Walking the Loop with Zana

 Today was my big recycling run to Tucson.  I was past due as the tin cans and cardboard were piling up.  It took me almost an hour to to fill up the CRV.  There wasn't much room for Zana but it was her turn for a private walk and she does well in public.

A dense fog started the morning.  I got done packing the car as the fog finally burned off at 9am and I could see the area mountains.  Zana was not happy with the crowded conditions and whined for most of the drive.

I took the slower route via Sonoita to avoid highway construction on I-10. I noticed many new homes on the east side of Sonoita, including cattle farms.  When did they come here?  And I also noticed a new trailhead to the Arizona Trail, the Oak Tree Canyon trailhead.  I really need to check that out.  It's been a few year since I explored the Santa Ritas.  I need to get back there.

It took me two hours to get to Tucson and it seemed to take almost as long to unpack the car of the cans and cardboard.  It was just before noon and in the upper 60s.  I could finally take off my lined flannel jacket.

Tucson has so many good restaurants.  I will always enjoy a good Mexican meal.  Since I had Zana with me and it was warm in town, I opted for a drive-thru restaurant off 22nd Street, the Coronado Blue.  I had a chicken taco platter for $13 and it was good!  Everything was fresh.  That meal kept me full the rest of the day and I still wanted to try other places while I was in town.

The Arnette Creek Watering Hole is in the same plaza as the Coronado Blue.  This used to be the dog-friendly Tucson Tap Room, but it closed and a new family took over last year. They do not allow dogs. What a shame as it looked nice through the window.  The Tap Room had over 30 taps of beer but it's now a full bar with cocktails.

The Tucson Tap House, my next stop, didn't open until 2pm.  It was 1:40pm by then and I didn't feel like waiting.  I'd been driving around most of the morning and Zana and I needed to walk.

I finally settled on a short section of the Loop.  I parked off Campbell and walked west, toward the Tucson Mall.  It was now after 2pm and the sun was dropping, providing more shade for us.  I let her walk offleash in the wash for a mile but finished the second mile along the path were walking was faster.  There weren't too many walkers today, but I did see two walking teams of police patrolling.  That is the first time I've seen cops on the Loop.

I rested at the turn-around off Oracle Drive, drinking some water before starting the return walk.  Zana looked tired, too.  We were now entirely in the shade.

I stopped at the Trader Joe's where we had parked.  I had always liked shopping at Trader Joe's when we lived in Pacific Grove, CA.  I bought some craft beer and organic chicken legs for Zana, but she refused to eat.  Was the car making her car sick?  She wouldn't touch the chicken until we pulled into my driveway at 10pm.

I made two more quick stops at other places:  Momo's Mexican where I took a bean burrito to go, and lastly at Raspados el Paraiso before heading home.  I ordered a small strawberry crema.

The highway construction that I avoided driving to Tucson I got to meet fullon on the drive home, as traffic slowed and then completely stopped just west of Marshall Road.  It slowed me down another 20 minutes.  There was no construction in the westbound lane.

The last mild weekend

Weather this weekend was near perfect.  On Saturday I took Hansel and Gretel down to the river, and today I did the same with Fritz and Wolfie. We never got any rain from the storms off California, but for an hour it looked like some rain would fall close to the mountains.

But all that will change on Wednesday when another bout of rain is expected, and with it, cooler temperatures,

Today I met another dog walker at the Ramsey Road trailhead and he confirmed that my little secret trailhead was indeed a trailhead.  He was walking his border collie going south.  I may do that sometime just to explore the terrain,  I like the isolation of the Ramsey Road area as I can let the dogs run free without bothering anyone.

The cottonwoods are now turning colors, but it's going to be another two weeks for the trees to go bare.  

Tonight I also did a solo walk with Zana so she could also get some exercise.  It was a calm 57F when I started at 8:30pm and dropped down to 53F when I finished.  She is a very good walker and stayed close-by

The only dog that didn't get walked was Gretchen as she was recovering from a bite wound one of the other dogs gave her a few days ago.  And today when I got back from the river, she had a few more gashes on her shoulders and legs.  I suspect it is Zana. but I've seen the other dogs attack her, too.  I will keep her separated from the other dogs when I'm at work.

Glance Conglomerate, a walk around Bisbee-Warren

This 4-mile walk was sponsored by Jay from the Bisbee Muleteam hiking club.  He called it a "rock walk" and stressed that this would be a slow walk with a few talks about the local geology.  We were to meet at 9:20am in the Hitching Post parking lot in Warren.

