Extraordinary everyday life in Tucson

Before we left New York State and a good life we had gotten accustomed to, I imagined that once we hit the road, nothing would be ordinary again.

Maybe a Harris hawk nest?

But, things do get ordinary. We still have to put off doing laundry. It's important to grumble about washing dishes. Cats continue to place Craigslist personal ads while we sleep.

This one wild and precious life! Some days I'm awake enough to know none of this is ordinary. Not my life, and not yours.

I went out poking around in the desert.

You often see young saguaros thriving in the company of shrubs, usually mesquite and creosote.

They need the shade of these "nurses" to get their start. Then, like that wretched boy in The Giving Tree, the saguaro demands the ultimate sacrifice. 

The desert is harsh.

This bush was just lucky. Not so this cactus, who started being teased at the age of twelve.

Coyote? 

I've heard people say that the desert is desolate. The Sonoran Desert is anything but desolate. We love it here. The saguaros are always saying something ridiculous.

Cactus wren nest in "jumping" cholla

These cacti don't actually jump. They do separate easily from the mother bush and follow any warm body home. They weren't in the mood to separate this day, since I brushed up against one and am here to type the tale. If you get a baby stuck to you, don't grab it. Work a comb or a pen between your skin and the cactus bit and PULL. It will hurt, I'm pretty sure. If you grab it, it will hurt extra.

Cholla has-been. 

A Barrel of Fun!™

I think this indicates the land was once BLM land. Now? I don't know. There isn't any signage. Maybe that's why the cacti are always waving their arms. Hey you kids, get off my lawn!

~~~~~~~

Thank you for making OUR Amazon link YOUR Amazon shortcut!