A Few Days in the Mountains

Moon over the Sacramentos

I explored the forest around our place with Willow and Frio before Dr. K and I packed up for our return trip to the lower Chihuahuan Desert.  We had a fun few days in the Sacramentos this time.

Here in the lower altitude it's hotter today, but not by too much; we're expecting a high of 74F.  I can live with that.

Tomorrow it will be back on desert trails with the Heelers.

Exploring the forest

This and the next 4:  Lacespine Pincushion Cactus

Lacespine is Mammillaria lasiacantha

Willow in the forest

Sacramentos

Deadwood

Frio wondering why I'm photographing a rock

I see a penguin charging to the left

Beargrass (Nolina microcarpa)

This and the next:  forest views

Frio in the forest

At first I thought "Townsend's Solitaire," but the beak is long

Our road

Our view

Alongside our driveway

 

Around Our Place

Dead tree in the forest

Because Dr. K's knee is still bothering her (only two weeks into recovery from a torn meniscus) she couldn't go on a hike with us this morning.  Rather than dealing with both Heelers on the trail by myself I decided to trek around our property with each individually.

First I took Willow out, and after she did her business we climbed the steep hill into the forest west of our place and explored in places I'd not been before.  Then it was Frio's turn, and we did the same exploration Willow and I had done.

On the way back to the cabin two dogs appeared, one of whom I knew:  the Australian Shepherd, Cowboy, from our neighbor's place.  Cowboy had another dog with him, a Heeler who looked just like Willow.  I let Frio off lead so he could meet his neighbors.  I knew it would go well with Cowboy, a confident canine who knows how to handle himself.  The new Heeler, though barking at us, was shy.  He headed for home, but Frio followed, disappearing into the woods north of our place.  He returned almost immediately, though, and tried to get Cowboy to play with him.  Cowboy wasn't in the mood, however, and returned home right away.  It was a good first encounter with our neighbor's dogs.

Frio heading down our road

Shell found in our yard

Willow headed down our road

Dead wood in the forest

The rest:  views of the Sacramentos from our place

 

In the Sacramentos

Haynes Canyon

I did an early morning hike with Frio and Willow, and then we returned home to finish packing for our trip to the Sacramento Mountains, where we are now.

Pretty nice up here today, but the wind is supposed to get awful tomorrow; we're under a Fire Watch due to low humidity and possible strong gusts.  Thing are tinder dry here; we've only received about an inch of rain in the last three months.

Bad news:  parched conditions.  Good news:  no grass or weeds to mow.

Our place

This and the next:  Dr. K and the Heelers

This and the next:  Frio and Willow

This and the next:  view from our backyard

Frio and Willow

Willow

Frio

 

Arroyo Sunday

First 2:  female House Finch

Pleasant hike with Willow and Frio down LDR-A and partially up LDR just north of the Tellbrook Arroyo where we headed west on the small trail through the desert.  Upon reaching the new arroyo we followed it north to the point where it insects with LDR.

We turned south onto LDR and followed it back to the upper flatland where the CR-V was parked.  Although there were more than seven vehicles parked in the corner lot at Tellbrook and Sonoma Ranch we saw no one in our section of the desert.

Both Heelers were well behaved today, but rather rambunctious, picking up animal scents everywhere and constantly pulling in opposite directions.

Willow and Frio in the new arroyo

This and the next:  heading north in the new arroyo

Willow and Frio

This and the next 2:  Black-throated Sparrow

This and the next:  looking south in the new arroyo

Looking north in the arroyo

Last two:  Great-tailed Grackle