Kevin reported earlier that the gas station down the street has already raised the price of gasoline by 20 cents. CNN is calling Gustav a "Killer Storm" and I'm getting nightmares of Katrina again. On top of all this, the GOP convention starts Monday in St.Paul, MN.
___
New Orleans orders mandatory evacuation
By BECKY BOHRER, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 19 minutes ago
NEW ORLEANS - Spooked by predictions that Hurricane Gustav could grow into a Category 5 monster, an estimated 1 million people fled the Gulf Coast Saturday — even before the official order came for New Orleans residents to get out of the way of a storm taking dead aim at Louisiana.
Mayor Ray Nagin gave the mandatory order late Saturday, but all day residents took to buses, trains, planes and cars — clogging roadways leading away from New Orleans, still reeling three years after Hurricane Katrina flooded 80 percent of the city and killed about 1,600 across the region.
The evacuation of New Orleans becomes mandatory at 8 a.m. Sunday along the vulnerable west bank of the Mississippi River, and at noon on the east bank. Nagin called Gustav the "mother of all storms" and told residents to "get out of town. This is not the one to play with."
"This is the real deal, this is not a test," Nagin said as he issued the order, warning residents that staying would be "one of the biggest mistakes you could make in your life." He emphasized that the city will not offer emergency services to anyone who chooses to stay behind.
Nagin did not immediately order a curfew, which would allow officials to arrest residents if they are not on their property.
Gustav had already killed more than 80 people in the Caribbean, and if current forecasts hold up, it would make landfall Monday afternoon somewhere between East Texas and western Mississippi.
The storm's center moved into the Gulf of Mexico from Cuba late Saturday and at 11 p.m. EDT was about 530 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Top winds were near 140 mph and likely to strengthen.
Forecasters warned it was too soon to say whether New Orleans would take another direct hit, but residents weren't taking any chances judging by the bumper-to-bumper traffic pouring from the city. Gas stations along interstate highways were running out of fuel, and phone circuits were jammed.
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said they were surprised at how quickly Gustav gained strength as it slammed into Cuba's tobacco-growing western tip. It went from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in about 24 hours, and was likely to become a Category 5 — with sustained winds of 156 mph or more — by Sunday.
"That puts a different light on our evacuations and hopefully that will send a very clear message to the people in the Gulf Coast to really pay attention," said Federal Emergency Management Agency chief David Paulison.
Levee building on the city's west bank was incomplete, Nagin said. A storm surge of 15 to 20 feet would pour through canals and flood the neighborhood and neighboring Jefferson Parish, he said.
Nagin estimated that about half the population had left and admitted officials were worried that some people would try to stay.
Even before the evacuation order, hotels closed, and the airport prepared to follow suit.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff planned to travel to Louisiana on Sunday to observe preparations. Also, likely GOP presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, are traveling to Mississippi on Sunday to check on people getting prepared.
As part of the evacuation plan New Orleans developed after Katrina, residents who had no other way to get out of the city waited on a line that snaked for more than a mile through the parking lot of the city's main transit terminal. From there, they were boarding motor coaches bound for shelters in north Louisiana. The city expects to move out about 30,000 such residents by Sunday.
"I don't like it," said Joseph Jones Jr., 61, who draped a towel over his head to block the blazing sun. "Going someplace you don't know, people you don't know. And then when you come back, is your house going to be OK?"
Others led children or pushed strollers with one hand and pulled luggage with the other. Volunteers handed out bottled water, and medics were nearby in case people became sick from the heat.
Unlike Katrina, when thousands took refuge inside the Superdome, there will be no "last resort" shelter. "You will be on your own," Nagin said.
About 1,500 National Guard troops were in the region, and soldiers were expected to help augment about 1,400 New Orleans police officers in helping patrol and secure the city.
Standing outside his restaurant in the city's Faubourg Marigny district, Dale DeBruyne prepared for Gustav the way he did for Katrina — stubbornly.
"I'm not leaving," he said.
DeBruyne, 52, said his house was stocked with storm supplies, including generators.
"I stayed for Katrina," he said, "and I'll stay again."
Many residents said the early stage of the evacuation was more orderly than Katrina, although a plan to electronically log and track evacuees with a bar code system failed and was aborted to keep the buses moving. Officials said information on evacuees would be taken when they reached their destinations.
Advocates criticized the decision not to establish a shelter, warning that day laborers and the poorest residents would fall through the cracks.
About two dozen Hispanic men gathered under oak trees near Claiborne Avenue. They were wary of boarding any bus, even though a city spokesman said no identity papers would be required.
"The problem is," said Pictor Soto, 44, of Peru, "there will be immigration people there and we're all undocumented."
Farther west, where Gustav appeared more likely to make landfall, Guard troops were also being sent to Lake Charles.
The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and part of Texas, meaning hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours.
Two East Texas counties also issued mandatory evacuation orders, and authorities in Mississippi began evacuating the mentally ill and aged from facilities along the coast.
National Guard soldiers on Mississippi's coast were going door-to-door to alert thousands of families in FEMA trailers and cottages that they should be prepared to evacuate Sunday.
In Alabama, shelters were opened and 3,000 National Guard personnel assembled to help evacuees from Mississippi and Louisiana.
"If we don't get the wind and rain, we stand ready to help them," Gov. Bob Riley said.
___
Associated Press writers Peter Prengaman, Janet McConnaughey, Alan Sayre, Allen G. Breed, Mary Foster and Stacey Plaisance contributed to this report from New Orleans. Doug Simpson in Baton Rouge, La., and Michael Kunzelman in Gulfport, Miss., also contributed.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Weather for Page, AZ
The only town on Lake Powell. No rain in the forecast!
TodayAug 30
Isolated T-Storms
89°72°
30%
89°F
SunAug 31
Scattered T-Storms
77°66°
40%
77°F
MonSep 1
Partly Cloudy
83°59°
20%
83°F
TueSep 2
Partly Cloudy
81°58°
20%
81°F
WedSep 3
Sunny
86°61°
10%
86°F
ThuSep 4
Sunny
89°65°
0%
89°F
FriSep 5
Sunny
90°66°
0%
90°F
SatSep 6
Sunny
91°65°
0%
91°F
SunSep 7
Sunny
91°66°
0%
91°F
MonSep 8
Sunny
91°68°
0%
91°F
TodayAug 30
Isolated T-Storms
89°72°
30%
89°F
SunAug 31
Scattered T-Storms
77°66°
40%
77°F
MonSep 1
Partly Cloudy
83°59°
20%
83°F
TueSep 2
Partly Cloudy
81°58°
20%
81°F
WedSep 3
Sunny
86°61°
10%
86°F
ThuSep 4
Sunny
89°65°
0%
89°F
FriSep 5
Sunny
90°66°
0%
90°F
SatSep 6
Sunny
91°65°
0%
91°F
SunSep 7
Sunny
91°66°
0%
91°F
MonSep 8
Sunny
91°68°
0%
91°F
Packing up for the big trip
Kevin's already going through the packing list for our Lake Powell Reunion: Sleeping bags and all the extras, camping gear, food stuffs, washing all our clothes. As usual, he's the more meticulous of us.
I'm still going through the garden getting last minute things taken care of: watering the vegetables with all the rain water so that mosquitoes don't grow in any standing water, picking off all the green beans and planting new plants ("Contender" is harvestable within 55 days), relocating caterpillars to the back alley as we have a lot of wooly bear caterpillars now, that, if left unattended, will eat all the crops and grow into the Isabella Tiger Moth.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Gustav is growing into a Category 4 storm just off Cuba and is still heading toward New Orleans. It's our biggest storm yet this season. That means that the $3.64 gasoline will rise again and the people of NOLA will once again relive the nightmare of Katrina from three years ago.
***
Gustav swells to dangerous Cat 4 storm off Cuba
By WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 2 minutes ago
HAVANA - Gustav swelled into a fearsome Category 4 hurricane with winds of 145 mph on Saturday as Cuba raced to evacuate more than 240,000 people and Americans to the north clogged highways fleeing New Orleans.
Gustav already has killed 78 people in the Caribbean and the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said it could strengthen even more after hitting Cuba and entering the warm Gulf of Mexico on a projected course for the Katrina-battered U.S. coast.
Cuba grounded all national airline fights, though planes bound for international destinations were still taking off at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport. Authorities also canceled all buses and trains to and from the capital, as well as ferry and air service to the Isla de Juventud, the outlying Cuban island-province next in Gustav's path.
Heavy winds had already felled mango and almond trees and were shaking the roofs of buildings in the province, said Ofilia Hernandez, who answered a community telephone near downtown Nueva Gerona, Isla de la Juventud's largest city.
