The Mule Mountain Trail

I finally hiked in the Mule Mountains today. After all these years of just “driving through” them to get to Bisbee, I found a trailhead off Old Divide Road (just north of the Mule Tunnel).

This road is the original road over Mule Pass before the tunnel was built in 1958. I turned north on a dirt road that took me to two communications towers, and bushwhacked around the brittle limestone outcroppings studded with yuccas, manzanitas, pinon pines and young alligator junipers. I was now on BLM land and before me was the “Mule Mountain Trail,” a 2.4-mile trail. It's the only trail I’ve been able to find anywhere on the net for this small and arid mountain range. Surely, from seeing other dirt roads in the distance, there are other trails in the Mules to explore? But how can I get to them?.

A thin layer of icy snow dotted the northern and eastern slopes. Sara rolled around in a few small mounds. But otherwise it was much warmer today, in the upper 50Fs.

I had a gorgeous view east into Old Bisbee and Tombstone Canyon from this vantage point. I saw peaks I had never seen before.

The dirt road ended by a large turn-around that revealed old campsites and burned wood. This must be a popular place for the locals to drink and party under the stars.

Nearby was a 1938 Survey Marker for Juniper Flats. It seemed rather out of place, as the marker wasn’t on a peak but rather hidden in dead grass on uneven rocks.

Two lawn chairs lay abandoned with a northern view into Tombstone and the red-golden Dragoon Mountains. I sat here for a while to allow Sara time to calm down. I didn’t want her hiking much, but she was excited being outside again after almost a week of house arrest to let her paw heal from the wound she got last Wednesday.

The peaks were very rocky. I didn’t want to risk twisting an ankle. My new Montrail Torre GTX boots were holding up well.

After 30 minutes of enjoying the vistas, I packed up the dogs and drove back down, but noticed another dirt trail off a lower vista point. Again I took the dogs out and explored. This trail was badly rutted and wet from melting snow. One mesa revealed itself to be a spot for local shooters as there was much 45mm brass in the dirt.

The trail took a mostly west and northwest direction toward a large limestone outcropping with scenic views through what I learned was Escabrado Canyon. The Huachucas were visible from here. A small creek provided fresh water for the dogs who lavished the treat. Yellow lichen spotted limestone in northern-facing shadows.

This was pretty, remote country. The dogs had their fun running up and down the rocks. A young red-tailed hawk flew overhead, several quail darted from the brush. Sammy wanted to bolt down into the lusher canyon but I didn’t want to lose him; I wanted to stay along the ridge and enjoy the view.

The trail came to an end at the northern cliffs of this mountain where several mountain ranges were visible: the Whetstones, the Huachucas, the Dragoons and the distant Gauileros. Parts of the Chiricahuas were also visible. From here I rock-hopped down a bit toward the canyon, convinced I need to come back here with Kevin and explore some more. Judging from the time it took me to hike back on the trail from the furthest point, this short trail can’t be any more than 1.2 miles. I was back at the truck in 30 minutes. The dogs were panting, and Sara’s wound had cracked open from getting stomped on by Sammy and perhaps from aggravating it along the trail.

I drove east from West Blvd down into Tombstone Canyon. I had never been on this side road before and was impressed with the old homes in the upper corners of this canyon. This is a part of Bisbee I never knew existed. The homes were old and termite-infested I’m sure, and anywhere else these homes would be considered high-maintenance fixem-uppers sold at a deep discount. But not in Bisbee! The brittle yucca and pinon pine studded canyon walls make these old homes historic and an owner’s dream.

I also noticed a few other side trails off this paved road. These need exploring, too. The hardest part about the Mule mountains is that none of it is national forest land. The mountains are surrounded by private tracts, the northern hills are under State Trust Land, the southern and far eastern Mules are owned by Phelps-Dodge Mining and are off limits for all recreationists.

I do want to come back and explore the canyon more, perhaps explore as far down as I can before I hit private land. It looks like a nice, casual hike I could lure Kevin on. I would need to come back soon as this place looks tortuously hot in the summer with the exposed trail and blinding rocks. I could not have walked more than three miles today.

The Arizona State Museum in Tucson

Since it was another cold day today (albeit four degrees warmer than yesterday) we opted to drive into the Old Pueblo to check out the Arizona State Museum's Native American exhibit. And this time Kevin came along! The museum is located just inside the Main Gate of the University of Arizona.

So, after the last of the Sunday morning political talk shows ended, we were on our way. We got to the museum's front door at 11:57am with several other anxious visitors waiting for it to open at noon. Non-flash photography was allowed.

Entrance was free but we paid a $10 donation and spent the next 2:40 hours going around the "Paths of Life" exhibit that detailed Arizona's and Sonora's main ten tribes, including the Seri and Yaqui from Sonora and the Tarahumara, O'odham, Colorado River Yumans, Southern Paiute, Pai, Apache, Hopi and Navajo in Arizona (and in neighboring California, Utah and New Mexico). I didn't miss a beat; reading all the descriptions, listening to every tape. Despite the many shared cultural traditions of these peoples, there are still distinctive characteristics of each tribe, dictated by their geography and climate and later by their experiences with the Spaniards, Mexicans and later white settlers and Mormon pioneers.

http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/exhibits/index.shtml

"Seeing these pretty photos of the Sea of Cortez makes me want to vacation in Mexico right now" I said to Kevin as I viewed the Seri habitat in central Sonora, now the drug-cartel-burdened state of Sinaloa.
"Be my guest, I'm seeing all this scenery right here in the museum, I don't need to go down there!"
I sighed in disappoitment. "I'm going to have to get you drunk and sneak you across the border, it looks like that would be the only way to get you down there..."

The Univeristy of Arizona is a beautiful campus with its tall palms, cacti and well-landscaped paths. Several youths were riding their dirtbikes across the museum lawn as we left. The next time I get to this area I'm going to study all the trees growing on the campus and visit the UA-Arboretum. There's allegedly an acacia there from the Middle East.

Tucson was warmer than expected. My leather jacket was too warm for the museum. When we left campus at 3pm we walked west on University Blvd back to restaurant row. Gentle Ben's was closed today for maintenance and we opted for the old Nimbus Brew Pub across the street, now a gourmet pizza place called "No Anchovies!" where a Nimbus Pale Blonde went for $4. We each had two slices of pizza and strained to talk under three loud stereo TVs above us playing three different football games. (Arizona was beating Seattle 34:21) Fans were glued to the TVs. Although the food and beer were good (Kevin said "The pizza sucked!" and gave his left-overs to the dogs later), the noise was just too much. Departing was a relief for the ears.

We had no other plans for the city and left for home at daylight. The mountains in all directions were pretty much naked. Only Mounts Lemmon and Wrightson seem to have gotten some snow. The lower foothills were all dry. I gassed for $1.51 a gallon although several stations on Kolb Ave sold regular unleaded for $1.49.

Talks of a four-day weekend trip to the Colorado River and Lake Havasu came up on our drive home. I'm curious if I can plan a decent roadtrip with such a short notice, something that encompasses some hiking, some native American history, a decent brew pub? I found three sites we must see: the Grapevine Canyon just outside Laughlin, NV(a comfortable four-mile hike), the Barley Brothers Brewery in Lake Havasu City, and of course the famed London Bridge across the Colorado River, an original stone bridge built in the 1840s across the Thames that was bought by an American businessman and shipped block-by-block across the ocean to California and then trucked to its current location across the Colorado River in Arizona. Although the websites of Lake Havasu look more like something old people would enjoy when snowbirding in the South (it's marketed as a winter get-away), I don't want to fight for solitude around a Blue Hair Crowd. We are already in that season of oversized RVs and Senior Discounts.

"I've never been disappointed with any of your roadtrips" reassured Kevin. But half the fun of any roadtrip is the journey along the way. We normally find quirky roadside attractions, funky diners and unusual landscapes off the beaten path. Weather along the river is forecasted to be between the mid 40s and mid 60s later this week, not much warmer than it will be here.
http://www.desertusa.com/Thingstodo/du_ttd_grapevine.html
http://www.roadtripamerica.com/places/havasu.htm
http://www.desertusa.com/mag98/aug/stories/lkhav.html
http://www.barleybrothers.com/

http://www.azfo.org/birding/BirdingTheLCRV.html

http://www.maricopaaudubon.org/birding_locations/low_col.htm

Carr Canyon Road

Kevin made it home yesterday at 3:40pm, surviving high winds, sleeting rains and some snow. It snowed in Tombstone and Bisbee but not in our area.

