Walking in the rain

It's been drizzling on and off since late Thursday.  I didn't walk any dog yesterday, but this morning I had the urge to get Hansel and one more dog out for a river walk.  That dog was Wolfie.

The Huachuca mountains were shrouded in fog.  The Mule mountains to the west were still visible. I left with both dogs at 9:30am, started the walk at 9:46am and by 10am it was drizzling again.  The dogs were having fun so we continued.  By the time we got to the river, the drizzle got stronger.  I was wet but it was still a mild wet, nothing too cold

The rain these last two days have really brought out the green in the creosote.  The dark green leaves are being nourished by the rain!  Even the trees along the river looked like they were already budding! Everything else is still a bland brown or grey.  Low-lying clouds also added some mystic to the scenery.

Hansel and Wolfie got along fine outside, although Wolfie seemed nervous getting back into the car for the ride home.  The rain had stopped for a bit, then started up again 30 minutes later when only Fritz was inside and the rest in the back yard.  By noon the rain continued into the early evening.

If it weren't for the constant rain, I would have planted more of my potted sales plants I got last week,  I still have some vines and three bare-root fruit trees to get into the ground.  I did manage two small creosote shrubs and a tiny San Pedro cactus I got in Tucson last week.  I have more plans for March.

This winter storm has now been named Fern.  I'm watching it move East.  Northern Indiana has been spared the heavy snow, but the high today in Valparaiso (where my daughter Erin lives) only reached 8F.  It was 42F in Seattle and 48F here.

I never did see the mountain peaks because the sun was hidden all day.  I'm curious if we have new snow on the tops.

A new winter storm is coming

I came straight home after school instead of shopping at Frys. I wanted more time to walk some of the dogs by the river before the mild weather cooled and the rain came. I was in the backyard picking up dog poop when I saw Wolfie attack Fritz and then both dogs locked down on each other's neck. Neither would relent.  They moved around the back yard holding on to each other. What had provoked the fight?!

I know the best thing to do is do nothing, or perhaps pull back on the hind legs. I tried that on Wolfie but he wouldn't let go of Fritz. A bucket of cold water also didn't help.  Neither dog wanted to give in.  The other dogs got away from them.  Even Hansel kept his distance.

When both dogs tired out and quit ten minutes later, both dogs were bloodied. Fritz's old scab under his left eye from the fight last week burst open again. Wolfie  was panting heavily. Back inside the house, both dogs did not seem ready for peace.  The 40-gallon kibble bucket was knocked over, scattering Blue Buffalo kibble all over the living room.  I'm going to let the dogs clean that mess up.

Wolfie was the one who needed a good walk so I let him calm down.  Perhaps he was testy with Fritz because he hadn't had a long walk since the 15th? I cancelled the river walk but  I knew I had to walk him later in the dark around the 'hood.  I had to do that before the rain came later.

But I fell asleep listening to the news and didn't wake up until 10:40. It was starting to drizzle and I still had to isolate Wolfie in the yard. I isolate the dog I'm walking solo in the back yard, so that getting out the fence with the other dogs inside is much easier.  But isolating one dog is never easy because they all want to go on a night walk every night. I finally managed to get Wolfie and we started our walk just past 11pm.  Some rain had already fallen.

It was an usually mild night with 54F and a steady drizzle. I wore my fleece jacket and was warm. There was no wind despite the cloud cover, but by the time we finished our three miles just past midnight, I was wet. Wet, but happy that Wolfie got his walk in.  

This rain will linger for Friday. For us it is the start of a massive winter storm moving East over the weekend. This is expected to be a massive Arctic blast affecting everything East of us for 121M people. Yikes. Exploding trees, burst pipes, and power outages are forecasted. We will see snow above 7000'.

Sonoita Creek off Lake Patagonia

Arizona State Parks offered free admission today for the Martin Luther King holiday. There are three state parks within an hour's drive of me. I wanted to use this opportunity to explore Lake Patagonia and the Sonoita Creek.  The Sonoita Creek flows into the man-made lake.  I had never explored the creek from the lake side and the only time I was at Lake Patagonia was 25 years ago with Eric.

