A Wet Desert

This & next:  ocotillos on a hill

We had quite a thunderstorm between 1:30 and 2:30 a.m. today; lots of rain fell.  Not surprisingly the desert was wet this morning, but the humidity was ameliorated by a cool breeze.  Dr. K, Willow and I did our regular route seeing no one else out and about.  When we got home we had to stomp our boots off and thoroughly whisk broom them to remove wet dirt.  The hike was worth it, though.

Tortugas and the Organs

Dayflowers

This & next:  same barrel cactus

Two ocotillos and a small White-thorn Acacia

Triple barrel cactus

Barrel cactus with red buds

Long distance view of Tortugas and the Organs

 

Morning and Afternoon

Barrel cactus

When Dr. K, Willow and I took our hike this morning we saw the Nipple Beehive Cactus growing beneath the mesquite tree had buds it hadn't sported yesterday.  The only way I could see and photograph the flowers the buds would become was to return in the afternoon, which I did.

White-thorn Acacia

Willow taking a break between the left and middle branch

Ocotillos on a ridge west of the Organs

On the steep hill west of the right branch arroyo

Early morning view of the Nipple Beehive Cactus

Nipple Beehive Cactus

Afternoon view of the Nipple Beehive Cactus

Nipple Beehive Cactus

This & next:  same Fishhook Barrel Cactus

 

Jeep Commander

Afternoon view of Tortugas and the Organs

Nipple Beehive Cactus

Rain Late, Humidity Early

Barrel cactus buds getting close to blooming

It rained early last night and, again, overnight, so the air this morning was bursting with humidity.  Dr. K, Willow and I felt it while we hiked our regular route.  We were the only gluttons for punishment apparently because we saw nobody else out and about in our section of northern Chihuahuan Desert.  We took a long drive after the trek just to check out the large number of homes on sale in various neighborhoods.

Cross trail between the left and middle branch arroyos

Twin-leaf Senna

Ocotillo, yucca, ocotillo

This & next:  I think it's Swainsy the Swainson's Hawk

Yucca and ocotillo with Swainsy

Prickly pear fruit ripening

This & next:  barrel cacti east of the right branch arroyo

 

Buds on the larger of the three barrel cacti

Willow and Dr. K in the right branch arroyo

Unwelcome Weather Change

1st 2:  yesterday afternoon view of Tortugas and the Organs

Really icky out there this morning:  sunny, hot, very humid--the exact opposite of conditions for yesterday's hike.  We followed our regular route, nevertheless, enjoying the sights and sounds of our section of northern Chihuahuan Desert.  We saw no one else out there today except for construction workers getting ready to work on the sides of Tellbrook Road.

Northward down the right branch arroyo

Medusa ocotillo

Creosote bushes in bloom

Barrel cactus and the flank of Tortugas

Buds of the previous barrel cactus

Cute Willow

Ocotillo green

Shadows of we three

 

Flowers of this plant almost always nearly closed for our hike

Small White-thorn Acacia and Soaptree Yucca

This & next:  same barrel cactus buds

Yucca in the middle branch