Search This Blog

Followers

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Swampy not Steamy

Devil's Head (note how this young specimen is nearly caged by thorns)
We've had a lot of rain over the past few days, and the humidity is really high.  Had there been any sun to speak of this morning the conditions would have been downright steamy.  But the heavy overcast made the air feel heavy with moisture, and it felt incredibly swampy out there--the kind of atmospheric phenomenon that has you sweating before you even exert yourself.
Classic canine pose

The trail forward

An older Devil's Head swelled with rain

Torrey Yucca (a second in the distance)

If it looks like rain you're right (we got sprinkled on)

On the road around the mountain

The Franklin Mountains near El Paso in the distance

What used to be a two-domed observatory (windstorm destroyed the other)

Across a wide expanse of Chihuahuan Desert

Organ Mountains

4 comments:

Scott said...

Is that a classic canine or a classic pose(or both)?

The tumescent barrel cactus you photographed looks like it's going to burst.

The conditions you describe are par for the course here in the humid East, but I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. I got a sweaty t-shirt here on Sunday just from walking to the compost pile and filling the bird feeders--then Kali and I went for a walk and got really soaked from the inside out. We had a strong cold front move through on Sunday night (incredible lightning and thunder for 1 hour), but it ushered in really nice days on Monday and Tuesday (today).

Dr. K said...

It's so interesting the way that cacti swell with water.

packrat said...

Scott:

Classic canine and classic pose. I definitely remember what those humid days are like, and I recall the blissful relief of a nice cold front moving in. Enjoy! (I hate when people say that.)

:)

packrat said...

They're all puffed up with rainwater, Dr. K. Guess they've got to fill up as much as possible when they get a chance.

Grand Old Grand View Trail

Early morning moon Willow got an early morning surprise today; when we came back down the drive after her constitutional we stopped at the p...