It's a 90-minute drive along the scenic AZ Highway 82 to get to Lake Patogonia. It's been a few years since I've driven the route and I've forgotten how beautiful the rocky cliffs and hills are south of Patagonia.  I probably should have left the house sooner as we didn't get to the lake until 1:30pm.  The park ranger checked my driver's license to make sure I was an Arizona resident and eligible for a free pass.

I had researched the trails yesterday and knew I had to get to the most eastern part of the campground to get started at the Birding trail.  Quite a few people and other dogs were there and I was afraid I had made a poor choice of a hike.  Gretel does not like other dogs and she will lunge at other dogs.  My only choice now was to get as far into the wilderness as possible.  Most people in campgrounds don't stray far from the trailhead.

I wasn't dressed in my best hiking clothes.  I wore thick jeans and my red mesh sneakers. It was 73F and ideal for a shaded winter hike.  But a mile into the hike I met another man about my age who was coming back from the creek and warning me that I will not be able to ford the creek because it's flooded from recent rains and there are no footbridges.

No foot bridges in a creek preserve?  I didn't let the man's negativity get to me as I like exploring creek beds.  And sure enough, there was an easy and dry crossing near a log jam that got us across the creek and down the old Patagonia-Sonoita railroad track. We hiked the old railroad bed going east until a gate with a "No Trespassing" sign forced us to turn around.  This wide open path along the creek was very pretty, and I was sad to see it end too soon.  On the other side of the gate was the Nature Preserve's Sonoita section.  Dogs are not allowed here. 

On our way back I got sidetracked by an abandoned trail.  It let to a rocky drainage section that got away from the shaded creek and up the rocky, dry hill sides and away from the park.  During heavy rains this part I'm sure gushes with water.

Gretel was loving the water.  She's a great hiking companion as long as we are alone as she stays by my side.  I feel safe with her nearby.  I was noticing plants I didn't know grew in Arizona: wild nicotiana (tobacco plant) with its long, white tubular flowers in bloom.  The leaves are huge!  Thick vines creeped up along many of the creek bed trees.

My goal was to explore all the trails on the eastern part of the Lake.   It was already 3pm and I only had two more hours of good daylight.  The rocky hillsides looked tempting, but I didn't want to risj getting lost or injured in a remote area with no cellphone service.  I'd love to come back with someone else to explore this area.

We finished off our hike by completing both short trails on the lake side: two short loops.  I never met another person once I got here.  The mesquite bosques are quite enchanting, but so are the marshes near the eastern lake section. It reminded me of the marshes in the Indiana Dunes State Park.

In the end we managed 5.71 miles and were back at the Honda by 4:20pm.  A half mile was just walking right along the shore by the campground.  The campground looks inviting, with shaded lots and a shower area for users.  Had I had more day light, I would have explored the lake more.  I'm curious to know if there are trails on the western portion of the lake?  I can't find any information on the internet.

Gretel was glad to be back in the car to rest.  She travels very well.  I was hungry and wanted to take this opportunity to drive to the border town of Nogales for a Mexican meal.  It's been so long since I walked the streets of Nogales!

Google recommended a dive restaurant called El Zarape.  It looked like something straight out of Mexico.  I gave it three stars on Yelp!  The meal was ok but it was also just $13 and very filling.  Gretel rested in the shade while I was inside.

The drive back home was at sunset/  We got back home by 7pm.  I felt rested.  What a fun way to end a three-day weekend.

Walking a section of the North Santa Cruz river walk with Zana

Today was my day in Tucson and Zana was the lucky dog.  She's great to take anywhere as she travels well in the car and stays close on walks.

I was already driving when I decided to finish the  Canada del Oro section and parked at the Thorneydale Road parking lot.  It was past noon and the path was busy with cyclists.  We walked south and turned around at the  Orange Grove lights, then turned around and walked over two miles on the north Santa Cruz river walk.  This part is not part of "the Loop" but a mere extension of the river path.  This section continues to Marana but I made Ina Road my turn-around.  I'll leave the Marana section for another trip.