We had our first overnight freeze. I brought all the citrus plants inside. This morning at 4:30am it was 24F. Two hours later it was the same. I couldn’t see the peaks until 8am to realize that we didn’t get any new snow in the higher elevation.

But by sunrise I was more concerned with the cold. It didn’t seem to get any warmer as the morning grew older. By 10am it was 26am. By noon it barely hit freezing. The dogs' metal water bucket had a 1/4" layer of ice.

Various seed-eating birds had gathered in the front yard to feast on a pound of seeds I had put outside; by the end of the day the seeds were gone and a new scoop-full of seeds went into the bowl.

The dogs were clearly wanting to get some exercise. They hadn’t had a serious walk since Monday. Sara was still limping, though, and thanks to Sam’s clumsiness, still hurting from a new scab he gave her when his paws stepped on hers.

By 2pm I couldn’t handle being housebound and took Sam and Sadie and drove up Carr Canyon Road, the highest mountain road in close proximity with great views of Sierra Vista and the San Pedro Valley to the east. The highest point on this road is the Ramsey Vista Campground at 7350' with trailheads to Carr Peak and the canyon below.

My plan was to stop at the snow line and let the dogs romp, but once on the seven-mile dirt road realized everyone in town had the same idea. Full-sized trucks, 4x4s and a few vans meandered uphill.

A full-sized Chevy pick-up with the license plate resembling a sign stating “For The Hunt” was ahead of me, driving slowly. The driver kept sticking his head out the open window to spit. He was going up to Reef Campsite to help some tourists who had gotten stuck up there.

Instead of snow, though, we hit ice as the road became steeper, more rutted and more narrow. This was not the place to lose control of a vehicle and tumble down the heavily-wooded cliffs!

The north-facing, lichen-spotted Carr Canyon Waterfall overlook became my turn-around spot. I let the dogs out (they showed their gratitude with two shit piles at the overlook) and explored around the icy waterfall.

I had never stopped here. There was no snow at this elevation of just under 7000’ but there was a trickle of water falling over the rocks. This intermittent waterfall is almost 200' long. The dogs seemed entranced by the frosty rocks and high mountain smells.

The distant Chiricahuas 60 miles to the east were snow-capped. San Jose Peak was not. The eastern slopes of the Huachucas were baren. All the local snow had fallen over Tucson and the Catalinas and Santa Ritas.

My Montrail Vector boots with the Vibram sole were slick on the wet ice. Even Sadie scared me momentarily when she slid down rocks near the waterfall. A Forest Service sign at the edge warned people not to go over the cliffs; over 30 people have fallen to their deaths here since 1945.

The road was busy with explorers driving up and down. I wasn’t expecting this crowd. I noted birders (the annual Christmas count took place today all throughout the area), rock climbers, explorers and people out taking photographs. The lack of solitude brough me back down the mountain faster than planned.

My little adventure didn’t take long. Shortly after 4pm I was back home to a warm house.

http://www.svherald.com/articles/2008/12/28/news/doc495700cc0252d092301211.txt

Christmas in Bisbee

My neck was more sore this morning than the day before. Sara was limping more pronouncedly.

It was a day like any other EXCEPT for one exception: with Kevin gone I could make my favorite flavored coffee: Vanilla Hazelnut. I sipped on half a pot all morning.

I didn't want to sit around, though. The skies were blue and rain clouds were still behind the mountains. I wanted to take a walk around Bisbee with Sadie and Sammy, get some exercise and see some Christmas lights.

After a short stop in Bisee-Warren to look at a few houses for sale, I drove into Old Bisbee to park. The dogs pulled THE ENTIRE TIME and both insisted on smelling every utility pole and barking at every dog. This was starting out to be difficult for me.

Dark clouds followed me all afternoon, but it never rained.

I meandered up Brewery Gulch, then took a narrow side street that ascended behind City Park, affording a nice panorama of the town's tin-roofed mining shacks that dot the hillsides here. I avoided all the stairs going uphill.

I came down near the old Bisbee High School, walked up Shearer, chatted briefly with a classmate from my Ed Class who was visiting her mother. The dogs never stopped pulling on the leashes.

I came down Tombstone Canyon, crossed the main street and hiked back uphill by the Superior Court building. This is where the annual Bisbee 1000 Race for the Stairs takes place in October. I continued on behind the old court house and stayed near the Quality Hill Walkway that skirted along a narrow ridge path. This is perhaps the most scenic path in town. By now Sadie was getting paranoid of the downhill stairs; she was associating the stairs with my unintentional kicks to her hind legs because the leashes were too short; there wasn't enough give.

I was glad to cut the walk short. A pretty five-mile walk around Bisbee was barely two miles. I finished the hike on Main Street along the historical business district and noticed the Bisbee Grand Hotel was open and serving a complimentary Christmas meal. Wow! A few locals standing outside the Hotel yelled at me from across the street to come "Check out the best food in town!"

Roma's Pizza and St Elmo's were also open. I wasn't expecting anything to be open on Christmas, so this was a nice surprise.

After getting the dogs back in the truck, I drove back to the Grand Hotel and checked it out. This 1906 structure was beeming with life. A sign outside even welcomed "Well-Behaved Dogs."

The bar was crowded. People from their late 20s to late 60s were in this bar. Some wore Santa hats. A few of the homeless I had seen on Main Street were now inside waiting for the free meal at 3pm. An older women with no teeth stood near the bar, wearing a white Hoosiers sweatshirt.

I sat at the bar and was impressed with the various microbrews on tap. When I asked what the beer cost, Darlene the bartender replied "They will be $3."
"What are they now?"
"I just told you, $3!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, when you said 'They WILL be $3 I assumed that for NOW they were a different price"
Darlene rolled her eyes and walked away. OK, so obviously I am not a native Bisbeeite.

I opted to try the Moose Drool Brown Ale. It packed quite a flavor, but the tap cover of a drooling moose was a bit too graphic for such a good beer. (But not as bad as the more X-rated In Heat Wheat beer label by Flying Dog Brewery out of Colorado!)

Tom, a contract respiratory therapist looking for a house to buy in Bisbee, sat next to me. We almost immediately started talking. He had driven down from Tuscon.

We started talking about Bisbee and came to a lot of agreements about this place: it is unique. It has an underground Meth problem. It attracts an eclectic variety of people, from black-dressed Goths and Vamps to the artsy folklorist. And houses are still higher here than in the rest of the state.

When Tom found out I was retired military, his eyes widened and the proverbial question I knew he was going to ask me was asked:

"McCain or Obama?"
"Obama."
"But do you think he's qualified to make important decisions on Afghanistan?"
"He has SecDef Gates on his side, and he listens to his generals, unlike Rumsfeld who fired any general who didn't agree with him."
"True ..."
"But Afghanistan could very well turn into Obama's biggest nightmare. It's got potential to turn into another Vietnam, with the delayed surge in troops and equipment. Afghanistan could become such an entangled mess that it will further tear our economy apart."
"True..."

And that's how once again I got sucked into a long discussion of current events. My hope with Obama is that he listens to Gen Petraeus; listening to Petraeus could also be his downfall. But unlike the previous years, at least now we have competent generals in charge of the wars and a SecDef who's determined to end this crisis rather than prolong it for the benefit of KBR.

I drove home at 4:30pm to let the dogs out. They had sat patiently in the truck for two hours while I was inside the bar. A lone coyote crossed the highway outside of Bisbee.

I went back to the bar where Tom still was, nursing his Coors Light. This time the bar was more crowded, and a band was playing loud electric rock in the corner.

Next to Tom stood a buff New Zealander, Pete, wearing a black beret. He talked endlessly about the beauty of Alaska, where he had spent many years.

"You can see grissly bears fighting with wolves over a whale carcass!" he cried, and his eyes revealed a longing for Alaska. "I've met more Kiwis there than anywhere else!" he went on. Next to him was his blonde girlfriend who looked a few beers passed sober, and she passionately hugged me as they left.

Tom stayed at the Grand Hotel for $69 a room. He had a 11am appointment with a real estate agent the next day to look at three properties in town.

The Grand Hotel was a nice surprise for a Christmas I was planning on spending alone. The free food was an added plus, the varied microbrews were a treat. I will have to come back here again after a shift at the high school. The Grand Hotel is what I would describe as a truly Bisbean experience.

http://www.bisbeegrandhotel.net/

Last minute changes...

This wasn't the holiday we had planned. Although we had agreed not to get gifts for each other, a roadtrip up into the Greater Phoenix area where some former in-laws of his were staying was planned. That wasn't to be, at least for me.

