Well, December has come in with daytime temperatures around 70 degrees F. and nighttime temperatures between 30-40 degrees F. Only about 140 mm of rain for the year so far, with little in sight. The canals are dry and the Rio Grande nearly so. The pineapple sage and the cherry sage are still in bloom and about half the leaves are on the mulberries. Sleepy orange, southern dogface, some skippers, and other butterflies are still around and I saw a dragonfly in the back yard today. The vultures have finally left and the crows are here in such numbers that I feel like I'm on the set of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds." We seem to be having "Indian Summer" in December! Could it be Global Climate Change?
Pineapple sage in bloom on December 7, Mesilla Park!
A Southern Dogface at rest on river cane in December, Mesilla Park.
A roadrunner seems to have taken up residence in the area and I've found it perched on one of our front mulberries.
Roadrunner in our front mulberry tree.
We do get occasional brilliant sunsets and sunrises this time of year. Like this one on December 3rd!
December sunset in Mesilla Park.
All in all it looks like a very dry and fairly warm winter, with the possibility of bone-breaking cold in sudden cold snaps like we have been getting the last two years.
As usual all photos are by me.