It was 71F when we started but Zana got warm fast.  The black asphalt was probably too warm for her. I then opted to continue the walk in the wide wash where there was shade.  We rested a bit here. The heavy rain from two weeks ago must have flooded this wash as the grass was a bright green and parts of the wash were muddy.  We even lucked out and came across a section with reclaimed water that Zana rolled around in.  She came back to life!  I took her off the leash here as we were alone, but I could see equestrians and ATV riders on the western bank.

The Santa Crus wash here is very wide.  The flood from two weeks ago must have saturated the entire wash, even the cholla and saguaros (!) must have gotten drenched.

The river near the turn-around at Ina was also heavily treed.  The shade was very welcoming.  The city must release reclaimed water regularly here as the flora was dense.  The water was also very clear.  A homeless person had set up a cozy tent area to include a fishing pole!  ATV tracks were also well-used.

By this point we had walked three miles.  Six miles was good enough for me but in the end we walked 7.3 miles as I had walked too far south and missed the bend for the Canada del Oro wash where there was more water for Zana.

Flowers were already up.  Brittlebush were everywhere!  Those yellow clusters pop out after heavy rains in early spring.  They are early this year.  I also saw plenty of orange mallow.  There were plenty of tamarisk trees as well.  They stand out for their long, thin leaves (like pine needles).  It's a small tree that grows in washes in the low desert.  If it weren't for the clusters of homeless trash, this section in the wash would have been nice.  I took as much trash as I could fit in my small backpack.

I'm going to take a mini road trip over spring break to see other wild flowers this spring.  I'm expecting a banner of wildflowers.

I stayed in the wash for the return walk to keep Zana cool and off leash.  We were back on the path for the last half mile.  Zana was glad to be back in the car and now I was hungry for some Mexican food.  

Google Maps told me the closest restaurant was La Parrilla Suiza on Ina.  Having eaten at the Speedway location and liking it, I opted for this second location (there are four in the greater Tucson area).  It was 4pm and the place was empty, so I had good service.  I ordered the chicken mole enchiladas, a dish I tend to order at most Mexican places.

We were back home just after 7pm, with a quick stop at Fry's.  The other dogs were happy to see me as they were outside all day. 

I'm slowly regaining my endurance.  A few months ago seven miles would have exhausted me.

Papago Springs Loop

 I had an active day today/  I was up before sunrise for coffee.  The dogs heard something outside and darted outside.  Only Gretchen stayed by my side, so I kept the pack outside until I walked Gretchen around the 'hood for two hours.  It was a chilly morning at 34F when I started at 7am.

I don't like walking her because she always pulls.  But she needs her turn at walking and she was past due. Today I decided to tire her out.  By the third mile she realized that pulling wasn't going to get her anywhere.  I walked east on Barataria and then turned south on Mescalero, a narrow dirt road that stops just before Madera. I then went west back to my place.  This formed a long, narrow rectangle.

The 5.75 miles took me two hours.  It was much warmer by the time I got back but I kept the other dogs outside for another hour as I wanted to get some gardening in.  My trees needed water.

The dogs were barking ferociously at something on the east side of the fence and that caught my attention.  I stopped watering my trees to check it out.  It was two coyotes taunting my dogs and Gretel wasn't having any of it.  She's quite the fighter!  I am not 100% sure but it looked like the two coyotes were fighting the dogs at the fence!  Both scurried off when they saw me coming.  Those two shits come by every night just to taunt my dogs, but I have been leaving my back door closed at night to keep the warmth in.

I  had a second cup of coffee and ate leftover pizza before I decided to take Fritz on my second hike, this time in Papago Springs.  It's a 55-mile drive. I like the foothill trails there.  He was happy to get some alone time with me after a vicious fight with Hansel on Wednesday that left a deep gash below his left eye.  He's been more clingy since the incident.

Fritz is my best protector.  He stays by my side to protect me, and today he protected me from all the cows off the trail.  The trails around Papago Springs are horse and cattle country and today there were cows everywhere!  They all stared at us as we quietly walked past and Fritz did not chase them,  He was such a good boy!  

