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.