Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve, Chesterton IN

Distance: 2.3 miles 
Significance: cool trails along shaded creek
http://www.coffeecreekwc.org/

Today was Ethan's turn to guide our hike.  He chose walking around the Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve off IN49 in Chesterton.  This area was developed in 1999 out of a 157-acre complex consisting of wetlands, woods, and prairie.  I was first here with Sadie ten years ago, walking the 5km (3.2-mile) loop around the creek.  It's gotten more developed over the years as it's become a popular place for joggers, dogwalkers, young families.  And it's free!

We had lunch at Popeye's in Valparaiso, driving through the drive-thru and then eating while driving.  We were both hungry.  I had my usual spicy chicken sandwich, and Ethan had a three-piece mild chicken meal with spicy mashed potatoes.  Zeke got all the left-overs.  We both managed to finish our food before getting out of the car to start our hike.

And boy, did that humidity hit me as soon as we stepped out of the car.  Holy Moly.  Ethan was damp, too.  I gave him one of my hiking hats to wear since he left his hat at home.  "OK boss, show me the way!" I said, and Ethan gladly led me.  He has a good pace on flat trails; I was impressed.  He led me mostly along Coffee Creek, a shaded tannin-colored creek bordered by marsh flowers.  Zeke stepped in quite a bit to drink as the humidity affected him, too.

What I then witnessed was a confident 11-year-old walking proudly down the trails, showing me special places where he likes to stop and listen to birds or watch the flowing creek.  He has come here a few times with his mom to walk the trails. He stopped to look at bugs and show me them.  There's a nature lover in that boy!  When he gazes at the water, he is reflective.  Makes me wonder what goes on in his head.  He was close to his uncle Joe, who died April 11, 2020 of a heroin overdose.  He was only 37 years old. 

"Omi, I wished you lived closer so we could go hiking every week!" My heart melted when he said that.  "Hiking is so relaxing!"

We had no map, but there were signs at every intersection.  One really can't get lost here, as the main trail is a dirt trail marked the "5K" trail, and it guides along the perimeter.  We crossed several foot bridges and stopped several times to rest along the creek.  Ethan even found a painted rock in the creek with "Valpo Rocks!" on it .  So apparently painting rocks and hiding them along hiking trails is not just a fad in Sierra Vista, but across the country.  He opted to take that rock home with him.

Clouds were starting to billow and I worried we would get slammed by a downpour, but that never happened.  We did see a few "interesting" cloud formations, including one that we both agreed looked like a penis.  Yeah, I know...it's probably not the best thing to share with an 11-year-old grandson.

Today's walk was a mere 2.34 miles, a half-mile shorter than yesterday.  But we didn't mind.  The humidity really got all of us today.   We stopped at Culver's for custard after the hike, ate our treat in the car since the dining area was closed, and drove back to Valparaiso.  Ethan was fast asleep until we got to his house.  I stayed for another two hours but left shortly after his dad Nick got home.  I was tired from the heat and wanted to be back in Crown Point before the rains came, but they bypassed us this time and that is fine with me, because hail was predicted in parts of Chicago.

***

Global cases: 10,620,411

Global deaths: 516,454

US cases: 2,729,799

US deaths: 130,134

AZ cases: 79,215

AZ deaths: 1632

IN cases: 45, 594

IN deaths: 2640

The Three Dunes Challenge with Ethan and Zeke

The Indiana Dunes is where I learned to love the outdoors when I was a child growing up in the Region.  I always enjoy coming back here.  I will always love the Dunes.
https://www.indianadunes.com/explore-the-dunes/indiana-dunes-state-park/
https://secure.in.gov/dnr/parklake/files/dunes_trail.pdf

My 11-year-old grandson Ethan wanted to go hiking with me today.  I gladly complied.  We had lunch at Fazoli's in Valparaiso, Ethan's first time at this rather pricey fast-food Italian chain (our lunch was $18!). We then briefly stopped at a CVS drug store so that I could get him a hat.  I told him it was important to wear a hat while hiking because a hat keeps the sun off the head.

Then we drove off to Indiana Dunes State Park, paid the $12 non-resident fee and started the hike off trail #8 at the Wilson shelter, where I always start. I figured heading out on trail #10 which branches off of trail #8, a longer but flatter trail through an old black oak forest would be easy.  Ethan was confident he could do it. His initial plan was to do a six-mile hike, but the Three Dune Challenge (3DC) was too much for him to pass.  So instead of turning east on trail #10, we continued on trail #8 and began the 3DC.

He quickly learned that running up a sand dune is not easy.  That fine, thick sand will pull you back a foot for every two feet you make.  We broke out in sweat. I reminded him that his football coach would surely make him do workouts like what we were doing for the 3DC. He replied that a coach for 6th grade football would probably not demand that of his players.  He's a wise kid, but it was worth mentioning that "no pain, no gain!" at times makes sense.


