Giant Roadrunner sculpture as viewed from I-10, New Mexico
This week’s Photo Friday Challenge is “Road Trip” which is timely since we just made a road trip to New Mexico to visit family. We always look forward to the 40-foot-long giant roadrunner sculpture made of recycled refuse, that is perched on a hill overlooking I-10.
We took the boys to Rockhound State Park for a morning of rock collecting and hunting for insects to photograph:
The winner of the day was this Thistledown Velvet Ant, which turns out to be a wasp, not an ant. They are related to the cow killer ants, so we are all very happy that no one was compelled to touch it:
Thistledown Velvet Ant is really a wasp!
A spider watched warily, pausing just long enough for me to take a shot:
There were a lot of ants on the trail: We went early in the morning while it was cool – I can’t imagine being out here in the middle of the day!
Several different types of agave were blooming; the flowering stalks are dramatic. I don’t dare venture a guess about species:
Next Stop: City of Rocks State Park to climb around for a while.
We surprised a few cottontail rabbits:
Then on to the Gila Cave Dwellings: 
And a Collared Crevice Spiny Lizard to cap off the trip: 
