What is it About Arroyos?

Heading south along the western base of Tortugas Mountain

Becca and I started off determined to stick to well-traveled trails this morning, but we got distracted by the allure of the desert arroyos.  So we did some exploring of a few "washes," bushwhacking across various hills and dales to get to them.  As usual we were rewarded with interesting sights and sounds--and smells, too, now that some Creosote Bushes are beginning to bloom.  We ran into absolutely nobody in the outback, and we were as pleased as punch about it.  ("As pleased as punch":  going to have to look up the etymology of that idiom.)

After a long trek down from the foothills . . .

. . . it's time for a break in the shade

The delicate leaves of a Soaptree Yucca

A large arroyo we have yet to explore

Bushwhacking from one arroyo to another over desert hills

A small arroyo leads down to a larger one

The hole represents a missing head from a Soaptree Yucca

A wide arroyo west of Tortugas Mountain

I measured 32 "size-11-inch" shoes toe-to-heel at the widest point

A moderate-size Barrel Cactus

Scott's Oriole butt and beak

A Black-chinned Hummingbird

Scott's Oriole on Yucca leaf

Eating some of the delicious flowers

Scott's Oriole rear view

A 7' Little-leaf Sumac blooming on Tortugas's west side