New Mexico: Brantley Lake State Park

Here we are at the ends of the earth.

Well no, actually Brantley Lakes State Park in southern New Mexico.  Another huge site, with nothing between us and the Chihuahuan Desert. 

The level of the lake here is way down, so no water sports this time.  A walk down to what's left of the lake led to encounters with lots of prickly and dead vegetation.  See the round brown circles? Those are underwater plants that grow in circular clumps. Yeah, they aren't underwater anymore.

Anyone know what these plants are?

Or these?

Or these?

I know this one is a cactus, but not what kind. These kinds of plants are all new to me.

 And aren't these pink ones cute?

The low water has left lots of odd stuff on what is now the shoreline: dead bushes, old wheels, eroded land. It was all kind of dramatically ugly so I thought I'd just mess around with the special effects in Picasa.

These were a line of wheels leading down to the water. No idea why.

This is the new shoreline.

This is a drowned bush that looks upside-down - with its roots in the air.

So are these. They look like hydra-ish sea monsters.

We were just here so that we could visit Carlsbad Caverns. This weirdness is in preparation for more weirdness underground tomorrow.