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Roger,

Your pictures of a Roadrunner reminded me of one of my favorite stories about my dear, departed mother-in-law, Gisela.

During my in-laws' first trip to visit my wife and I here in Tucson, one of the first places we took them was Saguaro NP East. While walking the nature trail behind the Visitors Center, my wife noticed a Roadrunner on the path just a couple of feet behind her mom.

"Look, a Roadrunner right behind you!", my wife exclaimed. Gisela, who was often the victim of practical jokes because of her gullibility, refused to turn around and look. The only roadrunner she had seen to that point was in American cartoons, and she was determined not to be the butt of another joke.

Despite our repeated pleas, she refused to turn around and, eventually, the roadrunner sauntered off into the brush. Gisela was quite pleased with herself for not having "fallen for it" until she learned they really do exist the next day.

From that point on, all you had to say was, "Look, a roadrunner!" and she would instinctively turn and look behind her.

Thanks for the memory!



Jim

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