Crowded Corner

Flank of Tortugas and the Organs

It was a Sunday solo with the Heelers this morning; Dr. K is still under the weather.

When we approached the trailhead we noticed that the Tellbrook/Sonoma Ranch corner parking lot was loaded with vehicles.  I suspected it was a training exercise for search and rescue dogs, but we heard no barking until we were entering our CR-V at the end of our trek.

After our outing we took a very short drive to listen to Matt and Myron on the Sunday Morning show.  They were hilarious.

Black-tailed Jackrabbit

Peace

Looking westward at Soaptree Yuccas

Soaptree Yucca and the mountains

Finch

Just came up this arroyo

Ocotillo losing leaves

Elegant Soaptree

Hill, Tortugas and the Organs

This & next:  Frio and Willow

 

Saturday Solo with "O"s

Funny clouds

Weather conditions were pretty good when Willow, Frio and I hit the trail this morning; we did our usual hike.

There were a lot of House Finches perched on Soaptree Yucca branches eating seeds out of pods.  Some of those seeds are pretty large so I'm not sure how they swallow them.  Got a few decent images of the seed-eaters.

We saw no human nature enthusiasts out and about today, but there was a small SUV parked at the corner lot when we finished our trek.

Tortugas and the Organs

This & next:  Soaptree Yucca seed eaters

Soaptree Yucca

Persistence

Willow and Frio on break

Crinkle cut cloud

Clouds over the Organ Mountains

Ocotillos in the right branch

Organ Mountains

 

Awfully Hot with Ants

1st 2:  Organ Mountains

It felt awfully hot when we started our hike this morning; I think the humidity was high, and there wasn't a hint of breeze or wind.

Followed our usual route, and the "O"s were okay until we headed up the left branch arroyo and they picked up a scent.  Both dogs got quite "pully" and I had to restrain them mightily on the leads.  At a certain point, though, they lost the aroma and they settled down.

The sky was very pretty today, and I got a few good examples; nothing to write home about, though, if I had a home to write to.

This & next:  Ocotillos and clouds

Another view of the Organs

This & next:  Tortugas and the Organs

Organ Mountains

This & next:  Soaptree Yucca and Tortugas Mountain

Tortugas and the Organs

Frio and Willow

Pretty sky

This & next:  barrel cactus still blooming

The "O"s in right branch shadow

Right branch arroyo

Yucca and Ocotillos

This & next:  more of that pretty sky

Clouds above the Organ Mountains

 

Best and Worst of Times

1st 3:  exploring arroyos

Willow, Frio and I hiked down LDR-A, crossed the Tellbrook Arroyo, turned east to parallel it for a while and then headed north in a small arroyo.  Not far up that narrow arroyo we encountered a small number of coyotes running together.  One--a youngster--seemed particularly curious about us and returned to have a closer look.  He couldn't have been more than 30 feet ahead of us.

Of course the "O"s spotted it and went nuts, barking and snarling at the curious Canis latrans.  I was able to hold them at bay with both hands, but when I took both their leads into my left hand in order to break out my camera, the Heelers were nearly wild.  Still the coyote lingered, in part, I think, because I was talking to it, telling it to "Wait."  It lingered long enough for me to get several good photos before deciding it was time to leave.

The worst part of the hike--trying to keep the dogs in check on their leads--got even worse as they pulled forward, their noses glued to the earth as they followed the scent of passing coyotes.

This & next 7:  curious coyote

This & next 2:  more arroyos

Ocotillos and the mountains

Peaceful looking coyote antagonists

The right branch arroyo

This & next:  a little overnight rain brings new buds ...

...on the Nipple Beehive Cactus

Ocotillos in sunlight