High Country Rain

New construction in the Sacramento Mountains (not ours)

The morning thunder and lightning storm started between 4 and 5 a.m. and lasted for about an hour.  It flashed and rumbled around here in the high country long enough to get Becca pretty scared.  After I took her out on our property for her morning constitutional we had to clear her feet thoroughly because of mud.  We had to do that again after an hour-and-a-half trek on the Grand View Trail, which was plenty muddy in places because of the storm.  It's supposed to rain again this afternoon, and we have little doubt it will owing to high humidity boiled up by the sun.

When I shot this I thought it was Rabbitbrush, now I'm not so sure

Mexican Barberry (Berberis haematocarpa)

Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)

Sacramentos from the Grand View Trail

Water on rock

Multiple puddles

Becca and Dr. K

Midway ramada

Looking across the Tularosa Basin

White Sands on a cloudy day

Hedgehog Cactus growing on a cliff

Aforementioned Hedgehog

Cloudy like this for the entire hike

Becca headed down the Grand View

Mountain Mahogany

This and the next two:  Allthorn

New growth on a Juniper

Trees reflected in a large puddle on the trail

Apache Plume flower and friend

Wild Rose Hip

Headed back

A last look at White Sands from the Grand View Trail