It was another chilly morning here in New Mexico and checking our weather back home, it’s warmer there. Most of New Mexico is at higher elevations resulting in colder temperatures during the winter.
On a short walk this morning, we read that the valley is called Tularosa Basin. It formed during the Pleistocene Ice Age, especially between 12,000 and 24,000 years ago. There was much more precipitation than and water washed gypsum from the San Andres and Sacramento Mountains into a huge lake that filled this basin.
Ron took a walk later and discovered some signage describing Mortar Holes. These cylindrical mortar holes were used by prehistoric people who made frequent use of Dog Canyon. Mortars are often referred to as ‘Indian wells’ because they collect rainwater, but they were actually created as a result of food processing. Hand-held pestles were used to grind wild seeds and beans into flour creating mortars in the bedrock over many years. There are a total of 39 mortars located in this area.
It was a mix of sun and clouds today, but heavier on the clouds and combined with the breezes, it did not warm up much. Overnight it’s forecast to drop into the low to mid 20s, and we’ll unhook the water hose again overnight. Tonight, is our last night here as tomorrow we head further west to Deming, NM area.
Warning: Bird Fest Ahead! For all you bird lovers, this is for you and for all others, maybe you’ll join up. Ron was able to capture a lot of new bird photos and after work, I got a couple.
2025 Airstream Travels 
How can you tell what kind of birds they are?
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There’s an free app ‘Merlin Bird ID’ and by entering size, colors, etc it provides a list of potential species based on your location. Most of the time I can then pick it out but sometimes I have to google birds in the area or even google search with size, color, and figure it out. Sometimes it takes some a lot of researching before I figure it out.
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