Red Flag

Mr. Frio Grande

Frio and I drove out to the Sunset Area just west of Tortugas Mountain for a hike this morning.  We're under a Red Flag Warning until 6:00 p.m. and the wind was already bad.  It worsened while we did a somewhat long desert trek.

While setting out on our first leg Rene and his dog, Rayo, came up behind us.  At first Frio barked at them, but when he spotted Rayo all was well.  Although they've only met a few times Frio and Rayo seem like old friends, greeting each other with tail wags and face licks.  It really is quite amazing.

Conditions didn't feel too bad at first, but later, on our final leg, when we ran into my pal Jimmy who had recently started out on his walk up the mountain the temperature had dropped significantly.  The cold front blowing in today will result in a low of 25F tonight.

I felt somewhat disappointed by Frio's response to encountering Jimmy, who he'd met several times before; Frio barked sharply and lunged forward, circling around Jimmy and entwining him in the lead.  Jimmy didn't overreact, though, standing still and letting Frio have his say.  By the time Jimmy and I ended our conversation Frio had jumped up on Jimmy and received several ear rubs.

Frio barked much more than usual this morning, and I couldn't help but wonder if the strong winds were affecting him.  Our dog Becca was not a big fan of high winds, and I'd often notice a change in her behavior when we got outside in blustery conditions.

A favorite sandy spot

This and the next 2:  photos from inside an arroyo west of the mountain

This and the next: Fendler's Bladderpod

Last 2:  crow or raven on the line?