Fall is in the air

I didn't go on any hikes this weekend. After spending $440 for a new fuel pump for my 2002 Ford Escape, I felt a little defeated. The plan to drive up to Flagstaff for the weekend was also scrapped, and with the added car repair bill, a wise decision. Northern Arizona's weather was also cooler and stormier.

Ellen cancelled the backpacking trip to Havasu Falls because of Brenda's slow recovery from kidney stones. I'm not totally disappointed. There's always another time (I hope!).

Meanwhile, places like Boulder, CO and Santa Clara, NM are suffering from horrendous flooding. The monsoon has been very good this year, the best one since we moved here in 2004, but some areas that recently had wildfires now are getting flooded. I may not do that car camp back to the Jordan Hot Springs in October.

It was a quiet weekend for me focused on the garden. I am still getting tomatoes and green beans from the garden. I also have four fruit trees to plant and I had planned on doing that this weekend, too, but somehow spaced that out.

I noticed that Sara's shrub has been sinking. It's now a good six inches lower than before. The top soil keeps cracking open. Perhaps I placed too much grass over Sara's bag and that grass has now decomposed, creating this vacuum. Otherwise the shrub is doing find and growing buds. While I miss my Sara, at least her afterlife is providing continued growth for new life.

I spent a lot of time pulling weeds. I've filled up the fifth trash dumpster full of weeds.

Sammy got a bath. His fur has been so greasy lately and took him outside to wash him down. He wasn't happy about that. His fur looks fluffier now but the fur still feels greasy!

The highlight for the dogs this weekend was our late romp up Hunter Canyon at 5:30pm today. It was already dusk by then and I knew we couldn't stay long. Target shooters were busy in nearby crevices so I took Zeke, Sammy, Sadie and Minnie straight west on the jeep trail, to the edge of the Miller Peak Wilderness sign. The foothills looked so green from all the rain. Yellow and blue flowers dotted the path. I can't even remember the last time it has been this green so late in September. The canyon has healed nicely sicne the 2011 fire. The creek in Hunter Canyon, however, has carved an even deeper path through the canyon.