A Brief Stop in Red Rock Country

What do a kitten, a beautiful watercolor, and scorpions all have in common? More than you might think. All were part of my triumphant if brief return to Sedona after seven weeks on the road.

While we were criss-crossing the country with dog in tow, our close friends and neighbors Suzi and David snatched the world's cutest kitten from an uncertain fate at the nearby Cottonwood animal shelter. Manly-man David's heart melted when this tiny tortoise-shell bundle of love pressed her little nose against his larger one and well, you know what happened next. Lucky little "Lulu" became the newest member of their household. She really is a doll.

I just read this to Paul and he's ready to hurl. Even so, he admits that Lulu is sweet. And no, we are not getting a cat. Not yet. (wink-wink) One would come in handy to fend off the scorpions that are starting to emerge after winter. First thing I did when I reopened our Sedona house was to look for the telltale signs of scorpion occupation. While we have our house treated for them, you never know when one of the little buggers might sneak in. Haven't found any. So far.

Suzi and David have an affinity for animals and for ....art. Suzi is a gifted watercolorist (if there is such a word) and her hula dancer is one of many paintings that she has created over the years. We are lucky to be the recipients of two--a cactus flower that hangs in our Green Valley house and a rendering of the sacred Canyon de Chelly (look it up) that graces our living room in Sedona.

While it's good to be back in the desert, Paul, Daisy and I can't sit still for long. So we are planning our next adventure: hauling the tin can up the Pacific Coast, all the way to British Columbia, then swooping down to eastern Washington to bug my sister and her husband, eat most of their food and drink ALL of their wine. Believe me, they have plenty. And it's good wine, not the swill we're used to.

In the meantime, we are hanging in Green Valley. A small condo I own here has been vacant for seven long months and before it bankrupts me I need to lease it. So we're sitting here waiting for the phone to ring in response to the ad I placed in the local paper. We shall see...