It's raining

I knew that we were going to get rain today, so when I had some free time yesterday morning, I packed up the dogs and took them back to Ash Canyon for that pleasant three-mile out-and-back hike along the creek.

It was a pretty hike, and a hike I recommended to Kevin for a short and scenic hike. If there are no prospectors, hunters, doggers or horses in the area, then this is ideal. But if there are cars parked along the creek's lower parking lot, it's best avoided.

I drove up to the area at 11:20am yesterday. The dogs were anxious for a hike and there was no one else anywhere along the trail. The recent snow and rain has given life back to the creek bed, and small pools of water were available to the dogs for their refreshment.

Sadly, there was more trash along this route. I didn't have any bags to collect the stuff in, but made a note for this for a later time. Winter clothing left behind by border crossers was also left behind near the turn-around point, but I left all that there.

And this time I discovered a tombstone I had never noticed before. Off the dirt road was a small grave site fenced in wrought iron. A cement slab with a man's name in tile mosaic revealed the man's name but not death date. How long has this been there? When did he die? What other secrets are in these forests?

The dogs frolicked along the creek on our return hike, staying close to the trail which followed either bank of the creek. We made it back home by 1pm and I resumed my studies.

Later in the evening, perhaps by climbing over a metal pole to get around closed-off construction tape, I must have pulled my left knee muscle, as I limped most of the rest of the day and still am this morning. Several cactus puncture marks around my left knee, from when I was kneeling in my front yard taking photographs, reveal that I perhaps placed my knee right on a small cactus hidden by the gravel. I hope my legs feel better by this weekend, as there's another hike I'm leading in Sabino canyon this weekend, but now I'm learning that the creek water has already risen to one's knees and may be unsafe (too swift) for fording. We will do the Phoneline trail instead, to maintain the general area of the hike and still enjoy the scenic vistas from the high ground. This rain is slated to end by late Thursday.

My garden should be ready for tilling next weekend. I'm going to plant some sweet peas. I just need the time! I hope I don't get called in to work tomorrow, as I need time to outline two papers due next week, and next week is going to be hectic enough for me. I can't think of doing anything but read and study on a wet and cool day. A day off from hiking will give both Sammy and Sara time off to recuperate as they were limping rather stiffly this morning when they hobbled over to the kitchen for their breakfast. Why do dogs have to age so fast?