I finally took the courage to take Gretel to the ABC pet vaccine clinic in Tucson. I had been postponing this all week because of the threat of rain. Driving in Tucson during a rain storm is not a pleasant experience as the roads are badly maintained and the drivers are impatient and rude. The I-10 interstate across Arizona is also one of the deadliest in the western part of the country.
This was my first trip to Tucson since the war with Iran started. I missed the city.
I wanted to get there by noon. Instead, Zana pushed her way out the front door with Gretel so I decided to change plans and run the girls down to the Lehner kill site for two miles. That delayed my departure by 80 minutes. I figured Gretel would appreciate the run before sitting in a car for two hours. She's a great passenger as she doesn't whine or move around much. She just finds a comfy spot and naps.
I used today's trip to pack up some recycables, but only took enough that wouldn't impede on Gretel's comfort. I was on the road shortly after 11am. The clinic closes at 5pm so I still had time.
The day progressed near perfectly. The overcast sky kept the temperature cool in my Honda and there was no stifling triple digit heat in Tucson. The bridge construction slow-go east of Tucson was minimal. The recycling bins by Ward 2 were recently emptied. And when I got to the ABC vaccine clinic, I was told it would be an hour wait, but I ended up getting called in within 30 minutes!
Gretel got her rabies, Lepto #1, DHPP, and Bordetella. I also had her microchipped. She was a good patient but I kept her muzzled because she gets nervous when strangers touch her. She weighed in at 64 pounds.
I left the clinic by 2:45pm; a good time to get a late lunch somewhere before the busy Friday night dinner scene.
I chose a dog-friendly restaurant on the NE side of town: Poco and Mom's. It's a highly-rated NewMexican restaurant with a covered patio. But by now it was just past 4pm and a flash flood warning screeched on my phone and dining al fresco was unlikely.
The host seated me inside where two other tables were eating. My meal was good, Gretel rested, and I left feeling stuffed.
The restaurant was close to the Morris K Udall park so Gretel and I walked the perimeter. The sky was dark and it did drizzle at first, but the rain bypassed us and stayed in the mountains. We walked 2.2 miles around the perimeter to a cool 78F.
The park has all kinds of sports fields for young and old, but the lower one-third of the park is just dirt paths for BMX. Here's also where I came across several homeless encampments. Other than that, the park offers a lot of great options.
My last errand was a stop at the nearby Coffee Xchange for a large green mint and peach iced tea. I wanted to wait out any rush hour traffic. The sky was still looking dark, but once I got on the road by 6pm, I left the rain clouds behind.
We got back home just minutes before dusk ended and were welcomed by five happy dogs. They were all curious to smell Gretel's butt. They left my butt alone.
Sierra Vista was dry today, but heavy rains are back for the weekend.
