For weeks, I’ve been reduced to describing myself as a number. How’m I doing? About a five. Sometimes a one or two. Sometimes an eight. For weeks, I’ve been known by my kidney stone pain level. A one or two; I can function through that. A five; that’s downright uncomfortable. An eight; it’s time for narcotics and a heating pad. The pain level has gradually dropped off over the last several days. I haven’t been above a one since last week. It hasn’t hurt at all today. I’ve been a zero all day, and I’m fine with that. There is no way to be sure the stone is really gone, unless I go back in for another cat scan; but why would I go in for a cat scan if nothing hurts? If I can continue to be a zero for the next few days…. It might be time to say goodbye to my little friend.
Not that it’s unusual to spend time with them, it’s just that we live in Texas and they live in Colorado; it’s unusual that we all happen to be in Phoenix at the same time. 
And ocotillo.
And cholla.
And palo verde trees.
Our campsite.
We’ve been here before. We’ve been in this campsite before.
It’s hard to leave and easy to come back to.
From the top looking back, the canyon looks like this.
It’s a pretty steep road at the top.
Still at Zane Grey.
We’ll move along tomorrow. 
Who seems fine. Until she suddenly seems to have gotten hit by a truck and is practically lying in pieces on the ground.
So we look for the eggs; for the nest she is trying to distract us from. It’s not much of a nest, just a spot in the rocks on the ground.
As we leave the nest alone and step back, the killdeer is suddenly fine again.
