Bob Schwartz

We live with a lot of creatures in the desert. I am partial to coyotes, and I love to see lizards of various sizes skittering around. A few weeks ago, a lizard less than one inch long emerged from the kitchen drain when I started water in the sink. It was confused and wet, so I carried it outside, where it surely dried off quickly—and skittered away.

Roadrunners are special. They appear, naturally, on the roads, but also in yards, and often on our back deck (see above). They are considered good luck. Notice that their feet are X-shaped. This makes them hard to track, because we can’t tell from footprints whether they are coming or going.

Imagine if our feet were symmetrical and had toes on both ends. Anyone tracking us through the sand, mud or snow couldn’t tell whether we were coming or going.

We might or might not know whether we are coming or going. Roadrunners know whether they are coming or going. X marks the spot.

© 2024 by Bob Schwartz