new mexico: scenic

It was a bit surreal driving around New Mexico.  When we first drove into the Jemez area, we were all oooohing over the red plateaus, the landscape so different from what we see from our own windows.   

We drove through several patches of hail, which was surprising.  And plenty of passing rain, heavy and light.  At the start of one drizzle, we spotted this herd of elk and pulled over to watch, which meant, of course, it began to patter harder and harder, but I steadied, wanting to get a decent photograph.  Elk!  How often will I see elk in my life?

We also saw this beautiful ghosty wisp of something in the trees, which turned out to be a small forest fire, contained.  Then we ran into the below images, which was fog.  Through the winding roads, both forest fire and fog, rain and beating sun.  This land of big, big skies and fickle weather.  Fickle, gorgeous, arms-open weather.