Another Critter

Linda commented that she'd like to see more wildlife photos. Here's one from the rim of the Colorado high above Horseshoe Bend. It blended in with the red rock there so it was not immediately obvious to the eye. I checked my guide book but couldn't really see what kind of lizard this was. It was about 10" long, head to tail. It didn't seem too skittish as we approached it.


Also, a very interesting thing happened tonight. John and Pat Cooke, friends from high school, were passing through Sedona on their way to a conference in Anaheim. We took them for a quick ride around sunset to see the red rocks in their glory. Unfortunately, we dwelt a bit too long over margaritas to get the full effect of the sunset, but we did end up driving home on the wooded dirt road in the dark. We saw one jack rabbit, then later another jack rabbit being chased by a coyote. It veered toward the Jeep while the coyote headed in a different direction. I think we gave that jack rabbit a reprieve to live another day. It all happened quickly but it was pretty cool to see, (strictly from a "true life adventure" point of view).

BTW, if you are not familiar with Horseshoe Bend, here is a shot of it. The Colorado is 1500' below the rim where I took this photo. This is a mile or so below the Glen Canyon Dam. It is a very sandy, sluggish walk from the highway to this overview, mostly uphill on the return trip. There are no guard rails or fences at the edge. It is pretty scary trying to capture the full effect of the horseshoe. Not for the faint of heart.