Reef Townsite overlook

My fence is up

Jodi came by around 9am with her daughter Jasmine and husband Stan to finish stretching the fence.  She had done all the poles Friday.  Having two more people to help her made the job easier and faster for her.  All she has to do now is install the gate and walk-in gate Wednesday and the job is complete. Right now she has temporary gates in place to keep the dogs in the yard.

When her party left after 1pm I let the dogs out to try out the new fence.  All six dogs exploded out of the back patio.  First they ran toward the south side where they were used to jumping over the old field fence. That exit is no longer available to them, so they ran along the perimeter at full speed.  They all seemed to relish the opportunity to run free, even within a confined 3/4 acre.

 

I enjoyed watching the dogs play.  While Gretchen and Wolfie quickly went back inside, the other four stayed outside for a while, exploring the fence line, wandering under the mesquite and pooping and peeing in the back yard.  And that's when I realized that watching my dogs enjoy being dogs again, without being tethered, is what is making my new place finally aiow I have six more weeks to plant vines along the fence to create a natural barrier.  Chainlink fences aren't very attractive, but they are efficient and make good trellises for climbing vines. 

OUR FIRST RAIN OF THE YEAR!

The first tropical storm in the eastern Pacific, Alvin, moving north along the Baja peninsula, sent us some residual rains today. Heavy rains had been forecasted a week out. These rains affected all of Arizona. That included me. We have been dry since September 10 of last year and both flora and fauna have been suffering from lack of rain. 

I got up early at 5am to walk Gretchen and then Wolfie for three miles each. The sky was already overcast with a cooler breeze. This was ideal for some gardening. I have so many plants still in pots needing permanent homes . 

I dug a few holes for some of the plants I had planned to put in the front yard. I timed myself to be done with my gardening by 1pm. 

My last errand before the rain was going to the old lot to pick up the 50 gallon water trough and place it against the east side of the house to catch water running off the roof. 

The mature photinias along my northern fence at the old house have died from the drought. It's a sad sight, as for all all the time we lived in that small house, I kept the plants alive with grey water. 

I brought all the dogs inside, closed the patio door, and watched the sky. By 2:30pm people in Bisbee were sharing videos of rain on Facebook. Oh, the jealousy! But then at 2:46pm the rain came to me. Big, glorious, news-making rain! 

My parched front yard quickly flooded. I was glad I could witness this event safely from my windows.

The downpour lasted just 30 minutes; a bit of a let-down. 

I wanted to walk Gretel next but then decided not to as rattlesnakes are most prevalent after heavy rain because their burrows and dens are flooded and they slither out to look for flooded-out rodents. The water trough was half-full when I checked. 

The rest of the day was spent inside. Storm clouds made nightfall especially dark. A gentle rain began at 9pm, with lightning over the mountains that made the dogs uneasy. This saturating rain then continued until 3am. We were under a flood watch until 10am the next day.

Smokey skies

A wildfire broke out yesterday in Cannanea, Sonora, a mining town 25 miles south of the border. Our prevailing northeastern winds are B rising smoke up our way. Today was our second hazy day, trapping the stifling 90F over us.

We now have a 44% chance of rain on June 1st.

This morning I took Zana on a 4mile walk on State Trust land.  Its a mile to the trailhead. We entered by the dry pond and walked westward on the ATV trail. We passed several black Angus who stared us down. Zana didn't even provoke a chase! She is such a good hiker when it's just her as she stays close by my side.

We rested by an illegal shooting range by a wash before turning around. There were a lot of abandoned shell casing there.   I picked up some brass to recycle later. I will go by there again another time and pock up the trash.

It was already in the 70s when we got back home at 820 am.

Jody came by at 230 to put the posts in the ground and fill in cement. She will come by Friday to put the fencing up. I  can't wait. I hope this 6' fence will end the dogs getting out and upsetting my neighbors across the street.

Zacatecas Canyon and Bisbee's perimeter trail

I agreed to meet up with Bill in Bisbee at 630am. I was ten minutes late as I had overslept the alarm. I took Hansel this time. I was looking forward to exploring new trails.

It was 57F at the start, but once that sun was up, quickly warmed up. This was a hike with little shade.

Our dry spring is showing results. Oaks in town and in the hills are dropping their leaves. Few spring flowers besides some poppies have bloomed since our last visit.

Patio Peak with Bill and Zana

051825

This hike was Bill's idea so we met in Bisbee at 6am. It had been a few years since I was last here. This hilly area south of Bisbee is known for its rich mining area and ocotillo groves, tall stick-like succulent native to the Chihuahuan desert. They bloom in late April with multiple tubular flowers.

Weather was sunny and clear, with a cool breeze that kept Zana cool. I never took off my red flannel shirt as the winds got stronger soon after we began our hike.

I saw the dryness right away. There were no cattle in the area, which told me there was no water in the rock pools and drainages. I was right. The ocotillo were in their red bloom, but had not leafed out yet. The sticks have no energy to produce leaves because they need water!  Not even the usual spring grasses had sprouted, making the hilly landscape a dull sandy brown. The stock pond was bone dry. Cow patties littered the watering holes, but they were all dried up.

