A Very Windy Morn

1st 5:  Yuccas in bloom

The wind was 15+ mph when Dr. K, Willow, Frio and I hit the trail this morning; gusts were probably 25 to 35 mph.  The temperature was 46F with a wind chill of 39F.  Fortunately the sun was shining brightly.

By the time we got up into the right branch arroyo the wind seemed to have backed off a bit, and it didn't feel as chilly.  We made several stops when Frio and Willow decided to have a break.

We saw no one else out in our section of desert today.

Willow and Frio

This & next 2:  yucca flowers

Soaptree and dead tree

Willow and Frio relaxing

Yucca flower

Yucca flower stalks

 

Before Bad Wind

View from the steep hill this morning

Dr. K, Willow, Frio and I got out on the trail fairly early this morning; we were able to do our usual trek before the strong winds picked up.

Just as we were getting started we saw the man and woman walking with Basset Hounds along Tellbrook, but we never spotted them again during our hike.

We got some good exercise in today and got out to appreciate the natural world in our corner of the northern Chihuahuan Desert.

Birds on yucca

This & next 4:  interesting clouds

Tortugas and the Organs

Swainson's Hawk is back

Organ Mountains

Arrow marks where Swainson's is perched

Swainson's on yucca

This & next 2:  same Torrey Yucca

Swainson's Hawk

I can't decide if this is a Faxon Yucca or a Banana Yucca

Yucca flower stalk

Willow and Frio

Great camo for a Mourning Dove

Morning, Mourning Dove

Last 3:  male Pyrrhuloxia

 

Joint Jaunt

1st 4:  Willow and Frio

Dr. K, Willow, Frio and I did our usual trek this morning.  When we were descending LDR-A arroyo we caught a glimpse of the man and woman with their hounds walking eastward along Tellbrook.

Later, when we were two-thirds of the way up the right branch arroyo we spotted the hikers with Basset Hounds trekking northward along the ridgeline west of the Organ Mountains.

We had a pretty good hike today with the exception of one incident:  Ms. Willow leapt out of the CR-V without permission when we were first starting off.  She hasn't done that in a long while.

Distant hikers with hounds

This & next 2:  blooming yucca

Same Mourning Dove, same place

Blossoming out

 

A Surprisingly Cold Wind

Westward across the Mesilla Valley

Dr. K went shopping this morning so it was the "O"s and me for the daily trek.  I made the mistake of not bringing my earband nor gloves today, and I paid the price; it was quite cold 38F with a strong wind.

The Basset Hounds had been down LDR-A just ahead of us, and Willow was almost wild smelling their scent.  She calmed down by the time we reached the left branch arroyo, and when we entered the middle branch I felt comfortable enough with her behavior to let both of the Heelers off lead.

Frio and Willow followed me obediently as I bushwhacked over to photograph a flowering yucca, and, later, down the arroyo further west of the middle branch.  They also stuck right behind me when we ascended the right branch, stopping twice for short treat breaks.  They were very good the rest of the way.

Mormon Tea (left) and Yucca elata

This & next:  purplish Prickly Pear

This & next:  tres cabezas son mejor que una

The "O"s

This & next 3:  blossoming yucca

Soaptree with dead tree

Last 3:  Scott's Oriole