Pleasant Encounters

Pausing on the upper foothills trail

A few days ago when I was hiking without Becca a woman we encounter occasionally west of the mountain asked where Becca was.  I explained about giving her a few days off because of her leg.  We ran into that same woman today, and she was very pleased to see Becca.  Becca reciprocated by approaching the woman in order to permit her to pet the Beckster's head.  The woman said, "That's the first time she's let me pet her."  All involved seemed equally pleased.  Our other pleasant encounter was with the Pyrrhuloxia (Desert Cardinal) who was singing so loudly we had to double back on the trail to get some photos of the beautiful creature.

Ole Spiny

Two heads are better than one

Hard to imagine how you'd eat these leaves (lower right)

Parry's Agave

Parry's Agave

Bad hair day (Pyrrhuloxia)

Also known as the Desert Cardinal

Cardinalis sinuatus

Jackrabbit beyond an Ocotillo thicket

Same Jackrabbit

Prickly Pear pad as large as a plate

Looking out across Tortugas Mountain to the Organs

Same Prickly Pear pad

Another view of that Prickly Pear pad

Fixer-upper cabin in the desert