Half-and-Half

Rough Menodora

Becca and I had a very pleasant start to our hike this morning; a large cloud obscured the sun for approximately half of our trek.  But then, not surprisingly, el sol emerged and began to heat things up big time.  By the time we ran into Jimmy and Gregg both Becca and I were pretty hot.  She got to lie in the shade of a huge Creosote Bush while the three of us stood shooting the breeze (there was no real breeze) in the merciless sun.  We could bear that only a short while before all going our separate ways.

Up in the high foothills

Feeling comfortable in the overcast conditions

Daisies and mustard flowers

Velvety nerisyrenia

Chihuahuan Flax

?

Sun breaking through

Red sands

Sit

Bright contrast

Organ Mountains

A tangle of Ocotillos

Ocotillo flowers beginning to bloom again

Plate tectonics

Rolling desert

Common Nighthawk

What's that at the very top?

I believe this is a type of Dalea

Obviously a legume

Barrel Cactus about to bloom

Flower buds of a Barrel Cactus

Closeup of buds and barbs