A BEAUT OF A BUTTE ...

I had a butte of a morning today in Tempe. I woke up extra early, so I could climb to the top of the highest point in Tempe, the Hayden Butte, to watch the sunrise. Hayden Butte is 1,500-feet high and was considered a sacred place by the area's early settlers, the Hohokam Indians. I didn't find any signs of the Hohokams (even though there are supposed to be ancient petroglyphs at the summit), but the students at nearby Arizona State have certainly left their mark: They've attached a 60-foot yellow "A" on the side of the butte directly facing the Sun Devil Stadium.

The view was spectacular. At dawn, the sun casts a glow over the desert horizon that paints the sky in shades of dark blue and pale pink. You can see the whole Valley of the Sun from the summit, from the University to the shops and restaurants nearby. I admired the view for a while, then let gravity pull me towards the Starbucks at Mill and 5th Street.

I could grow to love the Starbucks around here. The local characters are as colorful as the desert. I couldn't help noticing that a woman at the next table (above, far right) was reading Tarot Cards for her friends. "This is interesting," she said with a smile, "There's change in your future ... and a little fame or notoriety, too!" I whipped out my Spycam and pointed it in their direction. Call it destiny ...!