Kevin came home early on Wednesday when I was ready to take the dogs on a quick two-mile loop around the neighborhood. I was expecting him home by noon; instead he walked in the front door at 10:30am. I grabbed the two Flexi-leashes for the big dogs and gave Sadie the chain leash I got when I adopted Sara.

We had passed the corner lot with the killer Chihuahuas and got to the water tank when Sara bolted with her leash to jump at the pitbull mix that guards the water tank behind a chain-link fence. She's never liked that dog and that dog seems to hate all other dogs anyway. They always bark at each other during the walks.

When Sara bolted, so did Sadie from the other arm's leash. I now had as much dog weight pulling me in two different directions as I weighed, and they were pulling with all they could. I pulled a neck muscle trying to restrain the dogs. I was not happy and screamed a few un-Christian expletives loud enough to embarrass Three Wise Men.

Sara in the commotion cut her right paw on the second toe. A half-inch of fur and skin had been torn off and lay on the ground below the fence. I don't know if that cut came from a cut on the chain-link fence or if the dog bit her. Either way we all returned straight home, the walk having been abruptly cancelled, and she was limping badly with her ears down.

I didn't see the blood until we were home. Some had trickled on the carpet in the living room.

Kevin wanted to cancel his trip north to tend to Sara but I made him go.

"You haven't seen Tom and Kathy in several years, go see them now!" Kevin was afraid Sara's wound would get worse and wanted to stay home to monitor the wound.

I opted to stay at home with her. I dabbed her wound with Sulfodene. I knew it would burn, and Sara yelped in pain and then hobbled to the rear bedroom to hide when I applied the liquid directly on her wound. There was no doubt Sara was suffering and I was concerned for any added infection. The cut was clean and only affected the epidermis; blooding stopped shortly after the Sulfodene was applied.

Kevin took off at 11am and I went into a bit of a slump. I had so wanted to see Phoenix again and looked forward to the warmer weather and exploring White Tank Park where his relatives are for the holidays. But I also knew that I did the right thing by staying behind to care for Sara and to make sure she wasn't stressing herself needlessly.

But what to do now, all alone? Shopping was out of the question. I played Christmas songs, even listened to the latest by Eros Ramazzotti, my favorite Italian singer. I discovered his strong, nasal voice in the mid 1990s when I was stationed in Augsburg and bought all his CDs at the time. I don't know a word of Italian but Eros sure could make me want to learn!

He has turned grey now but his voice is as angelic as it was ten years ago when "Piu Bella Cosa" and "Se Bastasse una Canzone" wormed through my ears. The songs are as beautiful now as they were when they were hits across Europe.

So I had myself a backlash...for years I had forgotten about Eros. I also played some Christmas songs, "Peace on Earth" by Crosby and Bowie and "Silent Night" by Stevie Nicks.

But I didn't want to stay home. It was now dark and I decided, based on a local newspaper article, to drive into town to see the Luminaras on the west end of town. Some of the houses were decked out to extremes, but the added lights along the sidewalk invited neighborhood walkers to stroll passed the houses.

I loaded up the dogs, grabbed the recyclable cans, and drove to the light display, but the dogs were barking too much at the passers-by and the last thing I wanted to do was ruin their Christmas Eve. Sara huddled in the back of the truck, avoiding her right paw. Sadie barked at all the children and small dogs walking the Loop of the lighted-up neighborhood.

I ended the evening watching a French Movie, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" about a 42-year-old editor of Elle Magazine suffering a paralyzing stroke and learning to talk and walk again with the help of a determined young speech therapist. The subject matter was a bit macabre for Christmas Eve and I turned the movie off at the 37th minute.

The winds howled outside but it didn't rain overnight. The neighborhood was quiet. Most of the lights were dark around me. Our neighbors across the street, who have their house for rent starting in January, appear to have already moved into their new abode in town.

http://www.ramazzotti.com/home.asp

Mexico Lindo

When Kevin came home last night he wanted to relax for a while before dinner and had a few beers. I had two with him, flavored with the juice of an orange I had plucked from a Tucson street last week.

It was cold outside and the dogs didn't want to be outside. Drizzle started up again as well.

His first choice of restaurant was Ricardo's down the street, but that was closed.

"Let's try that place in Palominas" he then said, referring to The Bright Spot, a steakhouse that four years ago was shut down because of unsanitary kitchen conditions; about 30 people had gotten food poisoning from salads that weren't properly cleaned. Kitchen workers did not understand English well enough to know how to wash the lettuce. Although that restaurant was reopenened and has gone through two more owners since that incident, I haven't had a desire to eat there. With all the bad press illegal immigrants are getting these days (most of which is justified) I don't feel comfortable to eat at a place where the kitchen help does not understand even basic English.

The Bright Spot was also closed. I was silently relieved.

"How about that Mexican place in Bisbee?" he then added, meaning Mexico Lindo, a small restaurant in Bisbee-Warren which serves the best plates around. The owners had recently opened a second store in Old Bisbee across the Stockyard Saloon in Brewery Gulch.

Banditos and Lawmen, aother pricy steakhouse off the highway, was also dark. Finding a nice place to eat was turning into an adventure. It looked like the only place open was the Pizza House in Bisbee-San Jose that had several cars in its parking lot. The pizza there is Kevin's regional favorite, but I wasn't in the mood for pizza.

I will always enjoy the drive to Bisbee from our house: the distant lights of Naco and other valley illuminations, the dark silhouettes of the nearby mountains, and watching for animals crossing the roads near the border. The two-lane road ascends and descends along the curvy stretch with a vast view toward the vallies of northern Sonora. Border Patrol vans were in dark crevices along the road, their radars pointing southward toward the border. (The BP has recently made big drug arrests along this stretch)

Mexico Lindo was open, with most of the cars in the parking lot for the bar next door, The Hitching Post. The bar and restaurant share a bathroom. One other couple were in the dining area when we walked in. The atmosphere was quiet. There were no holiday decorations in the dining room. The main cook wore a knit hat to keep warm.

Sergio, the young Mexican man with braces, was our server. He was my server last time and had done a good job. Again, he was very attentive.

Kevin ordered a chimichanga enchilada style stuffed with carne asada. I had a green chile chicken enchilada plate with sour cream sauce. The plate didn't look big when compared to Kevin's dish but boy was it delicious and more than enough. Although a bit expensive, I thoroughly enjoyed the meal. We hadn't eaten out in months, and this was a real treat.

The bill came to $27.31. I tipped Sergio $10. This was a Christmas tip. The restaurant food tastes so authentically Mexican; except for the Bud Light wall decor the place could look like a real Mexican bistro south of the border. The only thing missing would be a color TV playing the latest Cruz Azul soccer match. I have never been to a restaurant in Mexico without a TV on playing the latest futbol match.

Kevin briefly talked to a couple who were wintering here from Alaska. She was a life-long Alaskan with a home there, but who recently started wintering here to ease her arthritis. She and Kevin were outside smoking.

"The first time I came to Bisbee I stayed at the Bed and Breakfast down the road and they recommended this place" she explained, "and I've been coming back ever since." Her husband nodded in agreement.

We drove to Old Bisbee to see the Christmas lights decked across Main Street. The rain clouds and near new moon made the sky especially dark.

There wasn't much going on and Kevin was tired (as he normally gets tired after a filling meal) so I turned around and drove home. As soon as we got home at 8:30pm he went to bed.

http://www.palominas.com/gallery06.htm
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2008/01/07/news/doc4781c23901f34433395571.txt
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/12/23/20081223weather1224.html

High winds overnight

Trees outside blew with high force all night long. At one point I got up to make sure nothing major had been blown over outside, or broken in half. Surprisingly all the Christmas lights were still on the trees. A few smaller pots were blown over, a few more palm fronds were off the tree and in the back yard, and the largest and heaviest tarp that I've had laid down to keep winter weeds from sprouting was completely against the northern fence.

Even Sadie looked cute this morning as I let the dogs out for their pee. She had never felt such winds before and her ears were completely blown against her head. She was so scared she forgot to squat and pee.

AJ, an old high school friend from Kaiserslautern American High School wrote me saying his sister Pam and her husband were in a bad car crash in central Ohio the night before. They were broadsided by some drunk who was also five months pregnant. Pam and her husband are recovering in a Columbus, OH hospital. Thank god they are OK. He enclosed photos of the totalled black Jaguar. Seeing those photos made me glad I didn't drive to Chicagoland this time, as horror stories abound from Seattle down to southern California and eastward from there across the nation. The many poor people without heat will suffer the most. This certainly has been a powerful and forceful week for weather all across the country.

