Sep 25: Water at El Malpais

Tinajas and an incoming thunderstorm

I saw more water-filled tinajas when I went out to Sandstone Bluffs last month than ever before. For whatever reason, tinajas are endlessly fascinating to me, so I was thrilled. I even found a tinaja near the tenacious tree I photograph every single time I go out there.

There was also a tinaja with a reflection of the morning’s blue sky.

The photo below shows only the smallest part of a tinaja in the lower left. In this case, I was captivated by the intricate design the various rock colors and lichens created.

I spent a ridiculous amount of time looking at, and photographing, the two tinajas below. As you can see, the water looked quite different in each: Opaline in the tinaja to the right, and a clear brown in the left. I have no explanation for the difference but loved the images they created.

Below are the same two tinajas about 2 1/2 hours later. The sky was overcast by then and my angle was a bit different. The background is part of the huge lava field that gives El Malpais its name.

The overcast quickly began to seem somewhat threatening and I could hear thunder in the distance. But since I was within a few minutes of my car, I continued taking photos.

I even found some rock formations I hadn’t previously noticed. I loved the way they contrasted with the stormy background.

The thunder (and apparent rain) continued to come closer so I eventually retreated to the safety of my car.