There Will Be Wind

New Mexico Groundsel

Becca and I had good luck on our morning hike; although it was a bit windy the bad stuff hadn't started yet.  Now, at a little before 1:45 p.m., we're being rocked by heavy wind and gusts.  There's dirt and sand in the air, and everything looks generally miserable outside.  I've already checked on mama Thrasher to see if she's still secure in her nest, where she's been sitting on eggs for over a week, and so far so good.  Hard to believe I actually spend time worrying about a mama bird.

American flag over the lineman school

Becca saluting the flag

Becca sees hikers headed our way

Watching a man climbing the mountain road

Small mesquite leafing out in the desert below

Just west of Tortugas Mountain

Three heads are better than one or two

Butterfly-like Ocotillo flower

Torrey Yuccas blooming everywhere

Large Torrey Yucca west of the mountain

Yucca and observatory

Creamy-white flowers of the Torrey Yucca

Twin flower stalks

Tortugas (left) and the Organ Mountains

Cavatelli-like yucca flowers

Claret Cup and bud

Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus

Claret Cup Hedgehog and the mountains

Becca doing some bushwhacking

Claret Cup

A vast section of the northern Chihuahuan Desert

Becca on break in the shadow of a large yucca

Ocotillo leafing out

White Tackstem

Desert Sumac