Tribute to Melvin Jones on U.S. 70

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There are very few distractions along U.S. 70 as it winds its way through the cotton fields and flatlands at Fort Thomas in southeastern Arizona. Mount Graham is a blue-gray mass on the horizon and a few other peaks rise gently from an otherwise level landscape. But suddenly, on the western edge of the community, a spire rises more than 50 feet above the semi-desert. What makes it unusual is that it’s standing there all by itself, with no church attached. A quick stop for an inspection reveals that it’s a memorial to Melvin Jones. Since a 50-foot obelisk doesn’t just pop out of the ground all by itself, this raises the question…

Roadrunner Food Habits Are A Bash

Roadrunner

Today’s question: I’ve seen roadrunners running around with lizards in their mouths, but recently, I was surprised to see one grab a small bird, bash it against the ground several times and take off into the desert with the body. Is this normal?

Grabbed it and bashed it on the ground several times? I hope this doesn’t give my masters any ideas. Yes, what you saw was perfectly normal, at least for roadrunners. They cannot live by lizards alone. They also eat scorpions, snakes, rodents, small birds, eggs, insects and a few berries and seeds every now and then just to keep regular.