A Welcome Guest

Here are three poor photos of a fox visiting the grounds at the High Desert Research Institute. Packrat had to take the first shot through a screen, and the subsequent two images through a window into the sun. This critter was visiting the area at 3:00 p.m., an unusual time for a field trip.

This has got to be a painting.

I've got to get out of here.

Which way do we go, Boss?

Very Oriental painting, no?

The road back to the village.

High Rolls Holiday

It's late Fall in the high country, but it felt like winter on the Osha Trail outside of Cloudcroft.

The Village of Cloudcroft perched in the pines.

The beautiful Osha Trail.

Guess who loves her time in the mountains?

A tranquil setting.

Cool Westside Jaunt

A little chilly when we started off this morning. The first thing we saw was this section of the mountain, which appears to be pregnant.

The guilty party: a Yucca that failed to heed the warning about Viagra.

Nothing to lose your head over.

The clouds on the left: are they real clouds, smoke rings or jet contrails?

West Side Hustle

What clarion call was this singer warbling this morning?

Look who's trekking down the trail out of the foothills.

The same hound who's taking a break in the shade.

The lonely trail back to Tortugas.

Weekend Work

Even on Sunday, Research Associate Becca and I are working, looking out for lazy Soaptree Yuccas--like this one that's lying down on the job.

Now this Torrey Yucca is hard at work.

Because it has a lot of hungry mouths to feed.

Becca never misses a trick--except, perhaps, "Fetch."

This is Becca's "working dog" friend, Papis.

Very Long Hike

Lots to see on our hike this morning, like this hot-air balloon rising over the Dona Ana Mountains (artistic assist from a Dell computer).

Aloha 'Oe Yucca.

Shinto shrine dog.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Cactus.

The Christmas Cactus fruit is about the size of your thumb nail.

Return to the Low Country

The lower Chihuahuan Desert was very comfortable this morning, cool with a lot of sun. Yucca and Tortugas Mountain.

A thorny problem--spiny Hedgehog Cactus.

You never know who you'll encounter in the desert.

The trail back up the foothills.

One-and-a-Half High Country Days

Look who was hanging around the grounds at the High Desert Research Institute.
These three were enjoying the local grass.

Twins?

My best side.

Ain't I cute?

West-Side Hike

We made a quick detour this morning to take a photo of Telephone-Pole-Henge.

A sunny, but cold start to the day.

The Beckster always hallucinates on this side of the mountain, seeing things I don't.

A flower still hanging on this late in the season.

Thirty-Degree Start

It was cold when Becca and I set out this morning, a fact you'd never guess from this sunny photo of one of the many roads around Tortugas.

Who put the pink ribbon on this naked Ocotillo?

This road heads south, then east toward the Organs.

November 16th--cold--and this Yucca is still in bloom.

Closeup of the beautiful Yucca flowers.

Sunday Stomp

Becca, Dr. K and I hiked the Tortugas Mountain Trail this morning, and the wind made it cold despite the sun.

We saw these two people hiking the head of a comet.

A solitary Soaptree Yucca.

Where we went when we got back to the city. Nastro Azzurro, si!