A Familiar Face

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My Halloween started with a midwest blizzard and ended with a desert mountain sunset. I had arrived in Phoenix for the Pet Professional Guild conference and had strategically planned my flight a day early so I would have time for some sightseeing. It was my first time in the southwest and I could hardly wait to explore the desert. 

Saguaro National Park

Everything was strange to me as I wandered the trails at Saguaro National Park. The wind whistled through the spines of massive saguaro cacti. Leafless ocotillo stalks sported intimidating thorns. The palo verde's green branches seemed to glow against the brilliantly blue sky. Prickly pear cacti emerged out of the gravelly ground. It felt like another planet. 

Then I spotted a familiar face. A kestrel sat on a power line, bobbing his tail. Just like Aldo! In a place that felt so foreign, it was nice to see someone that reminded me that I wasn't so far from home after all. 

American Kestrel perched on a cactus (stock photo)


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