Mountain Lion

Mountain Lion, Cougar, Puma    Different names for the same animal.  All of them are rarely seen.  Before last Tuesday, I had never seen one.  Then, at 11am on Hwy 85 just before exiting the monument, a mountain lion bounded across the road in front of the truck.  It took three bounds to clear the distance from the left side of the road to the bushes on the right.  It happened so fast that I only got a short imagine of it.  In fact I only remember the front half.  I initially thought it was a bobcat because they have been seen this year and it was about that size.  But I remember the head and it did not have fur tufts on it's ears and it was solid tawny brown.  He was there and gone like the wind.
   "Did you see that? !!!"' I yelled to R.  "See what?', was her reply.  She had been looking elsewhere, searching for buds on the Saguaros and there are a few.  (see previous entries)  But the key item was that she did not see this wonderful creature. I have downloaded this photo to show you what I saw.  Seeing animals on TV or in zoos is one thing.  Seeing them in person, in their environment, is totally another.