Monday Trek

Different colored flowers on the same Engelmann's Prickly Pear Cactus

Becca and I got a fairly early start on our morning trek today, and therefore we missed the brunt of the wind that was supposed to kick up about 9:00.  When we were leaving our buddy Jimmy pulled in behind us to say hello.  I had to power down the rear driver-side window so Becca could properly greet the J-man.  He was striking for the mountaintop and hoped to get in a hike before the big winds came.  Right now (nearly 1:30 p.m.) the gusts are probably between 25 and 30 mph, and they're set to surpass 40 mph by about 4:00 this afternoon.  Can we say "blowing dust"?

Yucca in black-and-white

Scoping out the territory from the upper foothills trail

Becca spots a couple of hikers in the distance

This will lead you over the flank

All hail the Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata)

Scaled Quail

Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) belting out a tune

Soaptree Yucca (Yucca elata) sending up a flower stalk

Mexican Bird-of-Paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii)

Same Mexican Bird-of-Paradise

Looking through a Mesquite on our property to the arroyo

Greening up at the hacienda