Beautiful, Cool Morning

Setting off west of Tortugas

We had rain in the late afternoon yesterday, and at night, too.  At 9:30 when I let Becca out back for her evening pee it was raining lightly.  Although the humidity was still in the air when Becca and I set off for our morning hike around Tortugas the constant breeze made the temperature of 50 F feel cooler still.  Hiking in a short sleeve shirt and shorts (me, not Becca) felt pretty chilly until we broke away from Tortugas's shadow and emerged into bright sunshine.  We crossed paths with a guy jogging in the foothills and later encountered a man and woman hiking with their German Shepherd.  Other than those four souls we saw no one else.

Distant Organ Mountains

Called back for yet another photo

Soaptree Yucca sending up its flower stalk

Becca in the high desert west of the Tortoise

Right half of the mountain

Heading back up the Tortoise

Clouds billowing in the distance

Scott's Oriole on a Yucca

Cholla (choy-ya) are beginning to bloom