These cliff dwellings are the ancient ancestral homes of the Santa Clara Pueblo people atop the Pajarito Plateau in northern New Mexico. The place is called "Puye" and was settled around 900 AD. The Puye Cliffs was home to 1500 Pueblos who lived, farmed and hunted game here up until 1550 AD. It was the first and largest of several ancient Pueblo settlements in the Rio Grande Valley. Using materials found in the area, the settlers sculpted their homes from the soft volcanic rock
This majestic tri-colored rainbow was seen over Rio Arriba County in northern New Mexico. It's one of the many spectacular sights seen at this time of year in New Mexico's "Big Sky"
Martin's General Store is located in the small community of El Rito, New Mexico. Many generations of Martin's have owned and operated this store. Built around the turn of the 20th century, it was originally known as Sargent General Store. El Rito was one of the first Spanish settlements in northwestern New Mexico
This barbed wire fence post was photographed at Valles Caldera in the Jemez Mountains of northwestern New Mexico. Barbed wire is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand
Looks like a structure from the old west that has withstood time but, actually, this cabin was built for the 1991 movie "City Slickers" starring Jack Palance and Billy Crystal. The staff at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico, where it's located, liked it so much, they asked the film's producers to let it remain
Prairie Dogs are a type of ground squirrel found in the U.S, Canada and Mexico. In the U.S. they range primarily to the west of the Mississippi. They're named for the habitat and warning call which sounds similar to a dog's bark. They live in burrows dug 6 to 10 ft. below ground and are highly social animals that exist in large colonies or "towns" sometimes spanning hundreds of acres
Native to the southwestern U.S., Juniper trees that vary in size and shape are often seen on the dry desert floor of Monument Valley. Juniper wood is the preferred building material of the Navajos for their hogans and sweat lodges. They also use the ash from the Juniper in a thick syrup for coughs and sore throats. Their most fascinating use, however, is for spiritual purposes. The tree is grounding, anchoring us all to the Colorado Plateau and also acting as a bridge between the worlds
Ripple marks create a beautiful pattern in the multi-colored mineral sand at Monument Valley in southeastern Utah. These marks are formed by the constant agitation of water and wind. Sandstone is composed of quartz and is the most common mineral in the Earth's crust. The floor in Monument Valley is Cutler Red siltstone or river-deposited sand. The iron oxide in the weathered siltstone gives the valley its red color. The blue-gray rocks contain manganese oxide
