Surprisingly Close Encounter

Another early start

Becca and I were exploring far west of Tortugas Mountain when I spotted the young Diamondback Rattlesnake pictured below.  When it caught my eye I realized that we had walked right past it two times during our examination of an arroyo.  It wasn't at all agitated by our presence, which is slightly surprising because young rattlers are a bit excitable and far-and-away the most dangerous; they're dangerous because they haven't learned yet how to control the amount of venom they release when they bite.

Just the way she likes it

City of Las Cruces and the Robledo Mountains

This way to the lower desert

Fruit of the Cholla Cactus

Clinchweed is flowering all over the desert

Just west of Tortugas

Pair of cowboy chaps (really the fallen trunk of a yucca)

Late-blooming Ocotillo

A really late bloomer

Closeup of the Ocotillo flower

Becca exploring an arroyo

Lots of grasses still in evidence

Torrey Yucca and the Organ Mountains

The air is filled with the fragrance of Clinchweed

Clinchweed in almost every vacant spot

Desert Palafox

Organ Mountains

What we were doing prior to our encounter

Young Diamondback Rattler unperturbed by our presence

I stepped around to capture a different perspective

They can't help but look mean

Scott's Oriole

The poor dove who flew into our patio door survived