Sculptures of Galleta Meadows, Borrego Springs, California

     Dennis Avery (1940-2012), of the Avery Labels fortune, commissioned Ricardo Breceda to build sculptures of southern California's prehistoric mammals.  Avery placed the metal figures on property he owned in Borrego Springs.  The property, called Galleta Meadows Estates, lies north and south of town.  There are 129 figures sitting on three square miles of undeveloped land.  After the prehistoric mammals, Avery added dinosaurs, giant bugs, human figures, and even a sea serpent to his "collection."

This is Gracile Sabertooth Cat and Extinct Horse.  The only known fossil of a Gracile Sabertooth (Smilodon gracilis) was found in the Anza-Borrego area.  This cat would like horse for dinner.

Mike tried his best to save the horse.

Sometimes, in spite of your best efforts, the the sabertooth cat wins.

This is one of several clusters of sculptures.  

I liked the eagle, but I wondered if Ricardo Breceda could have figured out a different way to support the bird's wingspan.  Several of his works are propped up like this, and I find it distracting.  

My favorite part - the snake in the eagle's talons.

Mama Elephant

Baby Elephant
This is the only sculpture in the park that is not rough and rusty.  So many people have run their hands over this little guy that he glows.  Greasy, grubby hands aren't always a bag thing, I suppose.

This serpent starts on one side of the road ...

... and ends on the other side of the road.

Oooops!

A Young Couple Having Fun with a Cactus 

Is this Friar Felipe?  His dog wouldn't let go of that stick.

The Friar's rosary is made from rocks.

Local Pests

The migrant workers display is an homage to the region's agriculture workers.  Grapes grow well in the Borrego Springs area.

A few hours in the desert makes for shoes full of sand.  Warning:  Be on the lookout for rattle snakes when viewing the sculptures.

We went into the town of Borrego Springs and found a small market set up in Christmas Circle, the center of town.  Besides beef jerky, this man sold his own hand carved walking sticks.

Those strawberries are beautiful.

You can bring a picnic to Christmas Circle ... 

... or you can buy your meal from a food truck.

Dogs love hanging out in the circle.

     Borrega Springs is completely surrounded by Anza-Borrego State Park, California's largest state park.  Borrego Springs is a Dark-Sky Community.  This means there are no traffic lights and other night time lighting is minimal.  This makes the town popular with star gazers.