A long conversation with Carol revealed the same thing: she was out of electricity a few days ago, during a cold snap of single digits. Erin's car was frozen shut and stuck to the ground for two days; she couldn't go to work or school that first day. A woman had fallen in Wheaton, ILL (suburban Chicago), injured a leg and couldn't get back up and froze to death on the sidewalk. She was covered in snow when she was discovered at daybreak. She was close to her home.

These creepy stories just go on and on. More storms are off the Pacific Ocean and coming our way in two more days. There are more stories on the news broadcast of frustrated flyers stuck in Seattle for three days with no end at getting out.

"I've been in the same clothes for three days!" said one fat woman to the camera. She was not a happy airport camper. After three days without a shower my hair would be completely oiled over. At least she still had a nice wave to her hair.

Right now it's 48F and 60% humidity outside. So at least we aren't freezing. The young apple trees in the backyard are definitely getting their stretching in, though, as the winds blow them at 30-degree angles. The wind's supposed to calm down by noon.

Today is Kevin's birthday. I'm taking him out to eat after work tonight to a restaurant of his choice: "La Casita" in town.

___

The brutal cold that has gripped the Chicago area is easing up today, but snow is on the way and a winter weather advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The National Weather Service is forecasting 2 to 4 inches of snow today with an additional 1 to 2 inches overnight. And another 1 to 3 inches could fall on Wednesday.
Snow could be mixed with sleet and freezing rain in some areas.
Roads: Illinois State Police reported six or seven accidents overnight on local expressways. Only one resulted in a serious injury.
State police said there's been a spike in rollovers and other accidents in recent days due to the weather. Besides motorists driving too fast for the slick conditions, black ice and blowing snow can easily cause a vehicle to lose control, a state police trooper said. "Drivers have to slow down, and realize it's slick out there, he said.
The City of Chicago dispatched 184 snow-plowing trucks at 3 a.m. today and they were working on main streets and Lake Shore Drive shortly after 4 a.m.
Trains: Metra reported delays this morning on the Heritage Corridor, Union Pacific West Line and Rock Island Main Line. Trains were operating 15 to 20 minutes behind schedule due to signal problems.
Amtrak said infrastructure and railcar issues caused by severely cold temperatures caused lengthy delays to trains to and from Chicago the past few days. One St. Louis-to-Chicago train and one Chicago-Detroit-Pontiac round-trip train were cancelled today in order to deploy rail equipment and crews for December 24.
Passengers are encouraged to call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com for schedule information and train status updates.
Airports: O'Hare International Airport was reporting minimal delays and about a dozen flight cancellations today. No delays or cancellations were reported at Midway Airport.
Da Brrrrs: The hardy souls who braved the weather at Soldier Field as the Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers, experienced the coldest Bears game ever at the stadium.
The 2-degree game tied a 1951 cold-weather record at Wrigley Field, but beat the previous Soldier Field record of 5 degrees, set in 1983. The Bears moved to the lakefront stadium in 1971.

http://www.post-trib.com/news/1343800,ropcold.article

http://www.post-trib.com/news/1342729,frigid.article

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-frozenbody,0,1420010.story
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/12/more-snow-and-ice-on-the-way.htmlhttp://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WINTER_WEATHER?SITE=AZTUS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/12/22/20081222weather1223.html

More rain and snow for Southeastern Arizona this week

All the forecasts keep talking about more "rain in the vallies, snow in the mountains" starting tonight at 11pm. So far the skies here are clear with 61F and 17% humidity at 1pm. This storm will once again hit Chicagoland a few days later. The last storm that was forecasted to pound us pounded Las Vegas instead with a record 3.6 inches of snow there while we got a spittling of rain in our rain barrels.

We are planning on driving up to Surprise on Wednesday to spend time with Kevin's family.

___

Rain and snow will increase tonight as another Pacific storms takes aim on Arizona. Scattered showers can be expected on the Valley floor tonight. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the High Country through tomorrow afternoon. Look for 3” to 5” of snow above 5500’, and 5” to 10” of snow above 7000’. A 30% chance of Valley rain will continue through Christmas Eve, before chances drop a bit to a 20% on Christmas Day and Friday. High temps will fall into the mid 50s by Tuesday and stay there until Friday. Sunny and dry weather returns just in time for the weekend.
http://www.12news.azcentral.com./

12 News Weather Plus Forecast Temperatures for the state :
Phoenix 60/ 49Tempe 61/ 48Chandler 60/ 47Mesa 61/ 46Scottsdale 60/ 47Gilbert 61/ 45Apache Junction 58/ 44Cave Creek 58/ 45Surprise 57/ 48Peoria 60/ 47Glendale 62/ 48Avondale 62/ 47Buckeye 61/ 48Casa Grande 59/ 34Flagstaff 35/ 16Prescott 43/ 34Payson 45/ 26Show Low 43/ 19Globe 52/ 35Bullhead City 57/ 38

Hiking the Perimeter, Miller Creek and Clark Springs Trail

Last night I decided to stay in Arizona and cancel that 1700-mile trip to Chicagoland. I called the kids to let them know.

All stress immediately was gone. I’ll try again to fly home during spring break, which would be between the kids’ birthdays.

The decision to stay local over the icy, frigid weather back in Chicagoland allowed me to hike with the group today in the Huachucas. I didn't sign up for this hike in advance since I thought I would be on the road this morning, so I just showed up at the meeting place: Lower Carr Canyon picnic area.

Coincidentally the hike today was also the same route I did with the club four years ago at this time when we first moved here: A nine-mile loop using the Perimeter, Miller Creek and the Clark Springs Trail.

We (Hannah, Steve S, Steve Sch, Paul, Deah and I) started on the northern terminus of the Carr Canyon trailhead south along the Perimeter Trail (3.7m) down to Miller Creek, (1.5m). The views west of the Perimeter Trail into the valley were spectacular today with clear skies. Emory oaks and various grasses lined the trail, with elegant sycamores nestled in the lusher creek beds. An occassional soaptree yucca stood tall.

"I can see my house from here!" I said as we got closer to the Highway 92 and Hereford Road intersection.

By 10:45am we made it to the Miller Peak Road crossing. Here we briefly chatted with two scruffy guys camping from Washington State. One bearded loggerman was staring a fire. All four of their dogs were off leash. A mutt-looking Doberman came up to Sammy for a quick sniff but the dogs were pretty much docile. Deah still hid behind Steve as we walked passed the campers.

We rested at Beatty’s Orchard. I fed Sammy some of my Swiss cheese tortillas. Here we chatted with a family from South Dakota that was collecting pine branches off the trees (I wasn’t sure that was legal; I know that collecting plants or cutting trees is definitely a no-go, but because there was no mention of this on the National Forest board nearby, was hesitant to tell the folks.) Steve Sch went over to them to let them know they needed a permit to cut branches down.

We ate a quick snack and resumed the hike north along the Clark Spring Trail (2m) to Carr Canyon Road (1.5) where we walked the last miles downhill on the main road. We never hit the snow line although we could see snow further up along Miller Peak. Our highest elevation along the trail was 6100’ on the Perimeter and there was no snow in sight.

Hannah led today’s hike. Steve and Paul turned around at the Miller Canyon Trail, which left us four people: Hannah, Deah, Steve Sch and I. Sammy was on his leash the entire time and was a super champ, never barking or being a nuisance. He pulled a few times when he saw squirrels ahead on the trail, who would mischievously chatter from above a tree branch back down at Sammy. A few times I let him loose with his leash dangling while I fumbled with the camera, but he never left my side. He has become the perfect hiking dog.

Even Deah, who told me at the start that she feared dogs she didn’t know, warmed up to Sammy. She and I walked down Carr Canyon Road together and I listened to all her horror stories she had with cats and dogs.

Weather was nice the entire morning. There was no breeze, just cool shade along the way. Skies were mostly clear.

I could feel the sweat trickle down my t-shirt as we progressed on our hike. I wore two more layers over the cotton shirt that would have been too much hassle to take off, so I put up with the cold, wet layers sticking right up to my body.

We left at 9:15am and were back at our cars by 1pm. We traipsed up and down the foothills for just around 8.5 miles. I had forgotten how nice this part of the forest was, with the San Pedro Valley to our east, San Jose Peak to our southeast, and the shadows of Miller Peak right above us.

Steve S mentioned a hike up Miller Peak for New Year’s Day. I have not done that hike in three years, I am overdue! He wants to start the hike from Montezuma’s Pass, near the border. On a clear day one can see for miles into northern Sonora.

Fort Huachuca restricts travel into Mexico

Although I see the need for this action, I am glad I no longer have to worry about what Uncle Sam says. Dangers lurk everywhere and not just in Mexico. We probably have more drug arrests north of the border in Cochise County, especially Sierra Vista, as we have in the Naco area.