The dogs got me up early with some howling, which prompted me to chase them outside for a bit so that I could grab Gretel for her turn around the 'hood. It was a chilly morning at 51F.  We got 3.4 miles in.

We were back home shortly after 7am, which gave me time to enjoy a cup of coffee and feed the dogs.  Hansel and I left the house at 8:40am for the urban walk

We were a group of 17 people and two dogs.  Hansel noticed the female Golden Retriever and started whining because he wanted to check her out.  She was well-behaved.  I asked her owner if Hansel could meet her, but she ended up lunging at Hansel.  The meet-and-greet was thus cut short and I kept my distance from the other dog for the rest of the walk.  I didn't blame the other dog or her owner.  Dogs can be weird like that.

Hansel ended up whining during the entire walk.  He hates being on leash but we were in the town and I don't let any of my dogs walk offleash in a town.  That's reserved for isolated trails.  I'm sure his whining also was partly to the warming temperatures.  Were his paws hot, was he thirsty?  I ended up walking either ahead or behind the group to calm him down, or stop to give him water.  I couldn't even listen to Jay's geology story of the region because I had to placate Hansel. 

I did get to see a new part of Warren and photograph a few skeletons.  I never did get to talk much with the others, though.  Hansel was not comfortable and he was my primary concern.

Jay led us toward the mining propery near Patio Peak.  Our last narrative was here, but by now Hansel was whining so much that I broke away and let him walk offleash on a side trail so that he could sniff and pee before I turned around and joined a few others who were on their solo walk back to their cars.

When the rear guard made it back to the Hitching Post parking lot, the few people who went inside never came back out despite the pizza place not opening until 2pm and it was just past noon.

Hungry and thirsty, I stopped by the Ballpark Brewing Company for two beers and a burger and drove home.  That's when I realized how exhausted I felt.  Hansel crashed the rest of the day.   

Fall break

Today is my last day off.  I had ten days, starting October 4th, to just stay home and spend time with the dogs and work on my garden.  As usual, I only got half of my plans completed.

The week started out peaceful.  We had a full moon on the 7th, but that night it was overcast after some rain.  The nights were in the mid 60s, calm wind, and made for great evening walks.  My goal was to walk every dog over my break several times for four miles at a time, with the evening walks being the longer ones.

The National Weather Service and several local weather forecasts were warning of havy rains coming our way by later in the week, thanks to residual rains from Tropical Storm Priscilla. It looked like a direct hit with rains starting Saturday.  I was hoping for long, lingering rains for at least three days.

Wednesday came and it started with a morning walk with Gretchen.  I noticed tapeworms in her feces (oh lovely!) so after the walk  I drove straight to the closest feed store for dewormer, stopped at my old lot to do some weed pulling and ended up talking to Robin next door.  The weeds in my old back yard are getting tall and I can't seem to get ahead.  I had a late lunch at a new chicken restaurant before stopping by Fry's Foods to stock up on food for the dogs.  In case the main road was flooded and I was stranded at home for two days.  I bought 30 pounds of chicken meat for them.  It was the only time I stopped in town for groceries this week.

Rain began to fall late that evening so I called the dogs inside and shut the back patio door.  But that rain never amounted to more than an overnight drizzle. 

Two things I failed at getting done was fixing both vehicles.  I didn't have the strength to remove my truck's battery, and on Thursday I drove over to Steve's place to have him try to fix my passenger side window again.  The fuse that controls the window is either corroded or loose.  He couldn't fix it, either, so I will need to have that professionally fixed next week.

To thank him for his efforts, we had lunch in Benson at a food truck spot that I had never tried before:  El Asdero.  My chicken burrito was delicious and one of the employees gave our dogs Hansel and Trace meat scraps which both dogs wolfed down.  From there we went to the Mescal Bar five miles west off the interstate for some beer and conversation.  We sat inside at first, but then moved outside in the back patio where the chainlink fence around the property is covered in grape vines.

I never considered planting grape vines around my fence, but that will be my goal for next year.  The vines that I planted this year, Japanese Honeysuckle and American wisteria, have adapted to their new location but didn't grow as fast as I expected.  Most of the chain-link fence is still exposed and I have no backyard privacy.  I don't feel comfortable having my Crazy Kim neighbor be able to walk by and see the back yard.

As for my vegetable garden...I must have chosen a spot too shady for good growth this year.  Neither my peppers nor tomatoes gave me much of a harvest, and only one bean plant produced any beans!  I'm moving the garden to a sunnier area next to my mesquite grove.