"Everyone's at home. It's getting very ugly," she said. "All night last night there was wind, but not like now. Now it's very strong. Things are starting to fall down."
The government's AIN news agency said officials were evacuating some 190,000 people from low-lying parts of tobacco-rich Pinar del Rio province on the western tip of Cuba's main island. AIN reported that 50,000 already had been evacuated further east.
Stiff winds whipped intermittent rains across Havana, where police officers in blue and orange rain coats supervised workers removing stones, tree branches and other debris from the storied beachfront Malecon, as angry waves crashed against the sea wall below.
Some shuttered stores had hand-scrawled "closed for evacuation" signs plastered to their doors. At others, small lines formed as residents stocked up on bread. Cars waiting to fill up their tanks stretched into the street outside some gas stations.
"It's very big and we've got to get ready for what's coming," said Jesus Hernandez, a 60-year-old retiree who was using an electric drill to reinforce the roof of his rickety front porch.
The U.S. naval base at Guantanamo, Cuba, was hundreds of miles to the east, out of the storm's path.
Gustav rolled over the Cayman Islands Friday with fierce winds that tore down trees and power lines while destroying docks and tossing boats ashore on Little Cayman Island, but there was little major damage and no deaths were reported.
By midday Saturday, Gustav was about 185 miles east of the western tip of Cuba and just 55 miles east-southeast of the Isla de Juventud. It was expected to be moving northwest near 14 mph.
Hurricane force winds extended out 60 miles in some places.
Haiti's Interior Ministry on Saturday raised the hurricane death toll there to 66 from 59. Gustav also killed eight people in the Dominican Republic and four in Jamaica.
Gustav could strike the U.S. Gulf coast anywhere from the Florida Panhandle to Texas, but forecasters said there was an increasing chance that New Orleans will get slammed by at least tropical-storm-force winds, three years after devastating Hurricane Katrina.
People began pouring out of the city along the highways and the government announced plans for broader evacuations. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it expects a "huge number" of Gulf Coast residents will be told to leave the region this weekend.
As much as 80 percent of the Gulf of Mexico's oil and gas production could be shut down as a precaution if Gustav enters as a major storm, weather research firm Planalytics predicted. Oil companies have already evacuated hundreds of workers from offshore platforms.
Retail gas prices rose Friday for the first time in 43 days as analysts warned that a direct hit on Gulf energy infrastructure could send pump prices hurtling toward $5 a gallon. Crude oil prices ended slightly lower in a volatile session as some traders feared supply disruptions and others bet the U.S. government will release supplies from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Meanwhile, the hurricane center said Tropical Storm Hanna was projected to near the Turks and Caicos Islands late Sunday or on Monday, then curl through the Bahamas by early next week before possibly threatening Cuba.
It had sustained winds near 50 mph Saturday and the hurricane center warned that it could kick up dangerous rip currents along parts of the southeastern U.S. coast.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/tropical_weather
I'm still going through the garden getting last minute things taken care of: watering the vegetables with all the rain water so that mosquitoes don't grow in any standing water, picking off all the green beans and planting new plants ("Contender" is harvestable within 55 days), relocating caterpillars to the back alley as we have a lot of wooly bear caterpillars now, that, if left unattended, will eat all the crops and grow into the Isabella Tiger Moth.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Gustav is growing into a Category 4 storm just off Cuba and is still heading toward New Orleans. It's our biggest storm yet this season. That means that the $3.64 gasoline will rise again and the people of NOLA will once again relive the nightmare of Katrina from three years ago.
***
Gustav swells to dangerous Cat 4 storm off Cuba
By WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 2 minutes ago
HAVANA - Gustav swelled into a fearsome Category 4 hurricane with winds of 145 mph on Saturday as Cuba raced to evacuate more than 240,000 people and Americans to the north clogged highways fleeing New Orleans.
Gustav already has killed 78 people in the Caribbean and the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said it could strengthen even more after hitting Cuba and entering the warm Gulf of Mexico on a projected course for the Katrina-battered U.S. coast.
Cuba grounded all national airline fights, though planes bound for international destinations were still taking off at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport. Authorities also canceled all buses and trains to and from the capital, as well as ferry and air service to the Isla de Juventud, the outlying Cuban island-province next in Gustav's path.
Heavy winds had already felled mango and almond trees and were shaking the roofs of buildings in the province, said Ofilia Hernandez, who answered a community telephone near downtown Nueva Gerona, Isla de la Juventud's largest city.
"Everyone's at home. It's getting very ugly," she said. "All night last night there was wind, but not like now. Now it's very strong. Things are starting to fall down."
The government's AIN news agency said officials were evacuating some 190,000 people from low-lying parts of tobacco-rich Pinar del Rio province on the western tip of Cuba's main island. AIN reported that 50,000 already had been evacuated further east.
Stiff winds whipped intermittent rains across Havana, where police officers in blue and orange rain coats supervised workers removing stones, tree branches and other debris from the storied beachfront Malecon, as angry waves crashed against the sea wall below.
Some shuttered stores had hand-scrawled "closed for evacuation" signs plastered to their doors. At others, small lines formed as residents stocked up on bread. Cars waiting to fill up their tanks stretched into the street outside some gas stations.
"It's very big and we've got to get ready for what's coming," said Jesus Hernandez, a 60-year-old retiree who was using an electric drill to reinforce the roof of his rickety front porch.
The U.S. naval base at Guantanamo, Cuba, was hundreds of miles to the east, out of the storm's path.
Gustav rolled over the Cayman Islands Friday with fierce winds that tore down trees and power lines while destroying docks and tossing boats ashore on Little Cayman Island, but there was little major damage and no deaths were reported.
By midday Saturday, Gustav was about 185 miles east of the western tip of Cuba and just 55 miles east-southeast of the Isla de Juventud. It was expected to be moving northwest near 14 mph.
Hurricane force winds extended out 60 miles in some places.
Haiti's Interior Ministry on Saturday raised the hurricane death toll there to 66 from 59. Gustav also killed eight people in the Dominican Republic and four in Jamaica.
Gustav could strike the U.S. Gulf coast anywhere from the Florida Panhandle to Texas, but forecasters said there was an increasing chance that New Orleans will get slammed by at least tropical-storm-force winds, three years after devastating Hurricane Katrina.
People began pouring out of the city along the highways and the government announced plans for broader evacuations. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it expects a "huge number" of Gulf Coast residents will be told to leave the region this weekend.
As much as 80 percent of the Gulf of Mexico's oil and gas production could be shut down as a precaution if Gustav enters as a major storm, weather research firm Planalytics predicted. Oil companies have already evacuated hundreds of workers from offshore platforms.
Retail gas prices rose Friday for the first time in 43 days as analysts warned that a direct hit on Gulf energy infrastructure could send pump prices hurtling toward $5 a gallon. Crude oil prices ended slightly lower in a volatile session as some traders feared supply disruptions and others bet the U.S. government will release supplies from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Meanwhile, the hurricane center said Tropical Storm Hanna was projected to near the Turks and Caicos Islands late Sunday or on Monday, then curl through the Bahamas by early next week before possibly threatening Cuba.
It had sustained winds near 50 mph Saturday and the hurricane center warned that it could kick up dangerous rip currents along parts of the southeastern U.S. coast.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/tropical_weather
Friday, August 29, 2008
BONK!
After yet another morning of weeding the back yard, picking green beans, killing caterpillars (if I catch any on our edibles, they are doomed), sowing the last of the Bermuda grass and a late afternoon powerwalk with the dogs up Hunter Canyon for the entire 2.5-mile loop, I stopped at the local gas station to fill up Essie. He was half full but with Hurricane Gustav expected to hit New Orleans (some are saying the city will take a direct hit) either Monday or Tuesday and gas prices already going back up because of fears to off-shore platforms, I filled him up. At $3.64 it cost me nearly $38. I remember a few years ago when a full tank cost me $25...
I was not looking at the car door when I walked back to my driver's side and walked straight into the edge of the metal side door. It hit me smack between the eyes and my left cheek. It hurt, and I felt like an ass for not watching where I was walking. Did the two men who were standing near the convenience store witness the event? It bled immediately and my left check below my eye quickly swelled up.
Now I am sporting an inch-long cut in my frow and will most likely sport a bruise on my face as well. Just in time for the family reunion next week!
It rained on and off all day today. The yard is looking lush green and this will most likely be the last month the yard looks this good. There's more grass than weeds but I will leave the weeds for next year. My daily efforts have noticably cut back on the goatheads the dogs track in every day.
More storms came toward us sortly after midnight. More rain is expected to come this weekend. And there may be rain next week as well.
I kept the back patio door open to let in the fresh air. A large green grasshopper came in. No books I threw at it would kill it, but Vinnie eventually caught and ate it. You go, Gurl!
