Warmer, Yet Colder

Willow leading the way

35F when Dr. K, Willow and I started our hike this morning; weather conditions were bad:  no sun and a persistent cold breeze.  If the breeze had been a wind we'd probably have cut the outing short.

We saw the Basset people and their hounds when we were driving up Tellbrook en route to the trailhead, but we never spotted them out in the desert.  Didn't seem as if anyone else was out in the elements today.

After we all got back home I took the Jeep out for a spin, stopping at our usual spot near the trailhead in order to take a few phone pics of the scenery.

View from LDR-A arroyo

Morning snack

Soaptree Yucca atop 4210 hill

American Kestrel

Legs and pompoms

View of Tortugas and the Organs with ocotillo

View of Tortugas and the Organs sans ocotillo

Got the old Jeep out on the road with a new battery

 

Colder, Yet Warmer

Prickly Pear and ocotillo

Although it was only 25F when Dr. K, Willow and I started our hike this morning only about 1/8th of the trek felt cold; that's because the wind died down, permitting us to finish the remaining 7/8ths of the trek in relative comfort.

We did the entirety of our regular route, seeing no one in the process.  We haven't seen the Basset people and their hounds in a few days; doubt they're getting out before us because it's too cold early on.

When we got home I contacted AAA online to schedule an appointment to get a new battery installed on the Jeep Commander.  The Interstate battery that I bought previously from Firestone was six years old and was dead yesterday morning when I tried to start the vehicle.  The friendly, competent worker who came out to exchange the old battery for a new one had the job finished by 10:30 am.  We've had excellent service from AAA the last two times we used it.

Soaptree Yucca

Hill west of the Organ Mountains

This & next:  Willow at the middle branch

Tortugas and the Organs

Willow and Dr. K

Tortugas and the Organs

Organ Mountains

 

Sunny, Windy, Cold

1st 2:  slightly different views of yucca and the Organs

We really cut the hike short this morning.  The strong wind and near-brutal cold gave Dr. K a headache.

Willow wasn't happy about our decision, but she didn't really have a say.

I went shopping at Albertsons after we got back.

After lunch we took Willow into the arroyo beside our house, but we cut that outing short, too, due to wind and cold.

This & next 2:  Willow loves to bushwhack in the desert

This & next:  3 wise men on their last legs

Last 2:  long views of Tortugas and the Organs

 

Moonwalking Monday

View from LDR-A arroyo

Yesterday I read about the benefits of retro walking, and I thought to suggest to Dr. K that we three do the entire hike this morning a la Michael Jackson, but I didn't.  I don't believe Dr. K nor Willow would have gone along with it anyway.

We did our regular route without seeing anything of note; although several vehicles were parked at the Tellbrook/Sonoma Ranch intersection we spotted no other nature enthusiasts in our section of the northern Chihuahuan Desert.

This & next:  Willow on break

Distant Cactus Wren (photo taken for ID purposes)

The lovely Willow

 

Warm, but Cold's Coming

Breakfast of champions

Not bad out there today, but weather is changing soon; by Tuesday morning it's supposed to be 24F.  That's the coldest we've been all fall.

We did our regular hike without seeing anyone, though we did spot the black side-by-side parked up on LDR.  That vehicle belongs to the guy who takes his two dogs out there for a morning exploration.

We took a long drive after the trek listening to the Sunday Morning show on ESPN.  Myron was on, but not Matt Jones.

Dr. K and Willow on LDR-A

Wils leading the way

Wils taking a break

This & next 3:  3 1/2-foot barrel cactus

Dr. K and Willow spotting the black side-by-side

Willow exploring

Hedgehog cactus

Soaptree Yucca and the mountains (phone pic)

 

Less Chilly

This & next: slightly different perspectives of the same image

Despite a temperature of 37F when Dr. K, Willow and I started off this morning it really didn't feel that cold this morning; the difference from yesterday was no wind and a bit of sunshine.

We altered our regular route because somebody was shooting multiple consecutive rounds of both low caliber and high caliber ammunition somewhere south of Tortugas Mountain.

We cut out the middle branch arroyo so we could bushwhack westward directly to the right branch.  From there we finished the rest of our trek.

Organ Mountains

What's red?

Red color is fishhooks on this barrel cactus

This & next:  same barrel cactus

This & next:  views from the right branch arroyo

Willow in the right branch

Sky over the steep hill west of the right branch