Grouse?!? in Arizona

On the way up Humphreys Peak, near Flagstaff, Arizona, I came upon about five of these lovely birds.  Grouse?!?   I've never seen grouse in Arizona!  

After I got home, I looked it up.  I'm assuming these are dusky grouse, which my Dad has apparently seen in the wild in Arizona.  But it was a treat for me.  As I was alone on the trail, I got to watch them for a good ten minutes.  Not a bad way to spend your time.  

  

The Eyes & the Impossible, by Dave Eggers

 Newbery Award Winner, 2024:  

This was a cute book.  I liked all the animal characters, the descriptions though the dog's eyes, and how they worked together to solve problems. 

With all books like this, it's sometimes hard to suspend my disbelief when, for example, a dog understands that stars are actually suns burning far, far away, but the same dog doesn't know what the mainland is.  The dog understands all sorts of complex English words and scientific and culture concepts but does not know what art is?  Yeah, it's a little hard to swallow.  But if you can go with it, it's just fun.  

And the pictures are beautiful. 

Chipmunk Thief

At the Flagstaff, Arizona Arboretum:  

Me:  Hey chipmunk, are you stealing from the poor little hummingbirds?

 

Hummingbird:  We're just sharing. It's all good.