Boolie

Not a Fan of Monsoons

Like all the cats, Trixie spent most of her life in the Northwest so the thunder and lightning of monsoon season are a new and unpleasant experience for her. We haven’t had many storms this summer but a mild one the other day really scared her for some reason. She hid in Boo’s favorite spot in one of the bathroom cabinets and wouldn’t come out for her dinner, we let her be and a while later I coaxed her out to eat. She ate about half and then slunk off, keeping as close to the floor as possible. I later found her in my bathroom closet, she had pulled out several of my heavy sweatshirts and made a nest. She looked so comfy had I been Trixie-sized I might have joined her. I gave her extra attention when she finally emerged and by morning she was back to normal.

Facepainting

This male shows why all the Gila woodpeckers I see on my spring hikes have their faces painted in pollen …

Tightrope Walker

You can tell by the way I use my walk …

Beauty in the Shadows

Cathedral Rock is awash in beauty, with massive boulders and sweeping views of the Sonoran desert, but its greatest beauty sleeps in its shadows, hidden in crevices below the monoliths. Despite its size, the desert spiny lizard is rather shy and often scurries out of sight long before I approach. Thankfully I was not only able to spend some time with this one and watch as he grew sleepy, but ease away and leave him to his slumber.

Superpowers

It’s a shame I’m scared of heights to the point I don’t like being at the top of a ladder, as if I’m reading this sign correctly climbing the tower gives you the ability to fly and shoot lightning from your fingertips. Seems like those powers could come in handy.

Hush

A quiet place to lay my head,
a soft space to make my bed.
Soon the sun will rise, soon so will I.
Until then quiet, hush, be still.
Let me lie.

Leaning Left

The lines in the rocks, the long flower stems, even the mourning dove, all leaning left as though I had planned the scene instead of just stumbling across it on the Rustler Trail back in May.

On Pins & Needles

No matter how many times I witness it I can’t quite wrap my head around how birds can fly in at full speed and land on a cactus with densely packed spines, such as this curve-billed thrasher on a chain fruit cholla. I adore this cholla (and the similar teddy bear cholla) but they are best appreciated at arm’s length, they are even more fearsome than they look.

You Have To Start Somewhere

The old ones may be covered in flowers come springtime but I was delighted to find this saguaro sending up a single bud this spring. We all have to start somewhere.

Big Saguaro, Little Falcon

In the spring every square inch of the tops of old saguaros might be covered in flower buds and blossoms, thick as thieves, such as these providing a softer-than-normal perch for an American kestrel. I saw our smallest falcon frequently in the Northwest but only a couple of times here so it was a pleasure to see her as she towered over me on the Granite Mountain Loop Trail.