Deming, NM - Rockhounding

Ended up staying for one more sleepless night in Deming. Winds and work had changed our plans. The good thing that came of this was that we were able to revisit Rock Hound State Park. We had been here before and remember enjoying the park and we had even gotten to see Ibex. I had noted in my journal that we didn't get to hike the nearby Spring Canyon SP, so our first attempt was to visit that section. That wasn't to be on this trip either - it is closed on Wednesdays and it is only open to 5pm which is probably why we didn't hike it in 2004. Oh, well. We drove back to Rock Hound...

This park is different because they encourage you to keep any rocks you find - geodes, thunder eggs, etc. We have yet to find those kinds of rocks, but I still enjoy hiking the hills and looking for wildlife. Signs warned us that it was tarantula mating season in Oct and Nov, and asked us not to kill them, that they are harmless. We had kinda hoped to see one, even though it would have given me nightmares for the rest of my life.
The rocks are such a variety of colors, that you can't help finding yourself becoming an amateur rock hounder. My favorite was this pink Jasper...