What can I say, there was certainly an explosion of color, all along the highway and at the park itself. Name a color, any color. Yep, it was either on the way or at the park or both. Bill headed back, but I meandered back to Roswell, stopping first at Mescalero Sands - North Dunes Area. There are now Day Rates on the honor system.
Fees are to cover maintenance of the area, and they have improved the facilities.
While there I saw, turkey vulture, ravens, mockingbirds, western kingbirds. Not bad for a morning of highway clean-up. It was a beautiful day that warmed up nicely after a chilly morning. Heading north of Elida on 330 there were horned larks, meadowlarks, a mockingbird, common ravens, and I was thrilled to have a good close look at two long-billed curlews as they flew parallel with my truck. I met Pat Snider, of Albuquerque, at the Phillips 66 convenience store on the eastern edge of Melrose.