Brisk, Cold Wind

This and the next 2:  views from the upper foothills trail

Did a moderately long hike this morning with the understanding that I'd head straight over to Target and Albertsons afterward.  Ran into a few runners and mountain bikers while I was out there, but it really was sparsely populated out there today.  The lower numbers of outdoor enthusiasts may have been due to a cold wind that kept things chilly even though the sun was shining brightly.  I never did consider removing any clothing layers because of that wind.

Surprisingly both Target and Albertsons were relatively uncrowded as well; this definitely is not the usual case, and I appreciated the paucity of people while doing my weekly shopping.

Giant Torrey Yucca west of Tortugas Mountain

Soaptree Yucca west of the mountain

Another Soaptree Yucca

Tortugas and the Organ Mountains

Tortugas

Another view of the mountains

This and the next 2:  Soaptree Yuccas in an arroyo

Desert Marigold blooming in early December

Lesser Goldfinch