Tropical Storm Priscilla made arrived in Arizona off Baja California on Thursday, but traveled farther west than forecasted.  Western and northern Arizona were hit with strong rains and floods.  We got some drizzle, but nothing to get hysterical about.  Rain for our area kept getting delayed and I found myself staying home in anticipation of heavy rains all weekend.

We finally got the rain Sunday afternoon.  I walked Gretchen again, by now tapeworm free, and as soon as I made it back home, it began to rain. It was 2:15pm.  It was a steady tropical rain without the thunder and lightning that lasted into the evening..  Again I called the dogs in and closed the back patio door for the night.

Today, Monday, I woke up to a grey sunrise.  Storm clouds were low over the mountains.  It was drizzling, and soon that drizzle became a steady rain.  I don't mind walking a dog in a light drizzle, but I do mind steady rain.

The rain ended just before noon.  I had a few hours to get two days worth of planting in.  This is what I had been hoping for all week!  If only this rain came a day earlier.  I tore out two dead plants and replaced them with Justicia.  I put in a foot gate around my cactus garden, planted a few small annuals and pulled out more ragweed.  I still have quite a bit of ragweed to get rid of.  Oh, how I hate that weed.. 

So thus ends a quiet but peaceful week.  The one thing I didn't do is go on a long hike, but that's because my Honda's passenger window won't roll up. I really need to get up Carr Peak again for the fall foliage.

The end of summer

Monsoon this year was good.  While the vines I planted along the chain-link fence didn't grow with vigor, I am happy with the overall results of my desert garden.  The javelina munching on my fat prickly pear were the one nuisance.

The final weekend of summer ended up being a rainy one. I planned my chores around the weather.

On Saturday I was eager to see the flow of the San Pedro River.  I took Fritz and Wolfie on the 4-mile walk.  It's become my favorite path  to the river in part because of the views, and second, because of the isolation.  I started late, at 4:30pm,  as the path was already shaded by the mountains.

The river was muddy, but flowing from the overnight rain.  The Big Wash had some overflow at the confluence.  Both dogs enjoyed the wet refreshment, but the flashflood had swelled over the riverbanks, making walking along the water treacherous.  The river was flowing back to normal today but left mud behind.

I didn't stay long as I don't like being at the river at dusk.

One thing I did notice was the lack of new wildflowers.  Didn't see neither flowers nor other wildlife.

Sunrise walk with Hansel around the Brown Canyon nature trail

Today was Hansel's day for a solo hike with me.  I chose the nearby nature trail.  Sunrise was at 6:03 and I got to the trailhead at 6:05.  I caught the sun rise between some tall trees along the maintenance road that leads to the Brown Ranch.

I was the third vehicle in the parking lot.  We stayed on the road until we hit the first path.  Here I let Hansel off leash as no one was around.  The sun was now rising and casting its reddish glow on the sunflowers growing in the meadow. I found other flowers as well.

tbc

Hansel gets his vaccines

My goal today was to drive to Tucson to get Hansel's vaccines.  His rabies expired on the 7th and I didn't want to wait another week for the mobile vaccine clinic in town.  I always enjoy a day trip to the Old Pueblo anyway.

I took Gretchen on a two-mile walk at sunrise, stopped at the JROTC car wash in town at 9:30am, where a young gal asked to pet Hansel.  I said ok, but Hansel appeared nervous when that arm reached into the car.  He looked at me questionably and I told him I  will no longer allow strangers to pet him; my bad.

We finally made it to the ABC vaccine clinic on Btoadway at 11:30am.  Again I was told there was a two-hour wait but this time I was prepared.

I dropped off my box of recycables at the 7820 Broadway location since the original location on 1st Street is now closed, then had lunch at a Sauce Pizza and Wine restaurant near the vaccine place.  The patio is dog friendly and we sat in the warm shade. The 90F did not make it conducive to walking so I kept activity in the heat at a minimum.

Ten minutes after getting back to the waiting area,  I was called in with Hansel.  I had waited 2:10 hours.  He weighed in at 80 pounds, four pounds heavier than last year

The vet tech was a young blond man who seemed uneasy around Hansel.  He tried to take Hansel's temperature through his ear and Hansel wanted nothing of it and growled and lunged at him, digging his toes in my thighs. This caused the young man to drop the thermometer. Oh my, he was not happy and I was surprised at Hansel's reaction.  

The man came back with a muzzle that I had to keep tight around the snout which made Hansel even more unhappy when we entered the vet's office.  Another vet tech told the blond vet tech to step outside, that she will take over. 