The weather forecast for our town looks wet for a while:
Tonight: Thunderstorms, some locally heavy early will become more isolated after midnight. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
Tomorrow: Partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. High around 80F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Tomorrow night: Variable clouds with thunderstorms, especially during the evening. Low near 65F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Saturday: Windy with scattered thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon. High 77F. Winds ESE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Sunday: Windy with thunderstorms in the area. Highs in the upper 70s and lows in the low 60s.
Monday: A few thunderstorms possible. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the low 60s.
I was not looking at the car door when I walked back to my driver's side and walked straight into the edge of the metal side door. It hit me smack between the eyes and my left cheek. It hurt, and I felt like an ass for not watching where I was walking. Did the two men who were standing near the convenience store witness the event? It bled immediately and my left check below my eye quickly swelled up.
Now I am sporting an inch-long cut in my frow and will most likely sport a bruise on my face as well. Just in time for the family reunion next week!
It rained on and off all day today. The yard is looking lush green and this will most likely be the last month the yard looks this good. There's more grass than weeds but I will leave the weeds for next year. My daily efforts have noticably cut back on the goatheads the dogs track in every day.
More storms came toward us sortly after midnight. More rain is expected to come this weekend. And there may be rain next week as well.
I kept the back patio door open to let in the fresh air. A large green grasshopper came in. No books I threw at it would kill it, but Vinnie eventually caught and ate it. You go, Gurl!
The weather forecast for our town looks wet for a while:
Tonight: Thunderstorms, some locally heavy early will become more isolated after midnight. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
Tomorrow: Partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. High around 80F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Tomorrow night: Variable clouds with thunderstorms, especially during the evening. Low near 65F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Saturday: Windy with scattered thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon. High 77F. Winds ESE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Sunday: Windy with thunderstorms in the area. Highs in the upper 70s and lows in the low 60s.
Monday: A few thunderstorms possible. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the low 60s.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Still waiting...
For my substitute teaching certificate to come in via email. I met with the TtT program manager for Arizona and he said "soon" although he told the audience that the certificates can turn around within a week. It's been two weeks since I mailed mine off. I can't start work without it.
So...since I was stuck on base again I had time to air up my tires. My front right tire was down to 25psi!!! The recommended pressure for the van is 36. The front left was down to 32.
With two plus hours to spare before my ed class, I had my oil changed as well. It was past the 7000 mile due change anyway and I was tired of seeing the "CHANGE OIL" sign come on every time I turned on the ignition. I hadn't had the oil changed since Laredo last February.
I went to Oil Can Henry's and was out of there within 30 minutes, but also $77 poorer since I opted for the oil cleaning additives and new air filter.
This is part of the vehicle prep for next week's Lake Powell get-together with the family. I'm picking my sister up from Phoenix-Sky Harbor at 10am Monday morning and together we all are driving up to Page for the night, then signing for the pontoon boat early the next morning. We will be sailing up Lake Powell for three days. I hope the weather is nice.
I'm a little nervous about the trip. All the siblings will be there as well and two partners. This is the first time my mother's had all her kids in one sitting in over 20 years. At least we can say it didn't take a funeral to get us all together.
I'll miss the Republican convention though. Bummer. I missed it in 2004 as well because we were moving from New Jersey to Arizona during that time and I could only get glimpses of it via NPR radio, and that was when we were near a town.
So...since I was stuck on base again I had time to air up my tires. My front right tire was down to 25psi!!! The recommended pressure for the van is 36. The front left was down to 32.
With two plus hours to spare before my ed class, I had my oil changed as well. It was past the 7000 mile due change anyway and I was tired of seeing the "CHANGE OIL" sign come on every time I turned on the ignition. I hadn't had the oil changed since Laredo last February.
I went to Oil Can Henry's and was out of there within 30 minutes, but also $77 poorer since I opted for the oil cleaning additives and new air filter.
This is part of the vehicle prep for next week's Lake Powell get-together with the family. I'm picking my sister up from Phoenix-Sky Harbor at 10am Monday morning and together we all are driving up to Page for the night, then signing for the pontoon boat early the next morning. We will be sailing up Lake Powell for three days. I hope the weather is nice.
I'm a little nervous about the trip. All the siblings will be there as well and two partners. This is the first time my mother's had all her kids in one sitting in over 20 years. At least we can say it didn't take a funeral to get us all together.
I'll miss the Republican convention though. Bummer. I missed it in 2004 as well because we were moving from New Jersey to Arizona during that time and I could only get glimpses of it via NPR radio, and that was when we were near a town.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Tropical storm Julio
A constant drizzle has fallen since yesterday afternoon, rain brought in from Tropical Storm Julio off Baja California. It was raining when I was driving home last night after class and the drizzle was constant all night long.
I enjoy this kind of rain, the gentle kind of rain that lingers for hours. The sky is still overcast. This doesn't feel like Arizona monsoonal rains.
Ironically, there is a wildfire in Draper, Utah (south of SLC) burning. Over 200 people had to be evacuated.
Yesterday I overheard one classmate say to another "The monsoon this year won't go away!" but I am not complaining. This saves me watering in the garden, and the grass I've put down gets a strong root base for the future. (There are still bald spots in the yard, but my summer-long work in the yard to de-weed the acre of punctureweed and thumbleweed has been a success.)
It's still raining now, slowing me down in my routine for Tuesday mornings: pull weeds and prune roses until the garbage gets picked up. Then take the dogs up Ash Canyon for an hour or so (we lasted 40 minutes; I turned around when I heard someone fire his shotgun up the trail)
After the walk I drove up to the Catholic cross just south of the canyon. There's a chapel and a statue of the virgin Mary. This statue welcomes the immigrants off the mountains and many illegals trekking across the border stop there for blessings. (A few have been found dead from dehydration or hyperthermia over the years). It was my first time up the mountain chapel, but I didn't stay long because the dogs were panting hard and Sadie kept barking at pedestrians.
I pulled more weeds from around the garden after the walk, mostly tumbleweed that is about a foot across and ready to bolt upward. My hands are cut up and dry now, but I made a big difference in the yard today. I don't know why I have an aversion to wearing gloves; they certainly would protect my hands.
I am enjoying these rains. The oleanders are still in their red or pink blooms. New growth on the photinias are up and the new shrubs are also growing.
But KVOA weather said this afternoon that these rains from Julio could be our last days of the monsoon. Hurricane Gustav is off the coast of Haiti and hopefully he will bring more rain later this week to our corner of Arizona...
I haven't seen the shrubs along the perimeter so lush and green since our first winter here, in 2005. That's when I thought the young tumbleweed seedlings were small pine trees coming up and I was excited to see green plants growing in the yard.
Aaah yes, desert transplants learn quickly!
I enjoy this kind of rain, the gentle kind of rain that lingers for hours. The sky is still overcast. This doesn't feel like Arizona monsoonal rains.
Ironically, there is a wildfire in Draper, Utah (south of SLC) burning. Over 200 people had to be evacuated.
Yesterday I overheard one classmate say to another "The monsoon this year won't go away!" but I am not complaining. This saves me watering in the garden, and the grass I've put down gets a strong root base for the future. (There are still bald spots in the yard, but my summer-long work in the yard to de-weed the acre of punctureweed and thumbleweed has been a success.)
It's still raining now, slowing me down in my routine for Tuesday mornings: pull weeds and prune roses until the garbage gets picked up. Then take the dogs up Ash Canyon for an hour or so (we lasted 40 minutes; I turned around when I heard someone fire his shotgun up the trail)
After the walk I drove up to the Catholic cross just south of the canyon. There's a chapel and a statue of the virgin Mary. This statue welcomes the immigrants off the mountains and many illegals trekking across the border stop there for blessings. (A few have been found dead from dehydration or hyperthermia over the years). It was my first time up the mountain chapel, but I didn't stay long because the dogs were panting hard and Sadie kept barking at pedestrians.
I pulled more weeds from around the garden after the walk, mostly tumbleweed that is about a foot across and ready to bolt upward. My hands are cut up and dry now, but I made a big difference in the yard today. I don't know why I have an aversion to wearing gloves; they certainly would protect my hands.
I am enjoying these rains. The oleanders are still in their red or pink blooms. New growth on the photinias are up and the new shrubs are also growing.
But KVOA weather said this afternoon that these rains from Julio could be our last days of the monsoon. Hurricane Gustav is off the coast of Haiti and hopefully he will bring more rain later this week to our corner of Arizona...
I haven't seen the shrubs along the perimeter so lush and green since our first winter here, in 2005. That's when I thought the young tumbleweed seedlings were small pine trees coming up and I was excited to see green plants growing in the yard.
