Strange Town #1

This is the first installment of a series of short lists titled "Strange Town" that focus on the specifics that make East Coasters go "What?" in Arizona. They are best perused while listening to The Jam's "Strange Town":

1) Javelinas


The first week I was in Prescott, I was casually informed of the existence of these tiny demon pigs. They roam the suburbs in packs and are known to attack. Additionally, they smell like skunks and are "most active at night."
Your nightmares will thank me.

2) Bugs

Not only do genuinely dangerous creepy-crawlies like black widows and scorpions abound, but they are all way bigger than they should be. There is also a particular kind of shiny black beetle that I've never seen before. Locals call them "Rain Bugs" because they die easily and cover the streets after it rains (read: "monsoons"). They are the most pathetic insects I have ever been confronted with.

3) Wildfires

Controlled burns on the Thumb Butte have left the air super smokey. This guy is everywhere, serving as a consistent reminder that we're not in soggy New York anymore.

4) Driving

Arizona only provides its residents with one license plate (which I have a problem with), and some people get pretty creative when it comes to filling the extra space. The other day I saw a car that had a wooden fish screwed into where the back license plate should be. 

In a single day, my New York license plate may solicit a variety of responses:


To the person who drowned out my electro-pop with "Rhapsody in Blue"; thank you for a much needed dose of New York romanticism.

To the woman who honked at me for a mile and then yelled "NEW YOAAAAAAHHHRK" into my window as you passed by; thank you for a much needed reality check re: New York.

More thoughts to come,

Anna