Last Friday I managed to get vet appointments for all three dogs on Fort Huachuca. I hadn't planned on that, but I was off work, had gotten all my other errands done, and knew this was a good idea since Sadie, and, it turns out also Sara, were past-due on their shots. It all resulted in me stopping in at the clinic asking if the old shelter was still open. It's not. And when I inquired about retirees using the reduced-fee services, I discovered that we could. I thus landed a late same-day appointment for all three dogs at 3pm. For all three dogs I only spent $142, which is almost half what I would have paid for a vet office visit in town. Service wasn't bad, either, and all three dogs survived the agony of getting poked, prodded and fondled. Now all three dogs are up-to-date with their rabies, parvo, distemper and kennel cough innoculations.
The plan was to take them on a short walk in the nearby foothills afterwards. The entrance to Huachuca Canyon is nearby and I hadn't been there in a while. But to my surprise the canyon was closed due to "High Fire danger" and trespassers would be punished by the post commander, according to the sign at the trailhead. So instead of a nice walk up Huachuca Canyon Road and back for an hour (where there is water), I took a side trail from the canyon boundary which took me to the old cemetery and back with views of the Bonny Doon housing area and views of the smoky skyline.
The fire danger isn't totally exaggerated as a 6000-acre fire had been burning all week from the Santa Cruz valley 30 miles west of us, and the smoky haze was quite noticable last Friday. Fort Huachuca law enforcement personnel aren't the kindest when it comes to enforcing laws. I didn't want to take any chances.
I spent most of the weekend studying Spanish and Biology but I took another break yesterday and took all three dogs to the Whetstones. Sadie needed her exercise and wasn't going to forgive me if she hadn't gotten her walk in. The drought in the Whetstones was more noticable. There's not much green coming up right now, and the vista in all directions is shades of brown and grey. The oaks, which are normally cold hardy and don't shed their leaves, suffered badly from the early February deep freeze. Brown and dried oak leaves now hang precariously on the trees. The grasses are dead and brittle. Even many succulents are dead and dry. The first lightning strike anywhere around us would surely light up the area, and our typical high winds would wuickly spread any fire. I'm more worried about wildfires than I am about earthquakes, but Kevin is still determined that a massive natural disaster will strike us "soon" and continues to stock up on dried goods and dehydrated foods. He spent another weekend canning and dehydrating meats and vegetables.
The Whetstone mountains are a mystical place but we were there for just 2.5 hours, walking up an abandoned mine road. Sara and Sammy quickly got exhausted in the sun, and there was no water anywhere to cool them off. The gallon jug I carried for them quickly emptied, and I gauged my hike by how much water I had.
California had a harsh storm last week but we didn't get any of that precipitation. Although this warmth is nice for tourists and those late-season snowbirds, I'm concerned about our flora and fauna. If we don't get some serious rain soon, we will be in a lot of hurt come May.
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