>> “and quit his walks in the woods!” <<
In Phoenix?
Do you know what saguaro looks like? Or Palo Verde? That’s the woods around there!
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I'm putting my money on a tragic Gila Monster encounter, or perhaps a violent allergic reaction to a Tarantula Hawk sting. Heck, I mean, people succumb to bites (gnaws would be more precise, I suppose) of Coral Snakes that wander into their homes all the time, right?