Aguirre Springs & Some Sunsets

 I still pinch myself that I get to live somewhere as beautiful as it is here in New Mexico. Just writing the words, ' I live in New Mexico', is still so exotic to me. I don't think that feeling will ever go away. New Mexico rocks and I am amazed that I have been given the privilege of being able to call this place my home. I am nervous that the next place we are sent to live will pale in comparision with all of the beauty that I am surrounded with in the land of enchantment.

One of the trails that we have visited, but never hiked all the way around is Aguirre Springs. Located in the town of Organ, NM it is about a 25 minute ride from our house. It is located on the opposite side of the Organ Mountains that face Las Cruces and is just beyond the pass that allows those of us in Cruces to get to cities such as Alamogordo, Cloud Croft, Ruidoso, and beyond.

Its beauty cannot truly be shown in pictures. As (part of) my family and I hiked this trail I kept stopping to just stare at the stunning beauty around us. High in mountains, I was amazed and humbled at God's creation. I wish that everyone had the desire and means to travel and see all that this world has to offer. I am spellbound by the wild and free spirit that mother nature embraces in the Southwest. My heart is filled with gratitude every time I step out of the confines of my own home and into the home that mother nature calls her own. I am so lucky to get to live my life. So very lucky and very thankful.

One of my favorite hiking companions of all time. 

There were a ton of trees in the mountains because of the high elevation that we were climbing at. I was amazed at all the trees that had been struck by lightning. This tree is just one of the victims of the thunder storms that roll through this part of the country in August. 

Oh, this spirit of this child is so very hard to tame. I don't think I will ever be able to corral her wild nature. I wish I was excited by life as she constantly seems to be. 

Sammy enjoying a break. 

Water!!! How happy these two were for the few streams we had to go through on this hike. The snow melt had just about finished by the time we took this hike a couple of weekends ago and the dogs got to benefit from that event. 

Halfway! I will not lie - around this point I was done hiking. The entire first half and part of the second half of the hike is uphill. I think I read that the elevation increases by 1020 feet on this hike. That air sure does change making it harder for someone who isn't in the best shape to climb. 

Another lightning victim. 

Living in the desert doesn't afford me too many opportunities to be around tall trees such as this one. Trees have always had significant meaning in my life both for their ability to survive in many different conditions, their deep roots below the grounds surface, and their ability to bend without breaking. 

A boy (almost man) and his dogs...

 

Our backyard is one of my favorite parts about our house. I love that it affords us stunning sunsets most of the time. Here are a couple of sunsets that I could not help sharing. I swear sometimes you can angels in these sunsets. Their beauty in unforgettable. 

Life is good in Las Cruces.