![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3tKlcjsh6ba9M6PRzdJQW-qJ93BtXK7nJoLnQOSyuQER4C5G6HAx5XMvrmqOXAKC8GXMk4Qe8mGrh5L6EeuI3ebnO-Oc7pXl0arrRCdgKaITvkgPYmS1DnHDdA6cro97S9y-PKlI3sia/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+002.JPG) |
Featuring a lot of Soaptree Yuccas today |
Even though today was shopping day I did a fairly long hike west of Tortugas Mountain this morning, and it included a lot of bushwhacking. It was cold when I started off (28F), but the wind wasn't a real factor and the abundant sunshine kept the conditions from being unbearable.
On the way back, while climbing the trail into the upper foothills, I ran into Rene and Rayo; at first Rene had Rayo on a lead, but when he recognized me he set the canine free and Rayo came running to greet me. He's such a friendly, well-behaved dog. Rene and I spoke for a while, mostly about an article that had appeared in the Las Cruces Sun-News that detailed a project Rene and his graduate astronomy students had completed recently: the successful attempt to create a unique image of the distant Whale Galaxy. Here's a link to the piece in the Sun-News:
https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/community/2019/12/07/nmsu-astronomers-help-discover-giant-magnetic-ropes-galaxys-halo/4366220002/
When I got back to Whitey the CR-V I saw my pal Jimmy's truck, but not Jimmy; I assumed he was halfway to the mountaintop by then.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45DySL8vQ_aN-t3W2SpucVeqzsgH1utf-TcN09gjbbdH36hG8tnismIesyfxMa0f7K5MwhleQijsBdzxcD2r6e6GENzjzZ8qJTchPiE9DF3iTgwVmliN91wzbTeVC1OzktE9QUy_vrBul/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+006.JPG) |
Loggerhead Shrike |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTR2lEMq61wedA6-TZHTMTLF7AXcA9wOw0uoKYU8dewSbd_V4n95JLW2ko-UB1BYb5e2h9VZj27WnnoS60ahZSC_LOHclq0h8O9__U_qGWp9Hwi4EcKT7ZBebqDquXKTo995VYtDVI1hns/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+009.JPG) |
A favorite area to bushwhack in |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju4XDxuw53kluMob4ZSnZjwuJ-gcb8MVRB5ztsB3BwQq6652ZwtWyj3jEK8l30dPxsGhx_KTsYjDrCzY7eNojl5Po_44ZFt5ZlKI8kIUORHYDNCpPbqutncmPPO1vErU0WQFZY8hsZTj_f/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+013.JPG) |
The long view across the northern Chihuahuan Desert |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqN7CV6_XVSh-6HNSvyByIEOeLeXKRQJ1V5iqATxOsJeZnn0Xb2UbeIitgEP91qQp2G5_HnD4vVCH3rKoYvvCaoKYxsNnuvqB1W3BDhGgSkYDgv663emlADKyyvjEmf3Yii-KoEfSMXFhL/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+014.JPG) |
A little closer look |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCyZuOnXAXsSys1eBDnjLTg2Mx2SYssD7fj_sBi_3gOPWDAOXlqAYA95QV7piUGE05Jwxc50vIPRmrGHzD0kI1OjZEPjN_-8Us0jrzlBh2uErNN8uEwqxTXWn5Coy8Z-Hgv1-t2ljwInCi/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+018.JPG) |
Soaptrees and the mountains |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-W72tC8r1E4gcxLabVfBAK55GNk4bm476TLPj2VX4PYIyVztQoEukDVTLVsDs4d2pz5Pasnks3WlzVw2t9lnPCwpMD2rPPyqTgJmzwz8dneYvpLr-sl6xOkJVgyqWrOQ9XDXTII9r85Qz/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+020.JPG) |
Soaptrees |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VT0ytnaDpzxqUxz-xho0hF4V8HsP6ch7QQGss7zBho_RT9XQDuRsV5lElzQod0xzhx_M4ATnrLBdAtPHAZKkElRDH9QcmOFplCUHRZUd9128c_bG5aLxv8-F7Usz5_yJZ4UAbOJcqIp3/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+021.JPG) |
