"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf"
From Mama: Sunny continues to have issues with pain in her back legs. The librela worked for the first month, but the past couple of months it has only worked for the first couple of weeks before she starts limping again. As a result, she is back on Carprofen for the foreseeable future. She is such a trooper and doesn't let a wonky knee slow her down. In fact, if not kept in check, she has no problem adapting and running as fast Rosy on three legs. We are working with her doctors to see what we can do to help ease Sunny's pain without dampening her zest for life and will keep you updated.
Welcome
to Nature Friday, where we get to meet new friends and maybe share a
picture or two of what nature looks like around Blogville. This week we want tell you more about the trip we took to Grants, NM a couple of weeks ago. We showed you the lava flow behind our campsite, today we are going to show you an erupted volcano crater.....but wait....there's more. We are also going to show you an ICE CAVE! That's right, they have a cave in New Mexico that has ice in it all year round!!!
The Bandera Volcano and Ice Cave in located on Ice Cave road, about 30 minutes from our campground. The trails are dog friendly BUT the paths are made up of mostly lava rock which(according to our pawrents) are not walkie friendly for our soft backyard paws. So unfortunately we had to stay home in Cece. We didn't mind too much, because it was also pretty warm outside, so we enjoyed a nice nap in the air conditioning while they were gone.
This is the Ice Cave registration building and trading post. It was built in the 1930s when logging was in full swing. In the 1940s, the Candelaria Family inherited the land and opened trails to the Ice Caves and the Bandera Volcano Crater to the public.
The pawrents walked a scenic 1/2 mile up a slight to medium incline to see the Volcano. The trail is lined with Ponderosa and Pinon pines, lava flows and beautiful views!
In this picture you can see part of the lava flow.
Bandera is the largest volcano in the area. It erupted approximately 10,000 years ago.
The lava flow from the volcano is over 23 miles long!
That volcano isn't going to erupt again, is it Rosy?
No worries Sunny, scientists say most of the New Mexico volcanoes are extinct and, although new volcanoes will probably form, it won't be during our(or the pawrents) lifetime.
There are 29 volcanoes in the area. The pawrents saw a few of them as they hiked back to the ice cave.
There are a lot of cracks, crevices and caverns in the area and in the olden days sheep herders nicknamed the area the '"Devil's Playground" because it was the perfect hiding place for rattlesnakes. Needless to say, Mama did NOT go off the path!
The pawrents knew they were getting close when they saw some leftover snow hiding in one of the caves....
It's hard to believe that in a state known for its heat and desert climate there is a cave that never gets above 31F(approx -1C), but here it is!
The floor of the ice is about 20 feet thick and the deepest, oldest ice dates back about 3,400 years. It isn't known how the original water got into the cave, but the waters from the Spring monsoons and snow melt add to the amount every year. There is also a small amount of melting and evaporation every year,
The current theory the owners had on why the ice doesn't melt is a combination of the heavy cold air, and the insulation properties of the lava.
Needless to say, the pawrents were very impressed by both the Bandera Volcano and the ice cave and noted that it was well worth the $14 admission cost.
Mama made a short video which gives you a better look at the Volcano, the beautiful views, along with the Ice Cave!
You can also watch it HERE, on our YouTube Channel
Show us your nature! It can be flowers, your current weather, a scene out of your window, or maybe a picture from a vacation, walk or other journey! Any kind of nature picture will do! If you don't see a link below, click HERE to go to our Hoppity Page.
Welcome
to the wonderful Friday each month where Nature Friday comes together
with YAM Aunty's FFF!! Make sure to visit YAM Aunty HERE to get the Rulez and join the FFF fun!!
My New Happy Place
by Rosy
Rocks to climb
Lovely skies above
Lizards to hunt
I'm in love
Show
us your nature! It can be flowers, your current weather, a scene out of
your window, or maybe a picture from a vacation, walk or other journey!
Any kind of nature picture will do! If you don't see a link below,
click HERE to go to our Hoppity Page.
