Desert Packrat: June 2019

Sunday, June 30, 2019

Day Off

The wide arroyo beside our house

Dr. K and I decided it was best to give Becca a rare day off from hiking even though her gimpy right front leg seems pretty well recovered from yesterday's strain; and because neither of us felt good about leaving The Beckster home alone I decided to take a day off as well. It's been quite a long spell since I missed a daily hike. It's probably good to miss a day every once in a while, but my body never feels as if it is.

After breakfast I took Becca out into the wide arroyo beside our house so that she could explore a little and do her business. I carried my camera along to capture some images. Can't seem to take a day off from photography. It's going to be another hot day here in the northern Chihuahuan Desert; we're slated to hit a high of 98F.

This section of the arroyo runs through our property

Becca exploring

Analogy of the cave

Boulders I placed near the road to keep ATVers out

Soaptree Yucca still in bloom on the arroyo bank

Bunny Ears Cactus growing on the arroyo bank

Sun through a small Desert Willow in the arroyo

This and the next 2: Purple Sage (aka "Texas Ranger")

Leucophyllum Frutescens)

Purple Sage is also called "Cenizo"

Through the living room window

This and the next: White-winged Doves

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Sirocco of Sorts

A bit of greenery on the eastern side of Tortugas Mountain

As soon as Becca zipped up the ramp into the rear compartment of Whitey the CR-V this morning I knew she'd hurt herself; I could tell by the way her body stiffened. My guess was she'd pulled a muscle in one of her front legs. When I let her down the ramp at our parking spot at the Monte Vista trailhead on the east side of Tortugas she had a slight limp. I monitored her carefully during the first leg of our trek and decided when we stopped for a water and shade break that we were going to have to turn around.

By the time we got back home her leg (right front) had stiffened noticeably and her limp was more pronounced. After she got her regular small Milkbone treat I gave her half a Rimadyl, and I'll give her another half about 8 tonight. She's already on the injured reserve list for tomorrow, and Dr. K just might have to forego her hike as well. We can't bear to go hiking together if we have to leave Becca behind all alone.

This and the next: going with Range Ratany (aka "Littleleaf Ratany")

Littleleaf Ratany and White Ratany are very similar

The way we just came

The way we're going

Coming and going

This and the next: I think it's New Mexico Groundsel

Packera Neomexicana

This and the next: Rough Menodora (Menodora Scabra)

I'm going with "Five-needle Prickly Leaf"

Sotol blocking Sol

Friday, June 28, 2019

Century Mark Again

First 4: lousy shots of a Great Horned Owl at dusk

Although we're headed for a high of 100F today Becca and I didn't have to get an extremely early start because it was cloudy with a stiff breeze this morning. We took our time heading out, and during our trek we encountered only brief periods of sunshine; therefore we never really got hot.

Although there were a lot of vehicles in the Sunset Area parking lot when we arrived we saw nobody during the outbound leg of our hike. On the way back in, while we were trekking east on Geothermal Road, we were passed by an Asian guy riding a mountain bike with super fat tires.

When we started north on the last section of the trail that ends where we park Whitey the CR-V we encountered our pal Jimmy for the second day in a row. Becca was no less happy to see him. He and I talked for a far briefer period of time than we did yesterday, and then we continued on our separate ways.