I was saying good bye to Hank and Margie on Thursday morning. Margie was happy with peek-a-boo and paddy cake as I asked them what surprise I could bring back from my trip to Arizona. I gave Hank a choice between a rattlesnake and a roadrunner. He wisely chose the short flight bird. The discussion gave us a chance to look at the very fast creature that was made legendary by Wile E. Coyote and Acme products. It turns out in real life the 20 mile per hour bird cannot actually out run a coyote. The Greater Roadrunner is up to two feet tall and weighs about 10.5 ounces. The bird is agile-able to kill a rattlesnake by grabbing the head or tail and whipping them violently. They make an X as a track as they have four toes, two faced to the front and two facing back. The footprint is a sacred symbol of the Pueblo Indians who believed it would ward off evil spirits. The roadrunner’s Latin origin is Geococcyx californianus or the “California earth cuckoo”. I am not sure if Hank can have a live Roadrunner but I think he chose his gift wisely.
I grew up playing baseball and loved the sport. Although I have limited interest today, I do follow the leagues and some of the players. I remain embarrassed to be a Yankee fan but it was my team. I watched the Giants play the Mariners yesterday in spring training. Baseball is big in Arizona, the airport is full of baseball paraphernalia adorned travelers and there are games every night at multiple fields. The Peoria stadium had 8200 fans in attendance for the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Seattle Mariners. The hot dogs were excellent and the beer cold.
“Well beat the drum and hold the phone-the sun came out today! We’re born again, there’s new grass on the field.” The chorus includes every player’s wish “put me in Coach, I’m ready to play today!” John Fogerty’s timeless song, Centerfield, captures the season and the passion for the sport. The game was played and the Giants won 4-0 but the Mariners had a chance to tie in the ninth with bases loaded— Tuffy Gosewisch struck out. We all strike out occasionally and hopefully it makes us stronger.
“Hope springs eternal” said Alexander Pope in his 1734 “An Essay on Man.” Enjoy the season as we Spring forward this week end.
Mike