Spirit of the Wind

I've never actually seen ocotillo with their leaves before. It's an interesting sight--from a distance they remind me of green pipe cleaners. Whenever I've visited the Southwest, it's invariably been winter; it might still be warm in Tucson at that time of year but the effects of the monsoon are clearly long gone. Despite the fact that it happens during the summer months, I'm sad I won't be around to see it. It's been a long time since I heard the sound of thunder during a good strong lightning storm.


The drive down from Missouri went well. I drove in those three days as much as I've driven in the past three years. Kansas was unexpectedly beautiful. It was grassy on either side of the highway, but rather than being a single species of grass, there were a bunch of native species with asters and yuccas.


I found a nice place to stay when I'm not out in the field (and I'm usually going to be out in the field). It's not actually available yet, but work starts tomorrow and so I'll be up in Flagstaff until the 13th, so that's not an issue.