Post Rain Post

Sky then earth

This morning was the first of three where it neither rained nor looked as if it might rain when we started our hike.  It was cold, though; literally freezing (32F).  Becca and I were dressed appropriately.  We did a long, exploratory trek and saw some interesting sights along the way; encountered some intriguing critters, too.  I don't count in that latter category JC and Olivia who we bumped into on our way back to the trailhead.  We hiked with them a good ways and had an interesting conversation en route to the cars.

Steep foothills of Tortugas Mountain

Tipsy sister

Tipsy brother

A shield of thorns protects this baby Devil's Head Cactus

Fuzzy moon/in-focus yucca bayonets

Fuzzy yucca bayonets/in-focus moon

Goal

So I'm caught up photographing the moon this morning

Incarcerated moon

This and the next two:  sparrow in a yucca

What that baby Devil's Head will look like as an adult

Down the single-track

Wild sky this morning

Large Ocotillo west of the mountain

Coming out of a gully

Van Gogh couldn't have painted better clouds

The Beckster

Tortugas and the Organs

In the hills west of the mountain

My favorite Torrey Yucca

Tortugas and the Organ Mountains

Wary of our presence

Critter seeker

Loggerhead Shrike

At the center of this image is the leader of the pack

Looking south toward the Franklin Mountains near El Paso, Texas