Walking the fence line at 7MSN

New Mexico is gorgeous. It has a rugged, dry beauty:

and a feeling of expanse that is breath-taking. It is so very different from the forest-like location of western Oregon that I live in, where we are currently (and frequently) swaddled in mud and wet:

On my last full day here at 7MSN yesterday, I decided to walk the property to get an idea of just exactly what eighty acres feels like:

My walk-around ended almost as quickly as it started when I ran into this troop of cutie pies:

How does one not become distracted when encountering a face like this?:

I sat down for a moment to discuss my planned path with my sage, Lucy:

Lucy suggested that I just stay seated and have a nice nap with her in the sun, but if I really felt the need to continue, I should "walk northeast until I can't - then turn left":

Lucy then got really serious about her nap, so on my way I went:

I walked northeast:

...until I reached a fence and then turned left, just as Lucy had directed:

I saw the remainders of pretty, yellow Cholla blooms:

and Juniper berries - lots of Juniper berries from the many, many Juniper trees:

I love looking for signs of wildlife where ever I am, so this means I look at dung and scat a lot. This looks like it might be jack rabbit:

At 9:55, I began to shed layers of clothing:

The sun was already high and hot. How good this feels!:

When I came to another fence, I knew I had another 40 acres to go, so I lay on my back and scooted beneath the electric fence:

This is what the ground looks like:

Pronghorn deer possibly:

Here's the northwestern most point of 7MSN:

As I turned to look at the next expanse before me, I was again struck by the beauty... and the solitude:

I walked by a lot of big holes like this:

Hey, I know this one! Cow poop:

There were hundreds of Yucca plants, the state flower of New Mexico:

The dried Yucca blooms are works of art:

Tumbleweeds. Nope. Don't have any of those in my part of Oregon:

This looked to me like somebody ate too many juniper berries and then, well, you know - threw them up. But Carson told me later that this is coyote poop. Blech:

This is coyote, too:

Ok. I'm done posting poop-pictures now (but don't you sort of find it fascinating?).

Getting close to 7MSN again now:

Hi Hank:

What a fine host you are. Quite nice of you to come out to greet me:

Shortly after I arrived back at the barn, George lay down for his nap. I sat down beside him and took a little rest, too:

On my entire walk-around, I didn't hear a single car, in fact, no engines of any kind - nothing - only a slight breeze and the rustling, crackling noise my feet would make as I walked through the dry grass and brush.

I'm packing up and heading home today, but WOW, what a trip this has been. New Mexico (and 7MSN ) is truly magical.

You see, here at Carson's house, it even appears I don't have a cat allergy:

I love you, Snapper... :-)