Love story from the Sonoran Desert

Today I sang to this raven. 

I started out with "Songbird," which got his attention, but his favorite seemed to be "I'll fly Away" because he raised his wings every time I sang those words, which are repeated in the chorus.

 I ended with this verse by Jesse Winchester

 

How far to the horizon

I'm in a rush you see

We were to meet by the western sky

My love must be waiting on me

And then, Raven being my one true north, 

I asked him to marry me.

https://www.bethsurdut.com/listening-to-raven.html

Ways to go wild in the desert

"I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw." (Hamlet).

 Crepuscular creature that I am, I often walk the desert starting at dusk and into the night. Last night, responding to the monsoons, lovely poisonous white datura bloomed amidst yellow brittlebush covering much of the paths to and from the labyrinth. 

Three Cooper's hawks flew close above me at the dimming of the day. later, a fourth hawk landed in a tree and watched me photograph the flowers.

On my way home, I was thinking, "If I were a snake, I'd like to be in this undergrowth..." and then just as I reached a clearing, I almost stepped on this king snake.