Bushwhack Hybrid

A crowd of White-winged Doves

Today is exactly two years since Frio died, and I'm not over it at all.  In his memory Willow and I bushwhacked all the way up to First Arroyo where I often hiked with the "Os"--Frio and Willow.  On this fine morning Wils and I enjoyed ourselves seeing the old territory seem like new again.  Spring has sprung out there and I was able to get a few pics of pretty plants.

Velvety Nerisyrenia

Claret Cup Hedgehog in a side arroyo

Desert between here, Tortugas and the Organs

Do not go gentle into that good night

This & next:  same Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus

The long view of Tortugas and the Organs

Howdy to my old friend Y

Blossoming Faxon Yucca

 

This & next 2:  same flowering yucca

We hiked to First Arroyo where an asshat left his ATV tracks

Wils in First Arroyo

Really Bad Air

This & next:  large Torrey Yucca far west of LDR-A

It was chilly out there for Willow and me on the morning trek, but not as cold as yesterday due to the absence of wind.  The air, however, was incredibly bad.  We had strong winds overnight, but it looked to be more than just dust from gusts; perhaps more controlled burns?  Except for the bushwhacking we did right at the beginning of the hike in order to photograph the large Torrey Yucca (images 1 and 2), we followed our regular route.  On leaving--just as we were about to turn onto Tellbrook from the upper flatland road--we saw Mrs. Basset and her five hounds on the south side of the street waiting for us to turn.  They crossed over to our side as we were driving down the road.

Lots of buds, one claret cup

This & next:  Faxon Yuccas on a ridge

Little Willow

Desert Evening-primrose

 

Very Windy, Very Cold

Weather conditions at start of hike

The weather was pretty awful when Willow and I began our morning hike:  windy, cold, little sun; it literally felt like late fall heading into winter.  Conditions improved slightly during our outing, but I didn't remove my gloves nor earband until we were about to climb the steep hill out of the right branch arroyo.  After lunch when I took Willow out for her noon constitutional we weren't able to sit out at the front of the house as we normally do because it was only 52F with a stiff wind.

Looking south back up LDR-A

White-winged Dove

Distant blooming yucca

Wils

This & next:  male Ladder-backed Woodpecker on ocotillo

Evening Desert-primrose

Claret Cup Cactus

 

Long Bushwhack with Willow

Blooming Faxon Yucca

Willow and I got an early start this morning and almost immediately got off trail to photograph the yucca in the first image here.  We then followed LDR-A arroyo down to the cross trail, but headed north past the Tellbrook Arroyo to do some extensive bushwhacking in the many side arroyos there.  Fortunately we came across a few blossoming yuccas that made for good images.  We spotted both Mrs. Basset and her hounds as well as three hikers in the northwest desert, perhaps Two-White-Dogs-Lady +2.  The Wilster and I were out in the desert for nearly two hours today.

Desert Marigold

Willow staring down an arroyo

Phacelia, prickly pear, spectaclepod, barrel and hedgehog

Poor photo of a Desert Cardinal

Hedgehog cactus

Yucca flowering west of Tortugas

Looks to be a Say's Phoebe

This & next:  blooming yucca

 

Barrel cacti and blooming yucca

Wright's Deervetch(?)

Artsy kestrel

Sans One Saturday

Early morning mountains

Just Willow and me on the morning trek; Dr. K's in Arizona.  51F when we started out today, warming to 82F.  We followed our regular route, hearing and then seeing Mrs. Basset and her hounds when we just started up the right branch on the final third of the hike.  Nothing spectacular out there to photograph today, but the scenery was beautiful nonetheless.

Sky over ocotillos

Desert light

LDR-A arroyo

Claret Cups

This & next:  Wils in the right branch

View of Tortugas and the Organs from the right branch

Last 2:  ocotillos budding out