Sunset @ 7:39 PM

It was a good day. 

I met three friends at the Posada Java coffeehouse for our once a month gathering.  I had planned to take ride to Madera Canyon afterward but the sky was looking pretty ominous over the mountains.  I didn't want to risk getting caught up there with roads washing out on the way down. 

The humidity wasn't AWFUL and the temperature was below 100°/38°. So I opened up my moon roof and windows and drove around looking for other blip opportunities. Every time I saw something, though, there wasn't a place to pull to the side of the road.  I got nothing.

On the way home I stopped at the closest Starbucks, had a great chicken artichoke sandwich from the deli and picked up some bread while I was there (it's located inside a grocery store).  It was starting to get late by the time I got home.

I saw the sky had some color.  This time of year I have to walk to the end of the road to really catch it best.  I quickly changed lenses, grabbed a bag for my mail and moseyed down the road.  I caught the blip in the northern sky.

By now it was getting pretty dark.  But as I was taking my mail out of the box, I saw a bird (a woodpecker, I think) crawl into the hole high in the saguaro.  I thought, "I'm gonna get your head poking out, you bugger!"  So I cranked up the ISO and braced my arms on the mailbox.  I waited and waited.  Must have been there at least 15 minutes, focused squarely on that spot.  I knew I would have to be quick.

I never saw the dang bird again. It must have been in for the night.  So the extra shows what I was staring at that entire time.  I was in no hurry to go back into the house.  By now the temperature had fallen into the mid-80's.  It was a lovely night.  I just wandered around, talking to people who were also out for a walk.

It was a good day.