Fridays and Ham

The long view

The weather was more pleasant this morning even though it was 28F when Dr. K, Willow and I started our hike.

We saw the Basset people and their hounds crossing Tellbrook just as we were heading off, but we never spotted them again.

Two-White-Dogs-Lady already seemed to be bushwhacking toward home with her pups when we were descending LDR-A arroyo.

We did our regular route today without taking many stops/

Wils on break

This & next:  in the left branch arroyo

Another break for Willow

Home on the range (but not ours)

 

Blustery Trek

Where are the Organs?

It was windy when Dr. K, Willow and I started our hike this morning, but we were fortunate in that we were sheltered from the worst of the gusts.

We mostly followed our usual route, seeing the Basset people and their hounds both when we were exiting Whitey the CR-V and later when we were heading down LDR-A arroyo.  They were descending LDR so we bushwhacked eastward in order to avoid an encounter.

Because we had cut out one leg of the trek we did some bushwhacking over to the saddle south of 4210 hill, climbing briefly onto the crest before turning around due to the blustery wind.

Barrel cactus and the long view

Torrey Yucca

Torrey Yucca (left) and Soaptree Yuccas

Willow spots Bassets

This & next:  different barrel cactus and the mountains

Heading toward the saddle

This & next:  pencil cholla

This & next:  Soaptree Yucca with legs outstretched

This & next:  distant views of Tortugas and the cloudy Organs

Willow on 4210 hill

Round Rockhenge

 

Humping Along

Ridge west of the Organs

The weather was fairly pleasant this morning when Dr. K, Willow and I took our daily trek.

During our outing we saw Two-White-Dogs-Lady and her pups at a great distance, and, for the first time in days, we spotted the Basset people and their hounds on the ridge west of the Organ Mountains.

By the time we got home the weather conditions began to change, such that, in the early afternoon, it's cloudy and somewhat cold now.  When we took Willow out for her post-lunch sojourn in the arroyo alongside our house we couldn't wait to get back inside.

Soaptree Yucca

Willow always stares as if seeing something

This & next:  long views of Tortugas and the Organs

This & next:  Willow and her shadow

Medusa deadwood

 

Crown Day

1st 5:  this morning's desert sky

I took Willow on a solo hike this morning because Dr. K was kind enough to do my weekly shopping at Albertsons (as well as hers at Target).  She did so because I had a 10:30 dentist appointment to get a crown on my upper left molar.

Our dentist's office makes their own crowns, but I didn't get that until I'd been thoroughly worked over my him and an assistant.  When they were finished I felt as if I'd been run over by a Mack truck (as the old saw goes).  And the upshot:  $1,000+ for the treatment.

Wils at rest

No sign of the foursome

The long view past Tortugas's western flank

More sky

Willow heading up the right branch

Southwestern sky

The narrows in right branch

Last 2:  Tortugas and the Organs

 

Monday's Mars Walk

Tortugas and the Organs

Much warmer on our morning hike today; Dr. K, Willow and I enjoyed it.

We saw no other hikers while we did our regular route in this section of northern Chihuahuan Desert.

Really little else to say.

Yucca stalks and the mountains

Used to be a prickly pear (jackrabbit scat all around it)

Willow taking a break

Winter flora

Yet another break

Looking westerly

Willow, sit

Last 3:  backlit male Ladder-backed Woodpecker