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I’m leaving for Moraga, CA in three and a half hours. I’ll be visiting Mandy, Eva, possibly Caitlin and Neil, and Charlotte too. It’ll be great! We’re going to Berkely, San Francisco, seeing an A’s game, and going to pig out on ice cream and cheesecake. Most of all, I’m escaping the Tucson heat. Yeah, no bragging intended. I’ll be back late on Thursday, so I’ll see you all Friday, I guess. Don’t have too much fun without me! And I’ll bring Vikram, Leelee, and Breelee back something nice for their birthdays (dear lord they have birthdays right next to each other!!!). Happy birthday, Leelee!!

I made a jerk out of myself towards my parents tonight. They didn’t yell, but I’m just not proud of myself. How should I make that up to them?

Grant and I were in our backyard when it happened. A great screeching noise caused us both to whip our heads towards a palo verde tree over the wall of our property. A few grey birds flew away as a second screech sounded. I gasped. Grant sniffed the air.

Perched atop the palo verde tree was a great bird nearly ten times the size of an average grey bird. He was magnificent, a true wonder for all to see for those who feasted eyes on his green throne. He was all black except with a few orange streaks along the outer edges of his wings. He had an orange beak and sharp black eyes that stared directly at us. His tail was not huge, but it had great white markings along the bottom. He stood high and proud, as though he truly knew he was the rightful king of the desert animals. He screeched again. Even I, a human, perhaps his only threat for miles around, felt humbled by this creature.

Grant and I saw this bird earlier this week, except it was from a distance. He was flying in mid-air, evidently in the process of collecting his next meal. But now that I know that this bird is a Harris’s Hawk, I am not certain that this is the only great bird in our neighborhood for now. Perhaps these king of birds will grace me with their presence later this week, after I return to this wild world of stormy and starry nights~