It was tough for me, too, in that 80% humidity and a full stomach, but I never let Ethan see that.  I was up front, slowed down for him to catch up, and encouraged him to drink his Gatorade.  We stopped at every dune peak for him to catch his breath.  Even Zeke was hurting in the heat.  I was excited to see him want to hike with me, and to agree to the most difficult trail in the Indiana Dunes was admirable, so I wanted to make sure I didn't turn this short but strenuous hike into a torture session for him, and him not wanting to hike with me ever again.

We stopped at the Nature Center for a quick restroom break.  This was the official end of the 3DC.   A ranger outside was talking about the native turtles of the Dunes as she held up a young Eastern Box turtle. The Nature Center at the park is a great little learning center.

We had hiked 1.64 miles at this point, the end of the official 3DC. "That's all?!" was Ethan's response. That look of disappointment and disgust will forever be imprinted in my mind.
"Want to hike a little bit longer?" I asked.  I was hoping he would say yes, and he did.  Yay.
"I'm glad you have some of Omi's (that's what Ethan calls me) genes" I then said, referring to his love for hiking.
"Yeah" he replied.  So there is hope that my love for the outdoors gets passed on to at least one of my grandsons.

But we only managed another mile total on trail #10, making it to the edge of the Great Marsh before turning around.  Ethan looked flushed and tired.  He had had enough and the hike was no longer fun.

"I don't see too many kids out hiking" he said.
And just as he said that, a family of five passed us at an intersection going the opposite direction.  The three young kids, all who looked younger than Ethan, were wearing hats and were walking at a brisk pace with their parents.  That shut Ethan up.

We got back to the Honda within two hours and left the park.

I told Nick (Ethan's dad) that I would drop Ethan off at his mother Annette's house where she was having a birthday party.   Annette has a large above-ground pool and often hosts pool parties.  Ethan then remembered that he had left his swimming trunks at his other grandmother's place, and that was an excuse to go with Ethan to the Valparaiso Walmart before dropping him off at Annette's place.  Minutes after getting back to the Honda, it began to rain hard.  It turns out that Nick was still at home so I dropped him off at his house and I drove on back to Crown Point, barely missing another violent downpour once I got home there.

I spent the rest of the evening talking to Carol's in-home nurses, Aramiss who got off at 8pm and then Jessica, who is also an in-home nurse for Carol's sister Marge who has never fully recovered from her stroke she had in October 2018.

Rain is now forecasted every day for the rest of the week.  Ethan wants to do more hiking so I'll do my best.  Doing shorter trails near his home would also be fine.

***

Global cases: 10,434,519

Global deaths: 510,460

US cases: 2,681,762

US deaths: 128,783

AZ cases: 76,987 (+3079); ranked #10

AZ deaths: 1588 

IN cases: 45,228 (+298); ranked #18

IN deaths: 2624 (+5)

Walking the Lake Fayetteville trail; Eureka Springs

Distance: 5.4 miles

Elevation: Just under 1300'

I was up before sunrise.  I wanted to find a coffee shop before starting the 5.4-mile Lake Fayetteville trail, a paved multi-use path that showed up on my Alltrails app.  I didn't find a coffeeshop in the dark, but I did get to the trail before sunrise, parking on the north-central part of the lake in an empty parking area.  There are at least four parking lots for this trail around the lake and I was the first one in this one.  It was quite crowded on my way back two hours later.

And what a pretty trail it is, despite being paved.  It meanders through trees around the lake.  There are dirt trails that get one closer to the water, but I just wanted a quick powerwalk with Zeke with little worry about catching ticks, that was on my route of travel without backtracking.  This trail delivered. 

My only disappointment is that it's not really a lake view trail. One only has a clear view of the lake on the west side, along the spillway.  A pedestrian bridge here gets one across a waterfall.  Another bridge on the south side gets one across Clear Creek, where I let Zeke stop for water.  The rest of the path is through a hardwood forest of red and white oak, sassafras, red maple, river birch, black gum and pine.  This tree cover made for a limited view of the sunrise.

It was already 71F when I started at 6am.  The temperature inversion really brought out the fragrant wildflowers that crowded along both sides of the path.  I smelled honeysuckle along the entire route. I was so impressed with all the women of all ages and sizes out exercising so early.  I even saw a few men as well.  People were jogging, running, cycling, dogwalking.  There is also a disc golf course and mountain bike obstacle course along the path.  This is a path I'd do again when in the area, although there are also a few 1800'-2000' mountains (hills) I'd enjoy bagging as well.  I like northwestern Arkansas.

Springdale, AR is home to Tyson Foods.  It's a busy, congested area! (J B Hunt Transport Services is headquartered in nearby Lowell, AR)  I noticed the congestion better in daylight. From the lake I continued my road trip north, diverting to Eureka Springs 50 miles to the Northeast via US71 and then US62 through rolling hills.  The town is listed as one of Arkansas' best small towns.

