Carlsbad, New Mexico

 We were scheduled to go to La Junta, Colorado to do the usual fireplots but because of a recent fire we were called to do burn severity studies in Carlsbad, New Mexico at the Carlsbad Cavern National Park! The caverns were most likely the most beautiful sites I'll see all summer.

 Yup... A "Jesus Christ is Lord" Gas Station just outside of Amarillo, Texas on our way to New Mexico. Yes mom, I am most definitely in the 'bible belt'

I didnt take any picture of our first night but I witnessed the most amazing lightning storm I've ever seen in my entire life. It was crazy to see such a beautiful storm with no tall buildings or trees to interfere with your vision.

Our home!

View from the place we were staying at. Right on national park property! 

Sotol post=burn kinda looks like a pineapple! 

Jeff messing with our GPS reciever unit

Jeff hugging his bottle of tequila... he is quite the character. Ironically tequila is made from Agave which is one of the many plants that scratched up my arms during our intense hiking to our plots!

Second pair of boots lost this summer-- this time due to limestone

Kid on a leash at the visitor's center... 

 A raccoon got into our house one night!

These photos really do no justice to being at the cavern but here's a small taste! beyond amazing!! and we stayed up every night to watch the mexican free tail bats fly out of the cave from our front porch

I'm leaving in the morning to go to austin on our days off from work! and the momma is going to be in texas for work so she will be meeting me for a day in austin as well -- very excited :)