There are many unmarked single tracks in this area but today I stayed on forest roads and formed a 4-mile loop.  It wasn't the most scenic loop but it was just me, Fritz and the cows.  We did stop at the springs for water. Next time I go back here I want to explore the abandoned roads further south.  Exploring them would mean starting earlier than 2:30 like I did today. I want to explore that area more and perhaps create a hike for the HHC.  I just need to look at a topo map to see how to get to the higher hills there.

I would have walked longer but the earlier walk with Gretchen tired me out.  I stopped at the El Campo Cantina restaurant afterwards, the old Tia Nita's pizza place.   A new owner revived the dive and turned it into a gourmet Italian place, serving pinsa instead of pizza so I opted to try pinsa.  It's like sourdough flatbread, with a lighter, crispier crust.  It was ok but it's not something I'd pick over traditional pizza again.

We got home right before sunset.  The dogs were quiet tonight.

My last day of vacation

 It was a beautiful sunrise.  The dogs and I were up to witness it.  I had a cup of coffee and let the dogs out.  They all ran around and peed.  When I called them back inside, only Gretel remained outside.  I used this opportunity to keep her outside alone because it was her turn for a long walk.

It was chilly when we started at 7:05.  I had two flannel shirts on.  I surely looked like a homeless woman with the various flannel colors but I didn't care.  It was a peaceful Sunday morning and I was walking with my Gretel Girl.  The sky was cloud covered, making it easier for Gretel to stay cool.  These are the kind of winter mornings I enjoy.

I aimed for the State Trust Land a half mile to the west of me.  I hadn't been back there in six months.  The  pond had dried up last month and there were no cows again, although I did see a few fresh piles.  Gretel stayed by my side.  When she did chase after a desert hare, she always came right back and resumed her position next to me.

There were fresh ATV tracks along the main road.  I walked it north  for three miles.  I ended up picking up more beer cans than what I could comfortably carry and had to leave them behind.   I'll come by again later this week to pick those up.  Why people like to ride ATVs and drink beer, though, is beyond me.

I enjoyed my walk today although the scenery was lacking with the winter landscape. Catclaw acacia and low-lying mesquite dominate the horizon.  Shades of browns were all around and no other colors. What I do like about walking here is that there is never anyone around.  It's one place I can let my dogs off leash without bothering anyone.  It's also within walking distance.  On the down side, it's not a place I would want to be while having a medical emergency.

Gretel and I were back home at 9:30am.  The dogs got their chicken and I rested and had an early lunch.

After some errands in town in the late afternoon, I went on a second walk, this time with Zana around my 3-mile route.  We started at 8 with a waning full moon already up.  The clouds kept the moon from shining brightly.

New Year's Day walk with Gretchen

The overnight rain subsided by 10am.  I hadn't planned a hike today, but once the rain stopped I managed to get Gretchen alone while the others were in the backyard and walked the 3-mile route. The dirt wasn't as muddy as I thought it would be.  Only a few shallow puddles were formed in a few depressions.  Rain clouds shrouded the Huachucas but no snow was on the peaks. 

Once back home at 11am, I decided to drive into town to see the Farmer's Market.  I kept the dogs at home.  There wasn't much there that I was interested in, not even a coffee vendor.  I listened to one song by a local country artist, Johnny Bencomo, but then decided to walk to the closest coffee shop to warm up.  It was a little chilly to be sitting outside.

Veteran's Park was busy with people walking along the "Old Santas from around the World" display, 10-foot tall prints of paintings of Santas from other countries  through the years.  I saw Russian, Norwegian, Czech, German, French Santas. This is an annual display but the first time I've actually walked past them all.  The displays are lighted at night.  The ice rink next to the display was closed.

I made it to Gypsy Sips shortly after 1pm and chatted with the owner who was slowly cleaning the shop for her 2pm closing.  Her coffee is good and she specializes in all sort of sweet drinks.  I'm happy with a simple cappuccino with hazelnut syrup.  She said she was bombarded with customers when she first opened at 8am, but I was her only customer when I stopped by.  

The town was surprisingly busy.  Frys Foods, Target and Walmart were all open but I stayed away.  Last night's rain cooled the landscape and I felt like the atmosphere was in hangover recovery from last night's celebrations.

Once I was back home by 3pm, I stayed home with the pack.  I started the new year with  just over four miles.

So here is to a new year.