 

US 62 gets one to Eureka Springs via the south side.  I turned north from US62, descending to the historic town  with a population of 2100 and nestled at 1260.'  I wanted to park and walk around, but was immediately turned off by the $5 for three hours parking signs.  I found a free public parking area north of downtown, near the historic North Arkansas-Missouri railroad depot.  I parked here and began my walk uphill along AR23.  Traffic was steady.

All the tourists were wearing face masks.  I had left mine in the Honda.  I just wanted to walk around, I had no desire to go into shops to shop.  Most of the stores had signs posted stating that face masks were required just to enter. I respect and agree with the ordinance.  Why can't Arizonans understand this?

AR23 is Main Street, where the old city hall and theatre are.  But the heft of town is along the hillside of Bridge and Cliff Streets and side streets branching off from them.  I didn't have the time nor the energy to explore the entire town, but I liked what I saw.  Most of the stone or red brick buildings were built in the 1880s and 1890s and are now Bed and Breakfasts, museums, art studios. Historical markers along the route explain the history of the area, built around its natural springs and developed by the railroad that brought in wealthy people for rest and relaxation. 

Mature magnolia trees and other southern flora are all over town, with sweet aromas wafting everywhere.  I can see why people come to spend time in Eureka Springs.  Had I not done a power walk earlier in Fayetteville, I would have walked more than 2.8 miles here.  I left before seeing the other half of town.  Now I have a reason to come back here on my next road trip.  The only disadvantage is getting to town, as it's in the hills and the roads are winding and not safe during rain storms.  Dark clouds were forming to my south and the forecast called for afternoon showers.  I wanted to be back on the interstate by then, and I aimed for I-44 outside of Springfield, MO.

I continued my drive east on US62, then turned northeast on AR21 to the bordertown of Blue Eye, MO, where the road signage turned to MO13.  I stayed on this road until it ended at US160.  I took that road into Springfield and made it to the interstate where once again the heat and fatigued forced me to stop at several rest stops for quick powernaps. It was now late afternoon.

I made it to the first rest stop in Illinois off I-70 before stopping for the night.  It was the first time I saw lightning bugs (fire flies) on this trip. Those lightning bugs are a sure sign that my old home is near.

Smoky sunrise...

I actually got up this morning for a quick sunrise walk with the dogs.  It was 71F at 5am as I walked down the maintenance road.  It's a fast walk now that the stockpond is dry, as now there is no place to sit and let the dogs romp in the water.

The sun, as expected, rose behind a smoky haze, accumulations from the wildfires north of Tuscon.  In a few days we should also get the main body of the Saharan Dust that has now reached the Gulf of Mexico.

I witnessed Sadie collapse while walking.  Her hind legs gave out again.  It was just past the stockpond, on our way to the stone wall where we turn north. She landed on her face, dusting her nose from the road's soft sand.  This was scary to watch, as it's now at least the third time this year this has happened to her.  This also happened to Sammy in those final months, and we all know how that ended.  Sadie, however, got right back up.  Is she in pain when she walks?  She was short-tempered with the pups when we got home at 5:45am, snapping at both of them when they jumped too close to her face.  Minnie did the same.

At 7am Susan and I met at the Hereford Bridge for our walk south.  We walked slowly to the old beaver dam.  More of the river has dried up, and there is where the dogs took advantage of the early morning shade.  The water at the old dam was grey and murky and not a place I wanted my dogs to drink from.  We spotted several herons, mallards, and a few song birds on this walk.  I watched Sadie, whose hind legs were still looking weak.  Hopefully resting for three weeks will help her recover.  The only dog that will miss her daily runs is Sweetie.

I was home by 8:40am and that is when my anxiety began.  I really hate leaving the dogs behind.  Packing for the road trip took a lot out of me. I didn't do the usual frantic kitchen cleaning I normally do.  Any dirty dishes in the sink will still be there when I get back.

I finally drove off at 2pm.

I began driving on AZ92 east, then continued on via AZ80 to Douglas and the New Mexican border.  I picked up the interstate there at Road Forks east of Lordsburg, got on I-10, then cut to Hatch north of Deming where it looked like I may hit a thunderstorm.  The storm passed me by.  Hatch was closed but the Rio Grande was flowing nicely.

Other places along the way looked abandoned, too.  There was obviously less traffic than usual.  I saw mostly trucks.  I made it to Truth or Consequences just in time to see the brewery close early, so I drove on to Soccorro where I saw only closed diners, and again in Albuquerque.  It was 11pm by now when most things close anyway.  I normally stop here for the night at the Air Force Base, but I opted to get as much mileage in while it was cool and made it all the way to Santa Rosa before stopping for the night.

The worst part of this drive is the flat, hot section between Amarillo and Joplin, MO.  I drive through that part as fast as possible. but at least in the summer months I can divert to Arkansas and take a break on any of the hiking trails in the Ozark mountains.

