I meet Kitt down in the parking garage for breakfast this morning.  Upon seeing me, she chafes at her power cord, clearly raring to go.  I quickly finish my oatmeal then unbridle her tether.  She bolts with unrestrained enthusiasm and gallops towards Saguaro 
(Sa-whar-o) National Park.

After tying up at the Red Hills hitching post for a video overview at the visitor's center, we ride on the rail to Hohokam road for the scenic 5 mile Bajada loop.

When in Rome...

This area has a stately presence and is part of the 110,000 square mile Sonoran desert.  Anointed with as little as 3 inches of rainfall per year, the landscape is anything but barren.  
The Sonoran Desert includes 60 mammal species, 350 bird species, 20 amphibian species, over 100 reptile species, 30 native fish species, over 1000 native bee species, and more than 2,000 native plant species. 
I learn the Kangaroo rat is part of the clan here.  No wonder I feel an immediate kinderedship.








I stop at the Hugh Norris trailhead and hike to the top for a bird's eye view, mingling with the local flora along the way.

One more stop at Signal Hill to see the petroglyphs, rock art thought to have been created by prehistoric Hohokam people 1,000 years ago.  Then unexpectedly,

my first desert sunset.  Yippie Ki-yay!