AN ounce of optimism

Summer mornings start slow in the lower Arizona desert. I hesitate to launch my day, dreading the demanding temperatures I will once again prepare to face. My mood is one of lethargy. I would like to stay curled up here until October arrives, with it's promise of "spring" and when I will again become invigorated by life. However, Pawpaw's is making his presence known with a wet nose and demanding attitude, and so we start out on our morning walk. It's 6:30 AM and 91 degrees. This cooling trend is welcome!

The air is heavy and damp but with no promise of rain. We meander past the gardening crews, coiffing the golf course. Their tools wheeze and whine and pierce this usually quiet stretch, sending us further down the path. As Pawpaw's sniffs and smells every twig and bush along the way, a lone coyote crosses the road. It has red fur and is emaciatingly thin. We wish him a big feast today somewhere on the "golf". Our next glimpse of nature is a long tall roadrunner following in the footsteps of the coyote. The comedic nature of the scene offers my day hope and promise. And so, we wander home with tongues wagging, our day looms ahead…….