***

Global cases: 9,387,788

Global deaths: 482,004

US cases: 2424,808 (+36,472)

US deaths: 123, 484 (+866)

AZ cases: 58,179 (+3,593) 432 in Cochise County

AZ deaths: 1384 (+42) 6 in Cochise County

Carr Peak with Zeke. Sunflowers and lots of Ladybugs!

Today was the absolute last day I could hike up Carr Peak.  I need to get on the road tomorrow, back to Northwest Indiana (NWI) and spend time with Carol and the grandsons.

I lollygagged too long in the morning, though, scrubbing out the trough and doing other things in the kitchen.  I should have started the hike at sunrise, but I had no one to push me out of the house this early.  I didn't even leave the house till 9:50am and got to the Sawmill trailhead at 10:35am.  It was already 80F and Zeke and I were hurting from the heat.

I had to take plenty of shade and water breaks.  I had a 3:30pm vet appointment for Hansi and timed this hike so that I could do the hike with plenty of time.  I could make it to the peak by 1pm and still make it back in time to head into town.  And that is what I did.  I make it to the peak at 12:35pm and departed at 12:53.  The ladybugs from last month were still there, only this time they were flying around as if getting ready for the descent into the valley.  The beetles were all over Zeke and me, crawling down my t-shirt and itching my skin.  They were much active this time

The forest is dry.  The new flowers this month are the sunflowers and firecracker penstemons.  We desperately need rain!  I don't want to see the mountains burst into fire like they are north of Tucson.  The horizon was hazy, both from smoke from the Bighorn Fire and the frontal range of the Saharan Dust moving in from Africa.

It took me a little over two hours (!!!) to get to the peak.  I was afraid of running out of water for Zeke and me.

Once at the peak, I stayed long enough to give Zeke a rest, drink water, and swat the ladybugs off of me.  There was no wind, but there was a cool breeze.

An abandoned backpack left being by a border crosser was on Contelplation Rock, full of dirty clothes, TP and talcum powder deodorant.  The user discarded the pack because it was badly ripped.  This is the first proof of illegal activity resurfacing.  I carried the pack down the mountain, but then forgot to pick it up again when I stopped at the Sawmill spring where Zeke refreshed himself, a half-mile from the parking lot.

We were home at 2:30pm.  At 3:20pm I was back on the road to the Sierra Animal Hospital, where Hansi had his make-up vaccine and exam.  Dr. George was very pleased with how Hansi looked.  He weighed in at 13.45kg (29.6 lbs) and was quite the dramaking again, howling whenever she needed to look at something.  I guess that anal exam the last time really traumatized him!

I was back home at 4:30pm and then met Susan at 5pm at the bridge.  The dogs hadn't been walked since Friday and they needed physical exercise.  We only walked 1.5 miles.  It was still 97F when we started.

I was back home by 6pm and Kevin was awake and on the patio.  And that's when I noticed Gretel's left ear is finally lifting!  While they still flop when she runs, her ears are trying hard to stand up.  Oh my, she is going to be one good-looking dog.

***

A 7.5 earthquake hit southern Mexico this morning.  At least four deaths have been reported.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/23/world/mexico-earthquake.html. As for Covid-19, there are now 29 states in which confirmed cases have been spiking again, most notably in Texas.

Global cases: 9,350,758

Global deaths: 481,279

US cases: 2,424,119 

US deaths: 123,473 (=36,472)

AZ cases: 54, 586 (+866); #13

AZ deaths: 1342 (+42)

IN cases: 42,871 (+238); #18 

IN deaths: 2569 (+16)

TX cases: 125,015 (+5,222); #5

TX deaths: 2,2251 (+29)

Gretel goes into town

Today's big event was Gretel's second vet appointment at 1:30pm.  Hansel had to stay at home because of his parvo last week, which made taking her alone easy for me.  I filled the morning hours with a river romp.

I took the dogs on a walk down the river from Hereford Bridge.  Susan joined me at 7:30am.  It was a slow walk and the only big excitement today was startling a mother turkey and her rafter of poults just past the big debris pile.  Luckily Sweetie only saw the big hen and took off after that.  The hen flew off while the poults went clucking into the grass.  The hen surely had her chicks in that area shortly after we were here last week.  The poults were already feathered, but their wings were still too short for flight.  We made sure that we detoured around the debris pile to avoid the turkey family on our way back, hopping over many downed  trees branches.  This tree hopping tired out all the dogs.  When we got back home, all the dogs napped.

I was looking forward to going into town with just Gretel.  I wanted to see how she would take all the sites in by herself She is very calm and cuddly without her brother.  I left the house at noon to drive to Petsmart and fit her for a collar.  She sat in the cart and looked around, totally mesmerized by all the new sights and smells.  The store didn't have too many other people in it, so I couldn't see her react to other dogs and people.

With time to spare, I stopped at Culver's for a sit-down outside meal.  The dining area is now back to normal, with customers filling their own drinks.  I got Gretel a puppy sundae but she showed no interest in it.  She sat under my seat, as close to me as possible, as I quickly ate my meal. I didn't linger.

