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Sunday, December 12, 2010 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM

Ocatillo, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 22, 2009
Ocatillo, Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM, January 22, 2009

Ocatillo in a sea of creosote

Creosote has taken over vast areas of the desert out here in New Mexico. I understand it emits a chemical from its root system that is inhospitable to other plants. And to itself I guess - the creosote bushes seem to be spaced at regular intervals with generally bare soil between bushes. There is the occasional exception like this nice ocatillo.

That plant with the yellow flower sharing space with the ocatillo is a cholla. Ocatillo have a red flame shaped flower at the tips of the stems in the spring - they are quite striking.

Night camp

Site 9 - Leasburg Dam State Park, Radium Springs NM

Monopoly Money

During the 1990s I knew all the dot-coms would go to hell, because when I thought about them the only images I saw were rented office space and computers that would be obsolete in two years. There wasn't anything real I could picture; the companies had no hard assets. My stockbroker asked me how I knew the two stock market crashes would happen, and I told him, "When the Monopoly play money starts jerking around the real money you're in trouble."

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