If its raining, it must be New Mexico!

In the dozen or so times that I have driven across New Mexico, I can only think of once that I did not get stormed on.  On two trips across I have been hailed on (fortunately not on the bike), and now on all three trips across on the bike I have been rained on.  Guess it would help if I did not cross during monsoon season.  Unfortunately, thats when the good butterflies are, normally.
  Stopped in at Bosque del Apache for an hour or so today.  Would've loved to spend more time, but I still had another 170 miles to go for the day.  Did not see a lot of butterfly diversity, but the few that I did see were all good ones, and most of them new to the BBY.  Had not seen any butterflies in New Mexico until I was dropping down into the Rio Grande valley, and sulphurs started popping up everywhere.  The closer I got to San Antonio (New Mexico) the more plentiful the sulphurs became.  I suspect I was seeing at least 100 per mile.  From the back of the bike wasn't sure what kind of sulphur though.
  But then, oddly enough, pretty much as soon as I passed the sign for Bosque del Apache property the sulphurs all dried up.  Interesting.  While at BdA I did see five species, four of which were new to the BBY, and one of which was a lifer.  Our four new species included: Western Pygmy Blue (the smallest butterfly in the US), Reakirt's Blue, Marine Blue, and Painted Crescent (lifer!).  I did get a fair look at the mystery sulphur at BdA and it looked like Clouded Sulphur, of which I have already seen 42 this year.  Now I am probably up to 342!  Have never seen a cloud sulphurs like that.  Sure, living in Ohio and Indiana, you see several sulphurs dancing across an alfalfa field, but nothing like this.
  On the way back out to the highway I stopped along the road to get a better look at the sulphurs.  There were several roadkills along the road that I could pick up and examine.  Yep, Clouded Sulphur.  Also got some good pics of a couple live ones.  While trying to sort out the sulphurs, a Buckeye and a Bordered Patch also stopped by.  The Patch disappeared before I could get a pic.  Hope I get a pic of one in AZ because it would be another new species for the BBY!  Also saw a monarch crossing the road, east to west, on New Mexico SR1.
  Wish I had spent more time along Highway 1, but I could see clouds starting to build over the mountains to the west, the mountains I would be crossing to get to AZ, so I was trying to rush to beat any storms before they developed.  Hah!  No so luck.  ABout 10 miles out of Socorro it started sprinkling.  I pulled off and began the always fun process of putting on the rain boots and rain suit at the side of the road.  Within another five miles I was in a total downpour complete with lightning and thunder.  Nice thing about bikes, they handle ponding on roads better than cars do.  The downpour lasted about five minutes, and then I was in and out of rain for the next 120 miles.  Was wanting to get a picture of the VLA (Very Large Array), made famous by the movie Contact, but of course, the rest area next to the VLA was one of the rainy sections of the ride.  Rain would be ok if it wasn't for everything getting wet!
  By the way, after I got settled at the hotel in Springerville, AZ I had to go to the hardware store, again, and get more supplies to fix anchoring down the evil blue cargo box.  All the hardware I have purchased this week, I think I should get complimentary stock options in True Value Corporation!
  Oh, for your information, 2,241.6 miles from Sugar Grove, Ohio to the AZ border.  Of course, that includes multiple trips to hardware stores!

Will add pics later.  For some reason, having trouble uploading pics to the blog.  Check out Butterfly Rider on facebook to see pics from today.