The DVM was an old man in his 80s with large age spots on his hands.  He stayed seated the entire time as I helped hold Hansel around his neck.  The vet tech threw a towel over Hansel's head and we both said encouraging words to Hansel.  Good god, and I have to do this every year?!  He is due a booster shot for lepto in 30 days.  I'm just going to give Hansel that shot myself.

When I stepped out of the exam room, the blond man was leaning against the wall and asked me how it went.  As good as expected, I guess.  There was no screaming, no biting, no blood loss.

To give Hansel a treat for the stress, I stopped at a new dog ice cream parlor a mile away, Bark and Berry.  I heard about it through Yelp.  It opened in March.  It's a small shop in a strip mall near three other dog-related businesses.

We were treated like royalty as soon as we walked in.  The owner, Luna, knows dogs very well. She got Hansel to sit for a few photos. She only makes four flavors: bacon, salmon, pumpkin and prime rib.  No chicken, so I chose a scoop of prime rib with dried salmon sprinkles and then let us in the off-leash area where she took his photo and sent me the pics to my phone.

I didn't stay long as two other dogs came in so I moved outside in the shaded area to write a quick review.  Luna came outside to give us water.  Hansel still seemed stressed.

So now what?  Too hot to hike and no other places to visit in town, I simply drove back to Sierra Vista.  

I noticed a temporary cross memorial where my former student Mia Hirsch was killed by a drunk driver by MM293.5 on June 21st.

I stopped at MM302 off SR90 to walk Hansel two miles off leash at 5:30pm before resuming our drive home.  Now the sun had set behind the shrouded Whetstone mountains

San Pedro River

Tropical Storm Lorena, which was forecasted to hit SE Arizona yesterday and drop two days of gentle rain over us, never materialized.  The once F1 Hurricane stalled over Baja California and then dissipated. 

Fritz was overdue on a hike so he was my first choice for dog partner on my walk to the San Pedro River this morning.  Gretel rushed out the back door so she was Fritz's companion.  Those two dogs are my best protectors.  I feel safe with those two by my side.

Both dogs take protecting me seriously, so it was no surprise that neither dog took off once we got started at 7:20am.  The sky was mostly cloudy and it was still in the 70s.  A young coyote had crossed the road as I neared the trailhead, but once on the trail, the only animal I saw was a frightened white-tailed deer right ahead of me on the trail.  I distracted the dogs to prevent them from chasing it.

The trail was a bit overgrown now.  The catclaw acacia is in bloom, and so is the creosote and turpentine bush.  I wish I could grow creosote and turpentine bush on my property!  I enjoy the scent of both plants as I brush past them,  But here near the river the soil contains more bicarbonate, which compacts the soil and makes it more alkaline.  The higher alkalinity is visible in the whiter soil color.  Even with the heavy rains we have had in the past ten days, the soil does not loosen.

I enjoyed the green all around me.  While I didn't see any animal life closer to the river (I was looking for box turtles), the denser and greener foilage was a challenge.  The trail was harder to follow the closer to the river we got.

The Big Wash was damp but passible.  And once to the river I was glad to see it flowing.  Yet just south of the conjunction, the river was stagnant and green.  I avoided that area and took the dogs north a bit to the logjam.

Fritz and Gretel romped here for a bit, jumping chest-deep in the water and chasing each other.  We didn't stay long here as I wanted to get back home before the heat set in.  The mountains in all directions had clouds shrouding the peaks. Fort Huachuca's surveillance balloon was up so that means no stormy weather.

Fritz and Gretel managed four miles this morning.  The next two dogs up are Hansel and Gretchen.

Sheelite Canyon

Ellen lured me out of the house today with a hike up Sheelite canyon to the overlook.  I had originally planned on staying home and getting more planting in.  I'm glad now I got out of the house twice this long weekend.  I took Hansel and Zana.

Weatherwise it was ideal weather. It was overcast and cool, with low-lying rain clouds.  This kept the dogs refreshed.

The canyon was lush with plenty of wildflowers, but water was not as plentiful as I had expected.  The various pool were full, but nothing was flowing.  The dogs didn't mind, as they will lay in anything wet.

We hiked up the steep canyon at a steady pace. The steep, narrow canyon is challenging due to the many blowdowns and boulders.  The trail is hard to follow due to the many blowdowns and boulders in the drainage.  I have to follow Ellen, as I have no sense of direction, nor do I recognize the turn-off to the overlook.  Ellen noted that there were more blowdowns since our last hike here last fall.