I got to the Sierra Animal Hospital at 1:20.  Gretel now weighs 11.3kg (24.7lbs).  She was calm with Dr George examining her.  She now has her second set of shots and goes in July for her final vaccines.  Her stool sample from last week came back positive for giardia, which Dr George and I agree most likely came from the breeder's place, but I don't doubt that the big dogs all have it as well since giardia is common here in stagnant water.  Dr G gave me five days worth of anti-parasitic powder to give both pups.  Hansel then comes in on Tuesday for his shots that he didn't get today.

Gretel sat up front on the console, as close to me as safely possible. She looked at me for most of the drive home.  What a sweetheat. When we got home she even followed me on the leash to the backyard, so she is making progress.  She was happy to be with Hansel again.

***

Global cases: 8,437,555

Global deaths: 452,510

US cases: 2,234,426 (+25,531)

US deaths: 119,941 (+808)

AZ cases: 40,924 (+1827)

AZ deaths: 1239 (+20)

IN cases: 41,013 (+227) 

IN deaths:  2475 (+28)

Stockpond is now dry

I was hoping yesterday's rain would add some water to the stockpond, so I took all four dogs with me on a short sunrise walk at 5am.  Minnie struggled the entire way, her legs stiff from arthritis.  We walked 0.75 miles to the creek crossing, and saw the dry pond on our return walk.  The mud on the bottom was slightly damp, so perhaps the pond had dried several days ago.  I could tell Minnie was disappointed as that meant she couldn't drink water on the return walk.  She was panting with thirst. She is not going to want to walk on subsequent walks now that the stockpond is dry.

The dogs weren't interested in staying around, so we left and got home by 5:45am, giving me enough time to get ready to meet other walkers for the Tuesday Garden Canyon walk at 7am.  At least there is water here.

I didn't go last week, but I last walked the road two Tuesday ago, when Columbines and monkeyflowers were still in bloom.  They are such a colorful combination of yellow and reds.  They are now gone.  Butterfly weed and firecracker penstemons are now in charge, June's version of yellow and reds.

***

Global cases: 8,260,164  

Global deaths: 447,188

US cases: 2,208,351

US deaths: 119,132.  White House now saying we will hit 200,000 by October 1, 2020

AZ cases: 39,097 (+2392; 241 in Cochise County), ranked #18

AZ deaths: 1219 (+25)

IN cases: 40,786 (+356; 4211 in Lake County) ranked #17

IN deaths: 2447 (+14; 230 in Lake County)

Walking south from Hereford Bridge

Susan and I met just before 8am to walk the dogs.  It was already warm, but a gentle breeze covered the river area.  A photographer and her subject were near the trailhead, but no one else was nearby.

We both  noticed how much water had been lost since we last walked this area a week age.  Parts of the river are now very dry, and the green algae that once covered the surface now blankets the dry river bed in soft, dry algae.  Deeper sections are now getting smelly and buggy.  There's still plenty of good water for the dogs to drink, and the low water is easier for us to walk in, but the water level is clearly dropping fast.

We stopped at the beaver dam.  Even here the water level is low, but the river bottom here is so silty and slippery, we dared not go any farther.  We turned around here just as we heard a helicopter fly in the west meadow, flying low as if to round up people below.  It was a county sheriff helicopter.  Curiosity got the best of us, so we ran out to the trail's edge to watch the maneuver.  We saw dark-clothed people on the ground walking south.  Were these USBP agents, or illegals trying to run away?  The helicopter was there for a while before it finally flew back north.

This kind of activity was quite common when we first got here in late 2004.  Seeing illegals walk across the border at night and then walk north on our residential streets was  quite common.  Not so much now.  Lately the activity along the border seems to have increased.

Susan said we had a 40% chance of rain, and sure enough, clouds did begin to billow and at 1:53pm it began to rain and rain hard.  This lasted for 30 minutes.  Then, on my drive into town at 3:30pm, it rained in town.  The official start of the monsoon season is June 15, so this event was apropo.  The sky was grey overcast the rest of the day, but nothing else happened.

***

Global cases: 8,067,154

Global deaths: 438,773

US cases: 2,176,583 (+15,185

US deaths: 118,179 (+326)

AZ cases: 36,705 (+1,014) (221 in Cochise County)

AZ deaths: 1194 (+8)

Hansi comes down with the canine parvovirus

Tuesday morning Hansi came into the kitchen for his breakfast but wouldn't eat his food.  He walked away slowly.  Gretel ate her portion with gusto.

By late morning I was getting concerned.  Hansi crawled under a sheet of plywood leaning up against the north side of the house, a popular place for the dogs to lay when they need to cool down.  I called the Sierra Animal Hospital (SAH) to make an appointment.  The earliest I could get was Thursday, but I couldn't wait that long.  I was on the phone with a Vet Tech, Christian, who encouraged me to make Hansi some chicken and rice and then bring him in at 3pm.  That is what I did.

