Boyz in the Hood

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE

After two days of new hikes I was back to the familiar terrain of La Quinta today. But to make it seem new again I took my son, Nikolas, and some boys from the neighborhood.

We start at the La Quinta flood control basin. It's like a gateway to another world for these kids. We'll soon leave the concrete completely behind.

We make our way up a little draw and Johnnie says he saw a rat run into a hole. I think it was probably an Antelope Ground Squirrel but it's a rat to him.

Taking the boys out to climb on some rocks is like putting a fish in water.

Maybe I should have told them not to touch the cactus. I figured they'd have known that but I guess not.

These guys feel right at home here and while a lot of the country is buried under snow we have a perfect day for a hike.

I get the strange feeling I'm about to get ambushed.

We are headed up to the watering hole in the canyon to see if there is still any water or maybe we'll get lucky and spot an animal. Nik is ready in case we come across a mountain lion or coyote.

There's still water here almost two weeks after the last rain but Kahlua is the only one to enjoy it. The boys think it looks a little too much like pee to want to take a drink. Of course, if they were really thirsty they might not care but we're close enough to home that they will wait until we can get some clean water. I really enjoy taking the boys out so they can see what kind of things their neighborhood has to offer.