Thursday Heat

So warm on the trail this morning we sought respite in the shade of a tall Yucca.
A jungle-like scene in the desert.

Flowers are still in bloom, and gigantic noses take advantage.

Owner of the wayward nose.

Late September Hike

With my trusty hiking companion.

Taking a break.

Desert Marigold.

Hedgehog Cactus.

Trailing Four O'Clock.

First Up

Another beautiful morning in the Chihuahuan Desert.

Leader of the Desert Packrat pack.

Linear thinking.

Always on the lookout.

Desert grassland.

Sunday on the Sunset Side II

Sunlight animates an Ocotillo grove.

The western face of Tortugas.

Desert Marigolds, Soaptree Yuccas and Mesquite Trees on the mountain's far west perimeter.

A long way back.

Sunday on the Sunset Side

Dr. K, Becca and I began our weekend hike on the west side of Tortugas (Tortoise) Mountain this morning while the sun hid behind high clouds.

These clouds had a Horsehead Nebula feel about them.

The desert was alive with vivid light.

Cloud shadows came and went.

At one point, the whole western side of Tortugas seemed to be in shadow.

Humid and Hazy Saturday

You can almost see the humid haze in this photograph.

And you definitely can in this shot.

This dog doesn't care a lick about haze or humidity.

Feeling Like Fall

A cool Fall morning with soothing sunlight.

Now that is a happy canine.

Hills like green elephants.

A large arroyo on Tortugas's west side.

Cumulus clouds over the Organ Mountains.

Long Monsoon Season

It started early and it's hung around late--the monsoon season here in the desert Southwest.

A very wet dirt road.

Really low-hanging clouds this morning.

A large puddle on the muddy desert floor.

This mountain is not on fire, but it looks like it.

Late September Humidity.

It was extremely humid this morning, oddly so for this time of year. At 2:00 a.m. it rained hard for half an hour. Ocotillos don't mind the extra moisture.

Fruit of the Torrey Yucca spoiling on the vine (so to speak).

A rare sight: mud in the desert.

Not so rare sight: dog in mud in the desert.

The spent seed pods of the Soaptree Yucca.

A Fine Monday Morning II

A Torrey Yucca, looking very much like a Shinto shrine.

The road around Tortugas (foreground); the Organ Mountains in the rear.

Soaptree Yuccas in the Tortugas Mountain foothills.

A Fine Monday Morning

The sun breaking over Tortugas (Tortoise) Mountain. Visible is a trail leading to the old observatory.

Is this what's called a "robin-egg blue" sky?

The Franklin Mountains near El Paso, Texas, forty miles across the Chihuahuan Desert.

The new observatory atop Tortugas (aka "A" Mountain).

The best hiking companion.

Monte Vista Sunday

A mountain biker rides the trail east of Tortugas.

A happy dog luxuriates in the shade.

An absolutely beautiful morning in the Chihuahuan Desert.

Computer-enhanced image of the outer loop road.

The Organ Mountains.