John

This morning, before the wind and rain storm came, I went on an organized hike at Saguaro National Park East. Volunteers lead hikes there twice weekly. I read about the one today and decided I'd give it a try. I wasn't disappointed. About 12 of us participated in the hike led by John. John is a bright, articulate, and knowledgeable volunteer who is pushing 80. He had a wealth of information to share with us as we walked along. I learned an incredible amount about desert flora and fauna and about Saguaro East. John is a retired criptographer who wanted to find something outside to do for a change. He took classes on desert archeology at Pima College, although he didn't take a paying job in that field afterward. He pointed out that there are job opportunities in that field because no new buildings or roads can be constructed now in AZ without being inspected by an archeological firm. There are so many ruins around that laws have been passed. I didn't know that. At any rate, as we walked along on the 3 mile loop, he stopped to point out how different cacti grow, what feeds on them, what happens to them in draught conditions (like now), what animals and insects may live in them, etc. We found pack rat habitats, several kinds of birds' nests, and holes for squirrels. We also found scat (droppings) from bob cats, coyotes, and jack rabbits. John shared all this information with such joy that the 3 hour hike went by fast. We are all glad to know that he leads different hikes in the park each week. I think he's found the secret to joyful retirement--do something you love each week and share it with others. He reminds me of the San Francisco Library sponsored walking tour guides.

The timing for our morning hike was perfect--the winds picked up when I made it home. By sunset the rain had started. It tends to rain hard here when it comes. We can't complain because the area really needs the rain.