Good friends and good food... We got up early and drove out to Yucca Valley to visit with our friends Steve and Sue in their mountainside home. With Sue's fresh baked cookies in hand, we talked over our passion for the work of local sculptor Howard Pierce. I'm always amazed at the variety and number of animals milling about S&S's place, just beyond the patio: squirrels, quail, sparrows, coyotes, vultures, road runners. After lunch with Steve and Sue, we filled up on fuel and headed back to Phoenix. The sun was setting and, uh, the only thing more boring than driving a dull patch of highway is driving it at night. We kept ourselves busy with games of "connect the stars". A few hours later, we were back at home, exhausted but happy for all the great stuff we did.