I woke up in a funk after yesterday's incident with the coatimundi. I told Kevin what happened to Sweetie and he, too, didn't show much sympathy for Sweetie. Sweetie was still lying in her spot when I got up to make coffee, but if she was in any pain by the afternoon, I couldn't tell. She was with the rest of the pack on the back porch with Kevin.
Weather outside was colder, windier and stormier than yesterday, giving me another excuse to stay inside and hike a short hike later. I was tired, both physically and emotionally. I read in bed, occasionally getting interrupted by a cat's howling outside the window. Willie, our feral resident cat, was up in the tree in the front yard, apparently trying to get away from that cat. That cat, a white long-haired cat with some spots of orange, tried to climb the tree to get to Willie, but kept sliding down the bark as if it couldn't hold on. Perhaps that cat had its claws removed? I've seen that cat in our yard several times now. One time it was eating food I had placed outside for Willie. The cat is welcome to stay as long as it doesn't fight with Willie, who earned first bids.
Willie seems to have made our front yard his permanent home as I see him more often. And that's fine with me as I'm the reason he's in the yard and not in the Bisbee junk yard as a feral. He was brought into the shelter as a scared feral. I took him and two other stray kittens home to foster and socialize them. The other cats were tamed but Willie never learned to trust us. I think the barking dogs always stressed him and that is why he bolted from the house but never strayed far. That was five years ago! He still meows when I call his name, but he refuses to let me get near him. I bought him a cat house which I placed under the cover of the juniper bushes, but it doesn't look like he's using it yet. Maybe that white cat is? I wanted to give him shelter from the winds and rains that are yet to come this season.
The sky remained dark for most of the morning. Winds howled as well. It wasn't until the afternoon that the winds calmed down and the sky cleared up and I was ready to walk the dogs. As soon as they sensed my intent, all of them started barking with excitement, including Sweetie who was jumping around like nothing was bothering her. As promised, though, I kept her inside.
As for her lip, I was able to take a closer look today. It looks like her lip wasn't just cut open, it looks like the coati ripped a chuck off her upper lip. There's an inch-long cut that's also 1/8 inch wide, wide enough to expose her upper teeth. Her mouth still looks raw inside, but it's long stopped bleeding. This cut probably will be a permanent cleft in her lip.
Today I opted to hike up to Kelly Springs in Hunter Canyon in the eastern Huachucas. This had been the hike I did all the time with Sara and Sammy ten years ago, going out and back along the creek for three miles round trip. It's an easy hike ideal for after work or new hikers and in all these years, seldom see a person on this trail. Elevation ranges from 4965' near the highway to 5445' at the springs. There's a new mile extension right at the trail head parking near the entrance off SR92 that adds another half mile to the hike, making this a 3.5-mile hike along and in the creekbed.
I parked along the forest sign today, right past the cattle guard, and hiked with three dogs up the dry creekbed, which looks like it still used by border crossers because of the firmness the path appears to have in the sand, an indication of heavy traffic. I haven't walked here in months, to avoid the wood cutters who are allowed to cut down the burned and damage trees and haul them away for firewood. There was no one else around and I got to enjoy the scenic creek bed that's lined by either high rock walls, or layers of sediment. It was 60F and most of the trail was already shaded by the waning sun. The fire damage from 2011 is still visible, but new oak trees and pines are coming back. It's slowly returning to the bucolic canyon I enjoyed so much ten years ago.
There was water at Kelly Springs and in a smaller steel container. The dogs took advantage of that water before we continued on the return walk. You can see San Jose Peak in Sonora from the springs. It's a view I always like seeing.
The return hike was on the trail and extension trail above the creek bed but still along the bank. Minnie had found a deer leg but Sadie fought it off of her. She was now hiking back with a smelly lower deer leg in her mouth, which she tried to gobble down. She'd run ahead, flop down to munch, and then I'd pass her again. This is the third deer leg the dogs have found in either Hunter Canyon or Oak Estates. Perhaps the fourth and final leg is still out there, waiting to be discovered?!
I started today's hike at 3:33pm and I was done in 1:17 hours. I felt a chill on my face as I finished. Now it's back to work this week. Weather will be in the 60Fs for the rest of the month, but it looks like we will have daytime temps in the 80s come March. Trees are already budding around us. I don't mind this early bloom as long as we get more rain.
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