Step lightly

 From the desk of Dan Price

I'm an old timer and one of my rules I make sure I abide by is to walk slowly and carry a big stick.

Well, I forego the stick. Too cumbersome, yet you might find me with a coffee cup in my hand. 

There are plenty of critters out there. Although after all this record-setting rain in Tucson the past month or two, there's nothing but weeds in my neighborhood. Of course the mountains and the desert are green...plush and that's a very good sign. Yes, we need the rain. It wasn't long ago when I was forced to smell smoke on my morning walk as a stubborn and unwanted fire in the Catalina Mountains inched closer to my subdivision.

This morning, I was a 100 yards away from my first critter of the day. Or, so I thought. Moments later, I realized in was a camouflaged mask. It was flat as a pancake. Chances are the poor thing was run over by a car or two.

I thought, do I pick up the poor thing or let it rot? I mean occasionally I listen to the news and maybe I should just shoot the poor thing. Luckily, my shotgun was back at the house.

As I continued to walk, I thought to myself. What if? What if I started my own business? I'd get myself  a new van and stencil the words Danno's Mask Removal on the side of the vehicle. Maybe someone would pay me a quarter per mask. I could take the unwanted masks to the recycle center, you know next to the place you turn in aluminum cans. Push a button and receive my funds for the day.

I'm always looking for a part-time job. Not really. I'd rather go to the the ball park and play baseball.

Of course, that brings us back to the rain...and that washes away all those thoughts in my head.

Please, mask up if you need to. If not call Danno's Mask Removal before you toss your nose covering to the wind.