Hot With a Breeze

This and the next:  Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata)

I was going to cut the hike short because it was already hot when Willow, Frio and I began our morning trek from the dirt pullout at Tellbrook.  But then a strong breeze came up and kept the temperature from feeling too oppressive.  As a result we explored the "new" arroyo again and bushwhacked up to the east/west dirt road.

A sixteenth of a mile east we bushwhacked down into our other favorite arroyo, took a water break, and then continued southward to the intersection with the little-used dirt road.  We paused along the road for another water break before heading back.

We saw several people hiking with a dog in the distance, but that was the only sign that other nature enthusiasts were out there this morning.  Just the way we like it in this age of social distancing.

Peace

Bowed, old Soaptree Yucca stalks

This and the next:  Heelers taking a shade break

The arroyo we're in

Morning sun through Soaptree Yuccas

Shade break from another angle

Chihuahuan Desert scene

Out with the old

In with the new

At the beach

Not a beach

Soaptree Yucca with old and new flower stalks

This and the next 2:  singular Prickly Pear blossom

Ocotillo and Bishop Cap in the distance

On the road again

Crow or raven

If It's Tuesday . . .

Dead Mesquite Tree

The temperature was a bit cooler this morning for our normal hike, and a semi-consistent wind kept it from feeling too warm in our section of the northern Chihuahuan Desert; so Frio, Willow and I were happy to explore the "new" arroyo before doing a little bushwhacking to get up to the east/west dirt road.

We extended the trek a bit today, but kept the bushwhacking at a minimum; neither the Heelers nor I seemed in the mood to do much hiking off-trail.

We only saw a few people out there this morning:  a couple walking along the northernmost dirt road headed west, and a guy hiking with his dog.  The man and his hound were far enough ahead of us to avoid any kind of interaction.

This and the next:  a stout Torrey Yucca

No wind involved

This and the next:  Red-tailed Hawk on a new Soaptree Yucca stalk

Exploring the "new" arroyo

Something powerful about this ancient Soaptree Yucca

Figures at the base of the Soaptree Yucca

Kinky yucca stalk

This and the next:  Ocotillo flowers

This and the next:  Prickly Pear with a full house

Heelers on break

This and the next 2:  the old and the new

This and the next:  Prickly Pear blossom

The long view of Tortugas and the Organ Mountains

Monday's Guarantee

This and the next:  Swainson's Hawk took off before I got a good photo of it

It's going to be hot today--that's Monday's guarantee.  It already felt pretty toasty when the Heelers and I began our new normal weekday excursion in the desert north of Tellbrook.  Saw only one other vehicle out there this morning, but we bumped into a man and woman hiking the east/west dirt road and, later, encountered a single hiker going the opposite direction as we headed back up the long dirt road to our waiting CR-V.

We all felt pretty warm out there today, and Willow has developed this annoying habit of plopping down in every sandy, shady spot on the return leg of our trek.  She gets back up fairly easily when I say, "Let's go," but every once in a while she has a stubborn streak about staying in place.  Then it's a bit more difficult to convince her to keep moving.

Despite the high temps we all had an enjoyable hike in our section of the northern Chihuahuan Desert.

Frio and Willow

Tip of a Soaptree Yucca flower stalk

This Soaptree Yucca

Is Willow giving me the stink eye?

This and the rest:  another Soaptree Yucca with flower stalk