___

Fort Huachuca restricts travel to Mexico
By Carol Ann Alaimo and Brady McCombs

ARIZONA DAILY STAR
On StarNet: To see the State Department's travel alert for Mexico, go to: go.azstarnet.com/travelalert

Rising drug violence in Mexico's border region has prompted Southern Arizona's largest military installation to issue new restrictions on troop travel and a warning to military families and civilian staffers to stay away.

As of Tuesday, nearly 7,000 troops at Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista must get prior approval from the Army post's top brass to cross the border. Violators would be subject to military discipline.

Another 11,000 or so family members, civilian staffers and contractors at the fort are "strongly urged" not to visit Mexican cities such as Naco, Agua Prieta and Nogales, a popular shopping, dining and nightlife destination.

The Army can't legally stop family members and civilian workers from visiting Mexico, but it is warning them not to do so for their own safety, said Tanja Linton, a spokeswoman for Fort Huachuca. The post is about 75 miles southeast of Tucson and less than 20 miles from Mexico.
"We are constantly monitoring this situation in the interest of protecting our people," Linton said.

Fort Huachuca's travel restrictions are less severe than those at Fort Hood in central Texas, the nation's largest Army post, where soldiers are banned outright from traveling to numerous Mexican border cities, including Nogales.

Travel restrictions are set by installation commanders and vary with local conditions, Linton said. Fort Huachuca's new restrictions could be tightened further or eased if warranted, she said.
In May 2007, for example, Fort Huachuca banned its soldiers from Mexico for a week after violence erupted in the town of Cananea. More recently, the fort has allowed cross-border travel with approval from lower-level commanders.

Drug-cartel-fueled violence has reached unprecedented levels this year in the state of Sonora and specifically in Nogales, where official government figures show homicides have tripled in recent years. Nearly 100 killings have occurred so far this year, up from 52 in 2007 and 35 in 2006.

The violence is attributed to an ongoing battle between drug cartels for the corridor — the most desired piece of real estate along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Mexican President Felipe Calderón's campaign to weaken the cartels by putting federal and state police along known drug-smuggling routes and trying to snuff out corruption has added fuel to the fire.

Recent bloodshed has landed Nogales on the U.S. State Department's Mexico travel alert. The alert — which warns travelers about dangerous situations but doesn't instruct them not to go — mentions Nogales alongside notoriously dangerous border cities such as Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana and Nuevo Laredo.

One tourism operator said the Army memo likely will fuel public fear of travel to Mexico.
"Anytime you've got the government and press telling people it's unsafe, most Americans are going to err on the side of caution," said Mike Huhn, owner of Desert Divers, which leads scuba-diving and snorkeling excursions to San Carlos, Sonora, every other week year-round.

Longtime visitors to Mexico still come, he said, but first-timers are being scared off by the bad press.

Sonora tourism already was declining due to the economic slump in the United States, he said. Now "the hotels are empty. The restaurants are empty."

Epifanio Salido Pavlovich, the director of the Sonora Office of Tourism, called the Army memo worrisome and takes exception to the notion that tourists are in danger. The killings are occurring between drug cartels and law enforcement, Salido said. Plus, he said, officials have amped up patrols on state highways to keep everyone safe during the holidays.

"Not one single tourist has had problems in the state of Sonora," Salido said in Spanish. "And we are going to great efforts to make sure no one is affected."

DID YOU KNOW
The U.S. State Department's most recent travel alert for Mexico mentions Nogales twice.
The section on border violence notes that: "Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, and Nogales are among the cities which have recently experienced public shootouts during daylight hours in shopping centers and other public venues. Criminals have followed and harassed U.S. citizens traveling in their vehicles in border areas including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, Tijuana, and along Route 15 between Nogales and Hermosillo."
Killings climb
Premeditated homicides in Sonora
2008 358*
2007 307
2006 238
Premeditated homicides in Nogales
2008 99*
2007 52
2006 35
*Through the end of November
Source: Sonoran state government
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/272390
On StarNet: To see the State Department's travel alert for Mexico, go to: go.azstarnet.com/travelalert

The Snowbirds have arrived!

Within the last month I've seen more license plates of northern states in our national forests here. Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, even Oregon plates are rather common here this time of year.

Today I met Jay from Traverse City, Michigan. His small RV is parked off Lutz Canyon and has been there for a few weeks. He is a retired deputy sherrif and dresses like someone from Tombstone: cowboy hat, longish hair, and face stubble.

I met him while he was driving up the canyon and I was driving down to head back home. We stopped to chat. He asked me if I knew the owners of two Labs that have been hanging around his RV lately. I didn't. Perhaps they are two dogs that have been abandoned.

"I went into town to get some dog food, they have been eating me out of house and home!"

We both pulled our vehicles over, left them running, and chatted.
"You picked a nice area to stay for the winter" I started.
"Oh yeah, I can't believe we didn't discover this place earlier! I sent my wife back to Michigan to sell the house and settle other things--we have greatgrandchildren--and she'll follow me out here. She bought me this KIA before she left." The car still had its temporary dealer plates on.
"This is perhaps the cheapest place to live in Arizona, our taxes are pretty low compared to the rest of the state."
"Yeah, I know, and we're going to come back later this year to look for something to buy."

I did ask if he had any problems with illegal immigrants walking down the canyon.
"Oh, the other night I counted 40 that walked on by." But he didn't seem too concerned. "I have my firearm ready."

But I did worry about him, with the winter weather storm watch in effect at 6pm tonight. High winds could break branches of the trees he's parked under.

"Oh, I have seen worse" he reaffirmed.

I promised Jay I'd come up and visit him in early Janaury when I am back from my roadtrip to Chicagoland. I think joining him for beer or wine over a campfire would be awesome.

Walking around the Whetstones

This small and dry mountain range north of Sierra Vista gets little recreation traffic. It's mostly used by the locals who live at the southern base of these mountains and the cows and horses that live there as well. There are no designated trails here, which makes exploring all the more adventurous as the few trails here are abandoned mining trails that take the curious toward closed mines in the steep cliffs of these mountains. Legends of burried gold treasures in these hills still linger.

I drove here after stopping on campus yesterday to check on my POS220 course grade. The dogs were patiently waiting for me in the truck. After a short conversation with the instructor (whom I hope to have again next year), I took off with three anxious and excited dogs in tow.

I had been to the Whetstones a few times with the hiking group, and once before with Kevin back in early 2006 exploring the same main trail I did yesterday. It had been so long, though, that finding the main trail from the trailerhome community of Whetstone was problematic. After a few dead ends and DO NOT ENTER PRIVATE PROPERTY, I found the dirt trail that led to the Sands Ranch and from there branched off into the National Forest.

I just had to pass many grazing cattle, a few horses, and three dogs who wanted best to herd them all in.

I drove as far as I felt comfortable with, on FR778 which took me up a narrow canyon laden with abandoned mines. This time I took a short trail to the right (east) as I got to the first intersection and hiked up this steep trail. Recent ATV marks were in the loose sand. A few discarded Bud Light cans were as well.

Since this was a sponteneous hike I didn't pack the appropriate gear, nor packed any water for me save what was in my backpack in the truck. I even wore my heavy leather bomber jacket that weighed a few crucial pounds! For someone who just wanted to "Check out the trail" I went further up the path as I thought I would, looked at two mines, saw a white sedan car in the canyon below, and went back down.

By 2:20pm the blue sky quickly turned to grey as the rain front had moved in. I made it back to my car twenty minutes later, drove back down the rocky three-mile trail to the cattle gate and through town, stopped at the Whetstone Pottey to pick up a few Mexican-made pots as gifts, and returned home. The dogs got at least five miles of hiking and running under their paws, enough milage to hold them over in case heavy rains were to hold them inside on Wednesday.

Winter storm watch

All day yesterday I heard on TV and radio of the strong storm moving down from the California coast. Flagstaff's already been getting hammered by snow since Sunday. And more ice and freezing rains are falling in Chicago. I was so nervous about these weather reports I gave myself a stomach cramp and felt nauseous in the evening. I've had two close calls on I-80 while driving to or from Chicagoland. Three strikes and I'm out of life. I am getting too old to keep taking these risks. I tend to push myself to my physical limits anyway.

I am seriously considering postponing or cancelling my drive to Chicago this coming weekend. I hate to do that but at least I can spend Christmas here with Kevin and see the kids next summer. I got most of the gifts for them already in the truck.

I have a quick errand on campus this morning, and if possible, a quick hike in the foothills before I come back and hunker down at the house to start cleaning. That's always fun. Not!

