Lichens are some of the few natural sources of bright and varied colors during a central New Mexico winter.
Old/Weathered
Cumbres & Toltec, 2022 Edition
For reasons I don’t fully understand myself, I really enjoy chasing the Cumbres & Toltec narrow gauge steam train each fall. Part of it, I’m sure, is that it goes through such great scenery. Another part, maybe the largest part, is simply that I’ve loved trains all my life.
Thunderheads at Valles Caldera
Cumulus clouds gathering over the old barn at Valles Caldera predict a monsoon-season thunderstorm.
Old Car Lineup
I’m not sure what it is, but there’s something especially New Mexican about old cars, at least to my eyes. In any case, I can’t pass one without succumbing to the temptation of taking multiple photos. And when there’s an entire lineup, well … what’s a girl to do? The background is the east side of the Sandia mountains.
Depredations of the New Mexico Sun
I went through T or C (Truth or Consequences) on my way home from Las Cruces this afternoon. I remembered taking a photo of a rainbow-colored building several years ago and wanted to see if it was still there. It was, but its colors weren’t nearly as vibrant as I remembered them. Most of those formerly bright and bold colors now show cracks, splotches, and other colors peeking through them.
I took the first photo just about six years ago and wasn’t surprised to see the sun damage. I am surprised it’s not more extensive — the New Mexico sun tends to age everything (including people) incredibly quickly.