The meadows high in the Sandias are most beautiful in late summer and early fall. Shortly after I began a hike through one of them several weeks ago, I ran into fog. There was only a little of it, and it lasted under five minutes, but still. Fog. In New Mexico.1 I was completely enchanted.
A few minutes later I realized all the wildflowers were covered with raindrops and dew. I thought the paintbrush, surrounded by grass and purple fleabane, was especially pretty.
As if that weren’t already enough magic for one morning, I ran into a couple of grazing deer shortly afterward. I watched them for about ten minutes and, just as I began to pack up my camera, three more came along. I love the sweet, shy look on the young buck’s face.
Did I mention that the meadow was covered with wildflowers?
The showy goldeneyes above were clearly predominant, but the spreading fleabane below was also quite prevalent.
The meadow was only the first half of that hike. I returned on a trail through the forest, which was covered with mushrooms, coral fungus, witch’s butter, and moss.2 But those are photos for another day.
I was so high up — above 10,000 feet — that the fog might simply have been low-hanging clouds.
I chatted with someone on that part of the trail who said, “Did you see all the moss? Are we really in New Mexico?!?”
Beautiful photos!!
All so colorful!!! Thanks.