Watches and Warnings /O.EXB.KTWC.WS.A.0005.081218T0000Z-081219T0000Z/

TOHONO OODHAM NATION-SANTA CRUZ COUNTY-COCHISE COUNTY-
240 AM MST TUE DEC 16 2008

WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
THURSDAY AFTERNOON ABOVE 5000 FEET...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TUCSON HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
A STRONG WINTER WEATHER STORM SYSTEM TRACKING SOUTH ALONG THE WEST
COAST WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT SOUTHEAST ARIZONA THROUGH THURSDAY.
AS THE STORM APPROACHES...EXPECT MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS TO INCREASE
IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THIS AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE
WHITE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHEAST ARIZONA.
THE MAIN STORM SYSTEM WILL TRACK ACROSS ARIZONA WEDNESDAY NIGHT
INTO THURSDAY...RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS IN
THE MOUNTAINS. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TO 5000 TO 6000 FEET THURSDAY
MORNING. LOCATIONS BETWEEN 5000 AND 7000 FEET CAN SEE BETWEEN 5 AND
10 INCHES OF SNOW WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY...WITH ELEVATIONS
ABOVE 7000 FEET RECEIVING 10 AND 14 INCHES OF SNOW. IN
FACT...SOME HIGH MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS COULD END UP WITH BETWEEN 1
AND 2 FEET OF SNOW WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM. STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS
IN THE MOUNTAINS WILL RESULT IN AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW...SIGNIFICANTLY
REDUCING VISIBILITIES. A WINTER STORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT ABOVE
5000 FEET FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY SERIOUSLY IMPACT TRAVEL. GUSTY WINDS
AND BLOWING SNOW IS ALSO POSSIBLE. THOSE PLANNING TRAVEL INTO THE
WATCH AREA SHOULD PREPARE FOR DIFFICULT WINTER DRIVING
CONDITIONS.


No respite as wintery storms spread over nation
By DAVID MERCER, Associated Press Writer David Mercer, Associated Press Writer Tue Dec 16, 6:15 am ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081216/ap_on_re_us/cold_snap
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Winter storm warnings were issued from New Jersey to Nevada early Tuesday as frigid temperatures, sleet and snow spread to virtually all corners of the nation.
The arctic air that blustered across the Midwest and West on Monday — dropping temperatures in some places 30 degrees in about an hour — was now targeting the East and South.
Snow and sleet warnings were posted Tuesday for parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Colorado, Utah, Nebraska, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and the Washington, D.C., area.
Forecasters in northern Illinois predicted up to 6 inches of snow and temperatures at the bitterly low depths seen Monday, when stiff, steady winds held wind chills at or near zero.
"There were some locations across the central U.S. that went from 50 to the teens," said National Weather Service meteorologist, Stephen Rodriguez. "It was a sharp, strong cold front that moved through."
The cold air mass slammed into northern Texas early Tuesday, prompting officials to shutter some overpasses because of treacherous driving conditions.
Snow and freezing rain fell across parts of Kentucky early Tuesday and forecasters warned morning commuters of slick roads.
"Both are significant concerns," said meteorologist Tom Reaugh of the National Weather Service in Louisville. "We've got the snow issues this morning, but then we've got the icing issues this afternoon. It's kind of a mess."
The storm and ensuing cold have been blamed for at least 10 deaths since the weekend. An avalanche in Colorado claimed the life of a Ski Patrol member, and exposure probably killed an 87-year-old man found outside his Montana nursing home.
Weather-related car accidents were responsible for a death in Illinois and two deaths each in Minnesota and Missouri. Three traffic deaths were attributed to the weather in Oklahoma.
Thermometers read 31 below Monday in Glasgow, Mont., and the wind chill was 45 below, the Weather Service said. The Texas Panhandle had lows in the single digits, and Goodland, Kan., registered a record low of minus 10.
Record lows Monday included minus 19 in Denver, where the previous Dec. 15 record of minus 6 was set in 1951; and minus 16 at Sidney, Neb.
Monday's 19-degree low temperature at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was the coldest for the date in 60 years, the National Weather Service said. Monday was the coldest Dec. 15 ever in Oklahoma City, with the previous coldest high for the date, 19 degrees, having been recorded in 1901.
Utility workers and clean up crews in Massachusetts are making progress in the recovery from one the worst ice storms in decades, but recovery is still days — if not weeks away.
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency spokesman Peter Judge said Tuesday that about 77,000 customers remained without electricity, down from a peak of about 350,000 in the immediate aftermath of last week's devastating New England ice storm.
Rains that pummeled California eased into light showers and clearer conditions for much of the state Tuesday morning, but temperatures rare for the region and the season remained.
"It's going to be cold," said National Weather Service specialist Stuart Seto, who predicted light snow for Southern California foothills as low as 1,500 feet Tuesday. "That's unusual this time of year. That's more common in a late January storm."
http://www.post-trib.com/1334718,weather.article
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/272193.php

Tucson and the 4th Avenue Street Fair

The winds continued to howl most of the morning. Dark clouds rolled over the mountains. I hesitated to drive to Tuscon with the high winds blasting but by 11:30am got on my way, with a bag of recycables in the back and Sammy by my side.

Sammy was a real champ today. Although it rained briefly as I
drove through eastern Tucson, once I got to the Downtown area it was dry...and quite cold. I parked two blocks west of the street fair across a dilapidated church (avoiding annoying parking fees) and walked along 4th Avenue several times north and south, taking photos of the colorful vendors and business facades.

There weren't too many people here as I thought there would be.

"It's too cold out today" said one street guard to me, as she sat huddled in a rain jacket and ear muffs. "The big crowd came yesterday."

Most people just walked up and down the street like I did, taking in the sites. Most of the vendors were craft vendors with artsy potteryware, and a few even sold tie-die clothes more appropriate for the 1960s. The 10'x10' white-tarp tent were erected one right next to the following tent, creating a scenery of white tarps. Vendors paid anywhere from $375 to $500 for the space.

I saw more than my share of old army fatigue jackets.

I stopped for about 15 minutes to listen to a good band, The Silver Thread Trio. Sammy seemed nervous around the loud music so I didn't stay long. The various genre of street musicians added a nice flair to the crowd, but I would have appreciated at least one band playing gentle holiday music.

I had at least five different people ask me if Sammy were part wolf. Since I honestly don't know, but had a vet who guessed him to have some wolf in him, I answered with "We don't know...we got him from the Bisbee shelter but my vet thinks he could be part wolf."

One lady told me she had a wolf hybrid once. "They are gentle dogs, but don't ever let anyone cross you or that wolf will be on that person's throat. They are very intelligent animals."

People wanted to pet Sammy, and he let them all touch him. One vendor from the Trinity Presbyterian Church gave him three overly-well-done hamburgers which he ate with delight, taking short breaks to sniff the black Lab that was nearby.

Sammy was hard to hold on to while I held my camera in my right hand and he pulled on the leash to try to smell the closest dog butt. Once I got away from the Street Fair and walked on lesser-crowded streets, he was more relaxed and more concerned with just peeing on every mesquite that he could find.

By 3pm the street fair seemed to have lost its luster. Several vendors were already packing up their remaining goods. The closing time was slated for 4pm. I left by 3:15pm.

It was cool outside, and grey overcast all day. A quick trip to the Presidio proved to be quite desolated of people except the homeless huddled around the Presidio. What a shame, as this area has so much potential with the Spanish colonial architecture and the colorful buildings. Beautiful cactus gardens were all over this part of town, shaded by mature palo verdes and acacias.

I fnished off the evening with a quick visit to Bookman's on Speedway and a jaunt across the street to the Trader Joe's, where I stocked up on Arizona and California microbrews for the holiday.

I left Tucson at 7:03 and arrived back home in 1:20 hours.

A hike along the San Pedro River at Fairbank

Today was our hiking club’s annual Christmas Hike and Potluck. We met at the San Pedro-Fairbank camping area at 9am to start a four-mile loop from the restored village to the Grand Stamp Mill. An optional eight-mile loop was offered for those more adventurous, leading to Contenion City and back.

The high winds that blew last night were calm by 7:30am. We had a gorgeous hike with clear skies and little breeze.

We had a nice showing: Steve and Steve2 were there, Brenda, Chilita, and her cousin Darren from Indiana, Robin, Cliff and Carol, Rod and Casi and Kevin and I. Mike was there with his dog Minki and I showed up with Tone. Both Tone and Mike were my guests. Sammy was our lone dog.

Tone had never been here before and explored all the nooks and crannies of this neat little historical site. The BLM had done massive restorations to the village ruins in 2007. The Fairbank school is now a visitor’s center manned by volunteers of the Friends of the San Pedro River.

