The Blessings of a Few Clouds

Off to an early start on the west side of Tortugas Mountain

The desert was hot this morning, but the heat was slightly ameliorated by a few clouds that provided much-needed shade from the merciless sun.  We're headed for the mid-100s again today, and we've been feeling the sweltering conditions.  Each afternoon we've had to turn on the ceiling fans in the living room and patio enclosure to move the chilled air from the evaporative cooler around the house.  It's that conditioned air that Becca and I looked forward to experiencing after our long, hot trek in the desert west of Tortugas Mountain.

Road to the east side

A geode of sorts

Western slope of Tortugas

Organ Mountains peek above Tortugas's flank

Looking for critters in the upper foothills

One way up a deep arroyo

A way down the same deep arroyo

A few small clouds blocking the sun

Cloud shadows on the distant horizon

Cloud shadow headed our way

Ten degree temperature drop within a shadow

Three images of the same scene

One with Becca as subject

One an experiment in brightness and contrast

The road up the mountain

Lots of photos of Ocotillos today

Barrel Cactus beginning to bud out

Why you shouldn't mess with a Prickly Pear Cactus

Back up the single-track