December 7 --- The Tale of Hobo Bill, And The Uniqueness Of The Chiricahuas

First, the seemingly ubiquitous dazzling sunrise here on the east side of the Chiricahuas. I knew it was going to be special because about 45 minutes before the actual sunrise, Silver Peak was already glowing in from the reflection of the sky colors to the east --

These were the colors that were causing Silver Peak to glow -- 

And, as the predawn usually does here, the red, orange and yellow because more intense as sunrise approached --

A little further to the left from the above view

This time, there was a reason why I was up early -- the every-2-weeks grocery run to Douglas. I try to go as early as possible so I can get back to Portal as early as possible. And it helps that the Wal-Mart in Douglas is open 24 hours. People from across the border use it, too; most of the license plates in the parking lot are from either Arizona or Sonora, Mexico. While pushing the cart around inside the store, I meet a friend from Portal; though we're about 55 miles away, seeing "Portalites" at Wal-Mart happens more often than you'd think. When I go back out to Tundra, her car is in the space right next to mine; it was pure happenstance that she parked there (and I recognized her car right off the bat; there aren't too many Prius with Minnesota license plates in Douglas -- or all of SE Arizona, for that matter). Though the drive from Douglas to Portal is beautiful -- the majority of the vehicles being either big trucks crossing the border or Border Patrol SUVs -- I'm glad every time I get back home. It somehow seems more "real" out here -- pure and clean. I go to a friend's house to pick up a Montezuma's Quail body, and put it in my freezer. I'm on a permit belonging to the head of the Ornithology Department of LA's Museum of Natural History which gives me the legal right to collect bird specimens for use at the museum. And I store them in the bottom part of my refrigerator's freezer. They're wrapped up in baggies and such with the time, date and location where the bodies were found. I just have to be careful that, when I'm half asleep, I don't take out a Montezuma's Quail carcass to be defrosted instead of chicken thighs -- though I hear quail make for good eating...

And now on to the tale of Hobo Bill. He was a coatimundi -- 

That's not him; it's an image I downloaded from the computer. They're White-nosed Coati here, part of the coati population found in southwestern New Mexico ( they're also in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts of southwestern Arizona, and an area of Texas). Coatis superficially look like raccoons, but are more slender and have a longer snout. They're gregarious, noisy and busy little creatures with an insatiable appetite. Being omnivores, they eat things ranging from lizards to plant roots. And they're very fond of fruit, especially the manzanita berry. The only other member of coati is the Brown-nosed, and is found only in South America. I have yet to see one in the time I've lived at Faranuf, but I no doubt will... 

I've heard tales about Hobo Bill. He was a friendly fellow, going right up to your porch and look at you, waiting for food. And how can you resist a face like that? He walked with a slight limp (I believe; but in any case he had an injury that made him readily identifiable) and everyone here knew him, or knew about him. You'd think that a creature that was such a part of the community would be immune from stupidity and callous cruelty --- but, sad to say, he was a victim. His body was found on a side of Portal Road; it appeared as if he was off the road, when someone deliberately swerved and hit him. I can't even fathom the mind that would do something like that. Thoughtless, wanton behavior isn't unique to the city-- and, as killing a deer where hunting was outlawed has shown,  no animals are totally safe, even beloved ones. I regret never getting the chance to know Hobo Bill; I would have gladly welcomed him as at the very least a "guest resident" of Faranuf. Let's all enjoy the "specialness" of the Chiricahuas, both its scenery and wildlife; it's one of the main reasons why I decided to settle here. 

Elegant Trogon in Cave Creek Canyon