Surprises Every Day

 Monday August 31, 2026 ... I got to see my very first desert tortoise on Monday and dang ... that was the very first time ever being able to see a live desert tortoise. Little dude was crossing a road through a golf course, which there are a number of golf courses where I live in the Mojave, and I've been traipsing the Mojave Desert for a very long time. You see the desert tortoise is a very shy critter and prefers to remain out of sight for reasons that are known to a desert tortoise. Especially for one crossing a road through a golf course. A golf course makes for almost perfect environmental conditions for a desert tortoise. Grass and water and the occasional golf ball so all things considered, tortoise paradise. Then there was a road runner crossing the same road and it was almost like one very special gift from the desert djinn. The djinn will do that on very rare occasions and I suppose the wife and I simply lucked out. I've seen desert big horn sheep, I've seen desert iguanas, I've seen wild horses, once we spotted desert burros and that was one time only. The burros are more timid than the tortoise. I've seen places where the burro were bedding down for a nights rest but I've only ever seen the burros once. Seeing my very first live and on the move desert tortoise is almost like I can scratch another sighting off my bucket list. Being on a golf course is mostly meaningless as the course is in the desert where a golf course shouldn't be. Of course. So Monday was most certainly a day of days. Tortoise, road runner, and oh yes about one half a dozen mocking birds without James Taylor of course. The sighting made my day. Now for some Tuesday machine art.

calder -

ode 2 joy -

black rose -

cage -

cubest -

there are times when I don't bother with spelling and that was just now. I got to see a desert tortoise and that made everything worth while ... 😏

p.s. - it should be noted here that I have a couple dead desert tortoise I found while out soaking in the Mojave. when the tortoise hatch they get predated on by ravens that will snatch up a newly hatched tortoise and take to the heights to drop the tortoise with the purpose of cracking open the tortoise shell ... bummer for the newly hatched ... I've built them a small desert tortoise mausoleum and the tortoise are resting undisturbed.