 

This was Bill's first time in the area. He easily gets excited about nature. I showed him the metates, old grinding holes used by the ancient inhabitants of this area. I want to show him the route to the nearby Ivanhoe mine the next time we come back.

Zana was a real champ. She stayed by my side. There was nothing for her to chase anyway. She got her water when we got to the peak, but we didn't stay long due to the chilly breeze.

Both the hot sun and steep descent tired me out when we got back to our cars. Zana was exhausted and napped the rest of the day. Bill and I talked for a bit by our cars while sipping on some spiked iced tea he had made, a first for us as we normally go our separate ways after a hike.

The winds persisted into the evening. Even after dark I'd look out toward the mountains to make sure there were no new fires.

All photos by Bill King

Mt Ballard

This short but steep hike was my idea. Bill hD never been up this peak. I took Hansel and we met at 6am at the trailhead parking.

You can see the old Courthouse once you reach elevation

Stronghold fire

This fire near Sunsites broke out April 28. It is 62% contained at 2138 acres. This morning was the first hazy morning from the drifting smoke along the Mule mountains east of me.

I was outside at 7:30am pruning some dead shrubs in the front when Gretchen and Zana darted past me. They had pushed the front window open and jumped outside. I didn't think they could push it open as I have trouble lifting the pane. Now I have to get 24" wood stoppers to keep the windows secure when open. I had been so vigilant at making sure the dogs wouldn't be able to dart outside this past month.

Luckily Kim's dogs weren't outside although both dogs were looking for them in Kim's yard. I last saw them running full speed west on my street. I drove around looking for them, but saw no trace. What more could I do besides stay home and watch social media about two loose dogs running around, or getting an angry text from Kim or Ken.

But nothing ever came.  Then, quite unexpectedly, both dogs reappeared in the front yard an hour later, panting with their long tongues drooping. Zana came right to the front door and wanted inside. I let her. Gretchen played harder to get but I got her inside the Honda ten minutes later where she had time to relax before I brought her inside,

Both dogs stayed inside the rest of the day. They got the bigger pieces of chicken for lunch when I made myself some pollo marinade with rice. At least they got a good hour of unleashed running so I could take Fritz for his four mile walk later. I like knowing all six dogs get a good workout over the weekend.

I can't wait to get that fence put up.

Lutz Canyon trail to the Big Bear Mine (8034')

Lutz Canyon trail is the steepest but shortest route to Miller Peak. Bill asked if I were interested in hiking this trail today so I agreed. He's helped me get back on the trails again and for that I am grateful.

Zana was my hiking dog today. It was her turn

We agreed to meet at 6am at the trailhead. We both arrived at the same time to an empty parking area. It was sunny with a cool breeze.

It has been a few years since I hiked this challenging trail. The 2011 Monument fire totally changed this trail from shaded to exposed. Our lingering drought has made new growth here impossible despite the dry creek nearby. 

Zana started out enthusiastically but was visibly tired when we got to the mine 2.8 miles up the trail. She drank her quart of water and had a can of food and would have taken a nap had we allowed her.

This mine was always a popular campsite for bordercrossers. The shaft was full of plastic water bottles and black plastic bags. During the monsoon this mine floods, but today the mine and the entire mountain range was crispy dry. We could face another dangerous fire season as we have two months before any rain falls and our flora is dying.

The higher altitude here made the wind chilly. My hands got cold fast. I never took my flannel shirt off but Bill only had one long-sleeved tshirt. We didn't stay long here because of the wind. On a milder day I may have wanted to hike to the intersection with the Crest trail, another 0.7 miles higher.

The drought has kept any flowers from blooming. The one flower we spotted was on a bushel cactus

Brown Canyon loop to the slot canyon

 This  hike was Bills decision. I took Zana and she was excited to hike today. We met shortly before sunrise in the trailhead parking lot off Ramsey Road. We were the first cars.

It was 37F at the start. My hands were a bit chilled but when the sun rose high enough to warm me up, all discomfort was forgotten.

Zana was on leash for the first mile. I took her off leash once we were alone. She did beautifully! She healed right by my feet and sometimes Bills feet. I didnt put her back on leash until the return hike the last two miles when there were now people on the trail.

The goal of the hike was to show Bill the slot canyon just off the trail at the 3.5 miles mark, just before the trail switchbacks uphill. This is a shady box canyon with several cottonwoods and red maples that still had some autumn display. 

There was smelly stagnant water in the pool that Zana went right into. No water was trickling down the falls. The only trickling water was in the water trough at the Wilderness boundary.

We then continued another .6 mile to the upper falls. This area was also very dry. By now the sun was up high to shine some warmth on us. But I never took off my flannel overshirt.

We didnt stay long. We took a few selfies at the overlook and then resumed our return hike. 

