A Tad Humid

Fairly early start west of the mountain

Got an early start this morning--again without Becca--and did a moderately-long trek west of Tortugas Mountain.  I watched a pair of hummingbirds battling over a small, partially bloomed Ocotillo flower before taking a whole bunch of photos of the dominant one after the fight ended.  Ran into Jimmy down by the old white shack on the mountain road, and he and I palavered for quite a while.  He and his wife had a spent a few days in the Sacramento Mountains recently, and we talked about how hard it is to return to a hot, humid desert after spending time in the cool pines.

Rugged arroyo drainage on the mountain's west side

Well-worn path

Cumulus clouds building early

Crotch shot

Devil's Head triangle

Shot of the largest Devil's Head (at apex of triangle)

Small pocket of water from yesterday's rain

Rainfall sure makes the desert green

Plumed Crinklemat in the western foothills

Hazy desert

Another long view

Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus

Hummer drinking nectar from a late-blooming Ocotillo blossom

A fight broke out for the rights to this flower

This and the following:  the dominant hummer

Ocotillo and Organ Mountains

Interesting trio:  Mormon Tea, Ocotillo and Whitethorn Acacia

Blossoming flower of the Nipple Beehive Cactus

Narrow arroyo

♫ You're so veins, you probably think this song is about you ♫

See the Prickly Pear . . .

. . . be the Prickly Pear