Cold But Bearable

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.

Loggerhead Shrike

A favorite area to bushwhack in

The long view across the northern Chihuahuan Desert

A little closer look

Soaptrees and the mountains

Soaptrees

Hedgehog Cactus, Banana Yucca and Ocotillo

Looking down at a small forest of Soaptree Yuccas

This and the next:  hard to believe a Desert Marigold is blooming now

Torrey Yucca along a ridge

Ocotillo

Ocotillos

Mama Yucca carrying a bouquet and being followed by her child

Soaptree Yucca, Prickly Pear Cactus and Ocotillo

Ghostly yucca and child

Looks like two, but it's a single Soaptree Yucca

Barrel Cactus, Ocotillo and Torrey Yucca

This and the next:  Packrat midden in the middle of a Prickly Pear Cactus