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.

Part of Las Cruces with Picacho Peak in the distance

Becca the Bushwhacker

Fendler's Bladderpod

Still bushwhacking

Soaptree Yucca fruit

Western flank of Tortugas Mountain

Prickly Pear

This and the next 2:  a Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata)

The desert

Desert Marigold

Tortugas (left) and the Organ Mountains

Two magnifications of the same scene

#2

The desert between here and there

Wouldn't stop flapping its wings

This and the next:  Wooly Paperflower

One ripe, slightly anemic pear

Lots of small Prickly Pear pears

Creosote Bush

Standing out in a crowd

What's with me and Prickly Pears today?

Ocotillo west of the mountain

Mezza photobomb

Indian Rushpea, which is related to James Rushpea