Dr George was my DVM again and she went down the list of options.  Bloodwork, X-ray, digital imagery.  "I suggest we start with a parvo test."  I agreed, and ten minutes later the results came back "Definitely positive."  I was shocked.  He had had two booster shots for parvo and yet he still came down with it?

So now my options were either have Hansi hospitalized or give him home treatment, with all the medications provided. I opted for home treatment, since the Sierra Animal Hospital is not really a hospital because there is no overnight staff watching over the animals.  I did not want want Hansi dying overnight without me being there.  Christian showed me how  administer the antibiotic and antiemeric subcutaneously and I went home with $684 worth of drugs and supplies.

The clinic staff encouraged me to apply for Care Credit.  I had heard of CareCredit but never though I'd need it.  CareCredit is a credit card that can be used for medical, dental, optomical and pet-related medical needs, and payments can be spread out over 18 months.  Which means my vet bill will be $38 for 18 months, interest free, as long as I pay off the balance in time.  What a relief!

Dr. George told me that Gretel is most likely already exposed to the parvo virus and would likely come down with the dreaded disease as well.  But she didn't.  She continued to mingle with the big dogs, but was missing her brother whom we had separated in different crates.  Her longing for him got worse with each day.  She was crying for him and tried to get to him and couldn't understand why we kept them apart.   Puppy love is some powerful emotion.

Hansi  stayed strong. He never ate, but I was always by his side.  At times I swear he looked right at me thanking me for being there.  "I got you, buddy!" I reassured him.  I stayed by his side for the duration, noting whenever he got up to drink. By Thursday, Day 3, he was repeatedly raising his head and leaving his crate to pee.  My hope rose, and I even let my guard down and joined Susan for a quick walk with the dogs down the river later that day  I even fell asleep and missed his 6pm medications and IVs. Two days of little sleep before hand had exhausted me.  I'd been reading all I could about the virus.  All the online literature mentioned Day 4 being the worst.  If a sick dog can survive Day 4 of parvo, it stands a very good chance of surviving.

Friday morning, though, he made a turn for the worst, and this is coming with parvovirus.  He lay listless in his crate, his body stiff and barely moving.  His breathing was elevated. I feared for the worst and considered calling the SAH to get him hospitalized.

But then he started showing improvement again. He appreciated belly rubs and let me know I needed to continue rubbing his belly.  He showed life first by raising his head, then getting up, and finally, late in the afternoon, showing an interest in food again.  Susan suggested beef cat food heavy in gravy, which we had some of, and he ate it.  YES!  Two hours later he ate more puppy food, and even trotted outside with Zeke (who surely was not happy about that).  I was so relieved now, I told Susan that I needed to get out of the house and get a good hike in.  That hike quickly morphed into four people at the San Pedro River for Saturday morning.

I tried to keep the dogs separated for another week, at least, because Hansi could still have an active virus in him.  But the pups were insistent on seeing each other again, they nearly knocked Kevin over trying to get to each other.

I got emotional watching the two pups run and play with each other Sunday late morning.  They were both so full of energy, they didn't look like they were ever going to slow down.  They ran laps in the yard, jumped into the water trough a few times,  pummeled over each other. They were back at biting each other's ears and necks and this time it looks like Gretel has the upper hand now that she's heavier than Hansi.  They are resting together in the north-facing bathroom where it's cool, but now I'm going to be watching Gretel intently.  She could still come down with the virus.

On Wednesday both pups go back to the SAH for round two of their boosters.  Neither dog will be fully vaccinated until round three in July.  That's when they also get their rabies shot

***

Sometime early Wednesday I also learned that my second cousin on my dad's side, Cheryl Gumulauski, died of a massive heart attack after being on life support for a week. Someone had posted that on her Facebook page. She was 56 years old. She had served 20 years in the USNavy and retired at age 48 fully disabled and unable to work.  She lived in a small cottage in Coupeville, WA.  She never married nor had children.  We were never close, and her rabid fascination for Donald Trump made us keep our distance these last few years.  I was hoping we could resume our interest in getting together and traveling to Lithuania some day once Trump was out of office.  

Cheryl was the only relative on my dad's side who showed any interest in my side of the family.  She was very interested in her ancestors and family tree. That will now never happen.  Cheryl's sudden death had been on my mind as well as Hansi's health.  It was some of the worst stress I've had recently.

Covid19 cases continue to rise in the US, and Arizona is one of 21 states where the numbers are spiking again. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/13/coronavirus-live-updates-us/

Global cases: 7951,888

Global death: 435,350

US cases: 2,160,574

US deaths: 117,839

AZ cases: 35,691 (+1233)

AZ deaths: 1,186 (+3)

Walking the river north from Charleston Bridge

Susan, HollyW, DavidB and I walked this stretch for 2.5 miles.  It's the same stretch Susan, Holly and I did a few months ago when the water was much higher.  Sadie stayed home again so I just brought Zeke, Sweetie and Minnie.

