Cold Breeze to Wind

Left to right:  barrel, purple prickly pear, dead prickly pear

We thought we'd lucked out when we started our hike this morning even though the temperature was 31F; but a cold breeze that crescendoed into a sharp wind made us question our assumption about the weather conditions.  Nevertheless we did the regular route seeing nobody else in our section of northern Chihuahuan desert.

View to the northeast

Pensive Willow

Cactus Wren nest yucca with bud

Observatory and blooming Faxon Yucca

Moon and contrail