Aaah yes, desert transplants learn quickly!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
On the Border
“How about going on another road trip like we did a few months ago?” asked Kevin after I got back with the dogs in Hunter Canyon on Saturday.
“Sure! I’d like to explore Lochiel again, that border town off FR 61.” Kevin concurred.
So after working in the garden and shearing weeds for an hour, then watching the usual political talk shows (the big talk this time, as expected, was the choice of Sen Joseph Biden as Sen. Barack Obama’s VP), we finally took off at 10:30am. We realized it was a little on the late side for a daytrip that ended up taking most of the day.
“I hope we don’t get rained on!” said Kevin as we drove south on Highway 92 into dark clouds lingering over the mountains. There certainly was that risk according to our weather forecast. For now the skies were partly cloudy with white clouds, with distant grey clouds west of the Huachucas.
We have done this drive before, to Patagonia and back via Forest Road 61, stopping at ruins or abandoned mines to hunt for pyrite or copper bits. It’s sparsely populated but the alluvial plains, riparian habitats and jettison mountains in all directions make this valley between the Patagonia and Huachuca mountains an underrated tourist haven. The drive offers head-turning sceneries at every hill and curve. I don’t mind that at all, though, because that gives me more room alone in these mountains that never get above 5000’.
Forest Road 61 starts off Highway 92 as the Coronado National Monument Road. It crests Montezuma Peak (6757’) and the FR begins as the dirt road descends the south side of the Huachuca Mountains. Mexico disappears into the south with the San Antonio Mountains, and lush green valleys below.
This is beautiful country, and I have to ask myself why I don’t explore this region more often.
It has been several years since we explored this stretch. Sadie sat in the front, but her restless spirit would not relent. She was either wanting to join the big dogs in the back bed, or she wanted to hug Dad in the front seat. She whimpered, whined, and barked with the big dogs when cows grazed too closely to the side of the road.
We stopped a few times to walk the dogs, finding unnumbered side trails on either side of the road.
As we approached the international border east of Lochiel we saw piles of rusty steel beams placed on railroad beams to keep the steel off the ground. These steel beams will some day be vehicular barriers along the fence in the near future. Popular with drug smugglers and coyotes, FR 61 will soon host part of the contentious border fence. New warning signs now warn drivers of illegal activities in this area.
The sky began to clear up as we approached Lochiel, once a town of 400 people in its mining hay days. Now just a few houses remain. It's mostly open ranches now. The border station was closed years ago when funds ran low, and the former building is now bordered up and fenced.
Lochil is now a small ranching community owned by a few families who have bought up the historical buildings in the old village square and fenced up the historical buildings: the old customs house and the custom's agent house next door, the chapel, the family cemetery, the post office. NO TRESPASSING signs were everywhere. Even the cemetery held a wooden sign warning trespassers “Private cemetery. This is not a tourist attraction!”
After we drove to the customs house Kevin parked the truck to let me walk with the dogs up the hill to the chapel and cemetery. Even the family cemetery now warned trespassers "This is a family cemtery, not a tourist attraction. KEEP OUT" The locals were serious about no tourists in town, apparently.
I could see the remaining homes of Lochiel from the cemetery gate in the valley below: small homes on large lots, shaded by cottonwoods. The white adobe chapel overlooked the town below the hilltop cemetery. I felt all alone here. No noises, no people, just Kevin at the bottom of the hill smoking his cigarette and waiting for me by his pick-up.
Sadie darted back to Dad when I walked up the hilltop. She's all Daddy's Little Girl. Mexico looked so inviting from this vantage point. The tall distant mountains of the San Antonios, a dark green meadow sprinkled with wild sunflowers and other yellow flowers, and a border fence that is still easily negotiated by passers-by. The lyrics to the Eagle's 1974 renegade song "On the Border" came to mind:
On the Border
Leave me be, I'm just walking the line
I'm out on the border
All I wanted was some peace of mind
Leave me be, I'm just walking the line
I'm out on the border
All I wanted was some peace of mind
I walked further up the road along the border to look south into the lush valley of northern Mexico. The mountain range drove my eyes far into the distance. A frontage road parallel to the border travels in either direction. We drove on it eastward for a mile, crossing a few washes where tire tracks were visible in the sand, and passing the 112 border marker before turning around at a steep, curvy and rutted section of the road. The terrain here was hilly and wooded.
We opted to continue north on FR 61 to Duquesne, passing back into west Lochiel where a group of people were lined up along a white picket fence to watch riders and cows give a show."They're training for the Sonoita rodeo next weekend" explained Kevin. We saw another group of riders in another meadow area further down.
Duquesne was even more deserted than Lochiel. Here no one lived. A few bordered up homes still remain, and much to my chagrin some property near the ruins has been staked out for new development. Why would someone want to destroy this pristine land with endless views of north Sonora?
“Drugdealers” answered Kevin.
Indeed some beautiful glass mansions stood isolated near several mountain tops. But I don't think I'd want to traverse the steep rutted roads to and from Nogales for shopping. Once the homes come up the paved roads will be next, then more convenience stores and the tranquil life of this valley will be gone for good. This part of Arizona deserves to remain isolated.A full-sized van driven by an elderly man slowed us down twice along this road. We passed him twice and saw him pass us while we were stopped at the old Harshaw townsite, now nothing more than a creek crossing, lush meadow and one lone adobe ruin.
“I hope he makes it to Patagonia before we get back in the truck” I said. He slowed down even more when he saw us.
A family cemetery dating back to the early part of the 20th century still remains across the street from the Harshaw Townsite lot, the last resort for local families of the Jimenex, Tapia, Sotos, Acevedos who lived here over 100 years ago. The iron-wrought crosses, fake flowers and cement frames of the graves were lined in colorful memorabilia of the deceased. Despite the old graves, the hillside lot is still maintained with care. The surviving family of Miguel Soto, a rancher and cowboy who died in Harshaw in 1912, now live in Tucson, according to a historical marker on Miguel's grave.
We were now very hungry and ready for a bite to eat in Patagonia. There are several restaurants there we've eaten at over the years, one is the Cowboy bar off Highway 82, the other now closed. That left us with the Velvet Elvis Pizza Company, also right off the highway. I once saw a short feature on that place in Arizona Highway, the TV travel series that used to air Saturday mornings at 5am.
"Oh, Pizza!" said Kevin as he negotiated the pickup off the road to park. The sky was overcast but there was no full shade for the dogs. We ordered our plain pizza and sat outside to be able to watch the truck from our vantage point.
We did not know that this restaurant was an all-organic food restaurant. Our pizza crust was whole wheat and not quite baked through. (It was very al-dente) but we didn't tell the waiter that when he came by to check on our food. We were too hungry and wanted to drive back via the Flux Canyon Road. We were now losing daylight by eating.
The pizza was OK. I like whole wheat crust but Kevin gave the pizza a "C." Service was fine and the inside decor not as gaudy as the title suggested. The interior had mostly South American art on the walls, so that the lone velvet Elvis on the wall seemed rather out of place and downright tacky. All the staff spoke Spanish. (I learned later that the owner is from Ecuador).
The dogs enjoyed the leftover pizza crust. We let them out to drink, pee and eat and then we continued our return drive. It was now after 5pm. We had about two hours of daylight. We would be coming home in the dark going back the way we came and driving 30mph.
Flux Canyon road is accessible just a few miles south of Patagonia to the highway's east. After a flat meadow start the narrow, primitive road quickly ascends steeply over jutting boulders and some rather hair-raising turns with steep drop-offs. By now storm clouds were moving in and a heavy rain quickly followed. This had potential of turning into a nightmare if we were stuck on a primitive road during a flood.
The road looked damp from a previous storm. I didn’t want to have to experience the sensation of tumbling down a primitive road, losing the dogs and our lives and laying there for days before someone discovered us. This is a region where we seldom see others. This is a place we must come back to and discover more backcountry roads. This mountain range is full of discovery.
The fresh rain left the blooming grasses coated in a silvery sheen. This was Canon Moments to the tenth power. Caterpillars of unknown variety were eating on grass blades and roadside shrubs in full force.
I recognized every stop on this road: the abandoned mines on either side, the abandoned Blue Eagle mine along Alum Gulch (now closed off as a Superfund Site) and the old mining equipment off the road. This is perfect camping country.
And once again, as we’ve done many times over the years, we promised each other we’d come back here for a weekend camp-out. We stopped briefly at both sites, found no pyrite, and drove on.
Once we hit Harshaw Road again we were back on familiar territory. We only stopped for pee breaks and to give the dogs a rest from the constant rumbling of the at-times poorly-grated road.
