This is in the White Mountain Wilderness, in a meadow, on the trail to Nogal Peak. Southeastern New Mexico had terrible fires earlier this summer; this area was not burned, and the trail was just opened yesterday. It felt good to paint green after all the red and orange of Ghost Ranch.

What you can't see in my photo is the village of fairy houses that my children discovered in this grove of trees. I intended to paint the kids in, but they had moved on to the creek by the time I got to that part of the painting. I don't know how to include the gurgle of the creek, or the children's laughter carried by the cool mountain breeze. You will have to imagine the fairy houses and the soundtrack.