Wet Desert

Wet arroyo on the west side of Tortugas

I first heard a steady downpour at 4 a.m. this morning; and then, before I got to take Becca around to our arroyo for her morning constitutional, it rained again.  Fortunately it moved out of here by 6, so we were able to get over to Tortugas Mountain for an early trek.

However, not long after we started our hike, it began to rain again--not hard, but fairly steadily.  We got sprinkled upon and lightly rained on for about three-quarters of our outing.  By the time we ran into our buddy Jimmy just before we were ending our hike both Becca and I were wet, though not soaked.  Jimmy had a rain jacket on as he was about to climb the mountain.  I don't mind my shirt getting wet as long as the temperature isn't too cold.  It was about 70F by the time we left for home.

Now (early afternoon) we've been getting sporadic sunshine--enough to heat up an unstable atmosphere to offer the promise of more precipitation later in the day.

Looking as if it might rain more, and it delivered

This and the next:  Fishhook Barrel Cactus coming along quite nicely

These and the next 2:  Becca in wet sand

Deer print in the sand

Two more of Becca on a wet desert floor

Yellowing Ocotillo

Two views of Picacho Peak

Organ Mountains barely visible through the misty rain

Paperflowers doing what they do:  eventually looking like paper