Where I spent Thanksgiving week (Mucho pics!)

I know how much all of you like pics, so sit back and share with me my Thanksgiving week! I have reduced the size of all of these, so they should load fast, but hopefully retain some resolution.

For Thanksgiving this year (like most of the previous 30+ years), my husband, the two girls and I went to the desert, specifically Ocotillo Wells, CA. He has been going out there since he was a young lad, me not until I met him in 1979. Although I was able to stay for ten days, he had to return home so he could work Monday through Wednesday of Thanksgiving week, and then drive back out. It's about a 100 mile drive each way.

Some photos of the beautiful scenery:










And of course, the girls (Lucy and Cricket) get to go everywhere with us!


So many rocks, so little time!












Interesting tracks. Lots of darkling beetles (what I've always called "stink bugs") and grasshoppers. No snakes this time of year, but we do see them out there occasionally. I think I only saw one small lizard.










A little wash where Lucy found some shade. I don't think it was over 85° but it got a little hot when the breeze quit blowing.




At times when a lot of people were out and about, and there was no wind, the dirt would just hang in the air.




I only took one photo of the truck with RTH decal, will have to do better next time.


Some of the booty. These are mostly dark, but with some interesting patterns in them. Very hard, will take a nice shine. Tumbler fodder?


Some brecciated.


Corals


Branching corals, sponges and other types of fossils


Unsure what these are. They are layered like shells, but I don't think that's it. Maybe stromatolites? A lot of these out there.


A variety of conglomerates


Petrified wood. Wood on left side petrified elsewhere and transported by ancient Colorado River. These are harder and much more colorful than wood petrified locally. Wood on right side "local" and kind of blah. These had some interesting shapes and nice grains, though.


More wood. Long thin ones make nice chimes.


Bubble gums and misc.


Some neat stuff with bands, not sure what it is.


Mudstone, concretions, bullets and bomb fragments


An assortment of other things.


Some nice brecciated material.


Closeup of one of them, front-


and back-


Thanks for looking! Jean

EDIT TO ADD-
Ops, forgot to add this one of what the dogs found -

While I knew there were badgers found several miles to the west of us, I had no idea that they were found so close to our camp. A coyote had found this poor guy, the head and a few leg bones were all that was left. We stopped at the ranger station on our way out and presented this to them, along with the GPS coordinates of where it was found. They were thrilled to have it, and told me they would be preparing it and putting it on display.

Thanks again. Jean