Desert Rain

It's been a long time since I've done any hiking in the rain. When I awoke to gray skies and drizzle I knew I had to hit the trail to enjoy the cool temperatures and liquid sunshine. I didn't go very far, just down Standpipe Road to the BLM's La Cueva Trails. I was hoping to see lots of wildflowers in bloom, unfortunately there weren't many to see. I saw a few cholla in bloom

and some ocotillo with flowers.

While I did not see many wildflowers, I did see some interesting wildlife. I saw a desert centipede

and some velvet mites.

From what I've read both of these creatures are active following a good rain event, so I picked a good time to see them. I did not see a whole lot else though. Oh, I did see some police officers out when I started my hike. I have no idea what they were looking for, but they asked me if I could see a black truck. I saw no black truck.