We started at the Fairbank School building at the parking area, then .6 mile to the cemetery, where from the hilltop we could see the Whetstones and other surrounding peaks. There was very little greenery left; the mesquites were dry and the cottonwoods along the river were almost nude of any yellow leaves. A lot of catclaw poked us as we meandered along the trails.

It had been three years since I had been here. Nothing much has changed. Dried pigweed lined the wide trails. In the summer this exposed hike would have been a scorcher. Artifacts lined the mill and town sites.

We came across the Grand Stamp Mill at the 1.6 mile mark. From here we walked over to the cliffs overlooking the river, then decided to walk further north along the river on an unmarked trail.

“We need to be back at noon for the picnic” said Brenda. That’s when I knew I’d be late, as I wanted Tone to see Contention City (now nothing but ruins) and the old Spanish presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate. (How serious the picnic time truly was I discovered only later.)

Sammy was a real sport today. I have never given him the credit he deserves for being a gentleman hiker. He didn’t sniff peoples’ crotches, he didn’t chase any cows (he lacked backup from Sara and Sadie!) and he was right by my side the entire time. He got along well with Minki and Chilita as well.

We made it to Contention City at 10:45am and had an early lunch. I didn’t bring anything to eat since there was food back at the picnic area. Rod stayed for a little bit before heading back at 11:15. Mike and Tone watched some of the last of the cottonwood leaves twirl to the ground.

We walked along the river going back to Fairbank, which meant that eventually I got my boots wet as I had no choice but to step into foot-deep water. The water wasn’t as cold as I thought it would be…or maybe my feet were just so hot from the walking.

Here the rest of us walked further on along the river to the abandoned presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate, the most northern presidio in New Spain which is nothing more than a foundation and a few crumbling adobe walls remaining. The Bureau of Land Management has renovated the site with new historical signs that better describe what the presidio once looked between 1776 and 1779 when battles were fought here against the raiding Apaches. (The many Apache raids were the reason this presidio was abandoned. A grave marker for 42 soldiers, including those of three presidio commanders, remains of those bloody days). Tone took copious notes of GPS locations, names of places.

We met an archaeology team digging through an old Sobaipuri Indian dump site. Deni, the leader of the team, was at first not very hospitable toward us (she gets a lot of hikers, she said, that come right up to her and want answers to all the prehistory), but when we learned that both she and Mike knew others in the Friends of the San Pedro River group, she opened up and began talking passionately about the prehistory of the Indians here. According to her there are many unmarked Indian sites along the river.

I am glad we met but it was already passed 1pm when we got to the site. I left at 1:32 hoping I could make it to the picnic at 2pm. I walked as fast as I could without stopping, taking the river loop back that seemed to be a tad longer than the more direct trail along the historical sites. I got back to the picnic area at 2:20pm when most of the people had left: Steve2 was gone, Bill was gone, Cliff, Carol and Robin were gone and all the food had already been packed away. There was no time for me to socialize with everyone else. Kevin left me a cold slice of chicken which I gulped down in sheer hunger. It was my fault that most of the hikers had left by the time I had arrived, and my fault that I didn’t get to socialize with Bill whose trip to Antarctica I wanted to hear.

Kevin and I were the last ones to leave the parking lot at 2:46pm. I looked behind to see if Tone or Mike would make it, but they never showed up.

I hiked close to eight miles today.

I also took my wet boots and socks off. I rode back in the truck while Kevin drove. I had barefeet until I got home and wrapped in warm clothes. It took me several hours to get warm again, as the wind outside became stronger and stronger.

It is now just past 9pm and the winds outside are howling! The house’s fan was blown off the roof and several rain barrels have been knocked over. Rain is still forecasted for tomorrow, which means I most likely will not make it to Tucson this Sunday.
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2008/12/13/news/breaking_news/doc49441ffe5ad8f967255568.txt

http://www.seymourharlan.com/
http://www.sanpedroriver.org/fairbank.htm
http://www.discoverseaz.com/History/Terrent.html
http://www.blm.gov/education/00_resources/articles/science_in_process/article.html
http://www.mtnvisions.com/Aurora/sppresid.html

Dead body under a mesquite tree

Yesterday morning around 11am I got a phone call from the city’s school district that I was hired as a Guest Teacher and that orientation was next month on the first day of school return. I was delighted, yet also scared of the potential changes and conflicts this could create with my current employer.

But, it’s best to take what one can in this economy. I like my freedom to pursue my many interests. I have three classes next semester; I don’t want to be overstretched like I was back in mid September. I would love to work just three days a week for the next few months just to have enough time to focus on my studies.

So, excited and anxious, I took the dogs out for a short walk along Copper Glance Road, an eroded wash east of the San Pedro River. It was a nice day outside, with temperatures in the low 70s and little breeze. Locals come here to shot their pistols and to drink beer.

I walked along one jeep road and came up to a large mesquite tree. Under the tree was someone’s trash of tin cans and plastic which wasn't visible from the road . Next to the tin cans was a dirty white mattress cover lumped in a pile. Sadie took an interest in this pile and kept sniffing it.

I came up closer to the mattress cover and noticed the outline of a small body underneath. It looked like a small person, laying in a fetal position. I grabbed a mesquite twig and poked at the cover. Sure enough, I felt resistance. Sadie kept sniffing around. Then I noticed the flies around the cover. This wasn’t good news. I knew then that I had discovered a grisly grave.

Shit. There was no one around to call for help. It was just me and three restless dogs.

What to do? I dropped the twig and walked away, not knowing what to do. Should I throw the cover off to make sure I had discovered a body? Guilt quickly overcame me. No, I couldn’t do it. I had to make sure that what I had found was indeed a body before I came to some erroneous conclusion. I walked back to the mattress cover, grabbed the twig and this time lifted the cover up.

And then the stench overwhelmed me. It was as if I had literally opened a can of flies: suddenly they flew up from the corpse. The mouth was gaping open, badly decomposed. The eyes were already dehydrated. The body was lying on its back.

It was the badly decomposed body of a pitbull.

One down, one more to go

Last night was my final night for my EDU class. The classmates liked my presentation but I don't know what my final grade will be. It was one of those classes that I really didn't like that much because the subject matter seemed inapplicable to me until I went over my final presentation. I gave mine on Arizona Native Plants rather than focus on a German lesson. Then the methodologies we went over made more sense.

It's a little sad to possibly not see all those classmates again. There were some nice people in that class: Olga the Russian Kingergarten teacher, Margarite the first grader, George the "token" male, Janet and Julie...but perhaps we will meet again somewhere down the line.

Now I have to focus on finishing the paper for my Constitution class. I started that paper two months ago and haven't gone back to it yet. I have seven questions to write about; I should get it all done by Sunday night.

Saturday the hiking club has its Christmas picnic in Fairbank along the San Pedro River. We will hike along the river at 9am and then gather around for food. I suggested to Kevin going to Tucson on Sunday for the 4th Avenue Street fair. I've yet to go to Tucson for it! It's basically a collection of arts and crafts and other street vendors. It's not a place I'd shop at but one never knows what unique gifts one can pick up.

I haven't been in the Old Pueblo since 20 September when I was in town after the AEPA exams in Marana. I think Kevin and I should go there, enjoy the lights, and have a meal out for a change. Tucson is a nice desert town I wish I could go to more often, just to hang out at a Bookman's, shop at Trader Joe's for their ample selection of macrobrews and delicious vegetarian split pea soup, eat a good meal and enjoy the warm evening temperatures. The beer at Gentle Ben's is pretty good!
http://www.gentlebens.com/content/display/file/index.php

Bisbee High School one of the best.

I knew there was a reason why I enjoy working at this high school! Perhaps this award will give the school more funding. God only knows the teachers and principals here need that added boost.
___

Bisbee High School named one of America’s best
By Shar PorierHerald/Review
Published: Monday, December 8, 2008 10:58 PM MST

BISBEE — Bisbee High School was named by U.S. News and World Report as one of America’s best high schools for 2006-07.The announcement was made with much enthusiasm by Bisbee Unified School District Superintendent Gail Covington during Monday’s governing board meeting.

“BHS was one of only 9 percent of the high schools in America and one of two schools in Cochise County to win this prestigious award,” said Covington. “The high school was awarded a bronze medal in the overall performance on state academic standards and the performance of students disadvantaged by language and poverty as compared with other schools in Arizona.”

She attributed the school’s success to the teachers at not just the high school, but at all the schools in the district and in the Naco District.“They helped prepare the students for high school,” she added. “This is an incredible accomplishment.”

