Photograph of the buds of a fishhook barrel cactus in El Paso, Texas. Yellow flower buds are clustered together at the top of the cactus, surrounded by needles.

Photograph of a goldenball leadtree in El Paso, Texas. Compound leaves and spherical yellow flowers are protruding from a single thin branch. Leaves frame the left side of the image.

Photograph of a man (left) and a woman (right) on a hiking trail in El Paso, Texas. They are walking side by side downhill, facing the camera. They are each holding a hiking staff.

Photograph of the desert landscape at Hueco Tanks State Park in El Paso, Texas. Prickly pear and ocotillo sit at the bottom of a cluster of rocks.

Photograph of downtown El Paso, Texas and the Juárez Mountains, taken from Tom Lea Park. Agave, ocotillo, and other desert plants partially block the scene from view.

Photograph of a yucca plant in El Paso, Texas. Spiky leaves protrude from the plant, which is topped with a cluster of white and purple flowers. Cacti and other desert plants cover the land in front of the Franklin Mountain foothills in the background.

Photograph of Franklin Mountain in El Paso, Texas. Yucca and other desert plants cover the land leading to the mountain range, which is visible in the background.

Photograph of Franklin Mountain in El Paso, Texas. Yucca and other desert plants cover the land leading to the mountain range, which is visible in the background.

Photograph of the Socorro Mission near El Paso, Texas. The front side of the white stucco church is visible in the photograph, decorated with a small central window above the entrance and a niche on either side. A belfry sits at the top of the front wall.

Photograph of a house in the Manhattan Heights neighborhood of El Paso, Texas. Palm trees, Mexican birds of paradise, and other plants cover the front lawn of the white stucco house.

Photograph of the Geological Sciences Building on the University of Texas at El Paso campus. Yucca, ocotillo, and other desert plants partially block the building from view.

Photograph of the Ysleta Mission in El Paso, Texas, taken from a left side angle. The front side of the white stucco church has been decorated with a Spanish statue of Santo Entierro and two small windows, one round and one rectangular, above the entrance door. A domed belfry sits atop the right side of the building.

Photograph of the Ysleta Mission in El Paso, Texas. The front side of the white stucco church has been decorated with a Spanish statue of Santo Entierro and two small windows, one round and one rectangular, above the entrance door. A domed belfry sits atop the right side of the building. A large bell can be seen on the sidewalk to the right.