Nature Journal #7: Scottsdale, AZ

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 For Thanksgiving break this year, my family and I traveled to my grandparents' house in Scottsdale, Arizona. I have been to their house dozens of times over the years, but participating in this course has made me more aware of the environment there than I had been in the past. I have some not-so-fond memories of playing in my grandparents' backyard and getting poked by handfuls of cactus spikes. I whined, tears streaming down my face, as my grandfather ripped them out with tweezers one by one. My first impressions of Arizona were grim, to say the least. The Arizona weather this year certainly did not feel festive for the holiday season. The weather was in the 60s in the morning, but hit the high 70s and even low 80s in the afternoon. I brought some sweaters, but did not even end up wearing them. 

The night before Thanksgiving, we all went out for dinner at our favorite restaurant in Arizona: Tonto in Cave Creek. We were sat outside, per out request, at a table near the golf course. I was seated at a chair facing the restaurant, while my mom had a view of the grass. Suddenly, I heard my mom shriek from the top of her lungs, which made me hesitant to turn around. I slowly twisted around to see a swarm of javelinas approaching our tables. Javelinas look similarly to wild boars, but they have sharp teeth and are quite terrifying when approaching you from the darkness at night. Surprisingly, they are herbivores, so their scary appearance is just a front. Javelinas are the perfect epitome of what Arizona is like.

I spent the rest of my time in Arizona playing pickle ball, the court surrounded by cacti and other jagged plants. My mom, dad, brother and I played while my grandparents watched us. The sky was clear with the bright sunshine reflecting down on us. On Thanksgiving, my mom, brother, and I took my grandparents' golf cart for a spin around their gated community. Halfway along the path adjacent to the golf course, I took over driving. The breeze messed up our hair and moved around the leaves of the brush. The scenery was beautiful, with the bright kelly green grass next to beige dirt, irregular rocks, and more cacti. Along the trail, we saw multitudes of tan bunnies with white tails. I recall my grandfather saying their tails are often mistaken for golf balls. I always enjoy driving the golf cart along the golf course, especially when I see bunnies, foxes and coyotes. However, I must say the javelinas were the highlight of my trip.




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