"I feel that I would be able to see more from your shoulder than from here," he says, slipping easily out of the bag to balance upon the saddle.

The cat, being out of the bag, has no trouble getting himself up onto Doc's shoulders. He lies with claws hooked lightly into the fabric of Doc's vest for balance, looking this way and that as he sniffs the hot desert air. His tail may brush against Doc's arm, occasionally, as it twitches.

"The air here smells so different. Everything is different. Oh, there are similarities to things I have seen before, but this is still completely new to me. I may get down and walk, eventually."

"How far is it to Denver, the way you are going?"