Bug City

Last night's big rains brought out huge swarms of little punkies this morning. I had to cover my nose and mouth with my hand to keep from breathing them. The humidity was very high out in the desert wilds.

Whenever the bugs bugged Becca she just outran them.
Ocotillo sporting two puny leaves.

The earth was still wet in many places.

Playboy Bunny

Where's Heff when you need him?

Sunday Kind of Hike

The distant Organ Mountains.
Dr. K.

Packrat.

Becca.

Hills like white elephants? Not quite.

Saturday Hike

Dynamic light when we started off this morning.

Over-hill-over-dale trail.
Asleep on her feet?

Tortugas Mountain and the Organs.

Bunny O'Hare Airport

Waiting in line to take off.

The Way Through the Desert

This is the right way--follow me.

The path to the light.

Turn right here and descend into the lowlands.

The City of the Crosses.

Nest in a Soaptree Yucca.

Thursday Humidity

With a dewpoint of 55 degrees, Becca and I might have been very uncomfortable in the desert this morning, but a brisk breeze provided for natural evaporative cooling. Here's the desert denizen in a splah of shade.

Here she is doing Yoga.

Road made of sand.

East toward the Organs.

Muggy Start

Very humid when we headed out this morning; hard to tell from a photo, though.

The tongue hanging out gives it away.

The clouds made for some interesting light.

A fire burns in the Organ Mountains--the second large one in two weeks; it was caused by military operations at Ft. Bliss.

Let's get out of here.

Monday Morn

How to ruin a great Sunday bath.

Franklin Mountains are hazy in the distance.

Bishop's Cap.

The road back to the car.

Hot Fudge Sunday

This is not a dessert in the desert, but the overhang above a rock shelter on Tortugas's south side.

My two favorite hiking companions.

Dusty road through the desert.

My queendom for a little shade.

Saturday Something

I love you, man.

Yucca spur.

The distant Franklin Mountains in Far West Texas.

Leaning Tower of Yucca.

Tortugas (foreground) and the Organ Mountains.

Looking for Shade

A rare commodity: shade in the desert.

How to lie to take full advantage of said shade.

Trail without shade . . .

. . . or so it seems from a distance.

Shady side of the mountain.

Thursday Tumble

Out and about fairly early on Tortugas's west side, though it was already hot. Becca sought shade, as usual.

The road not taken--actually, taken very often.

This imprint is undoubtedly that of a larger snake; probably a rattler.

Yuccas are still blooming.

Fruit of the Soaptree Yucca.