Hansel and Zana stayed close, following the trail most of the time and coming back when I called them.  A few times they acted like they caught the scent of something.  I watched them closely, as twice we caught the scent of either bear or skunk and the dogs froze.  The only noises we heard were from birds.

It began to drizzle an hour into our hike, but that drizzle was most likely a low-lying cloud.  When we got to the overlook the tops of the peaks were shrouded. We saw some sun to the south.

We rested here for a bit, eating a snack.  I felt the sweat on my back once I took my backpack off.  I had my old red Marmot raincoat that I put on to keep warm, but it went off again once we resumed our walk back. 

We never came across anyone else on this hike.  There was one more vehicle  next to Ellen's Radar (the name of her Toyota Cruiser) when we returned to our vehicles.

We finished off the hike with a late lunch at Culver's.  Each dog got their pup cup as we sat on the patio.

I'm glad Ellen coaxed me into hiking with her.  My ankles were sore the rest of the day, but I appreciate the challenge, and I'm sure both Hansel and Zana are glad for another day in the mountains.

 

Garden Canyon

Walking this canyon was KimG's idea.  She texted me yesterday morning early to ask if I wanted to walk the canyon with her.  I had some errands to run in the morning so we settled for today.  I invited Steve so we were a group of three with two dogs.

I left the house at 7:25am for the drive to Fort Huachuca. I got to the trailhead at 8am for the 8:30am meetup.  Steve came in right behind me and we parked where several other cars were/  Most of them were for cyclists riding the potholed road.  KimG drove up at 8:32am.

I was surprised the canyon wasn't more lush after the rain we have had.  The road showed recent signs of a flashflood, but the creek along the road was trickling, and as we walked up the road we were disappointed in the few flowers.  Kim is a butterfly specialist and was looking for the varied butterflies in the canyon.  She was also looking for the purple-white Basketflower. I was just happy to see any flowers this morning 

Hansel and Trace got along very well today, chasing each other up and down the road.  Trace at first was apprehensive of Hansel, but by the end of the hike they were best buds.  When Steve took a break at the two-mile mark and then walked back to ther cars, Hansel whined for his friend and kept looking back to see if Trace would show up. On our return walk he ran ahead to meet Steve and his friend Trace.

We only came across another woman and her two dogs on this hike.  We met another couple on our return walk

Kim and I made the petroglyph site our turn-around point.  I was fine with that as it was getting warm and sunny.  By now we were seeing many Basketflowers and several species of milkweed.  I was also developing an allergy to something.  When we got back to the cars I took a Claritin pill with my iced tea.

The walk was just over four miles.

We had a late lunch at Urbano's.  Kim had never been to this place.  It's an upscale bar-bistro and every time I stop in, I see something new. The patio is dog friendly which is why Kim picked this place. It was a good decision.

We all had a a rice bowl with chicken.  The dogs rested and were well-behaved, but the Claritin I took at the trailhead was now making me drowsy.  I got home at 1:30pm

I needed to nap a bit before tackling some gardening but I never did snooze.  Storm clouds were billowing from the southeast.  At 4:45pm my phone alerted me to a dangerous dust storm coming my way.  I'm glad I was at home as it came quickly.  I closed the patio door and made sure all the dogs were inside. Twenty minutes after the wind began, the rain came, and it came down hard

The storm was a nice surprise.  Chances of rain were 15% all day but that proved to be wrong.  I still need to plant some more  trees but that can now wait until tomorrow afternoon

Bisbee stairs

This date was Bill's idea earlier in the week.  We met at 6am at the Mine museum in Bisbee and took off at 6:15am.  I left the dogs at home but I probably could have taken Hansel.  There were many other stair walkers and dogs out today, and didn't get hot until later in the morning.

Bill was talkative today, starting with  "I'm getting me a cat!" but that turned out to be because his main squeeze, Deb, is officially moving in with him by the end of the month.

I was a little surprised.  Bill has always bragged about his sexual prowess and is still very active sexually.  (He volunteered that information, telling me a few months ago that he had six girlfriends.)  When I asked Bill what he and Deb have in common, his first answer is  "She's a sex addict!"  Uh-oh.  I really don't like to pry into anyone's intimate life, and wasn't expecting that for an answer.   He was talking about being polyamorous just the last time we met for the Bisbee walk.  So what changed? 

Well, I'm happy for Bill. He met Deb on a dating website (didn't ask which one!) earlier this year.  Maybe I should try that, but my impression of other men my age looking for companionship isn't very positive.  Boomer boys are very sexist and want a caretaker/maid in a woman and I'm not good at either.  I would love to start out with a passionate companion who loves to explore the outdoors, so that leaves me considering men who hike and camp and appreciate pristine environments.

