Friday's Forest Trek

Morning sky

We altered our route a bit this morning just to be different.  In so doing we discovered what seems to be the entrance to a fox den; we think it's probably foxes for several reasons.  I saw one the last time we were up here, and there's fox poop on one of our septic tank covers.  I'd love to be able to get a photo of a red fox sometime in the near future.  We had a good outing in the forest, and now we're watching the sky where clouds are building in advance of possible showers.  Glad I got in all the mowing and weeding I needed to do over the past two days.

Fox scat near our place makes me think this is a den entrance

Willow mid-hike

Davis Mountain Mock Vervain

Not going that way

Lincoln National Forest

The pumphouse

Inside the pumphouse

1500-gallon water tank

Willow in pumphouse shadow

 

Mountain Cool

Just after sunrise

Slightly overcast with a consistent breeze when Dr. K, Willow and I did the morning hike in the forest above the cabin.  It was a nice change.  For a while it seemed as if we might get some rain, but not so much now.  When I took Willow out for her morning constitutional it was in the high 50s Fahrenheit, which felt really good. 

Willow spots something

Jennifer Juniper

Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, I believe

Early morning clouds

Heading into the forest

View of the Karr Canyon area

Slimleaf Plains-Mustard

Echinocereus coccineus rosei at 7,000 feet

Dr. K and Willow behind the cabin

 

Pre-Work Hike

Sacramentos

Dr. K, Willow and I did a regular hike in the forest behind the cabin this morning, climbing straight up the small mountain to the crest, followed our usual route and returned through the back 40.  Afterward I did some mowing of grass and weeds on the property, straightened up some railroad ties that had slipped out of boundary positions due to recent rains, and then, with Dr. K's help, removed logs from the rack near the front fence, fortified the structure and replaced logs.  The rack was leaning hard against the front fence bending it outward a bit.  Lots of work that's tired me out a bit.

Willow on our road

Little male house finch followed us to the high country

I think this is Slimleaf Plains-Mustard

This & next:  Willow at rest

Old juniper

Davis Mountain Mock Vervain

This & next:  Berlandier's Yellow Flax

Pines beside the cabin

What we saw flying in the mountains this morning

 

Traveling Day

Ragamuffin

Dr. K, Willow and I did half a hike this morning before returning home to finish packing for our trip to the high country where we are now.  About ten degrees cooler up here.

Ragamuffin's mom

Last 2:  Common Side-blotched Lizard

 

Muggy Monday

Southwest from LDR-A

Half a hike this morning for Dr. K, Willow and me because it was suffocatingly humid out there--not to mention the heat.  We thought it best for all involved to cut the length of the daily trek. 

Tortugas (center) and the Organ Mountains

This & next:  male Gambel's Quail

Willow relaxing in an arroyo

Faxon yucca

Last 2:  right branch arroyo wet from yesterday's rain

 

Not of a Feather

Sky north of LDR-A

We made a little detour when we descended LDR-A arroyo and began hiking toward the mountains on the east/west cross trail.  Willow often wants to head northward and cross the Tellbrook Arroyo, so that's what we did.  Her interest level in the trek waxed immediately as she encountered new scents.  The morning heat overcame us all, however, and we turned around after a short distance and retraced our route southward along LDR-A arroyo to get back to the CR-V.  We took an extra long drive after the outing before heading home.

Roadrunner on ocotillo branch

Not sure which bird this is

This & next:  Lark Buntings

What Willow wants to go as often as possible

Long dirt road heading northward

Long dirt road heading south

Cactus Wren