Arizona – because i said

Hello darkness, my old friend

Anything special happen this week? Well, sir, as we leave our pink adobe cassita at the dude ranch one morning, I see a grey bunny, nose in the air, sniffing. I take this for a good sign.

Later, on my way to hike the Douglas Spring Trail, which begins less than a kilometre from the ranch, a road runner eyes me suspiciously from beneath a large mesquite. The mesquite is all elbows, and in its branches sits a scarlet tanager. More good signs. But alas, no Gila monsters anywhere to be seen. Still on the lookout for those.

More Birds of Arizona

High wispy clouds in a brilliant blue sky. Purply mountains in the distance. A red bird in a tree, flitting branch to branch. Looks like a male cardinal. But as I get closer, the markings are all wrong. A bit smaller, too, and missing the familiar crest.

At that moment, a wrangler in boots, chaps and a white multi-gallon hat is coming my way, so I flag him down.

Birds of Arizona

Mission St. Xavier del Bac, the oldest European building in Arizona. It’s a pilgrimage site, and you can see why. Spanish baroque, without a hint of locally inspired design. Its mission is done.

As I leave for today’s run, I spot an odd contraption on the back of a red Tacoma pickup. I draw closer to investigate, and the contraption turns out to be a wild turkey — a male, vast and spherical, with a tiny red and blue head. He stands on the pickup’s tonneau cover, regarding me with a kind of rage. As I step closer, he shows signs of alarm, even though he can plainly see I’m not holding a knife and fork. Hopping onto the roof of the cab, the turkey empties his bowel, glaring at me with small cruel eyes. On my return an hour later, a road runner crosses the road just ahead. Don’t ask me why he crossed the road.