Rising Temps

1st 3:  views up the left branch arroyo

We'll probably get close to hitting the century mark today; it sure felt toastier than yesterday when Dr. K, Willow and I were out in the desert for our morning excursion.  We saw no one else while we followed our regular route.  Took a long drive after the outing during which I took the photos of the century plant (Agave americana) pictured below.

South up the right branch arroyo

Willow having a lie-down

Way up in the right branch

Upper desert

Last 2:  century plant in a neighborhood yard

 

July 4th Trek

Hill east of LDR-A

If not for a cool, persistent, gentle wind Dr. K, Willow and I might have been uncomfortable on this morning's Independence Day hike.  So even though the day started off hotter than yesterday we managed to have a pleasant outing in our section of northern Chihuahuan Desert.  Encountered several beautiful creatures along the way, a Desert Cardinal and a Texas Horned Lizard.

Distant hiker

Desert Cardinal

This & next:  Texas Horned Lizard

Ocotillos and the mountains

Scott's Oriole

Ocotillo green

Willow on Independence Day

Willow and a smiling Dr. K

 

Sunny, Cloudy, Humid

Tortugas and the Organs

It was just Willow and me on the morning hike today; Dr. K had breakfast with Gina, Alex and Cola.  I saw Pickup-Truck-Lady, but not her dog, although I'm positive the pup was out there with her.  When Willow and I started off on our regular route it seemed as if it would be another cool morning, but the sun came out and heated things up quickly.  Depending on which direction we faced, the conditions were either cloudy or sunny; but it was muy humido no matter which way we looked.

Picacho "Peak"

Ocotillos on a ridge

This & next 2:  cloudy Organ Mountains

Near the middle branch

Willow at rest

Way up in the right branch

Right branch arroyo from above

Tortugas and the cloudy Organ Mountains

 

Cool to Toasty

1st 2: Gopher snake on the trunk of one of our Desert Willows

Very humid and somewhat cool when Dr. K, Willow and I began our morning hike; occasionally, though, the sun made a brief appearance to make the ambient conditions uncomfortable.  When we were most of the way down LDR-A arroyo we saw somebody heading east, paralleling the Tellbrook Arroyo, so we decided to take a detour by heading north across the Tellbrook to explore side arroyos we've been in oftentimes before.  We finished up by retracing our route and ascending the right branch arroyo to exit over the steep hill to the west.

Robledos in the distance

Clouds over the mountains

Looking west

This & next:  exploring arroyos north of the Tellbrook

Dr. K and Willow

Looking southwest

Steep hill west of the right branch arroyo

Tortugas and the Organs

 

Cool, Cloudy, Humid

Meadowhawk

Unusually cool this morning for our daily hike; Dr. K, Willow and I weren't complaining, however.  We did our regular route, spotting Pickup-Truck Lady and her dog walking south along the ridge far east of us.  We didn't need to take many breaks out there due to the absence of strong sunshine.  After our trek we returned home and I left for my weekly shopping date at Albertsons.

Ocotillo sky

Near LDR-A arroyo

Sunbeam and the Organs

Tortugas and the Organs

This & next:  Willow with mouth closed and open

Ocotillos

Last 2:  Organ Mountains