Bisbee 1000 again, with Bill and Hansel

 These urban walks lately are my only hiking experiences.  I want to get out and hike regularly, but getting up at oh-dark-thirty to meet for a hike two hours away just hasn't appealed to me.  So I'm sticking to urban walking and what better place than in nearby Bisbee.

Today's theme was Halloween.

We met at 6:30am and it was a tad chilly.  Outdoor decorations were still lighted. I wore my insulated rain coat for most of the walk as the morning shade kept everything dark and not suitable for photography.

We did see a few decorations, but it wasn't as plentiful as expected.  The town had its adult celebration yesterday, and there was evidence of public drinking everywhere:  bottles and cans of beer were everywhere and the cops were still out patrolling.  Fresh arrows on the street from last Saturday's race were still very visible.  This year the town used tape on the roads instead of water-based paint.

I like skeletons and looked for those to photograph.  I only found a few.  I didn't see as many as I had hoped this year.

We met Lizzie, a professional painter from Scottsdale who was in town to redo an old mural along a retainer wall to a house on Main Street.  She was very cordial.  Her  father works for the homeowner and she was doing the work pro Bono, as a means to advertise her work.  The house was the only truly holiday-decorated home.

I also saw a few more Harris placards for my collection.

Again, once we finished the walk we went our separate ways.  The new coffee shop replacing the Kafka Kafe is not open on Sundays so I will have to try again next Saturday.  Hansel and I had our post-hike drink at the touristy Bisbee Coffee company, where the weekend's tourists stood patiently in line.

Hansel did not want to leave the Honda when we got back to the house, so he rested in the car for a few hours. I wish I knew why he likes resting in my vehicles so much.

I really wanted to take Gretel with me instead on my drive to Tucson, but he went instead and waited in the car while I shopped at Costco and then visited a Mexican restaurant.  It was a cool day to be in a warm car. I kept my jacket on the entire time.

To reward him for his patience, we walked the 4-mile Reid Park perimeter before driving home, the same route I did with Wolfie back in April.  We walked five minutes faster this time.

First cold morning of the season

The freeze warning for last night was cancelled, but the winds persisted yesterday evening and overnight. A few sun shade cloths were blown off the backyard fence. It was ideal weather to air out the house as the air inside was warm and stuffy.

I met my neighbors Brittany and Dale yesterday evening.  She had found Fritz' collar on her property and texted me.  She wasn't angry at all for his trespassing and we had a nice conversation.  They have a potpellied pig and a dog and both are in their yard  

Fritz had been missing that collar for about two weeks but I simply thought it was lost during a regular dog tussle. Plastic latches aren't durable.  I usually find their collars in and around the house

I had both front and back doors open, and the cold air woke me up just before 2am to let everyone back in.

It was noticeably colder inside when I got up at 6:30am, The thermostat read 60F inside and 40F outside.  By 10am it had warmed up to 65F outside, and the dogs seem most comfortable with that.

One thing I will need more of are 5x7 rugs, so that the path to my morning shower isn't too cold for my feet.  Anything bigger would be too much for the Samsung washing machine.

Hunter Moon

 We have had a bright moon for two days now.  Yesterday evening I walked with Gretel for 2.5 miles with a warm breeze the entire time.  It was heavingly!  She is so good on leash as well (until she spots a desert hare).  The desert landscape really lights up.  The dirt back roads get little traffic, too.  Perfect for my moon walks.

Today at 4:30am was the official full moon, but again I went out on a night walk.  This time I took Wolfie.  He also walks well on leash until he spots a desert hare. Tonight it was cooler with spotted clouds.  Whenever the clouds covered the moon, it turned darker, but then the moon would resurface and lighten the way.

It's these peaceful walks around the desert that make living where I do now worthwhile.