The desert is so beautiful at this time of year.

When Bao and I walk in the morning, the hummingbirds swoop down to drink nectar from the ocotillo flowers and whole families of quail march in single file along the tops of the walls while rabbits scamper to safety

We walk early, while it's still cool and the rattlesnakes are asleep.

Rattlesnakes are a worry. Luckily, Bao is unadventurous. He doesn't go looking for trouble. He doesn't chase rabbits. (Actually, I think he's a bit scared of the rabbits) Ever since he was a puppy, Bao has gone through life on a need to know basis. What he needs to know, he learns. What he doesn't need to know, he ignores.

They have a rattlesnake avoidance program for dogs here in Tucson, but it involves giving the dog an electric shock, and it operates on the assumption that one size (shock) fits all. My neighbor's dog trembled for a week afterwards, and he still sniffs under bushes where the rattlesnakes hang out.

They say baby rattlesnakes are the worst, because they don't know when to bite and when to retreat. I don't know We haven't seen a baby rattlesnake. I hope we never do.