Moderate Monday

Early sunlight on the Doña Ana Mountains

A young Say's Phoebe 

50F when Dr. K, Willow and I were leaving home this morning, 45F when we reached the trailhead.  We heard hounds quite a bit while we were out there, but we only saw the Basset People when we had finished our outing.  Conditions were pretty nice for the hike, and I was able to get a few pics of resident birds while we were about to head up the right branch arroyo.

Across the desert to the base of Tortugas Mountain

Spectaclepod

Willow on break in the left branch arroyo

This & next 3:  Brewer's Sparrow

I think these are the leaves of Adonis Blazing Star

 

Funday Sun

Morning moon

Surprisingly cool for our morning hike today even though we were in the low 40s.  Both Dr. K and I wore gloves for most of the trek, but Willow didn't.  We saw the Basset People heading north on LDR-A, heard the hounds, too.  We also spotted a runner headed north on LDR before she turned around and jogged the other direction.  We followed our regular route, finishing up by exiting the right branch arroyo over the steep hill to the west.  After the outing we drove over to our local Circle K to gas up the CR-V:  $3.39 per gallon, total of $34.98.  Gouging from the Iran war has begun already.

Distant view of Tortugas and the Organs

Soaptree Yuccas

Spectaclepod (white flowers), barrel cactus and prickly pear

Acacia tree

This & next:  Pyrrhuloxias hanging together

Hedgehog cactus

Wils leading the way

Deadwood

 

Sábado Solo con Willow

Picacho and environs

Dr. K attended the "Girls Can" event this morning so it was Willow and me on the daily trek.  We followed our regular route seeing, as we descended LDR-A arroyo, Two-White-Dogs-Lady +1 (a champagne-colored poodle) down near the intersection of LDR and the Tellbrook Arroyo.  The two white poodles appeared to be roughhousing in and out of the desert foliage.  They were the only nature enthusiasts we spotted during our outing. 

Looking southwest from LDR-A

Desert under clouds

Faxon Yucca with shadow

Great Horned Owl illusion

Cactus Wren on yucca saber

This & next:  Willow resting in the right branch arroyo

Artsy Picacho and environs

Last 2:  crazy clouds

 

Amarillo

First Desert Marigold and friend

A bit chillier this morning for our trek, but Dr. K and I dressed properly for the weather conditions; Willow chose to use her standard coat.  We followed our regular route seeing, along the way, both the Basset People and their hounds as well as Two-White-Dogs-Lady and a +1; the two hikers were herding pups.  After we got back from our outing the wind picked up; it's blowing pretty hard now.

Friend

This & next:  barrel cactus fruit beyond their use-by date

Willow and Dr. K in the left branch arroyo

Rock and shadow

Scorpionweed (Phacelia integrifolia)

Hill and mountain

Deadwood

White-winged Dove

 

Temp Cooldown

Colorized prickly pear X

A little cooler this morning, but no wind during our outing.  Dr. K was especially grateful.  Willow and I enjoyed the windless conditions as well.  We followed our regular route, at one point spotting Two-White-Dogs-Lady +1 bushwhacking in the desert northwest of us.  Later, as we were ascending the right branch arroyo we saw the Basset People and their hounds hiking northward along a ridge to the east.

Regulation prickly pear pic

Wils on lead

Our buddy the cactus wren

Our resident Curve-billed Thrasher

 

Blooming Early

All white flowers are from this Faxon Yucca

When Dr. K, Willow and I were descending LDR-A arroyo this morning we spotted a blooming Faxon Yucca at a great distance from us.  We decided to bushwhack over to it to see how far along it was in the flowering process; turned out to be surprisingly bloomed out for this early in the season.  I took a lot of photos of it (as you can see).  We turned around from there, altering our return route to backtrack up the LDR-A arroyo to reach the waiting CR-V.  The 50F start turned out to be colder than we anticipated due to a brisk wind, but we warmed up quickly during the outing.

Willow loves bushwhacking

Organ Mountains, flank of Tortugas at left

A female House Finch