Breezy, Crisp and Cold

First 2:  Bullock's Oriole photographed through dirty window

28F at the start of our trek this morning.  Ordinarily that wouldn't feel too bad, but a strong, persistent breeze created quite a windchill.  A measure of how cold it is on our morning outings is how long I keep my gloves and ear band on during the hike; today I kept them on throughout, and didn't remove them until we got back to the CR-V.

I altered our track today by bushwhacking from the LDR-A arroyo over to the giant Soaptree Yucca just east of our normal route; the resulting vista can be seen in the third image here.  Willow and Frio didn't mind cutting across the grassland; in fact, Willow is quite expert at finding the way using animal trails.

Speaking of animals, we flushed out a pair of jackrabbits when we were starting up Right Branch Arroyo, and the Heelers were raring to pursue, nearly ripping my arms out of the shoulder sockets.  For a second an image of myself being pulled prone across the desert floor flitted through my mind and I pictured my face looking like a pincushion of cactus needles when the dogs finally decided to stop.

Bushwhacked over to this beauty this morning

This & next:  odd white pad on a Prickly Pear

Willow and Frio in Left Branch Arroyo

Mourning Dove on Ocotillo branch

Ocotillo

Pac-Man Prickly Pear pad

Frio and Willow near the head of Left Branch Arroyo

Notice the bird in an Ocotillo near the center of the image

This is that bird taken from the same spot

This & next:  hills, Tortugas and the Organ Mountains

Frio and Willow in Right Branch Arroyo