Sara and Sadie now were exhausted. Sadie slept behind Kevin in the cab, Sara rested her head in the back bed. Sammy, as usual, refused to sit or lay down out of fear he’d miss barking at a cow or rabbit. The cows were grazing along the road in big herds now.
Duquesne and Lochiel were now deserted of any activity as we drove through them again. Ravens (or were they black vultures?) huddled in tree canopies along washes. Lights began to come up along the border although Mexico looked dark The setting sun broke its light rays and poked through a storm cloud in two distinctive rays.
This was perfect smuggling country. Kevin brought out his .45 for added safety and scanned his left and right peripherals as he drove. I would not have driven this stretch alone.
“Sara will take care of the illegals” said Kevin, referring to her protective nature when strangers approach the vehicle. I have no doubt in her determination to protect us.
As we approached Montezuma’s Peak we saw the lights of nearby Naco, and further south the lights of another Mexican town. Cananea, perhaps? We had never noticed lights in Mexico before because we don’t drive this isolated Forest Road at night. It was so tempting to dream of walking south into Mexico and never turning back. This part of Sonora is breathtaking and I can only assume it’s more beautiful further south.
We were now on the homestretch as the clock neared 8pm.
Kevin went straight to bed as we got home. I got comfortable on the couch and watched the rest of the Beijing Olympics closing ceremonies.
“I hope he makes it to Patagonia before we get back in the truck” I said. He slowed down even more when he saw us.
A family cemetery dating back to the early part of the 20th century still remains across the street from the Harshaw Townsite lot, the last resort for local families of the Jimenex, Tapia, Sotos, Acevedos who lived here over 100 years ago. The iron-wrought crosses, fake flowers and cement frames of the graves were lined in colorful memorabilia of the deceased. Despite the old graves, the hillside lot is still maintained with care. The surviving family of Miguel Soto, a rancher and cowboy who died in Harshaw in 1912, now live in Tucson, according to a historical marker on Miguel's grave.
We were now very hungry and ready for a bite to eat in Patagonia. There are several restaurants there we've eaten at over the years, one is the Cowboy bar off Highway 82, the other now closed. That left us with the Velvet Elvis Pizza Company, also right off the highway. I once saw a short feature on that place in Arizona Highway, the TV travel series that used to air Saturday mornings at 5am.
"Oh, Pizza!" said Kevin as he negotiated the pickup off the road to park. The sky was overcast but there was no full shade for the dogs. We ordered our plain pizza and sat outside to be able to watch the truck from our vantage point.
We did not know that this restaurant was an all-organic food restaurant. Our pizza crust was whole wheat and not quite baked through. (It was very al-dente) but we didn't tell the waiter that when he came by to check on our food. We were too hungry and wanted to drive back via the Flux Canyon Road. We were now losing daylight by eating.
The pizza was OK. I like whole wheat crust but Kevin gave the pizza a "C." Service was fine and the inside decor not as gaudy as the title suggested. The interior had mostly South American art on the walls, so that the lone velvet Elvis on the wall seemed rather out of place and downright tacky. All the staff spoke Spanish. (I learned later that the owner is from Ecuador).
The dogs enjoyed the leftover pizza crust. We let them out to drink, pee and eat and then we continued our return drive. It was now after 5pm. We had about two hours of daylight. We would be coming home in the dark going back the way we came and driving 30mph.
Flux Canyon road is accessible just a few miles south of Patagonia to the highway's east. After a flat meadow start the narrow, primitive road quickly ascends steeply over jutting boulders and some rather hair-raising turns with steep drop-offs. By now storm clouds were moving in and a heavy rain quickly followed. This had potential of turning into a nightmare if we were stuck on a primitive road during a flood.
The road looked damp from a previous storm. I didn’t want to have to experience the sensation of tumbling down a primitive road, losing the dogs and our lives and laying there for days before someone discovered us. This is a region where we seldom see others. This is a place we must come back to and discover more backcountry roads. This mountain range is full of discovery.
The fresh rain left the blooming grasses coated in a silvery sheen. This was Canon Moments to the tenth power. Caterpillars of unknown variety were eating on grass blades and roadside shrubs in full force.
I recognized every stop on this road: the abandoned mines on either side, the abandoned Blue Eagle mine along Alum Gulch (now closed off as a Superfund Site) and the old mining equipment off the road. This is perfect camping country.
And once again, as we’ve done many times over the years, we promised each other we’d come back here for a weekend camp-out. We stopped briefly at both sites, found no pyrite, and drove on.
Once we hit Harshaw Road again we were back on familiar territory. We only stopped for pee breaks and to give the dogs a rest from the constant rumbling of the at-times poorly-grated road.
Sara and Sadie now were exhausted. Sadie slept behind Kevin in the cab, Sara rested her head in the back bed. Sammy, as usual, refused to sit or lay down out of fear he’d miss barking at a cow or rabbit. The cows were grazing along the road in big herds now.
Duquesne and Lochiel were now deserted of any activity as we drove through them again. Ravens (or were they black vultures?) huddled in tree canopies along washes. Lights began to come up along the border although Mexico looked dark The setting sun broke its light rays and poked through a storm cloud in two distinctive rays.
This was perfect smuggling country. Kevin brought out his .45 for added safety and scanned his left and right peripherals as he drove. I would not have driven this stretch alone.
“Sara will take care of the illegals” said Kevin, referring to her protective nature when strangers approach the vehicle. I have no doubt in her determination to protect us.
As we approached Montezuma’s Peak we saw the lights of nearby Naco, and further south the lights of another Mexican town. Cananea, perhaps? We had never noticed lights in Mexico before because we don’t drive this isolated Forest Road at night. It was so tempting to dream of walking south into Mexico and never turning back. This part of Sonora is breathtaking and I can only assume it’s more beautiful further south.
We were now on the homestretch as the clock neared 8pm.
Kevin went straight to bed as we got home. I got comfortable on the couch and watched the rest of the Beijing Olympics closing ceremonies.
Hunter Canyon on a Saturday afternoon
Yesterday afternoon (Saturday), after another morning of tedious garden work that never seemed to end, I had the urge to take the dogs up Ash Canyon for an hour or so to walk around and explore. The wash in the canyon is well-known among rock hounds and prospectors for gold flakes. I have never been there with the dogs.
We never made it to Ash Canyon, though. As soon as I got into Essie to drive the five miles to the trailhead, it began to rain. And hard. And then the wind blew in that wouldn’t relent. There was no way I was going to walk around in the rain, so I pulled into the Hunter Canyon trailhead to let the dogs out there and hope for the rain to end.
A black sweatshirt and backpack were hung over the barbed-wire fence along the forest boundary fence, left behind by an immigrant who managed to hike across the border and get picked up in Hunter Canyon. In the grey clouds of the afternoon, I was a little worried of meeting a group of illegals coming down from the mountain.
I had to park Essie after half a mile because the rain was too intense and the dry-rotted windshield wipers were screeching at high decibels. The dogs stayed near and around the SUV and at times Sadie would put her front paws on Essie’s hood and look at me as if she wanted in.
After 20 minutes the storm stopped and we finished our loop around Hunter Canyon. This was my first time driving the loop around Hunter Canyon in a few months. The dogs stayed outside the entire time and I didn’t let them back into the vehicle until we were back at the trailhead.
Although the dogs brought in sand and dirt and smelled up the van with wet dog smell, I was glad to make the loop with the dogs. The grass was green and most of the emory oaks were looking lush and healthy. For now, at least, we skirted another summer of potentially deadly wildfires in the foothills.
We never made it to Ash Canyon, though. As soon as I got into Essie to drive the five miles to the trailhead, it began to rain. And hard. And then the wind blew in that wouldn’t relent. There was no way I was going to walk around in the rain, so I pulled into the Hunter Canyon trailhead to let the dogs out there and hope for the rain to end.
A black sweatshirt and backpack were hung over the barbed-wire fence along the forest boundary fence, left behind by an immigrant who managed to hike across the border and get picked up in Hunter Canyon. In the grey clouds of the afternoon, I was a little worried of meeting a group of illegals coming down from the mountain.
I had to park Essie after half a mile because the rain was too intense and the dry-rotted windshield wipers were screeching at high decibels. The dogs stayed near and around the SUV and at times Sadie would put her front paws on Essie’s hood and look at me as if she wanted in.
After 20 minutes the storm stopped and we finished our loop around Hunter Canyon. This was my first time driving the loop around Hunter Canyon in a few months. The dogs stayed outside the entire time and I didn’t let them back into the vehicle until we were back at the trailhead.
Although the dogs brought in sand and dirt and smelled up the van with wet dog smell, I was glad to make the loop with the dogs. The grass was green and most of the emory oaks were looking lush and healthy. For now, at least, we skirted another summer of potentially deadly wildfires in the foothills.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
My second class
After a morning of gardening--a task that never seems to end--I went to the college and sat in a course that I had to audit first through the instructor, Teaching Methods for English as a Second Language Learner. It's a required course now for all Arizona Teachers.
