There is not much to “blog” about when one is sheltered at home.  So far this spring all travel plans have been aborted so there are no photo journeys to share.  Instead, Jane and I have been keeping busy with home projects.  I have been printing and framing some of my images to decorate the remaining bare walls in our new home while Jane has been working on long neglected sewing projects. 

Warmer spring temperatures have led to the revival of the plants in our new garden.  We thought many of our plants were pretty much goners, but no, new growth is all around our yard.  As spring slowly manifests its self, our brand new back yard has metamorphosed from a drab and bleak setting to an inviting ambiance.  Our current daily routine now includes checking rose bushes for aphids (very exciting).  For me, a special treat has been to watch our small hedgehog cactus plants sprout buds and develop bright red claret cup flowers.

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With a garden that could now be enjoyed we would love to spend time on our patio.  Unfortunately, we ordered new patio furniture just as stay-at-home and social distancing rules went into effect.  Although ordered in early March, we don’t expect delivery until late May or early June.  Oh well!!  On the brighter side, Jane and I were able to day-trip to some local national monuments before sheltering at home became the norm.  At Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument we hiked the two-mile round trip Canyon Trail through a slot canyon and then scrambled up rock falls to reach the top of a plateau for some spectacular views.

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Another short day-trip brought us to Bandelier National Monument west of Santa Fe.  Thinking that I could get a better perspective for some pictures, we ended up hiking one of the monuments steeper trails.  It was a good workout and also provided for some interesting shots.  Bandelier National Monument is a fascinating ancestral Pueblo village.  Here the ancient ones built their pueblo style community adjacent to cliffs of tuff, a relatively soft volcanic rock, in which the ancestral Pueblo people hollowed out caves for additional living quarters and storage areas.

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Images from these day-trips are located in the National Parks and Monuments gallery under Tent Rocks and Bandelier.  Hope you enjoy them.  Now, of course, we are patiently waiting for travel restrictions to be lifted so we resume our journeys near and far.