Cloudy Day

Weather conditions at start

I got an early start on a morning hike west of Tortugas Mountain today, and on the outbound leg I saw only one guy hiking with his dog.  He was coming up behind me, and when I pulled over to let them pass, he said, "We're going right"--meaning they were headed down the "New Trail."

The weather was humid and cloudy, and it seemed as if the rain could start at any moment; fortunately it didn't.  Clouds obscured the sun, and conditions were quite cool for this first day of October.

On the way back in I encountered Renee and his dog, Rayo, on the mountain road, and they stopped to chat briefly--well, Renee did.  Rayo scouted around the territory while he wasn't letting me pet him.  I learned that Renee is a retired astronomy professor from the local university.  While he and I talked, my pal Jimmy came up the road, and I introduced him to Renee.  I didn't have time to visit for long, though, because I needed to drive the Jeep Commander over to Bogart's Car Repair to see about having its rodent-gnawed wires replaced.

Way past their "use by" date

This and the next:  clouds over the Organ Mountains

This and the next:  autumn touches the Ocotillos

This road

Looking northeast

Yellowing Ocotillo

Soaptree and Ocotillos

Nearly all yellow Ocotillo

Looking back toward Tortugas

West of the mountain

Desert Marigolds

Indecision

This kind of morning in the northern Chihuahuan Desert

Dayflower amidst Soaptree Yucca leaves

Further west of Tortugas

Lots of Desert Marigolds

Huge old Ocotillo

To the Organs

Typical desert flora