After brief rainstorms the past two nights, the Chihuahuan Desert was especially lush this morning when Research Associate Becca and I explored the area on the east and south sides of Tortugas Mountain. Forests of ocotillos had fully leafed out in resplendent emerald beauty.
To answer Dr. K's question about whether we would see the ocotillos blooming again, I offer this photo.
A rare cave dweller was captured in this adventure shot.
Two "seeps"--hollows in the bedrock--capture rain from the storms, providing drinking basins for wild animals.
This might not appear particularly lush to Easterners who are used to greenery, but the vegetation in one of the major arroyos south of Tortugas Mountain looks beautifully vibrant to desert dwellers who see only eight to ten inches of rain in an entire year.
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