Near Ninety

Two live Devil's Heads, one dead (I suspect they're clones)

We're in the grips of an autumn heatwave here in the Chihuahuan Desert.  The early-morning temperatures are cool enough (54F today), but we're stretching the highs to near 90F for the next few days--well above normal for this time of year.  The meteorologists are predicting a cold front coming in later this week, and we'll be glad for the respite from the heat.  The weather conditions didn't deter Becca and me, though; we still did a long hike west of Tortugas Mountain.

Slalom anyone?

Trail down from the high foothills

Variegated Fritillary

Gazing back up at the mountain

Fuzzy masked insect (hoverfly?) on Trailing Four O'Clock

Arroyo west of Tortugas

I am a rock

Back to the mountain

Lonely dove

Ocotillo far west of Tortugas

Ocotillo branches

Swell swale

I'm guessing a type of buckwheat, but which I can't say

Buckwheat?

Clinchweed west of the mountain

Marigold

A bit of bushwhacking to get here

Devil's Claw seed pod split open

Paperflowers

Desert autumn

Autumn landscape Chihuahuan Desert