Weekly hiking club.

Hiking is a fixture of entertainment in Tucson. Last year a few of my female friends and I started hiking each weekend. Usually it is pretty leisurely. We hike for a couple of hours. Eat snacks. Look out into the desert and wonder how it is we find it so beautiful and full of life. Sometimes partners/dogs/kids/friends go with. Since we hike on Sundays, Turner usually prefers to chill with Andy, so I go alone. Andy worked last weekend, so Turner and I met up with our friends at Sabino Canyon at 9 AM. Normally we carpool, but I didn't know how long Turner would hang tough, so I thought it best to drive separate.

We start with Esperero trail, take bluff trail on to Rattlesnake. Early in our hike, Turner and I start telling stories about rattlesnakes (since this is our destination). We locate a rattlesnake in the cloud pattern in the sky. Sky Diamond Turner calls it, and it follows us throughout the day. More than once Turner says to Erica, "The rattler is following us." She had no idea what he was talking about so she'd just scream a bit and act scared. :)

Turner leads the pack all day. He climbs up the first set of rocks so quickly, we're all a bit breathless at the top. We stop for snacks four times. Honeycrisp apples. Trail mix with yogurt chips. Cheese sticks. PB and crackers. Lots and lots of water. During one break, Turner teeters across the stream, one side to the other. He makes it back and forth twice without incident. Then, as he told the story to Andy later over dinner, "I was on my way back across and I went elbow down first on the rock and foot down last into the water." Both pant legs ended up wet, even though he insists it was only one foot in the water.

As we stroll along, Erica is telling a story that concerned animals in unusual places. When she finishes her story, Turner yells back to her, "We saw a Mexican coyote at our house. In the street. Just walking along."

Erica laughs. "How did you know he was Mexican? Did he have a special hat on or something?"

"No. He was just a Mexican coyote."

"Mexican wolf actually," I say. And, yes, there was a Mexican wolf taking a leisurely stroll down our street last summer.

At another point, Turner is walking with Elise and telling her stories. "You know, I'm the year of the rooster." Just like LaLa.

"Oh. How do you know that?" asks Elise.

"My CiCi told me. She read me these things while she was here."

"Yeah? Did you have fun while she was here?"

"Yes. And she is the year of the rat. And you know, she hates rats. Really hates them."

"Hmmm," says Elise.

"Can I tell you something else? I'm also the year of the most precious wedding gift."

"Yeah. What's that?"

"The diamond."

After two and a half hours of hiking, Turner and I are quietly enjoying the crunchy shell on dipped cones. "Mom, you know the reason there is gravity is because the Earth turns."

"Yeah. I think I knew that."

"Sure. Right." He nods his head in total disbelief.