Frigid Day

Dark clouds over the Organ Mountains

We had to cut our morning hike short because of the raw winter weather.  It would have been fine without the wind, but the "hawk" made it feel brutal out there.  We probably did less than a quarter of the hike we regularly do.  I was glad to get out of the elements.

A sprinkling of snow on the mountains



Dark clouds may mean business



Cold winter scene in the desert



Becca was too preoccupied to be cold



The White Stuff

Short Hike

The new observatory atop Tortugas Mountain

We took a quick hike because of several factors:  Packrat wasn't feeling great, and the wind was threatening to grow even stronger.  Nevertheless, we still had a good time--especially the canid.

High winds aloft make lenticular clouds



A happy dog freely roaming the desert



Clouds over Tortugas

Enchanted Skies

Though technically not part of the Big Sky region of the United States, the skies over The Land of Enchantment (New Mexico) can look pretty big at times.  No use captioning these photos when the subject of each is the same:  the stunning skies over southern New Mexico.

The Sprung Pooch

A very happy hiker

Got her out of jail this morning (along with George).  You never saw two happier animals.  Five days in the kennel are five days too long.

From the Mojave to the Chihuahuan Desert

Jet contrails over Tortugas Mountain

After a short trip to Las Vegas in the Mojave Desert, we're back in the Chihuahuan Desert around Tortugas (Tortoise) Mountain.  Only Dr. K and I did the hike, though, because George and Becca have yet to be sprung from the kennel.  The weather in both deserts was about the same during the days--about 55 degrees F.  Different lows, though.  In Las Vegas it was in the low 40s.  Las Cruces was 30 F last night.


Trail along the foothills



Clouds and contrails over the Organ Mountains



Where Tortugas and the Organs seem to meet



Lines in the desert

A Very Vegas Christmas II

The Forum, Ceasar's Palace

A few more photos of the sights and sounds of Las Vegas.  Okay, not the sounds, but take my word for it--it was noisy.

Above The Forum, Ceasar's Palace

Gay Paree?  No, Las Vegas

The Eiffel Tower Bar & Grille



The Arc de Triomphe



Lobby, The Continental

The Luxor

New York, New York

Back to the gondola ride

A Very Vegas Christmas

Gondola rides near The Venetian

Dr. K and I took a break and spent Christmas in Las Vegas, where we did a little sightseeing and took in the show "The Jersey Boys."  Can't say what else we did because "What happens in Vegas . . . ."

The theater where we saw the Jersey Boys

Dr. K relaxes in her suite at The Venetian

Ceiling in The Venetian



The Venetian's marble hallway




Near the Venezia Garden in The Venetian



The main lobby of The Venetian

Typical Italian scene--in Las Vegas



Where we stayed in Vegas



The Mirage

Statues in Ceasar's Palace



Spectacular Forum Shops area of Ceasar's Palace



Bad Air

Starting off on Tortugas's sunset side

Because it's been so warm here in the northern Chihuahuan Desert a temperature inversion has spread over the mountains, a gray haze that's a combination of particulate matter and pollution.  It doesn't happen often here, but it's unpleasant when it does.

Bad air has spilled out of the valley



Everything has a slightly gray tinge



Bad air doesn't bother Becca



A haze over the Organ Mountains