Still here but not for long.

I'll bet some of you are wondering what happened to me. Well, I'm swamped with trying to do last-minute things that aren't exactly going well. I have been getting one hike in each week to restore my sanity, but you've seen all that before. So what else to say?

I'm two weeks out from departure and trying not to panic about the stuff that's still outstanding. Unexpected and expensive things happen every time we go through this process, so you think I'd be used to it by now, but I always hope that my extensive experience will make it go smoother, but nooOOOooo.
 

Yes, I sound just like that.
Experience doesn't seem to have anything to do with it. Sh** happens. I do know, however, that despite all the setbacks, I'll get 'er done. Somehow. Am I excited?

Every time, I get really stressed out, I work out...

My month is up at Amenzone - boo.

... or hit a trail, and that helps me to reset. Of course, it's snake season again, so one day I caught this guy terrorizing whatever was in that hole.

Then I hiked the Dixie Mine Trail and ran across a baby rattlesnake that didn't have any rattlers yet to warn me. Luckily I saw him before I put my foot down. I don't think I've done that trail once without running into a rattlesnake (or 3). I think I'm done with that one.

This weekend, I hit my favorite trail, Tom's Thumb, for the umpteenth time. You'll recall that the last time we went, we saw some falcons nesting. Well, they had their little chickadees, so I decided to do the Overlook Trail at the top to give them some privacy.

Where most people go to the right, I went to the left, so I was on my own -without a cell-phone signal - and kept seeing snake swirlies in the dirt.

Between those and some insects that sounded like and were as loud as buzz saws (no, they weren't cicadas), I started getting the heebie jeebies. I'd think I was paying attention to where I was walking, but then a lizard would dodge out and scare the crap out of me. I made it without incident though and had a nice trek.



Yes, it was hazy out there - there are number of distant wildfires going on.

One thing I love about hiking here is that no matter how brown or dry it is (or how hot), you can usually find some color. Something blooming. Unlike winter in snowy climates where everything looks dead for 6+ months.

Ok, now I'm ready to try to knock off the last of my must-do's. Hopefully they're ready to be knocked off. I could use some luck.

Thanks, Morgan.

Trudging and Cuddling

Before we get to what we've been up to for 1 1/2 weeks, let's take in today's vista from our fourth hike at Tom's Thumb in the McDowell Mountains. We were a little worried that it might be buggy, like last time, since it had just rained. Yes - rained. Hallelujah!



Not only did it rain, but it cooled off by 30 degrees. We were able to sleep with the a/c off and the windows open, and at noon on Sunday it was only 86 degrees. Can you believe it? We couldn't either, but we decided to take advantage of it and hit the trails. Not only was it not buggy at all (except for some big black ants that bit), but there was also no one there. This trail is so popular there are 3 parking areas, and yet there were only 4 cars there. Yay!

There were quite a number of wash out areas. Thanks to months of no rain, the ground is very dry and hard, so we get temporary raging creeks/rivers every time it pours. And trails get eroded. We did our best to tread lightly and not make it worse.

I've taken pictures of this hike before, but it's always different. That's what's so great about it.  Either storms bring in dust and leave it hanging in the air, or they push out the yuck and allow us endless views. Today, it was the latter.  Add clouds for ever-changing shadows.

Get it? Michael's thumb in front of Tom's Thumb?

Another great hike. We (I) really needed it. I hadn't exercised in almost 2 weeks. Why? Because we did it again. Only this time we took in 6 kittens. This would be our 3rd batch but the most we tried to handle at one time and the oldest. They'd had a rough 12 weeks. They'd been born in someone's house but then released. Picked up again and put in a home that caught fire after a lightning strike. Then they were brought to a vet's office where they were neutered, and then brought to our place.