My first reaction to seeing the water level was how low it had gotten.  This made it easy for us to wade through, and high enough to keep the dogs' paws cool.  We hit a few slippery sections, but never anything deep or treacherous.   We could see tadpoles and crawfish abundantly.  I rather enjoyed this stretch, as there was plenty of sand bar to walk on.  The flowing level for most of this walk was narrow, with wide rocky beaches.  It took us a mere 30 minutes to walk the first mile.  The five miles took us just a little over three hours.

This was David's first time.  We started at 8am but probably should have started even earlier to have more shade.

There was little algae here, keeping the water clear.  We did come across three dead badgers (?), all juvenile, along the water.  How did they die?!  All three were in separate locations and looked to be the same size, as if litter mates.

The river meandered north here, and the father north we walked, the higher the sand walls became.   Cottonwoods shaded the river whenever the shore was close to the water. This is how the river looks south of Fairbank, another eight miles along the river.  We knew we could walk that far with the dogs, as Minnie can barely make it five miles.  The eastern flank looked to be a flood plain with ATV tracks.  How did they get there?  It's best to look at Google Earth to see from where one can access the river here.

We rested at the 2.5-mile spot, had water and snacks, then walked back the way we came.

Hansi continues to recover, but it's heart-wrenching to continue to separate the two pups.  Gretel still hasn't shown any parvo symptoms.

***

Global cases

Global deaths

US cases 2,143,128 (1,166,655 active)

US deaths: 117,538

AZ cases: 34, 458 (190 cases in Cochise County)

AZ deaths: 1183

Walking north along the river from Hereford Bridge

 After a weekend of 90+F temperatures, it finally cooled down some to take the dogs out on a comfortable walk.  I didn't walk them as a pack over the weekend.  I could tell Sadie and Minnie appreciated the rest. I  met Susan by 8:45am and we walked the river north from the Hereford Bridge.

We hadn't waded here for a few weeks and we wanted to see how it's changed.  Susan also wanted

to get a walk in before the winds picked up.

The water is very shallow here, and the green algae is growing rampantly in the exposed areas.  It's not a very pleasant stretch of the river.  I'd rather walk the well-trodden trail on the west bank. I don't like wading in that algae because of all the water life I'm potentially bothering and also because the algae promotes heat and I don't like the feel of walking in that dense green stuff.

We only walked a mile.  We came across several deer skins that were in the water.  Were these deer killed by hunters, or by big prey? Sadie wanted to chew on a skin despite my pleas to "leave it!" A heron flew agitated to and fro; were we also bothering it?  This was too much excitement  for us, so we turned around at the mile mark to get back to our cars, only to be temporarily inconvenienced by a  group of families out walking their two pet goats. Minnie seemed especially curious about the goats.  It's not often one sees goats out for a walk.

Gretel's right ear is finally lifted and she's developing handsome GSD markings.  She is a gentle soul who has captured Kevin's heart.  Hansi is the faster learner and already grasps "sit!" and "platz!" (lay down.)  Both have their routine  down with their poop and pee and meal times.  I even catch them getting into the crate for a quick, undisturbed nap.  They are a bonded pair, no doubt.  If they didn't have each other to play with, either one would have gotten the shit beaten out of them by the older dogs.

***

Global cases: 7,162,082

Global deaths: 407,814

US cases: 2,014,058

US deaths: 112,645

Arizona cases: 27,678 (154 in Cochise County; 90 active)

Arizona deaths: 1047 (5 in Cochise County)

Heat advisory: early morning walks are the only way to beat this heat

I was up at 3:30am with the near full moon setting to my west.  I felt fully rested now to finish the last 50 miles of my drive home.  Even at night, the Sonoita area is beautiful, with craggy mountains outlining the western horizon.  Steve was also up and together we drove off at 3:40am.  We got to his RV park at 4:20am and then went our separate ways.

I got back home from my Mount Hopkins Road walk at 5am.  Kevin was already at his work table smoking and watching videos.  All the dogs were happy to see me, including the puppies.  Since I was wide awake now, I opted to take them on a quick 2-mile sunrise walk, then let them rest at the stock pond on the return walk.  Water in the pond is now below Minnie's chest.  I hope the monsoons kick in before the pond dries up.

Once back at home at 6am, I felt the fatigue set in.  But then an hour later Susan said she was heading down to the river and I was welcome to join her.  We are under another heat advisory, so I decided to join Susan at 8:15am and get the other two miles in.   We met at the Hereford Bridge and walked south for a mile. When we were back at our cars at 10am, it was already 90F again.  This heat is brutal.

Clouds formed all day and I was hoping that some rain would develop, but that never happened.  All they did was create a nice sunset.  I didn't stay up long after dark as I was still very tired from the night before.