We hiked seven miles in 3:20 hours

Bisbee 1000

 Mornings are getting warm again. The full moon had set and the sun had already risen. Bill and I met just before 6am. I brought Hansel.

Todays walk focused on finding new things and we found a few murals. Bill is gwtting into the artsy things and the biographies of the local artists. This is his latest passion.

Juniper Flats loop

It has been almost ten years since I have done thus eight mile loop around Bisbee. It  turned out to be the one substantial hike I did over my spring break this year. I hiked with Bill and Mike F and took Hansel with me. We met at 8am in front of the mining museum.

Old Bisbee was recovering from a motorcycle really on Saturday, the annual Prowl. Beer cans and bottle were littered in the streets as we started, with early bird bikers already gathered in Brewery Gulch revving their bikes. Mike met Bill and I on OK Street as we walked by, hiking the loop counter clockwise.

It started out chilly in the upper 30s but two hours later my hands were no longer cold.

We walked at a slower pace than I am used to. Bill stopped a lot to take photos and Mike stopped to talk about the flora. Mike is a wealth of knowledge and is a certified naturalist.I always learn something from him. I often walked ahead so that Hansel wasn't in the way.

The route was dry, but there was one small patch of melting snow pack on a north slope near the Juniper flats road to give Hansel some water. I carried water and snacks for us, but I waited until we were on our rest break destination to feed and water him.

We took a long break as we sat on some boulders overlooking Bisbee. What I thought would be a three -hour hike turned out to be a five hour hike, but I did enjoy our conversations. I picked up some beer cans that were strewn along the boulders, which Mike helped carry for me until we got back to our cars by the museum. 

SPNCRA north of Hereford Bridge

It was a cold morning. I wanted to take four of the dogs on a challenging walk but waited for the morning temperatures to warm up. I spent the time planting another oleander shrub that will eventually be part of a natural barrier along my property. It is my fifth of what will be many more shrubs by the end of this year.

I took Hansel, Gretel, Fritz and Zana who were all beyond excited to get out. We started just past 1:30pm and walked north to the Big Wash 3.2 miles away. I wanted to see the water level there and be alone with the pack.

I briefly got off the main trail when I saw another dog walker come toward us, so I went to the river but was surprised to see it dry. The dogs found a mudhole on their own nearby. This didn't bode well. There was no fresh water after Friday's rain and mountain snow?

I enjoy watching the dogs run as fast as they can with each other and without bothering other dogs or people. And these dogs need daily runs of 2-4 miles. This is the incentive to get that fence put up.

Something spooked two of the dogs about halfway into the walk. Fritz and Zana never returned despite me calling them. At the 2.8 mile mark I came across a cattle coral that wasn't there the last time I walked this rather boring trail about two years ago. A javelina and its young were at this coral rooting around, but got startled and scurried off. Did javelin scare off the two dogs?  

The big wash was still a half mile away. I let Hansel and Gretel cool off in the water, but the level was low. While flowing, there is usually more water at this point.

We made it back to the Honda by 3:30pm. Fritz and Zana were already waiting. How long had they been by the car? Someone left a cooler top full of water for them. Both dogs were across the road but came right to me when I called. All dogs were now panting. 

I will stop this route going forward because the trailhead is right off Hereford road and having lose dogs running around is neither safe nor smart. I will explore this route maybe after the monsoon with no more than two dogs.

At least all dogs got a good workout and raw chicken for dinner

Sunday March 9

Tempe one last time

Spent the afternoon with Eric and Margaret. Tomorrow they begin their big move to Seattle. I will miss the closeness of having them nearby.

I took Hansel with me. He is such a good copilot! I even lucked out wirh the 76F weather and smooth-flowing traffic. I got into town by 1:50  pm and they were already waiting.

Eric wanted one last meal at Lou Malnati's pizza, a Chicago-style pizza chain that originated in Chicago. I don't like it as much as Gino's East as the crust doesn't have the cornbread beer batter, but it is still good pizza and this lunch was in their honor.

We had a large size Chicago classic with pepperoni and sausage. There were two slices for each of us. I took the rest home for lunch tomorrow.

We wanted a bit more time to talk.  Eric is proud to have landed himself a $130,000  annual salary working a trade he learned in the Air Force. And yet his aspirations of becoming a successful writer still eludes him.

I enjoy urban walking. We walked three miles to the Townlake from their apartment, a short walk from Papago Park and Curry Avenue.  The park was busy. The water in that lake stinks, with much dead fish along the banks. And Hansel whined a lot most likely because he was on leash and he wanted to jump into the cooling water.

I would have enjoyed chatting some more over craft beer, but both were tired and ready for their new chapter.  I have been in their shoes and understand the anxiety of moving and starting a new chapter.  By 5:30 pm we departed and I stopped at Goldwater Crossing, a brewery in south Tempe I had always wanted to try.

The brewery is dog friendly. I sat at the bar, plugged in my phone, and for an hour plus had two pints of good beer before resuming my trip back home.

I will miss having Eric close by, but I am proud that both of my children are successful adults.