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Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Restocking Day at the Ranch

The happiest hiker in the Chihuahuan Desert
After Becca and I took a moderately-long hike west of Tortugas Mountain, I had to go shopping at Target and Albertsons.  I used to shop only at the latter supermarket, but when Target added a grocery I began shopping there because the prices were significantly lower.  Of course, Target doesn't carry everything that Dr. K and I want so I have to supplement Target purchases with those from Albertsons.  The two stores are right next door to each other.  What started out as a cost-saving measure has now become, I suspect, a more expensive endeavor because I now seem to be spending more money at both stores, and I am definitely spending more time on this weekly chore.
This mountain biker was pretty happy, though

When he said "Good morning" to us I could see he was enjoying himself

Haze in front of the Organ Mountains

One of my favorite desert birds:  the Cactus Wren

There were several of them, squawking at each other like Heckle and Jeckle

They love playing hide-and-seek in the swords of the Torrey Yucca

4 comments:

Dr. K said...

Cactus wrens are very noisy and interesting birds.

packrat said...

They have to be among the noisiest birds in the animal kingdom, Dr. K.

:)

Scott said...

It's great that the Cactus Wrens allow you to get so close.

It was 95 degrees here in the northern Piedmont yesterday (Tuesday), the hottest day of the year so far. Then a cold front moved through at rush hour accompanied by tremendous thunderstorms. Though we got rain, lightning and thunder at our place, the worst of the storms hit west and south of Philadelphia where the National Weather Service issued two tornado warnings. At least a half-million customers around here lost power (not us!).

In fact, our organization had scheduled a Firefly Walk at 8:30, and it turned out to be a beautiful evening in the wake of the storm, with an incredible lemon-colored sky and lightning flashes off in the distance. The firefly walkers saw the furtive piebald deer that has been around my preserve for two years plus a fox, in addition to a great lightning bug show, so they were really happy.

I DID check my life list after you posted about the Black-headed Grosbeak (BHG). Kali and I have seen BHGs twice: once at Zion National Park and once at Elk, California (I don't even remember where Elk, California is, but that's what's in my field records).

packrat said...

Thanks for a really entertaining comment, Scott. :) That sounds like quite an event-packed day you had. 95F with high humidity is absolutely brutal back there. I like the image you painted with the phrase "lemon-colored sky." The Black-headed Grosbeak is a beautiful bird with a wonderful song.

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