It was intimidating sitting in that class. Besides a counselor, a principal, a sub teacher and a sign language for special ed, I am the only non-teacher at this time. But the instructor, Beth Colburn, and a fellow middle-school teacher, Margarite, made me feel at home and we were the last three to talk after class.
I am the only one in class with any real-life second-language acquisition, and those painful memories from my childhood in Berlin's Carsten Grunschule are coming back to me.
It's going to be an exciting course. Beth promised me I won't be left out. Margarite told me the same. Margarite even cried a bit when she remembered her brother who was killed in Vietnam. Watching her made Beth's and mine eyes teary as well. No doubt both are very passionate about teaching. They will keep me in high spirits.
This gives me six credits for the semester. Tomorrow morning I have to go back to campus and add the two courses. It's more than enough for me now. At this point I am glad I am not working full-time.
It was intimidating sitting in that class. Besides a counselor, a principal, a sub teacher and a sign language for special ed, I am the only non-teacher at this time. But the instructor, Beth Colburn, and a fellow middle-school teacher, Margarite, made me feel at home and we were the last three to talk after class.
I am the only one in class with any real-life second-language acquisition, and those painful memories from my childhood in Berlin's Carsten Grunschule are coming back to me.
It's going to be an exciting course. Beth promised me I won't be left out. Margarite told me the same. Margarite even cried a bit when she remembered her brother who was killed in Vietnam. Watching her made Beth's and mine eyes teary as well. No doubt both are very passionate about teaching. They will keep me in high spirits.
This gives me six credits for the semester. Tomorrow morning I have to go back to campus and add the two courses. It's more than enough for me now. At this point I am glad I am not working full-time.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Hunter Canyon
We took all three dogs up Hunter Canyon an hour before sunset. That is still my favorite little hideout. The two older dogs knew the routine, but Sadie was excited.
The dogs jumped out of the truck at the trailhead. Kevin drove the pick-up up the forest road while I powerwalked up the trail to catch up to him at Kelly Springs .7 miles up the road. The dogs ran after the truck while Sadie kept stopping to look back at me. She finally caught up to the big dogs at Kelly Springs Then I jogged the mile back and the dogs joined me. They all got a good work-out.
I know the dogs should be on leashes at all times, but watching them get some energy out of their system and seeing them run free to me is still preferred. These dogs need to run hard and they can't burn off their energy efficient enough on a leash. When no one is around, I'd rather they be able to be dogs and run free. Yet I am always looking for other hikers or hunters in these forests.
All the trees that were dying of drought this past spring have sprung back to life. The old yellow leaves are now lush green across the forest. We escaped the fires for another year, whew.
The dogs jumped out of the truck at the trailhead. Kevin drove the pick-up up the forest road while I powerwalked up the trail to catch up to him at Kelly Springs .7 miles up the road. The dogs ran after the truck while Sadie kept stopping to look back at me. She finally caught up to the big dogs at Kelly Springs Then I jogged the mile back and the dogs joined me. They all got a good work-out.
I know the dogs should be on leashes at all times, but watching them get some energy out of their system and seeing them run free to me is still preferred. These dogs need to run hard and they can't burn off their energy efficient enough on a leash. When no one is around, I'd rather they be able to be dogs and run free. Yet I am always looking for other hikers or hunters in these forests.
All the trees that were dying of drought this past spring have sprung back to life. The old yellow leaves are now lush green across the forest. We escaped the fires for another year, whew.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Back to School
Tonight was my first college course in 15 years: the Arizona Constitution. It's taught by an ex-New Jersey man, Bob Atkinson from Jersey City. Hiis accent is still very pronounced. "I've been trying to get rid of it for the last 30 years!" he said.
He is a dynamo instructor and now I am going to see if I can change from the AZ Constitution to the US Constitution, embedded course in the same, making this six-week course twice as long. I will learn a lot from his course.
There are 13 students in this course, one of them is a man. Some of us are older, but most aren't much older than Erin.
I'm excited about being back in school..
He is a dynamo instructor and now I am going to see if I can change from the AZ Constitution to the US Constitution, embedded course in the same, making this six-week course twice as long. I will learn a lot from his course.
There are 13 students in this course, one of them is a man. Some of us are older, but most aren't much older than Erin.
I'm excited about being back in school..
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Missing Idaho
It’s been a few busy days for me and an active week overall
The monthly hiking club meeting was last Tuesday night. I came to the meeting 45 minutes late so that I didn’t have to watch another person’s vacation slides from Hawaii last April. I’m just not a tropical person; my time in Haiti cured me of that, but some of the landscape photos were well done and of course the flora is out-of-this-world.
“You need to lead a few hikes!” said Brenda to me toward the end of the meeting, and I agree, but I just haven’t been able to get myself into the mountains this year. The garden has been my priority all summer long and I’m still not done. I hope to lead hikes starting in September, when a few fall hikes in the nearby sky islands would be ideal.
The long-awaited car camp to Idaho which the club had been talking about for a few months is now going to be from 19 August through 2 September. Hearing that was a little heart-breaking, as I so wanted to see Idaho finally, but it cuts into my college courses and the Lake Mead trip. I had no choice but to back out. Only four people are going: Brenda, Gordon, Steve and Paul.
Maybe next year I can finally see Big Sky country when I drive up to Montana, Idaho and northern Utah. I want to see the sites that Lewis and Clark wrote about in their journals.
After a heavy rain Wednesday night and soft ground to work with, I spent the last three mornings pulling weeds from the back yard by hand. Wednesday my back was so sore from the constant bending that I asked for some of K‘s Tylenol, which did the trick.
Pulling weeds for me is like eating tortilla chips: you just can’t pull one. You’re knee high to the ground looking at that prostate crabgrass and notice other weeds in the immediate area, and then more weeds. The more you pull, the more you see and you don’t want to stop while ahead. I have to force myself to stop and take breaks. And that’s when I notice the aching back, the cut-up hands, the dirt-stained knees of my jeans.
The monsoon has been good the last few days, hitting Tucson harder than here but probably because there are more paved roads there that flood over. The city got three inches Wednesday night, we got half that. The garden is in full bloom, and the oleanders are all in red and pink display. If it weren’t for all the pests now feasting on the garden, I’d say the garden looks very healthy.
But I am tired of gardening, burned out from working it practically every day since March. The corn is becoming infested wth mold and other beetles, the beans seem to have some sort of rust on them, and I find new pests in the garden every day. I feel like I am losing the battle! We had a big infestation of the tomato hornworm this summer. The garden is also full of leafhoppers, chiggers, armyworms and Mexican bean beetles. The red salvias in the front yard have spittlebugs.
I belive in organic gardening. It's safer and cheaper but it's more time-consuming. Sometimes the work to maintain a well-balanced garden is overwhelming, and the many pests remind me that I'm still not quite the master in the garden that I'd like to be.
The change of pace from constantly being on the road was relaxing and much appreciated this summer, but now I am ready to travel again. I was home locked this summer, perhaps the first time in years. I will resume my road travels be next summer. Now I have my school to concentrate on as I start my teaching certification process.
Getting myself registered for school was on my mind all week, as classes start Monday. The garden outside kept holding me back; I’d go outside as soon as Kevin left for work just to see what sort of weed flowers I needed to pull, and before I knew it, several hours had passed.
Watching the Olympic games was another distraction all week. Watching athletes try their hardest to win “the gold” and seeing their faces beam with pride when their national anthem plays for the world, is quite a tear-jerking sight. The Chinese sofar have done a great job, despite several allegations of cover-ups and denials. But I’ll leave those for after the Olympic torch is extinguished.
Driving into town was a daily event this week. I miss human interaction so when I got to speak to others, I reveled in the opportunity. On Thurday I stopped by both the Republican and Democratic headquarters to pick up campaign materials for both Kevin and me. Kevin said he is voting for McCain and I got him McCain materials. I am voting for Obama so I stopped at the Democratic headquarters. Both headquarters were open and staffed and accepting voter registration. I wanted to see if any Obama material was available.
I grabbed two bumper stickers and ended up talking to two volunteers. One, Meg, was very enthusiastic about supporting the Democratic candidates for positions, giving me a rundown of who was running for my district (25). I had no clue until Meg pointed that out to me.
One thing about the Democrats that makes me uneasy is its stance on illegal immigration. The Democrats seem to want uncontrolled immigration and hand-outs for all.
“Not at all!” answered Meg. “We just put a humane stance on this, as these are human beings we are talking about” I can’t argue that, and would not want to see human being abused in any way. But open hand-outs are draining our tax dollars.
