On the Road again

It's our last day at the Coronado State Park so we do a quick trip into Albuquerque to show Gary Old Town

 San Felipe de Neri- the oldest church in Albuquerque has served the community without interruption since 1706.  The original church collapsed in 1792 and the current church was built the following year.

It's early so the vendors haven't set up their wares on the plaza yet

Chili peppers everywhere

The tourist thing done it's time to head out- destination Bosque del Apache a wildlife refuge to see if the Sandhill Cranes have arrived yet.

6 miles from our destination, a tire blows.  We were going to replace them all when the last tire blew but the guy told us the other tires were fine and only two years old.  Turns out they were 4 years old.   Gary changed it and we found a tire store nearby and had the remaining two tires replaced.

 We make it to the Bosque the next morning

We are in time to take the guided tour so Gary doesn't have to drive.
First thing we see are some deer. This looks to be a female with antlers.

There are several hawks flying around

They have just started to flood the area.  Local farmers to grow crops for the migrating ducks and cranes. They plant alfalfa and corn and leave the corn for wildlife. The refuge grows additional plants for  food to  supplement..

The refuge uses gates and dams to flood and drain certain wetlands on seasonal schedules. Lowering water levels in marshes to create moist fields promotes growth of native marsh plants.

Sandhill Cranes fly overhead.

Then there's Henry the Heron

a Turtle

We stop at an observation area

and see a family of Cranes in the distance

and a Dragonfly below

and a Gaggle of Snow Geese

Disappointed we didn't see more but the masses will arrive next month, hopefully in time for the
 Festival of the Cranes.