Midweek Meander

This and the next 2:  Verdin on an Ocotillo

The Heelers and I headed up to Second Arroyo early this morning, bushwhacked over the ridge to First Arroyo, and then retraced our steps along LDR to the Tellbrook Arroyo.

Although we had seen the man and woman with their five Basset Hounds walking alongside Tellbrook Road in the direction of the mountains as we drove to the trailhead we never saw them out in the desert.  Our only encounter with a sentient being was with a Black-tailed Jackrabbit who acted as if he was tempting the dogs to chase him.  I successfully kept them at bay two separate times, though they were more than ready to oblige the feisty American Desert Hare.

There was a car parked at the Tellbrook/Sonoma Ranch corner lot when we got back into the upper flatland, but we saw no human belonging to it.

Bedroll of clouds over the Organ Mountains

Distant Mesquites in full leaf

This and the next 2:  Willow and Frio

Mesquite flowers

Black-throated Sparrow

Ocotillos on a ridge and the Organ Mountains

Ocotillo and the mountains

Mesquite in First Arroyo

This & the next: line of green foliage marks Tellbrook Arroyo

Prickly Pear in very sandy soil

This and the next:  desert ridge and the Organ Mountains

This and the next:  Turkey Vulture wheeling on a thermal

This and the next:  Prickly Pear blooming

Ocotillo alongside LDR