"I should try that" I replied to Bill about dating apps.  "Must like dogs!" I added.  Hahaha.  Must like the outdoors, enjoy weekend road trips, appreciate desert gardening and be frugal with money (ie no excessive spending on frivolous things) and not talk excessively about former wives or girlfriends.  And, while I didn't tell Bill this, must not be addicted to alcohol or cigarettes.

Bisbee was in bloom this time and we stopped a lot for photos.  Sunflowers were everywhere, as where the Arizona poppies, dahlias, zinnias.  In another month or so the seed pods for the trumpet vine will be ready for harvesting.  I picked up a few seeds for Birds of Paradise, pomegranate and a few seedheads of dried flowers I can't identify right now.  I hope in a year my front yard will have blue palo verde, mimosa, honey locust, and yellow and red Birds of Paradise.  All of these are native to this region

We chatted briefly with a local homeowner named Zin.  We spotted a coatimundi on his front porch a year ago but he said he's never seen one in his yard.  Originally from New Jersey, he's travelled all over the country before he and his partner Jill settled in Bisbee four years ago. 

He let us into his small front yard.  He and Jill are gardeners and have used every space in their yard for various blooms. He also gave me permission to pick the trumpet vine seed pods when they ripen in another six weeks.  I had a trumpet honeysuckle at my old place but never properly trellised it so it grew more prostate than vertical.

We walked around for 3.5 hours. It was just past 9:30am before we drove our separate ways.  I went home to rest and shower, and have a home lunch.

Weather forecast for Wednesday is calling for severe rains in the afternoon.  Bring it on! It's been five days since our last rain.  My backyard is full of Golden Crownbeard, Arizona poppies and pigweed.  I don't remember having any weeds or flowers back there last summer.  Everything has popped up last week after the rains, and digging up the soil to lay down the fence posts also helped.

A good week for rain

 I haven't been walking the dogs much now that school has started, but I do try to get at least one dog walked in the morning for two miles.  Today it was Fritz's turn and we went west on our street to the end and then explored some dirt paths.  All the weeds that have popped up this month have made walking the path more colorful.

It was overcast and cool, with some rain clouds to the northeast.  Fritz was galloping along close to me as we turned briefly south on one road I had never been on.  An abandoned tractor stood along this path where the path curves east and toward a home.  We turned around here, as the sunlight poked out of the clouds to provide us a colorful start to the day.

A few heavy drops of rain also fell, but then stopped.  That rain was just at the boundary as most of the rain fell to our northwest into town.  I could tell by the fresh puddles in the school parking lot.  

It was a refreshing, albeit short, way to start the day.  This walk with Fritz was a mere 40 minutes.

Carr Peak for August with Bill, Monty, Hansel

Due to several rain storms and work schedules, Bill and I never managed to hike up Carr in July.  We did, however, managed to hike up Carr today with Monty McD (a retired SGM with whom I worked at the high school).  All three are passionate desert gardeners, so today's hike was more like a "Oh look, that's a Western Wallflower!"

Temperatures were forecasted to reach the mid 90s so we started early.  Bill picked me up at 5am, then Monty, and all three of us drove up to the trailhead in Bill's Yukon.

The sun rose at 5:40am as we were still on our drive up the road.  Turkeys were roosting in a tree right off the road, which prompted a short stop to photograph the scene.

We began at 5:45am.  I was upfront with Hansel and Bill and Monty were behind me.   We passed a young woman running up the road.  We later saw her at least three more times.  She ran up to Miller Peak and then Carr Peak for 23 miles.

I immediately noticed more wildflowers when compared to our June hike.  The four storms we had since that last hike (and a few more that were contained to the mountains) brought out so much new growth not only with the flowers, but the many saplings struggling to grow.

Sawmill springs, however, was barely trickling. I was hoping for flowing water, but the trickle was still better than completely dry like last time.  I had a gallon of water with me so I wasn't worried, but I knew a dry spring here meant no water higher up.  I was right.   We need so much more rain in the next two months to help alleviate our drought and refill our aquifers.

We hiked at a moderate-to-slow pace, looking at the flora and taking pictures. We all used Google lens to help us identify the many flowers along the trail.  Verbena and Western Wallflowers were in the lower elevation below 7000', along with the Indian Paintbrush and Common stargrass.  Common mullein, Golden Columbine, Firecracker penstemon, blue salvia were above the aspen grove.  One flower that was quite abundant was the sunflower, but there were so many varied yellow flowers that only differed by their leaf and petal arrangement.

