A Nice Overcast

Had one of these three-inch beauties inside not long ago

A heavy cloud cover this morning really took the edge off the perpetual heat we've been experiencing here in the northern Chihuahuan Desert and made for a pleasant outing for Becca and me.  We took a relatively-long hike west of Tortugas, and we ran into our buddy Jimmy on our way back in.  He and I stood talking for about twenty minutes while Becca lay in the dirt waiting patiently for the end of the conversation.  Then we were on our way back to the car.

Natural conglomerate or man-made?

Hikers on the trail high up on the mountain

It looked a lot like rain when we started out

View of the city from Tortugas Mountain foothills

Torrey Yucca

Happy to be hiking in cooler weather

Dappled or spotched?

Right before heading for lower ground

Becca at work

This way to the mountains

Bike this route

Fingers of sunlight breaking through the clouds

Almost the same scene with more sky

Ocotillos and sky

Big sky country

Southeast side of Las Cruces, New Mexico

Almost back at the trailhead

Yesterday's Rain

Barrel Cactus buds

Yesterday--late afternoon into early evening--we had quite a rainstorm.  Local meteorologists had predicted a slight chance of precipitation, but we got a lot more than expected; there was flooding in parts of Las Cruces and El Paso.  The result of the storm was lingering high humidity this morning, but the discomfort was moderated by a steady breeze that provided excellent evaporative cooling.  Becca and I did our normally long hike west of the mountain, and we ran into a few Chihuahuan Desert critters.  The baby cottontail pictured here was right off the trail, and Becca looked directly at it before passing by.  I stopped to photograph the cute bunny, and it didn't move a muscle while I stood nearby.  Smart little rabbit.

An early start

A baby Desert Cottontail

An easy area in which to bushwhack

Huh?

Aha!

Black-tailed Jackrabbit

A favorite spot to rest

The observatory atop Tortugas Mountain

Looking this way and . . .

. . . that

Ocotillos and Organs (Mountains, that is:)

Becca just west of Tortugas

Another Brutal Day in the Desert

Heading around Tortugas Mountain

Dr. K, Becca and I set off a little later than usual this morning (by about 30 minutes), and because of that we decided to cut our normal hike short.  Although there was a cooling breeze the desert heat already felt relentless out behind Tortugas Mountain, and none of us seemed determined to test our stamina.  I, for one, didn't have very much.  We still managed to get in an hour-and-a-half of exercise before returning to our car.  We all drank sufficient amounts of water during the trek, but Becca consumed the most.  Got to keep Desert Dog well hydrated at all times.

Nearing the big bend

Circular rock house ruins

Bathed in harsh sunlight

Flank of Tortugas and the Organ Mountains

Hedgehog hedging its bets

Riding a rugged single-track

2 1/2 foot Barrel Cactus starting to bloom

Circular blossoming squad

Closeup of flower and buds

Moon over Tortugas

About to be pricked

Ladderback Woodpecker on our Desert Willow

Lesser Goldfinch in our Desert Willow

Lesser Goldfinch

Back Up at Half Power

Prickly Pears:  some ripe, some not

I thought I'd be doing my aching body a favor by taking Becca on a moderately-long trek this morning, but the temperature was pretty high out there, and by the time we finished up I felt as if I'd been run over by several dune buggies during the hike.  Returning home after our adventure I showered and went back to bed where I proceeded to lie down for several hours while coughing my head off.  Frankly, with my head off, I'm not even sure how I'm typing these words now.

One of the Chihuahuan Desert's prettiest birds:  Scott's Oriole

Two-shadow illusion

Nipple Beehive Cactus blooming for the fourth time

Gorgeous, delictate flowers for a cactus

From here to the Organs

My favorite Ocotillo forest

Mas Ocotillos

Becca the explorer