“Not at all” continued Meg. “There is a $12 billion underground economy that is in our favor” she went on, “they pay taxes like the rest of us but don’t declare them. That money then goes to the state because the illegal immigrants are afraid to declare them.” She defended her stance quite well, and I admired her enthusiasm for the political process. We shook hands before I left. I hope to see her again.
I feel like I have 23 years to catch up with, 23 years in which I could have gained valuable experience as a teacher. I am overcompensating for my lack of experience with vigor and enthusiasm; I hope I don’t get shot down again in the classroom.
Yesterday I registered for my first college course in years: Arizona Constitution. It’s a required course for teachers. The admissions process and registration took me just little over an hour, and I was granted in-state tuition. I didn’t have to prove anything else but my driver’s license, although I had my vehicle registration with me just in case. (Where is my voter registration card?!?!)
My Ford Escape cost me $264 to register for the next 18 months. That’s $253 MORE than what it cost me when I was active duty! But the added costs are worth it. I seldom go on post anymore, and mostly to visit the garden shop or to see what the PX has on sale, which most often is very little and the tax savings are only worth it if the purchase is high, as the gasoline to travel the added ten miles adds up over time. The lowest price in town for regular unleaded is $3.75, dropping another two cents in the last two days. It hasn’t been that low since early June.
The track and field events at the Beijing Olympics are now in their second week. Michael Phelps, the faved US swimmer, evened the Olympic record set by Mark Spitz in 1972 (the first year I took note of the Olympics, when I was in Berlin) Mark Spitz was on NBC Sports to talk about his record being broken. Now grey-haired and sans moustache, he still looks great for his age. How old is he anyway? I remember he was a graduate student in dental school when he was an Olympian. He was one of my first crushes as a young girl, but now, 36 years later, there is no longer any evidence of Spitz’ once heart-breaking good looks.
Watching the events on TV, from gymnastics to swimming and now to my track events, I feel how old I have gotten. I am no longer th active woman from just a few years ago. My back is constantly in pain. I haven’t jogged since the Bataan Marathon. I don’t miss the running because running means sore and burning knees. My knees no longer ache. I still weigh the same since leaving the army and I watch what I eat. The dogs and our power walks around the neighborhood keep me in somewhat aerobic shape, but I no longer wake up wondering if I should jog the four miles around the foothills or not. Now I wake up and wonder if I should pull weeds or not.
What will my future hold? I hope to be employed very soon but now classes will keep me busy. Erin is in dental hygiene school too now and hopefully she will be certified next spring. I am so relieved that she is finally working on her future. Now I have to focus on Eric, who at 19 seems to enjoy just lingering at home and living off the welfare of his dad. At least I don’t have to worry about him being homeless. With his natural smarts it’s a shame, though that he’s not applying himself in any way.
The monthly hiking club meeting was last Tuesday night. I came to the meeting 45 minutes late so that I didn’t have to watch another person’s vacation slides from Hawaii last April. I’m just not a tropical person; my time in Haiti cured me of that, but some of the landscape photos were well done and of course the flora is out-of-this-world.
“You need to lead a few hikes!” said Brenda to me toward the end of the meeting, and I agree, but I just haven’t been able to get myself into the mountains this year. The garden has been my priority all summer long and I’m still not done. I hope to lead hikes starting in September, when a few fall hikes in the nearby sky islands would be ideal.
The long-awaited car camp to Idaho which the club had been talking about for a few months is now going to be from 19 August through 2 September. Hearing that was a little heart-breaking, as I so wanted to see Idaho finally, but it cuts into my college courses and the Lake Mead trip. I had no choice but to back out. Only four people are going: Brenda, Gordon, Steve and Paul.
Maybe next year I can finally see Big Sky country when I drive up to Montana, Idaho and northern Utah. I want to see the sites that Lewis and Clark wrote about in their journals.
After a heavy rain Wednesday night and soft ground to work with, I spent the last three mornings pulling weeds from the back yard by hand. Wednesday my back was so sore from the constant bending that I asked for some of K‘s Tylenol, which did the trick.
Pulling weeds for me is like eating tortilla chips: you just can’t pull one. You’re knee high to the ground looking at that prostate crabgrass and notice other weeds in the immediate area, and then more weeds. The more you pull, the more you see and you don’t want to stop while ahead. I have to force myself to stop and take breaks. And that’s when I notice the aching back, the cut-up hands, the dirt-stained knees of my jeans.
The monsoon has been good the last few days, hitting Tucson harder than here but probably because there are more paved roads there that flood over. The city got three inches Wednesday night, we got half that. The garden is in full bloom, and the oleanders are all in red and pink display. If it weren’t for all the pests now feasting on the garden, I’d say the garden looks very healthy.
But I am tired of gardening, burned out from working it practically every day since March. The corn is becoming infested wth mold and other beetles, the beans seem to have some sort of rust on them, and I find new pests in the garden every day. I feel like I am losing the battle! We had a big infestation of the tomato hornworm this summer. The garden is also full of leafhoppers, chiggers, armyworms and Mexican bean beetles. The red salvias in the front yard have spittlebugs.
I belive in organic gardening. It's safer and cheaper but it's more time-consuming. Sometimes the work to maintain a well-balanced garden is overwhelming, and the many pests remind me that I'm still not quite the master in the garden that I'd like to be.
The change of pace from constantly being on the road was relaxing and much appreciated this summer, but now I am ready to travel again. I was home locked this summer, perhaps the first time in years. I will resume my road travels be next summer. Now I have my school to concentrate on as I start my teaching certification process.
Getting myself registered for school was on my mind all week, as classes start Monday. The garden outside kept holding me back; I’d go outside as soon as Kevin left for work just to see what sort of weed flowers I needed to pull, and before I knew it, several hours had passed.
Watching the Olympic games was another distraction all week. Watching athletes try their hardest to win “the gold” and seeing their faces beam with pride when their national anthem plays for the world, is quite a tear-jerking sight. The Chinese sofar have done a great job, despite several allegations of cover-ups and denials. But I’ll leave those for after the Olympic torch is extinguished.
Driving into town was a daily event this week. I miss human interaction so when I got to speak to others, I reveled in the opportunity. On Thurday I stopped by both the Republican and Democratic headquarters to pick up campaign materials for both Kevin and me. Kevin said he is voting for McCain and I got him McCain materials. I am voting for Obama so I stopped at the Democratic headquarters. Both headquarters were open and staffed and accepting voter registration. I wanted to see if any Obama material was available.
I grabbed two bumper stickers and ended up talking to two volunteers. One, Meg, was very enthusiastic about supporting the Democratic candidates for positions, giving me a rundown of who was running for my district (25). I had no clue until Meg pointed that out to me.
One thing about the Democrats that makes me uneasy is its stance on illegal immigration. The Democrats seem to want uncontrolled immigration and hand-outs for all.
“Not at all!” answered Meg. “We just put a humane stance on this, as these are human beings we are talking about” I can’t argue that, and would not want to see human being abused in any way. But open hand-outs are draining our tax dollars.
“Not at all” continued Meg. “There is a $12 billion underground economy that is in our favor” she went on, “they pay taxes like the rest of us but don’t declare them. That money then goes to the state because the illegal immigrants are afraid to declare them.” She defended her stance quite well, and I admired her enthusiasm for the political process. We shook hands before I left. I hope to see her again.
I feel like I have 23 years to catch up with, 23 years in which I could have gained valuable experience as a teacher. I am overcompensating for my lack of experience with vigor and enthusiasm; I hope I don’t get shot down again in the classroom.
Yesterday I registered for my first college course in years: Arizona Constitution. It’s a required course for teachers. The admissions process and registration took me just little over an hour, and I was granted in-state tuition. I didn’t have to prove anything else but my driver’s license, although I had my vehicle registration with me just in case. (Where is my voter registration card?!?!)
My Ford Escape cost me $264 to register for the next 18 months. That’s $253 MORE than what it cost me when I was active duty! But the added costs are worth it. I seldom go on post anymore, and mostly to visit the garden shop or to see what the PX has on sale, which most often is very little and the tax savings are only worth it if the purchase is high, as the gasoline to travel the added ten miles adds up over time. The lowest price in town for regular unleaded is $3.75, dropping another two cents in the last two days. It hasn’t been that low since early June.
The track and field events at the Beijing Olympics are now in their second week. Michael Phelps, the faved US swimmer, evened the Olympic record set by Mark Spitz in 1972 (the first year I took note of the Olympics, when I was in Berlin) Mark Spitz was on NBC Sports to talk about his record being broken. Now grey-haired and sans moustache, he still looks great for his age. How old is he anyway? I remember he was a graduate student in dental school when he was an Olympian. He was one of my first crushes as a young girl, but now, 36 years later, there is no longer any evidence of Spitz’ once heart-breaking good looks.