We never suffered from the heat since we started early and hiked in the shade going up.  But even at the peak it was calm.  No wind, no cool breeze.  Just the panorama around us as we noticed smoke wafing in the north.  There were no ladybugs mating in the shrubs.  A good monsoon usually brings them to the high peaks to mate in July and then lay their eggs in the valley below.  This all means we still need much more rain. 

We snacked on the peak for a bit, then resumed our return hike going the same way we came. This is when we came across two groups of four people going up as we were descending.  Hansel was the only dog and he did well.

I enjoyed the company today.  Monty was very informative about the flora and a good hiking partner.  We may make Carr Peak a monthly endeavor.  September will have autumn colors, October raptor migration and November may bring the first freeze.  I will enjoy the camaraderie.

Copper Canyon

Copper Canyon is a steep, narrow and short canyon on the south end of the Huachuca mountains.  The trail is an old mining trail that takes one to the mine just 0.75 miles up the hill.  It's shaded by mature Live Oaks and pines.  During the monsoon the creek rushes downhill.

Taking three dogs there was my goal today.  Hansel needed his run and the two other dogs turned out to be Fritz and Zana, since they were the three dogs that stayed in the yard when I fed the pack their morning chicken.

It was a hot day today, registering 97F at the hottest.  I thought Copper Canyon would be lush and cool when I got there at 2pm with three anxious and panting dogs.

I was hit immediately by the dry heat.  I didn't bring water on the hike for us since I expected water in the lower mine. I only had a bucket of water in the car. I was surprised to see the drainage was dry.  I struggled up the steep, rocky canyon and stopped a few times.  The only consolation is knowing the trail is less than a mile long. At least a dry heat is not as bad as the humid heat the eastern part of the country is experiencing.

There were no wildflowers except for a few firecracker plants. I was expecting more flowers after last week's rain.  There was no evidence that we got two downpours a week ago.  Our next rain is due Tuesday-Wednesday.

We got relief at the lower mine.  There was water in that mine.  It was clear water until all three dogs rushed into the pool, lapping and rolling and being dogs.  This water was our destination and I rested here a bit while the dogs took dips in the water and munched on grass. A cool breeze came down from above.  This is a pretty spot when the water is running.

We walked up to the upper mine but that one was dry.  So we turned around and walked down the way we started.  The pack ran up and down the hillside but never strayed.  Hansel and Fritz would dart on ahead with Zana right behind them.  They always came back when I called.  The mine water definitely refreshed them and they were full of energy now.

Since the mining trail is less than a mile long one way, I continued walking south past the road for a quarter mile to at least get two miles in.  We rested in the shade of a live oak by the car before going back home up the forest road, up and over Montezuma's pass driving no faster than 15mph.  It's a scenic drive with views of the international border just two miles south. Google was right when it said it was an hour drive from my house to the trailhead. It's 32 miles from my home.

All three dogs jumped in the trough once we got back home.  Only Fritz got out once I went back inside.  Hansel and Zana stayed outside until they dried off.  Fritz was tired, curling up right next to me for the next two hours while I did my evening routine of listening to the news and going through social media.

I got a text from my boss:  be at work tomorrow.  Oh shit, that's right!  I thought we started on Wednesday like we always had in the past.  I had planned on driving to Tucson one last time.  Bill and I were supposed to hike Carr Peak on Wednesday, weather permitting.

Well, so thus ends my summer vacation.  I got most of the plans I had made completed. I got the fence put up, all the plants put in the ground, and the yard slowly cleaned up.  There's a lot more I still need to do, though.  I'm sure I can get a lot more done once this heat subsides and cooler temps prevail.

Back to the Lehner Kill site TH

The morning began with a quick stop at the old lot.  Thursday mornings are trash pick-up and there is still a lot of work to be done at the old site. Right now it's a lot of garden debris and pulling out new palo verde seedlings.   I can try to replant them on my new land but they would need some indoor potted help for a few weeks.  My southern-facing "office" would make a good grow room because of its constant warmth.

One older jogger recognized me as I walked down my street.  "You're the German Shepherd Lady!" and she added that she always thinks of me when she jogs past my old lot.

I stayed at the site until shortly after trash pick-up at 7:50am and then drove home to do some gardening.  I need to get as much planted before school starts back up again next Wednesday and the soil is already drying out again. 

