you journeyed “into spring.” What a wonderful journey this must have been.
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Thank you. I crave and cherish living by nature’s clues, and feel much more in tune with myself and my surroundings whenever I can do so. I think it’s a human need, whether we realize it or not.
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Lovely, Tanja, in both image and word. I so appreciate your weaving of gentle reminders of what is at stake for us and our world with simple celebrations of wonder, wonder, everywhere.
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Thank you, Andrea. If only we paid more attention to everything we stand to lose!
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Amazing photos! They are so seductive that I felt so relaxed into the settings. I sincerely hope that man will re-bond with nature perfectly. I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
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It make me happy to know that you enjoyed the experience as well. Thank you so much for your nice words.
Best,
Tanja
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That is so nice to know Tanja. I personally enjoy birds and all of nature’s beauty. Have a wonderful day and week!
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Likewise! 🌼
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I just love visiting State Parks! There is always so much beauty.
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I agree wholeheartedly, Diane. And I really appreciate you taking the time to look through my old posts. Thank you so much! 😊
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You’re welcome! Old or new your pictures are absolutely gorgeous!
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Thank you, Diane! 😊
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