Home!

You smart people did very well yesterday at guessing where Gordon and I were for the last week! Yes, it was Arizona, but we flew in and out of (and stayed in) Tucson. We had an amazing trip, and for all the gorgeous places we've visited around the world, Arizona is one of the most beautiful. I am a big fan of the desert. I spent years illustrating it  for the kids' book Katie of the Sonoran Desert, so when I stepped off the plane I had the weirdest sense of déjà-vu. I knew the landscape, even though it was my first visit!

More photos to follow, but the above pic is a shot taken last Friday. We hiked down from the top of the Chiricahua National Monument (at least nine miles; I have to add up the distance). Chiricahua is one of the most spectacular places I have ever seen. And my new Italian-made hiking boots (Zamberlan) were fantastic.

And yes, that creature I was holding was indeed a Gila Monster. (Nice identification work, Lynn!) They are one of the few venomous lizards, and believe me, I was holding him very carefully! Roger gave us explicit instructions. You don't want Mr. Gila whipping his head around to take a chunk out of you.

The one I held was named Tarzan, and he had a radio transmitter implanted inside him. Our friend Roger has been tracking for a long time.

The Gila Monster that Gordon was one that Gordon spotted on the road from the back seat of Roger's pick-up truck! Two Gila Monsters in one day was an incredibly good score, as they can be quite elusive.

More photos when I recover from my jetlag. Yesterday morning I was in Tucson Airport; this morning I'm at home in my paajamas!