Cold morning; a walk along the river

It was 38F this morning when I walked the dogs for two miles down the forest road.  That's the coldest morning yet this season, and it will only get colder.  Sunrise was at 6:34am but low clouds kept the light from popping out for 20 minutes.   There was light to the south, but not so much to the east. Once the sun did show itself, the morning glory was spectacular.  I love the morning light show, however short it is.

I took the dogs for a two-mile walk before heading out to school to deal with a classroom full of ED students.  That's not the easiest of jobs, but taking the dogs out for a second short walk along the river after school is ideal therapy for me.  I wanted to see how the trees' colors were.  It was in the low 70s.

I chose the Hereford Bridge trail head to walk them to the river.  That's the most direct way for me to get to the river, nine miles away.  Susan, who lives nearby, told me the grass there is overgrown so I expected a corn maze, and I got it.  Cutbacks at the BLM prevents BLM employees from doing a control burn here, or to even mow the trail to make it easier on us hikers. I was still wearing the thin pants from work and got my ankles scratched up from the dead weeds and the dreadful Russian thistle, aka tumbleweed.   That stuff is now everywhere and going to seed. Half of this mile-long section of trail is overgrown. This was not a fun hike for me, but the dogs enjoyed romping around in the river.  It's only a mile from the trailhead, just long enough to get them panting.  Even Minnie can do this walk.  Sadie stayed home; the morning walk was enough for her.

I was surprised to see little fall colors here.  The lower elevation here must be the reason why, because the trees in Garden Canyon on Fort Huachuca are already in full bloom.  I'm going to try to make it there this weekend.  My weekend is getting booked fast.

I had contacted Susan to see if she was interested in joining me on this short hike, but I forgot that she was getting ready to pack for her flight to England tomorrow.  She did invite me to stop by, which I did.  To my surprise, Sweetie was at her best behavior and took to Susan.  I may have m isjudged Sweetie's temperament all this time, as she was so well-behaved and affectionate to Susan.  All the dogs enjoyed Susan's English garden, with tall shade trees and lush, green grass.

We sat outside, drank a beer each, and watched the dogs watch the birds in Susan's garden.  Susan thinks Sweetie is part Malinois (the chow part is obvious).  I will have her DNA tested next.  I think she is right.

Her home is small, with two big rooms and an open living room, but she has done wonders to her four acres.  It was like being in a different ecozone.  Even in the heat of the summer, she has cool shade and the birds take advantage of that. She has full view of the mountains, too.  She and her husband can step outside their front yard and watch the sun set. It's the perfect home for an animal/nature lover like Susan.