Trickster Treat

Small Mesquite Trees on the west side of Tortugas Mountain

This will sound trite to some--especially considering the monumental import of various crises taking place across the globe at any given moment--but for me, this morning, there was nothing quite so important as encountering several denizens of the Chihuahuan Desert in their natural habitat.  Becca seems to like it, too, though she's not at all philosophical about the matter.

Becca headed for the high foothills

Range Ratany

Prickly Mickey

Down to the valley

Large arroyo west of Tortugas Mountain

I'm guessing it's a Black-chinned Hummingbird

Hard to tell from the Alfred Hitchcock profile

Looks like a black chin to me

Bushwhacking across the desert floor

An encounter with the Trickster

He hears something we don't

Clearer now:  other Coyotes wailing in the distance

Contemplative Coyote

Giving us the stare-down

Check out the different expressions

We left before he did

White Tackstem and Range Ratany

Ocotillo flower nearly in full bloom

Still looking for the Trickster

Desert Blister Beetle with damaged pronotum

Turkey Vulture (what you don't want to see looking down at you)

Tortugas Mountain (left) and the Organ Mountains

Allthorn

Cactus Wren

Smoke signals over the mountain's flank