The lushness of the desert-who would have known?

We've had no rain for several days and I'm ready for more monsoon madness! All the newly arrived weeds and wildflowers are looking sad and the temps are rising again and keeping us indoors. Some clouds are building over the  mountains but the chance of rain today is rather slim. To the right is the picture of our last storm, about a week ago now.

My walks are getting later since the sun is rising after six now. This morning I saw a mule deer, a large one, bouncing away as they do. The dogs didn't see it or hear it. A jackrabbit, however, did capture their attention.

I've seen several unfamiliar kinds of scat lately on the road by our house--I looked them up on the internet and I'm fairly certain that one of them is bobcat--the other is stringy and filled with seeds...not coyote, so it is more than likely javelina--I haven't seen one yet. Around the house I found what looked like the droppings of a small dog. Now I know it's from the Colorado River Toad! I'm glad they're only here after a rain and when it's dark!

It's lovely outside in the early morning listening to the mourning doves. The quail have been around but not vocalizing as they did earlier in the summer. I've seen Maurice and his brood in the front of the house where I sprinkle seeds each morning. They're nearly full grown. In the enclosed garden in the back a pair brought their smaller babies to eat out of our hanging feeder. A roadrunner has been back there as well and we've seen the quail chase him off!

In my last post I mentioned the sweet-smelling flowers blooming in our area. I've looked it up but can find no information on it. If anyone knows what this is, please comment below! It's a mystery.

Around our house we have hundreds of bright orange poppy-like flowers. Behind us on the state land, they carpet the ground--another unknown that's appeared with the rain.

I am still surprised by the differences in each day--how the clouds move and shift. Sometimes 80* feels HOT and other times cool depending on humidity and wind. Coming from the Pacific northwest, I didn't notice the sky the way I do here where the view is long. And although I miss my forest walks, I  appreciate the utter uniqueness of the desert.