Morning

I was up a little early today, when the still-sleepy sky was just perking up from gray to bluish gray and the verdins and cardinals had not quite decided to start singing in the morning. Last night we got a blast of wind that came out of nowhere, spitting rain and whipping the trees for about half an hour before dissipating and leaving the yard somewhat rumpled. This morning's air carried a freshness that hinted at far more moisture than actually fell from the sky last night, a cool soft puff of remnant rain and the scent of trees that felt more like Flagstaff than Tucson.

Not much later, as I walked down the breezeway at work, the sun was fully up and hitting my back, the brief respite of woodsy air chased by an early warmth promising an inevitable hot, sharply bright day.

And life in the desert goes on.