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The Apples in My Orchard

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Silent Sunday: White Sands National Park

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Silent Sunday: White Sands National Park
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Headed to White Sands National Park, a four-hour drive from Santa Fe. 

 

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White Sands is our newest National Park in the US. It became one in December of 2019.
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Driving on Dunes Drive after entering the park.
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More and more of the dunes become visible.

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Nature Trail in the park

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Lake that is dried up now. Fills in the wetter months. Underlying the dunes is water.
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The Gypsum Dunes come into view.
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Entering another world.
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The White Sand dunes look devoid of life but there is a whole ecosystem that resides here.
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A sample of scale – a man over 6 feet tall in the distance.
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A beautiful day make the dunes glisten.
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Yucca is a prevalent species in the park.
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The winds move the dunes each year – some inches and some feet! 
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Yuccas can grow rapidly to avoid being buried by the shifting dunes.
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Another sample of scale.
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Most of the dunes are firm, not unlike a beach where the water meets the shore.
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One of my favorite shots from our visit to White Sands with the mountains in the background.
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Endless.
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A sample of erosion.
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Driving on the compacted gypsum was cool!

 

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A beautiful day in White Sands National Park.

All images copyright by Carol Labuzzetta, 2020. All rights reserved. Do Not Duplicate.

9 responses to “Silent Sunday: White Sands National Park”

  1. Fomtriok Avatar
    Fomtriok

    Wow, the sand looks so white! Almost like snow. Beautiful. Very fitting name of the park I guess 😄

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    1. theapplesinmyorchard Avatar
      theapplesinmyorchard

      It is very fitting! Thanks for stopping by!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. Debbie Lynn Avatar
    Debbie Lynn

    Love your photos. I was amazed with the quiet when I took a hike out in and among the dunes. And everything was SO white! Looks like you enjoyed your visit! 🙂

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    1. theapplesinmyorchard Avatar
      theapplesinmyorchard

      It was so quiet there, almost like another world. Glad you got to experience it as well.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Debbie Lynn Avatar
        Debbie Lynn

        Me too! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  3. M.B. Henry Avatar
    M.B. Henry

    That’s very high up on my National Parks priority list! Hope to make it there someday very soon 🙂 Gorgeous photos and looks like an amazing trip.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. theapplesinmyorchard Avatar
      theapplesinmyorchard

      I hope you get to go soon, too! It is a little remote – taking the whole day to get there, visit, and back from Santa Fe. But, it was worth it. Such an unusual ecosystem. What other parks have you been to?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. M.B. Henry Avatar
        M.B. Henry

        Oh, LOTS hahaha. My husband and I have a National Parks Passport and we like to chase after those stamps! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. theapplesinmyorchard Avatar
        theapplesinmyorchard

        Lol! Okay! Sounds good! We are just getting into going to the parks but have enjoyed each one we’ve been to.

        Liked by 1 person

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I’m Carol

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Publicatons

An Anthology of Ekphrastic Nature Poetry with twenty-five authors from four countries. Featuring the poets’ color photography and a variety of poem types. Written for middle-grade students, their teachers, and homeschooled students. Published in 2024 by Northern Loon Press.
My chapbook of poetry (2022) is available on Amazon.