Hedgehog Cactus, Banana Yucca and Ocotillo |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYi8vmwAm28oPI6IvdmJkUnrgTqeQo4fiWQDBERUgoBi1_lI0Ns1Oh6KbaLx7Q0NzdZsVKtMQEYHkuBOSeGky_9py933DoE4f7b0NcUJN9StwMImGxZ3d0pMr-KnrvWaVTy7PH5VsdQMCB/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+025.JPG) |
Looking down at a small forest of Soaptree Yuccas |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nw46516R1zOwtZx37ucvCvsaFuipqAs6MsAPT9I6uuBgVJvD9YDOAI_ut6wZdOeSZDhY8KD1WoynFUqLPhP3Fc0A4IS-IeumJ9vc1zyW2wjCINnuIXtUijkHTCJvSXojZtZqcNj4tzZB/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+029.JPG) |
This and the next: hard to believe a Desert Marigold is blooming now |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPh4wEB9fqh_1Byfhtsrep6x3mCuT8aq1AdHBELr1z_knWB1li7bwyP77KuwsD4j2-oZcCPi6urI9CRDKAovMaaFi69JxyJHbWAF0fiXpNpk2LiDIHvGiED6Im1O_ZI7Jg1edwznztFMf/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+033.JPG) |
Torrey Yucca along a ridge |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizc8nMB-A1pNMWVFS_mho9mUFeYmDf6gMu6JQHDmQpKsr7ZkM45zsW96TJS7QqBCEfvMwJOmXZ0wdLFF9mhcmRpPIgZZY0gs3ygxBZBkQBo_3s4you7UwjQXmuL7fiDUx3Bx-Yz87t-P5p/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+035.JPG) |
Ocotillo |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoC5jihFWG8qmpW6irLwmU9M_y3b7JtJKopv5ZAr294f91eBg1IKlphOkQc9J-4J2xDyNWR1qQRtiQrmwn-hON2L6FVtlsTB4PHhuJnvhVHwFS_epWst7y8QvKYvNhwlwANe-TIV7oDCT/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+036.JPG) |
Ocotillos |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQY5aIGvGyPCxitwpC8c5KxoygDjcCeth7rpNxSN8qAKUbGcwN13pNiWzvo7fMsVpuYWHcUjxJduFhbvJLED7_KcJtg2vhX-PUplti2aWTcOhvBhqa61yg8mQUp6VcpWB5PC9NaWunFoD9/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+038.JPG) |
Mama Yucca carrying a bouquet and being followed by her child |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiek8K53YBqxGPXGI2ept_GxuPItEFieSwE8wl6rQD98jE-023qvKwdOlhPWSnG-0aqdI5pa1mBM1zPgfgPW70MQyo3BJqVF3Ra6UeOY-GGTf4gc7JX1Nw-jmo6jtj_U46EjM4iAyPcob5a/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+041.JPG) |
Soaptree Yucca, Prickly Pear Cactus and Ocotillo |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGT1QG7wqenV1HJ0ZFmJg8qQL6pztCXc7Kvap5E4Qf6BxLVKyJcVkdpVBPsv4WB31ZyXjYCHd45njOm3UFE7U2spVqH8F15706osCNjYean6i9y33Pw307wi3Ohq3RVjKIXdYSSyIBrFcO/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+042.JPG) |
Ghostly yucca and child |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggS2kkYvZZM_A3b0gqGeOh3vZXSz5b-X4oAjL7po-4-WgFJNVDNCzEAobEvvTFHZHw0Y8sj_kCeOFXfk5UUeIkMqNw4biQubq6o3M8FHZUVH_wSauazguaYOclsRiIOZv-nxVsGcCAphhE/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+044.JPG) |
Looks like two, but it's a single Soaptree Yucca |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbGCaM-86Z8cHs4ATGwtpHgMsFzm1-newElEqFNKh-ED9PHToNUcBtYh74RWsQwVISI75SgcnOPN2nWWFFul2Lc_bDQ0zZtUGDsbdr5enWA2JububapltTLKPVFpTT4zw_Hu8DNePHZkJ/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+045.JPG) |
Barrel Cactus, Ocotillo and Torrey Yucca |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8doFBPwpYSXC9UFvZViSRGZRTuyMeU9emQqq9GQS3fH9bC0msb9n3tUd7BpT1hOCvmsT2DaMSl0ZiSg9Ze2oWefzNJlqku0HHitl7-5JAKM4mq2E-TZyR6FsILZ9hto8uzcT1vsQqaCL/s400/Cold+But+Bearable+046.JPG) |
This and the next: Packrat midden in the middle of a Prickly Pear Cactus |
1 comment:
I like "Ghostly Yucca and Child." Very eerie-looking.
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