High Wind Warning

Sky at start

Becca and I got out into the desert early this morning because we were under a high wind warning, and we knew we didn't want to be out there when things got bad.  Just as we were about to finish our trek--shortly before 9:00--the wind stiffened.

I took her with me over to PetSmart in order to buy wet food and treats which I plan on sharing with her.  When I came out of the store the wind had really picked up, and by the time we reached home it was raging.

Now--slightly after 1 p.m.--it's howling.  I went out to retrieve our mail a few minutes ago and I noticed from our desert home that you can't see Tortugas Mountain nor the Organs Mountains at all; that's how bad the blowing dust is.  Sustained winds of 30-to-40 mph, with gusts of 65 mph or greater, really wreaks havoc on the normally clear desert air.

This and the next 2:  same yucca blossoms

Closeup

How White Tackstem propagates itself:  like a dandelion

Hedgehog in bloom

Fendler's Bladderpod

View along the flank of Tortugas Mountain

Becca leading the way

In the sandy section now

Taking time to . . .

. . . stop and smell the roses (you know what I mean)

Who's on the mountain trail?

Cousin Itt again

Future flowers budding on the end of Ocotillo branches

Ocotillo buds and a flowering yucca

I see an interesting somebody lurking in the shadows

He came out just so I could photograph him

A beautiful Scott's Oriole

This Ocotillo budding out along its branches has me confused

Scott says, "Enough with the photos!"

West side of Tortugas Mountain

Soaptree Yucca putting up a flower stalk (left)

A look at the tip of the Soaptree flower stalk

This and the next:  Desert Sumac