Having been there many times over the years, including this past June, I can say, "Nailed it!" You really caught the look of the desert floor. I understand you used real sand from the area, did you "bake" it in an oven and run a magnet over it or use another way to prepare the sand before you put it down?
Process of the sand Mark and others thanks: I used real sand from Yuma, AZ, actually from the banks of the Colorado River. I painted the area with a craft store paint. Folk Art #420 Linen. Sifted the sand over the paint. Let it dry, sand paper some of it, vacuum, paint again with a mixture of water and the aforementioned paint. Brush is WS ground foams. I took some liberty with the actual area of Coyote Wells.
Indeed... aside from the lighting not quite capturing that "blazing skin-blistering parched throat buzzards-circling white hot" sun, it is quite the likeness. Well done!
Looks close to this location http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/6018454.jpg and http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/6018465.jpg
