05.09.08 - 11:14 am

the vespas.
or scooters. whatever they were, my father has a pair of matching white honda motorized cycles. adorable, really. far beyond the city limits of phoenix and scottsdale, hidden amongst mountains of spherical boulders is carefree, arizona. each multimillion dollar house out here must rest on five or more acres. its a quaint little town. it has a giant 60 foot sun dial. there are shops and cafes. the whole place looks like a movie set, built with haste but passion, in the middle of an empty expanse. a maze of roads leads only further and further out into the virgin mountain desert. and so, with my father and then with my sister, we skirted along at 35 mph. up the hills and through the sharp turns. i came across a rattlesnake, smeared into the pavement. ashton would later ask me to bring this back for him. the country here is so beautiful. the air is warm and fresh, amidst the browns and dull greens a wash of colorful flowers, although small and subtle, make this expanse so wonderful to experience not trapped inside a car, but flying with the wind. this same feeling of enjoyment i fear would be lost on a scooter winding between car horns and large delivery trucks in a downtown setting.