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Wednesday, January 6, 2010 - City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM

Poolside, Mule Creek Road, Guthrie AZ, March 30, 2008
Poolside, Mule Creek Road, Guthrie AZ, March 30, 2008

Yesterday I mentioned the spectacular ride up through the Apache National Forest to Mule Creek NM. I had forgotten how spectacularly beautiful the rolling grasslands are along the New Mexico stretch of Mule Creek Road. It's rare to find grasslands like these out here that are not overgrazed. As usual I spent all my time gawking and I have no pictures to share with you.

Night camp

Site 14 - City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM

Crayfish Chimney

Late one afternoon I sat upon my camera case beside the path where it wound through the darkest part of the woods, down near the pond, and watched a crayfish building his "chimney," the land entrance to his underwater tunnel. He had just started to work above the ground when I first arrived. He came up through the moist black earth, carrying a ball of it between his two enormous fighting claws. Using the claws as hands, he spread the soil around the hole to form the base of the chimney. He then backed down the hole and after several minutes came up with another armful.

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