Today I decided to start walking earlier and took three dogs back to the Lehner Kill site trailhead. We walked part of the newer mountainbike loop. I took Zana, Gretel, and Fritz.  Zana was due her turn and the other two got freebies.  We started at 5:53pm and it was still 89F, according to Strava.

I wasn't sure how well Zana would be around Fritz, since both took off on me back in March.  She is always so full of energy. I watched them both carefully, and always called them back to me if I saw them running in the other direction.  They did fine.

Gretel, as usual, stayed close to me, always stopping and looking back at me and not continuing walking until she saw me walk.  She's gotten so good at understanding hiking etiquette.  When I call the dogs, she's always the first one back to me.  I only have to worry about her around other dogs and strangers.

This loop isn't as long as the straight-out route I took yesterday, but I didn't feel like extending my walk today. Views from the mountainbike route are expansive and one can see far into the river plain. This area was also burned by the fire four years ago.  No massive wildflowers either, other than nightshade and coyote squash.

We went straight to the San Pedro River which at this location is deep enough for them to swim in.  We stayed a bit here, then went south on the trail to our usual swimming hole.  

This section is heavily overgrown and at one point came across a rattler that warned us.  I didn't see the snake but heard it loud and clear.  "GRETEL!" I yelled, as I saw her sniffing the area from where the rattling and hissing sound came from.  She moved back right away.  Whew.

Otherwise it was a dull hike that was more fun for the dogs than me.  Views of the mountains and dead cottonwoods, however, are always a plus.

Total distance was a mere 2.6 miles.  I'm sure the dogs did a bit more than that. 

We were home by 7:15pm.  By 8pm I took Wolfie on his three-mile solo hike.  He does so well when he's alone, and his recall has gotten better this past year.  The route I like is either the three mile or extended 3.8 mile route through the 'hood on mostly dirt roads.  The puddles from the storms earlier this week are still around on Burro Drive, but they have gotten smaller. 

Two days of good rain

Monday and Tuesday afternoon brought us two strong storms that flooded my front yard and caused water to rush down the street.  The water softened the ground for me to plant the last of the pots I needed put in the ground.  I enjoyed the cooler temperatures.  

Hopefully some of the blue palo verde seeds I put in the ground this morning will germinate and grow into trees.  Their yellow flowers in the spring will add color to the dull mesquite everywhere. Palo verde are my favorite desert tree. My next goal will be to plant red and yellow Birds of paradise all around the front yard.  The seeds won't be harvestable until the fall so I have another year to wait for blooms in my yard. I will also thin out the weak trees up front.

Today I wanted to take the dogs down to the river to see the water level, but I didn't get motivated to leave until almost 6pm.  By then that only allowed for a good hour of walking, so I opted to go to the Lehner Kill site parking area and walk the mile to the river.  The trail here doesn't get muddied out like other trailheads.  It's 13 miles from my place, so a little longer to get to than the Ramsey Rd trailhead, but I figured the Ramsey Road section would need another day to dry out.

I brought Hansel, Gretel and Fritz again.  They are a good team. Gretel always stays near me and the two boys chase each other through the tall grass.  They know where the water is and run on ahead.

The fire that burned the field here four years ago must have been very hot as the false sunflowers that would crowd out the field have not grown back.  The only flowers I saw were nightshades.  The field is now tall grass with a few mesquite still around the spring.  I was hoping to see some wildflowers!

When we got to the water I was surprised at how low it was.  There was fresh evidence of a flash flood, but most of the riverbed was muddy with a stream in the middle.  The dogs still enjoyed their refreshment, though, and I always enjoy this trio having fun chasing each other.

The only excitement I had was walking up to a tarantula.  The first one this season.  I'm glad I saw it in daylight and not at night.

We managed three miles and it was already in dusk when we got to the Honda.  Sunset was at 7:21pm.  If I had left the house 40 minutes earlier, we could have gotten four miles in. My bad.  At least it was a pretty sunset and it was cool.  We are expecting the heat to return by Thursday with no rain again until Monday.

A housefire on Hargis Ranch Road was visible from the trailhead that had just started at around 7pm.  By the time we were on our drive home, two CCSO vehicles sped north on Palominas Road and four more sped east on Hereford Road.  At least the heavy rains have saturated the ground so there was no fear of the fire spreading.

I later took Gretchen out for her two-mile walk at dark. It was true dark as we are in new moon status with a waning crescent due to rise at 4am. She found a dead hare in the road and insisted on taking it with her.  That poor critter was locked in her mouth for 1.5 miles.  Gretchen never let go of it until we were back on our driveway.