12 Degrees

Prickly Pear flower

I got up at 5:15 this morning in order to get a slight head start on the heat; also I wanted to get in a moderately long hike with Becca before returning home to shower and head for Target and Albertsons for the weekly shopping chores.  There were a surprising number of outdoor enthusiasts on and about Tortugas Mountain when we got there, probably all with the same strategy in mind:  beat the heat before heading to work or running errands.  We had brief encounters with a few other people including our buddy Pete who was out running around the mountain.  Becca and I took shade and water breaks and, as a result, didn't feel the brunt of the heat.  We're headed for 97F (36C) today--that's about 12 degrees above normal for this time of year.

The desert is as dry as a bone

Pete

If only they'd bring rain

Heading northwest

Interesting cloud

Interesting cloud in B&W

Interesting cloud in B&W and closer up

Not much shade for a shade break

Doña Ana Mountains

Becca on break

White-winged Dove giving me the cold shoulders