Board president Ed Matchett said, “We may moan and groan about No Child Left Behind, but this shows that no child is being left behind in our district.”

In all, 21,069 high schools in 48 states were studied.The other bronze medal recipient in Cochise County was St. David High School.It was a goal of Matchett and the board to help make the district the top district in the state. He noted this showed Bisbee is headed in the right direction.

Matchett also presented outgoing board members Luche Giacomino and Joe Delgado with special awards for their service.“You have worked tirelessly on behalf of the school children,” said Matchett.

Giacomino, who spent four years, said, “I really appreciate this. I will continue to support the teachers and the school kids because kids are my life. I might be back.”

Delagado has spent five years on the board and said he appreciated the award “deeply.”A new teacher for sixth grade math was found in an unlikely place — a teacher job fair in Wisconsin.

Terry Romo, Lowell School principal, made the trek to the northern state to seek graduates for teaching positions. She told the board that a small sign they made showing a sun and “It’s 64 in Bisbee” attracted attention. She came away with a number of names of future graduates who showed an interest in coming to Bisbee.

In other business the board:
• Approved the second readings of policy changes as recommended by the state.
• Approved the district’s new vision statement.
• Approved an IRS required revision to the 403 (b) retirement policy.
• Approved a request for proposals to seek bids on providing communication services for 2009-10.
• Approved a work session for Jan. 16, 2009, to provide the new board members with information from the board’s fall retreat.
http://www.usnews.com/listings/high-schools/arizona/bisbee_high_school
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2008/12/09/news/doc493e0463619ee725473820.txt#blogcomments

Daytrip into Sonora

More pics here:

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/569107046joZoBM

It was a fun day in northern Sonora exploring the headwaters of the San Pedro River and its three tributaries near the Arizona border. We didn't get to all five lakes, though, as we ran out of daylight. We will be back!

I wasn't nervous at all about entering Mexico this time.

We met once again at the Bisbee Burger King, appointed the drivers and followed Mike back into Naco.

Mexican soldiers picked my vehicle for a quick search of the back area.

The first excitement was getting on Highway 2 south of Naco, a narrow, two-laned shoulderless road with no room for error. Skyislands abounded in all directions. The grasses were especially dry around here.

We weren''t on the road for long. We followed Mike into a private ranch that was also home to an abandoned tequila distillery. The village of Ejido Cuauhtemoc was to the west. Here we chatted with the landowners to gather permission to enter, paid our $4 per car entrance and explored the first damned-up lake off the San Pedro river, Lago el Cuauhtemoc.

This lake wasn't much. It looked more like a large stockpond. Cows stood off the side of the road staring at us. Everywhere were cow patties of gargantuan proportions. Mike climbed up a small hill, Kevin walked around the hill, and Tone and I hiked up a nearby hill to get a panoramic view of the area.

We stayed no more than 40 minutes at this site.

We continued our drive west, near the international border, skirting San Jose Peak from the south. Plastic litter was visible in all directions here.

"When families have a choice between paying money to get rid of the trash or to put food on their table, they will chose the food" explained Dutch, my co-pilot on this trip. That made perfect sense to me.

The San Pedro River came back into view. Here we stopped for a quick lunch. The cottonwoods looked yellower here than in Hereford, a mere ten miles to the north in Arizona. A harrier flew low over the grass in search of a meal.

"The last time we were here we saw three taxis drop off eight people from each car at the border" said Betsy.

The half moon was now rising from the east.

We drove through the small village of San Pedro on our way to the second site. Here we stopped at the cemetery, walked along the San Pedro river, and resumed our trip.

We had plenty of opportunities to photograph sleeping dogs (Sonoran or snoring dogs?) and free-pecking chickens in the streets. Houses had Christmas displays in their yards. Bud Lite (yuck!) cans littered some of the yards.

The mystery of Mike's sandals was finally explained here: before we forded the river, he waded in the water with his sandals to determine where we could best ford the river. Having sandals on is more practical than wearing heavy boots with socks. He wore his sandals all day.

The most unusual cottonwood grew here off the riverbank. It looked like a tree with two legs to better hold it up.

The Huachuca Mountains and San Jose Peak were never far from our view. Several trees west of the river were crowded with what Dutch quickly identified as yellow-headed blackbirds as he studied the flock through binoculars. (I could not tell with my own eyes what species of bird was in the tree) Dutch moved from Connecticut to Arizona ten years ago. He and his wife have been avid birders for over 30 years.

We continued west across grasslands. The next village we drove through, Jose Maria Morelos, had a white-stucco chapel in the middle of town. Here we stopped to go inside. Horses walked freely along the road. Children played basketball and old men wandered the streets. Several full-sized pick-ups drove north. Trash littered the dirt roads in all directions. Living ocotillo fences were the primary means of boundary marking here.

The second lake, La Nutrias, was more scenic than the first, with more giant cottonwoods along the riverbanks. More cows lingered here, some refusing to clear the way for us. We were never far from the careful views of cows in all directions. They reluctantly made way for us but never lost sight of us, either.

We crossed a spillway and followed the dam across to the southern shore of the reservoir. Plastic bottles and water-logged snags littered the shore.

Frontal storm clouds floated in from the southwest, greying the sky and cooling off the temperatures. This must be the storm that is forecasted to hit Tucson Sunday evening with rain.

"I don't think we have time to explore the next stop" said Mike, but shortly after that he saw two ranchers approach us, who later showed him the best way to drive to San Rafael reservoir, where a damn and more trees lay. I am glad we got to this site, as the sun was starting to set and the colors became dramatic.

Birds were now coming out. Blue herons flew close over the lake. Long-billed dowitchers pecked in the water. And in the distance to our south we could hear cows screaming.

"Sounds like they are getting butchered" said Kevin.

"The cows sound like they are being separated from their calves and are crying for them" said Dutch.

"Smells like hair is buring" said Mike later. "They are probably getting branded!" The cows never stopped screaming during the sunset, adding a bit of discomfort to an otherwise gorgeous view of the southern mountains.

Tone, Dutch, Mike and I wandered off to the half of the lake to take photos while Betsy and Kevin stayed behind to watch the sunset. I didn't have much sunlight left for good photographs. The Huachucas were now turning a dark red.

"I could come back here and camp!" said Tone. It was indeed peaceful here. Even the water was calm.

From here we lost daylight, but managed to drive further in a southeasterly direction on a very bumpy dirt road into Cananea. Going south to this town was faster in the dark, rather than retreating the way we came. I could see lighted hillside homes and silhouettes of nearby mountains. Cananea looked like a town worth exploring again, in the daytime.

From Cananea we got on Highway 2 and drove north back to Naco. This highway was the worst experience of the day. It was curvy, hilly and packed with southbound truck traffic. Some of the cars were driving partially on our side of the lane, giving us very little room to get out of the way. Anyone of us could have ended down a grassy ditch with no quick way out. Some of the impatient drivers passed us within inches of our rear bumpers. Some of the headlights were blinding.

I was relieved to get on the access road towar Naco, but now I was hearing a plastic sound dragging against my left front tire. What was that sound? I didn't hit anything in a pothole, did I?

The seafood restaurant from last month was closed. "I know another place we can try" said Mike.

"Let's do it!" I responded.

We stopped at the first open restaurant, Asadero Arturo's on Main Street. There were no menus, just signs on the wall describing the various grill dishes. I thought I ordered Alhambre asada and ended up with a hot plate of marinaded steak fillets. The meat was good but that's all that was on the plate. I don't even remember the last time I ate that much meat in one sitting.

The dish even came with what the guys described as "weenies:" grilled sausage strips. The server forgot to get my frijoles chisos until Mike reminded him. Even those frijoles were just OK.

It was here over dinner where both Mike and Dutch confessed to some uncomfortable moments in Mexico.

"I was robbed at knife point by a policeman in Sinaloa. He demanded $100 from us. I do not like Sinaloa."

"We had a couple held up at gun point while birding in Mexico" added Dutch.

Our last mission was a stop at the El Indio shop for cigarettes and tequila. I picked up another carton of Malboro Lights for Kevin. I learned the three types of tequila: blanco (fair), reposado (="aged" and good) and anejo (excellent, meaning aged over a year). I had been buying Cuervo, which is rated as merely good.

Entering back into Arizona was easy. The agent even accepted my expired passport as identification with my driver's license and other photo ID. Dutch only had a driver's license, which slowed us down a bit.

Mike behind me had his car searched.

We finally made it to Bisbee after 9pm. I made it home 30 minutes later to three very excited dogs. Sammy, as usual, sniffed my crotch to make sure it was me.