Watching the events on TV, from gymnastics to swimming and now to my track events, I feel how old I have gotten. I am no longer th active woman from just a few years ago. My back is constantly in pain. I haven’t jogged since the Bataan Marathon. I don’t miss the running because running means sore and burning knees. My knees no longer ache. I still weigh the same since leaving the army and I watch what I eat. The dogs and our power walks around the neighborhood keep me in somewhat aerobic shape, but I no longer wake up wondering if I should jog the four miles around the foothills or not. Now I wake up and wonder if I should pull weeds or not.
What will my future hold? I hope to be employed very soon but now classes will keep me busy. Erin is in dental hygiene school too now and hopefully she will be certified next spring. I am so relieved that she is finally working on her future. Now I have to focus on Eric, who at 19 seems to enjoy just lingering at home and living off the welfare of his dad. At least I don’t have to worry about him being homeless. With his natural smarts it’s a shame, though that he’s not applying himself in any way.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Another slow weekend
With the Beijing Olympics in full swing and reports that we would get rained out again, we stayed at home. I weeded the yards which are growing fast with various weeds; some patches in the back yard are back-to-back infested with Russian thistle. On Sunday Kevin never left the couch and atched the games all day long from a horizontal position while I walked the dogs for three miles along the frontage road. Sadie is turning into a super dog and obeying commands.
Today I volunteered at the extension office again. I had planned to work 10am-2pm but ended up working from 11am to 4:20pm, overwhelmed with phone calls and email. It's the season of the Sphinx moth popping up everywhere. (We pulled 12 hornworms from our own garden this weekend, from our tomatoes and pepper plants)
I never did finish all the questions and will go back there for tomorrow morning for a few hours. I hate leaving clients waiting. Joyce, the extension administrator, said I am one of two dedicated volunteers this summer. Donna, the other Master Gardener, works on Wednesdays.
So, from crown gall on Chinaberry trees, to stunted clustered new growth on sage, rosemary and ash trees, dying grape vines, more Sphinx moths and chiggers in the back yard, this summer has proven to be busy for MGs.
Still, Jim still reminds me that I still have a life elsewhere. I can't allow myself to get burned out. I will do this volunteering for as long as I can because I do elarning about the gardening here, helping others and trying new things.
Tomorrow is the highlight of the Perseid meteor showers, starting after 1:45am (moonset) to dawn tomorrow. The sky is partly cloudy riight now, but I hope to catch a few meteors early in the moring while sipping my coffee.
Russia and Georgian forces are fighting each other in Georgia since Friday. The big talk is that the fighting could escallate. Lucky for me I don't have to worry about getting sent anywhere to fight someone else's war.
Today I volunteered at the extension office again. I had planned to work 10am-2pm but ended up working from 11am to 4:20pm, overwhelmed with phone calls and email. It's the season of the Sphinx moth popping up everywhere. (We pulled 12 hornworms from our own garden this weekend, from our tomatoes and pepper plants)
I never did finish all the questions and will go back there for tomorrow morning for a few hours. I hate leaving clients waiting. Joyce, the extension administrator, said I am one of two dedicated volunteers this summer. Donna, the other Master Gardener, works on Wednesdays.
So, from crown gall on Chinaberry trees, to stunted clustered new growth on sage, rosemary and ash trees, dying grape vines, more Sphinx moths and chiggers in the back yard, this summer has proven to be busy for MGs.
Still, Jim still reminds me that I still have a life elsewhere. I can't allow myself to get burned out. I will do this volunteering for as long as I can because I do elarning about the gardening here, helping others and trying new things.
Tomorrow is the highlight of the Perseid meteor showers, starting after 1:45am (moonset) to dawn tomorrow. The sky is partly cloudy riight now, but I hope to catch a few meteors early in the moring while sipping my coffee.
Russia and Georgian forces are fighting each other in Georgia since Friday. The big talk is that the fighting could escallate. Lucky for me I don't have to worry about getting sent anywhere to fight someone else's war.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Southwest Birding and Nature Festival
I am so glad I signed up for this three-day event held in town. For $15 I am attending lectures and slide shows by local/regional scientists, photographers and naturalists on the flora and fauna of this county.
And what a biologically diverse county we live in. From a hummingbird region to desert wildlife and skyislands with gorgeous hiking trails, Cochise County has it all and everyone who lectured has been passionate about birding, reptiles, butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies, native gardens, conservation, raptors, bats and local history. I haven't been bored yet during any of the lectures and during breaks get to talk to some of the locals in attendance.
http://www.swwings.org/
And what a biologically diverse county we live in. From a hummingbird region to desert wildlife and skyislands with gorgeous hiking trails, Cochise County has it all and everyone who lectured has been passionate about birding, reptiles, butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies, native gardens, conservation, raptors, bats and local history. I haven't been bored yet during any of the lectures and during breaks get to talk to some of the locals in attendance.
http://www.swwings.org/
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Hiking the Lower Miller Creek Trail
We finally went on a hike again, the first one since leaving the White Mountains almost two months ago. I hadn't been on this trail since coming back from Texas and momentarily forgot how to get there!
We took all three dogs on leashes up the trail, which meanders along Miller Creek. I had forgotten how beautiful that trail is. The dogs had fun; they drank when they wanted to from the creek. This was Sadie's longest hike to date: three miles.
At one point we had to stop near some horses crossing the creek and took a bypass to avoid scaring one of the horses that looked apprehensive of the dogs. The owner had to calm it down by petting it and speaking calmly to it.
The hike took us 1:20 hours. Sadie pulled the entire time as Kevin held her back. (I had the two big dogs)
We were back by 1pm and I resumed my gardening, laying more Bermuda grass down in anticipation of today's storms. It took seven more hours before the downpour, but then it lasted two hours. We hadn't had rain all week so this was nice. The wilting beans and squash should come back to life.
It was an otherwise quiet weekend. I neither went hiking with Brenda in Tucson, nor joined the Garden Club for their picnic yesterday. I just didn't feel like driving anywhere, even though the price of gasoline is dropping and $20 less now than it was at its peak two months ago. ($3.86 in town).
We gardened lightly all weekend. Yesterday we went to WalMart and Target to get a few more garden and pet supplies. K suggested we stop at El Paso Steakhouse and we had a surprisingly good meal there: I had two Blue Moon Wheat Beers (with orange slices), some brisket and potato skins we shared. The bill came to $24 with tip. We hadn't had such an affordable and tasty meal in months. El Paso is now our new hang-out. Even though "Colonel" Bill was not there, several other senior patrons who once hanged out at Applebee's are now hanging out at EP.
Sadie's "pre school" is coming along fine, too. She pays intense attention to Kevin and learns fast, although food is her primary lure that she still fights with the other dogs over. She now parks at other dogs and wants to be a tough little German Shepherd. She's going to be one beautiful dog.
We took all three dogs on leashes up the trail, which meanders along Miller Creek. I had forgotten how beautiful that trail is. The dogs had fun; they drank when they wanted to from the creek. This was Sadie's longest hike to date: three miles.
At one point we had to stop near some horses crossing the creek and took a bypass to avoid scaring one of the horses that looked apprehensive of the dogs. The owner had to calm it down by petting it and speaking calmly to it.
The hike took us 1:20 hours. Sadie pulled the entire time as Kevin held her back. (I had the two big dogs)
We were back by 1pm and I resumed my gardening, laying more Bermuda grass down in anticipation of today's storms. It took seven more hours before the downpour, but then it lasted two hours. We hadn't had rain all week so this was nice. The wilting beans and squash should come back to life.
It was an otherwise quiet weekend. I neither went hiking with Brenda in Tucson, nor joined the Garden Club for their picnic yesterday. I just didn't feel like driving anywhere, even though the price of gasoline is dropping and $20 less now than it was at its peak two months ago. ($3.86 in town).
We gardened lightly all weekend. Yesterday we went to WalMart and Target to get a few more garden and pet supplies. K suggested we stop at El Paso Steakhouse and we had a surprisingly good meal there: I had two Blue Moon Wheat Beers (with orange slices), some brisket and potato skins we shared. The bill came to $24 with tip. We hadn't had such an affordable and tasty meal in months. El Paso is now our new hang-out. Even though "Colonel" Bill was not there, several other senior patrons who once hanged out at Applebee's are now hanging out at EP.
Sadie's "pre school" is coming along fine, too. She pays intense attention to Kevin and learns fast, although food is her primary lure that she still fights with the other dogs over. She now parks at other dogs and wants to be a tough little German Shepherd. She's going to be one beautiful dog.
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