Another Bloomin' Gorgeous Day

White-winged Dove

Becca and I did a much longer hike than planned this morning, primarily because I spotted a distant grove of flowering Torrey Yuccas that I wanted to see up close.  They did not disappoint, but I'm not sure I really captured images of them that displayed their beauty adequately.

Normally trekking extra miles is not a problem; however the temperature had climbed steeply, and we weren't eager to deal with the heat so early in the day.  When we were on the inbound leg of the hike we ran into a woman who was just starting off with her two beautiful German Shepherds, and she said, "Looks like you got an early start.  That's what I meant to do because these guys get pretty hot."  A short while later Becca and I were happy to climb inside Whitey the CR-V and get the air conditioner on.

Velvety Nerisyrenia

Torrey Yucca and the long view southwest

White-winged Dove

Same dove

Bristly Nama?

After taking this long-distance shot I felt compelled to hike there

Meh

Flowering yucca and the observatory atop Tortugas Mountain

Tres amigos

Scott's Oriole singing for his mate

A real crooner

Don't judge me

Here's the female Scott's Oriole

These flowers are tasty

What a handsome fella

Yucca crowns with flowers

Desert Marigold

The vast northern Chihuahuan Desert

Another view of the vast desert west of Tortugas Mountain

Becca and I took a long trek over to this grove of Torrey Yuccas

Quite a grove of Torrey Yuccas

Again

And again

Yucca and the Organs

Becca on break

Heading back

We're following that road

I like the different shadows here

Big old Torrey Yucca

This and the rest:  Black-throated Sparrow on a Torrey Yucca