Verdant Desert

This & next:  desert, mountains, sky

Best thing about this morning's trek--aside from the sheer beauty of the verdant desert--was the cool breeze that accompanied Dr. K, Willow, Frio and me as we did our normal route today.

We saw quite a few birds out and about during our exploration, and we spotted one jackrabbit that neither Frio nor Willow noticed--thank god.

All in all a fairly good outing in our section of northern Chihuahuan Desert today.

Little Barrel Cactus and Four O'Clocks

This & next:  Ocotillos

Soaptree Yucca

Green desert and Tortugas Mountain

This & next:  long view of Tortugas and the Organs

Baby teeth

Clouds meet road

Organ Mountains

This & next:  White-winged Dove on Ocotillo

Ocotillos

This & next:  triple Barrel Cactus again

Ball of grass with Dayflowers

Frio and Willow

Greeness

Arizona Poppy (Kallstroemia grandiflora)

Sunlit desert floor and Organ Mountains

 

Foursome Again

Grasses and flora from here to Tortugas

Kool and the gang--that would be me, Willow, Frio and Dr. K--did our usual hike this morning with no alterations.

It was sunny, humid and hot, but conditions will be changing this afternoon; rain is supposed to start about 2 pm.

Again during our outing Dr. K and I couldn't help but comment about the greenery in our section of northern Chihuahuan Desert.  I feel fairly certain now that it's the absolute greenest we've ever seen it.

Golden Crownbeard

LDR-A merging with LDR

Trail through the grass

Overgrowth

Trio of White-winged Doves

Frio and Willow

Yellowing leaves of an Ocotillo

This & next:  Golden Crownbeard

Fringed Amaranth

Mourning Dove

Willow and Frio

 

Alternating Routes

Barrel Cactus at the side of LDR-A

Willow, Frio and I explored a different route this morning without Dr. K who was grocery shopping.  We descended LDR-A, crossed the Tellbrook Arroyo, followed a track on the north side of "said" arroyo and then turned left into a wide arroyo we've ventured into numerous times before.

My plan was to retrace our steps, but while we were heading west along the track beside the Tellbrook I heard a human whistle, and then realized we were very close to an off-road vehicle belonging to a guy who runs his four dogs in the desert nearby.

The realization caused me to turn south and bushwhack over to Right Branch Arroyo.  While we ascended the right branch I looked back and saw the man with his dogs in the distance.  A short while later we climbed up the steep hill to the west to reach the waiting CR-V on the upper flatland road.

Sacred Datura near the Tellbrook Arroyo

Underside

Alongside the Tellbrook Arroyo

House Finch

Hummer

Willow and Frio

This & next:  exploring a different arroyo

Small Soaptree Yucca

This & next:  Soaptrees on the arroyo bank

Looking up the arroyo

Which of these are not spent seed pods?

Another Soaptree Yucca and Tortugas Mountain

This & next:  Willow and Frio

Blackfoot Daisies

This & next:  said arroyo

Three friends

Right Branch Arroyo