***

Global cases: 6,641,157

Global deaths: 391,200

US cases: 1,915,860

US deaths: 109,897

Arizona cases: 22,753 (109 in Cochise County)

Arizona deaths: 996 (5 in Cochise County)

Indiana cases: 36,096 (3806 in Lake County)

Indiana deaths: 2231 (202 deaths in Lake County)

Mount Hopkins Road walk

Distance: 4 miles
Elevation: 6520' - 7067'
Significance: a quiet walk on a mountain road with moon shining above.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/cor

onado/recarea/?recid=25762
https://www.arizonahighways.com/explore/scenic-drives/mount-hopkins

I hadn't been on Mount Hopkins since 2009, when I went on a hike with Bill Bens and SteveS and young Sadie.  Bill led that hike that started from the Madera Canyon parking lot, up the Vault Mine and Carrie Nation trail, then took a well-traveled social trail to the Mount Hopkins Road and walked the rest of the w ay to the top where there is the Fred Whipple Observatory and ample views in all directions.  It's a trail that requires good navigation skills or a good GPS, as some people have gotten lost hiking this trail.  One man, 82-year-old Joseph Smallwood was one such victim in February 2019.  Another hiker who had gotten slightly off course hiking to Mount Hopkins found what turned out to be his hiking poles, a fanny pack and one hiking shoe. Smallwood's body was found in July.

The Observatory has been closed since late March due to this covid pandemic and that means access from the road are also closed.  I knew this, so I told Nina, who wanted me to lead this hike, to have us meet at the Visitor's center and we drive up as high up as we can and start a walk there.  With the 8pm curfew that the Governor implemented last week, though, that meant we had less time to ramble, but all worked out in the end.

The hardest part for me was the drive from Hereford to the Visitor's Center.  I met SteveT at his place and we convoyed in separate vehicles (that came in handy later), but despite my AC on high, I could not stay awake while driving in that 105F heat.  I was miserable!

Steve and I got to the Visitor's center at 5pm.  The Visitor's Center is by the first group of giant telescopes off the mountain road.  There's plenty of parking and the restroom was open.  We walked the 1/4-mile Nature Trail and read the informational signs (anything to avoid just sitting and waiting). Nina wasn't late by much.  She parked her Escape and drove up the road with Steve as I led the way, driving up a road that at times was only wide enough for one vehicle.  The speed limit is 10 miles. I pulled over several times to let cars coming down the mountain pass me.  All the cars were from employees working at the Observatory who were driving home.

We stopped the cars a few times to take pictures, then decided to park at the last parking area just before the gate at the 13km mark. We explored an old carriage road here but turned around when it began a steep descent, walked a short distance to the gate, then walked downhill far enough to make it four miles total.  By now the near full moon was already high up, but the hills and trees around us did not give us much view of either the rising moon or the setting sun.  The cool temperature of 70F after sunset was refreshing, but the lack of a good sunset was a tad disappointing.  I'm sure had we access to the peak, we'd have seen a much better view.

The only other person on the mountain was a camper who was set up at a perfect campsite affording views of the sunset.  That same campsite I later discovered is listed in the "free campsites" webpage.
https://freecampsites.net/#!99337&query=sitedetails

We turned around at what looked to be a parking or camping area for multiple vehicles, just past the 10.5km marker.  Here was another old carriage road leading down the mountain.  I enjoy exploring abandoned roads and I wouldn't mind coming back to Mount Hopkins and camp out here, but I'm sure all the campsites are coveted sites that go fast.

We got back to our cars at 8:15pm, We were now fifteen minutes into official curfew.  None of us was concerned.  Who would be looking for vicious hikers violating curfew up here?  I was more concerned now at getting off the mountain safely.  Parts of the road do not have guardrails and some of the switchbacks are steep and narrow.

I led the way going back down, stopping for an erratic bunny that was making vertical jumps in the air (was my car's lights confusing it?), and later a striped skunk that sauntered along the road as if it owned it.  These were both tame animals, considering the Mount Hopkins area has some of the most calls for black bear sightings in southern Arizona.  We didn't see any bear scat along our walk.  It took us 45 minutes to get back to the Visitor's center. It was back up to 84F again.

The walk got my appetite going, and although I had food with me, I wanted an excuse for us to gather around a little longer before driving back home.  A lot of places had shuttered at 7:30pm because of the curfew, but a McDonald's off Continental Road was open for pick-up and drive-through.  We ordered our meals and then sat in the parking lot and camped out!  Steve had brought two camping chairs  that he let Nina and I use as he sat in the driver's seat.  We must have looked odd sitting in the parking lot chatting among us.  I noticed a police car in the nearby stripmall parking lot facing us.  Perhaps we were acting suspicious?

We departed at 10pm. Steve and I talked about camping in the national forest somewhere, but we ended up driving to a spacious rest area 14 miles north of Sonoita before I pulled over due to fatigue.  Steve stayed with me.  I was asleep pretty quickly and was very comfortable all night, but Steve complained of howling coyotes.

https://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/4366145938