One kitty bounced back immediately, was playful and friendly, and was immediately adopted out. The remaining five consisted of 2 hissing, pretty feral kittens, and 3 others that couldn't shake off the anesthesia they'd been given. They couldn't hold food down, didn't want to eat, or couldn't wake up and dropped a lot of weight they didn't have. So much, they became skeletal. It was terrifying. I spent 24/7 with them, worried they weren't going to make it, all the while trying to get them to stop being so scared and hostile of humans. It was a tall order, but by Day 5, they had all turned a corner. I've never been so relieved in my life. By Day 8, I had the most feral of all of them sitting in my lap, purring with his tongue hanging out. Yes! And that's why I do it.



Once again, our cat Jack stepped up to the plate.





After our hike, we discovered our second calico was adopted - yay! She'll be gone by next weekend, so we'll have to get our cuddles in now. (She's yelling at Michael who's cooking in the kitchen as I type this.) Hopefully the other 4 will find homes before they end up at Petco competing with others next weekend (we'll only leave them for the day). I'm not sure how they'll do in that environment.


Once gone, I think that will do it for us for the summer. We're pooped!

Yep, It's That Day Again

Before we get to the hike you know is coming, I thought I'd just fill you in on last night - movie night at the Fountain. We debated going since it was just as cold as it was the last night we did a movie outside (at Biltmore Fashion Park), but we'd had fun before, despite the cool breeze, and decided to brave it again. We also went despite knowing there would be lots and lots of kids there (which is scary when you're not used to being around them). The movie was Frozen, a Disney film. And the title was apropos, because by the end of the film, Michael & I were frozen (the sofa throw we brought was not good enough). Anywho - there were lots of kids. It was a lot like Key West in the sense that you rarely see kids around, and yet when there's an event - wallah! - there they are.



The sponsors/organizers even had two princesses from the movie working the crowd and taking pictures with the munchkins.




This was a pretty good set up - there's a hill so it's easy to see, they was a little temporary stand that sold popcorn, snacks, and beverages, and it gets really dark so you could easily see the screen and the stars/moon. But as they warn you - don't lose your kids or your keys - I repeat, it gets really, really dark.



The movie (and popcorn) was good, I'm glad we went. I'm also glad we turned the heat on full blast once we got back in the car.

In the morning, I had to laugh as the kitties fought over the one sun ray we get all day. We still call our apartment "the dungeon." It's dark and chilly. If it stays this way through the summer, we'll probably appreciate it, but right now, we all fight for these early a.m. rays of light.

And then we headed for the Tom's Thumb trail again. We really enjoyed it last time, and the weather was the same as before (warmish, but with a cool breeze). We might get to 97 degrees on Wednesday, so it's now or never. The hike was just as spectacular this time around.

Despite the traffic (it comes in spurts).



Michael spotted this hummingbird hanging out, and it stayed on its perch so I could get a front and back shot of it. Not a bad view, eh?

See him at the bottom? I'm liking his view.

We did change it up a little though. Instead of heading right for the Tom Thumb's part, we headed left to the Overlook.

It added a mile to the whole thing, but it was so worth it. See the fountain?

Wow. Just wow.



At the top, the rocks were all kinds of weird colors.

On the way back, we followed the main trail, but we hadn't done that last time. Last time, we had taken a trail to nowhere, gotten lost, and then had to scramble and boulder back up to the main trail (no I hadn't mentioned that in the last post). So here's what we missed. This reminds me of Desolation Valley on the island of Dominica as you're making your way to Boiling Lake (okay, so Dominica was a little greener).



There isn't a part of this hike we don't like.



And if all that wasn't enough, we had lots and lots of wildflowers this time. People always think of the desert as barren, but it really isn't.



These were little berries.

No, we didn't try them, unsure if they were toxic. We need to attend Ranger Amy's Desert Grocery Store hike. Look at all these flowers!



Even off-trail, you see all these blossoming Palo Verde's. That second photo is the driveway to our apartment complex.



If you have allergies, this might not be the best place to be right now, but we sure are enjoying it! We actually ran out of time to do all the stuff we wanted to do but consider it another successful weekend.