This smallish bobcat was just outside on the patio here in Tucson. I saw a much bigger bobcat yesterday but didn’t have time to get a photo. We’re at the in-laws while Sue recuperates from her cornea transplant surgery. Wildlife is plentiful here; roadrunners, javelinas, rattlers, hawks, scorpions, desert tortoise, quail, and of course coyote.
But this is the Arizona desert. It was 105 today and the monsoons are coming soon. I have great respect for anything that can survive here, whether it be mountain lion or Apache.
Actor Tommy Lee Jones owns several ranches in Texas and is an expert horseman. In a 2008 interview, he described the land.
‘There’s nothing living in those mountains that won’t sting or bite or stab you. If you molest the plant, the plant will spike you. If you molest the animal, the animal will bite you. If you disrespect the country, it will cripple you. But I am very comfortable there. It’s my home.’
This is equally true of the Arizona desert. Â I love deserts. But they demand your respect. Or else.