Low Desert Redux

Yellowing ocotillo

About 75F when Dr. K, Willow and I began our morning hike down here in the lower desert.  About midway through the trek conditions began to feel pretty uncomfortable.  We left it up to Willow to decide whether to cut the outing short, and that's just what she decided to do.  None of us felt particularly unhappy about the decision.

Willow the sand potato

Where rainwater ran

Prickly pear pad with fruit

Whiptail

Another yellowing ocotillo

 

The Lowdown

Willow looking over her domain

Forest hike this morning.  Back to the cabin to pack.  Drive down the mountain to the lower desert where we are now.  That is all.

This & next:  unknown birds on wire

Cactus

This & next:  fossil

At the top

This & next:  yellow flax

Wils behind the cabin

 

Hike Before LSM

Young mule deer

Dr. K, Willow and I did our regulation forest hike this morning.  It was a good one, providing lots of exercise.  After the trek Dr. K and I drove down to Alamogordo to shop at Lowe's Signature Market.  We were worried that Highway 82 would be difficult to drive due to loose gravel from road work this past week, but it was OK.

Two mule deer crossing the drive behind our car

This & next:  early morning clouds

Dead Man's Curve

Sacramento Mountains vista

What turned Willow's head?

Lincoln National Forest

I think it's a young Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

Sky later in the morning

 

Willow in the forest

Ancient tree

House Finch on pine tree

Friday's Forest Trek

Morning sky

We altered our route a bit this morning just to be different.  In so doing we discovered what seems to be the entrance to a fox den; we think it's probably foxes for several reasons.  I saw one the last time we were up here, and there's fox poop on one of our septic tank covers.  I'd love to be able to get a photo of a red fox sometime in the near future.  We had a good outing in the forest, and now we're watching the sky where clouds are building in advance of possible showers.  Glad I got in all the mowing and weeding I needed to do over the past two days.

Fox scat near our place makes me think this is a den entrance

Willow mid-hike

Davis Mountain Mock Vervain

Not going that way

Lincoln National Forest

The pumphouse

Inside the pumphouse

1500-gallon water tank

Willow in pumphouse shadow

 

Mountain Cool

Just after sunrise

Slightly overcast with a consistent breeze when Dr. K, Willow and I did the morning hike in the forest above the cabin.  It was a nice change.  For a while it seemed as if we might get some rain, but not so much now.  When I took Willow out for her morning constitutional it was in the high 50s Fahrenheit, which felt really good. 

Willow spots something

Jennifer Juniper

Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, I believe

Early morning clouds

Heading into the forest

View of the Karr Canyon area

Slimleaf Plains-Mustard

Echinocereus coccineus rosei at 7,000 feet

Dr. K and Willow behind the cabin

 

Pre-Work Hike

Sacramentos

Dr. K, Willow and I did a regular hike in the forest behind the cabin this morning, climbing straight up the small mountain to the crest, followed our usual route and returned through the back 40.  Afterward I did some mowing of grass and weeds on the property, straightened up some railroad ties that had slipped out of boundary positions due to recent rains, and then, with Dr. K's help, removed logs from the rack near the front fence, fortified the structure and replaced logs.  The rack was leaning hard against the front fence bending it outward a bit.  Lots of work that's tired me out a bit.

Willow on our road

Little male house finch followed us to the high country

I think this is Slimleaf Plains-Mustard

This & next:  Willow at rest

Old juniper

Davis Mountain Mock Vervain

This & next:  Berlandier's Yellow Flax

Pines beside the cabin

What we saw flying in the mountains this morning