The cool morning that was forecasted two days ago finally came. It was a refreshing 60F when I took the dogs out for a sunrise walk. Sadie stayed home but Minnie came along but then didn't get out of the car, not even to pee. She gladly took a back seat to relax without the pups in her face. The rest of us walked two miles in the morning haze. I listened to an excerpt from my latest audiobook "Mobituaries" by Mo Rocca as Rocca talked about comedian Vaughn Meader imitate President Kennedy. I had never heard of that man before, so my curiosity was stoked.
I walked to the construction site which is slowly taking shape. No people where there this morning, so I let the dogs run around. Snakes don't come out as easily when it's this chilly.
My only plans for today was heading out to Copper Hop Ranch with Steve in the afternoon, have a few beers and then walk the big sky area of Las Cienegas north of Elgin at sunset. I was hoping for a reddish sky but today all day the sky was more grey than orange or red.
I took the pups this time, leaving Zeke at home because of no room in the back of the Honda with Trace back there. The pups tackled Trace during the entire drive, and Steve got his share of intermittent licks and sniffs from Hansel and Gretel. I'm sure he was relieved to get out of the car after that drive!
This was my first visit on a Friday to Copper Hop. A table with four people from Green Valley, 57 miles to the west, were already seated. They are regulars who are friends with Tom and Mel.
The pups were, as expected, barky at first but did settle down. One woman's response to learning the names of my dogs was greeted with a "You got to be kidding me!"
Yes, their names are indeed Hansel and Gretel.
I tried three different beers, a blueberry wheat, a nut ale and a pumpkin porter in the two hours we were seated. Plans to visit a second brewpub in Sonoita were slashed to instead walk on a road through the Cienega Preserve afterward. Elevation here is around 4600 feet. It was 5:50pm when we pulled off the road to walk. The sky was already a greyish-orange and the sun quickly faded behind the haze with little fanfare. The distant Santa Ritas to the west etched the horizon. I always get a sense of openness when I'm here, even when there's just an hour left of daylight.
Still, it was a very pleasant walk. The dogs chased each other, sniffing around the grass as we walked one mile on the road, then turned around. There was no wind. The sky was calm. The only other person near us was a Border Patrol agent in his vehicle, facing north.
I hadn't been out in the Cienega since my days with Sara and Sammy and had forgotten how pretty it is. It's even prettier along the creek, but it was already too late in the day for that. I need to get back there again for some more relaxing walking.
Today was the 19th anniversary of the World Trade Center falling to terrorists. I avoided all reference to that event all day. I do not live in the past, nor do I want to be reminded of the grief and sadness that I felt then. Instead, I worry more about what is going on right now around me, with deadly wildfires in three states and a pandemic that is still moving across the country. Tonight I read about a 13-year-old boy in Oregon who asphyxiated in a car and was found dead with his dog still on his lap. His 71-year-old grandmother was also found dead. Officials are now predicting mass fatalities once the fires have died out. This is today's reality.
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Global cases: 28,745,981
Global deaths: 925,105
US cases: 6637,191 (+48,673)
US deaths 197,453 (+1225)
India (now in second place, in front of Brazil 4,663,930 (+97,654)
India deaths 77,537 (+1202)
AZ cases 207,523 (+521)
AZ deaths 5288 (+15)
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