Heading home

It’s been a great three days in Arizona. Lots of hiking in the desert and lots of upclose meetings with the animals there. On Saturday morning just after dawn, Jean heard a rather loud snorting sound and was surprised by a pack of javelinas. These are wild boar type beasts. They came out of a culvert close by. She screamed and they scampered away, into a grove of palo verde in a wash. Jean’s Indian name is now Dances with Javelinas.

Those are the babies. You shoulda seen the Momma.

Scampering away.

Then there were much friendlier beasts.

He was one of two dressage horses we ran into. He was either Eddie or Fagen, I can’t remember which. His owner was nice and chatty, filling us in on their travels to Europe, how they travel, how she bought them, etc.

Jean also had a close encounter with a coyote. She took its picture with a flash, but all you can see is pitch blackness and two beady eyes reflecting the falsh. It’s stuck on our camera right now, so I’ll post it later.

Today, I also won $60 at the blackjack tables of the Talking Stick Indian Casino. Blackjack is basically the only casino game I play. You have to read the ups and downs of the luck and get out on the upper end. I went up $60, back down to zip, and then back up $60. That’s when I decided to leave with the casino’s money. Jean bought two new amethist rings with the winnings, and I still have $9 left. I’m basically her Sugar Daddy now.

Well, just a short post before I go to bed, and before the 4 1/2-hour flight tomorrow back to late winter. But I have sun on my face and the warm glow of the desert in my heart. So life is good.