Short Run, No Gold

Just a short run this morning with our friend Larry. We'd noticed some old prospects dug into a hillside of one of the trails up a wash not far from our home so we decided to check them out. According to our information from the Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources, there were quite a few claims at one time in this specific area filed by people looking for gold. I don't know how successful they were or which of these mines might have produced gold, but there sure wasn't any evidence of it today. The old mines didn't look very inviting, none of them were cut into hard rock, just tunnels dug into the mountainside. Some had old timbers used for shoring, and some had experienced cave-ins sometime in the past, at any rate, we didn't feel comfortable enough to venture too far into their dark interiors. The old miners had to be a hearty lot, imagine crawling up the side of a mountain and saying, "let's dig here." We couldn't help but wonder what might have lay beyond the cave-ins, I suppose we'll never know.
If was a beautiful day, clear and cool with a slight breeze, perfect for a nice, comfy Jeep run.

The hillside is carved with old mining prospects

Here's an old bat outside one of the mines

This one was dug into fairly soft rocky dirt

The shoring of old wood and rotted beams didn't

do much to prevent the ceiling from collapsing



No gold, just rocks and dirt...darnit

I guess this cave-in will keep us

from finding what lays beyond

There's Roosevelt Lake

The group of buildings in the valley foreground is where we live.

Cherry Creek to FR 202

We've been wanting to check out a trail off of Cherry Creek Road for quite some time. The trail, FR 202 skirts the Sierra Ancha Wilderness as well as the Apache Nation's Reservation. It runs from above Roosevelt Lake to Young, taking many twists and turns along the way.
Yesterday morning we headed out with Jean & Larry to check it out. Of course we took the Jeep, but since Larry and Jean were taking Buddy, their HUGE dog, they took their Toyota Highlander, Buddy wouldn't fit in their Jeep. We were concerned that the trail would be too much of a hazard for the Highlander but it turns out we worried for nothing. The trail was a bit rocky in places but as we approached the northern end, the road smoothed out into a dirt super highway, dusty, but great traveling. The weather couldn't have been better, cool in the high elevations with the sun shining brightly. We stopped for a picnic lunch in the shade of a tall pine forest just outside of Young.
Growlph did just fine, he's a little trooper. Since he's such a Daddy's boy, he spent most of the trip with his head contentedly resting on Ralph's shoulder. It was a long trip, we left at 8 A.M. and arrived back home at 4 P.M., dusty and tired but very glad to be hitting the trails again. When we arrived back home, Growlph ate his dinner, then went to bed, growling at us when we asked "wanna go in the Jeep?"...smart dog. I seem to recall growling as well last night, when Ralph asked me, "wanna go Jeeping?" ... we can learn a lot from our dogs.

Smoke can be seen in the distance from a fire burning on

the Apache reservation.

The road was dusty!




A rustic corral along the way

Larry, Jean, Ralph & Growlph

(Buddy is in the Highlander)


Some cattle kept a close eye on us

Nice smooth road!

Turning tail on the trail

This was our second experiment into the possibilities of camping on the trail. We'd hoped to establish a way to head out on the trail into far reaching destinations and be able to camp for the night when we got tired instead of heading home. Well, to put it mildly, it just isn't going to happen, leastways, not in the winter time...come to think of it, probably not in the summer either.
We headed for Burnt Corral along the Apache Trail again. We were optimistic upon arriving, the weather was perfect with temperatures in the upper 70s. Setting up the tent was easy with no wind at all. That evening we were happy campers as we enjoyed a meal by the campfire. The next day dawned bright and sunny as well but by mid afternoon the winds began to pick up, gusting at times to at least 40 miles per hour. The tent ballooned and billowed but held its ground. The temperature began to drop adding to the chill factor. Of course with the high wind we had to eliminate the possibility of a campfire that night, we had no choice but to head to bed early and hope for a better day the next day. That night, the winds blew without ceasing, at times we wondered if we'd make headlines if our tent decided to blow away with us inside, (ala "balloon-boy" )
The next few days didn't improve as almost record low temperatures hit Arizona. Sleeping proved to be a challenge in the cold so we decided to use our propane heater designed for use in a tent. Ah warmth at last...but what we didn't count on was the condensation the heat on the tent walls that would be created when the heat hit the cold walls of the tent..getting dressed in cold, wet clothes the next morning only set the mood for the entire day and seeing Growlph with his teeth chattering from the cold eased our decision to pack it all up and head for home. I dunno, maybe we're getting too old for the adventure lifestyle although we would hate to ponder and possibly admit to it.
We'll still be hitting the trails and doing our jeeping but if we're going to be away overnight, perhaps we'll be phoning ahead...for reservations.

Cozy by the campfire on day one

What a beautiful sunset over Apache Lake!

Ah camping at its finest

It only got better...

The next day, gray, windy and dismal

Back To Nature...sorta

It was an idyllic week. We decided to go camping last Monday to spend the week at one of our favorite campgrounds, the spot where we spent our honeymoon, Burnt Corral on Apache Lake, along the Apache Trail in the Superstition Mountains.
We drove into Globe on Monday to pick up a few last minute supplies. In order to get a jump start on getting our campsite set up, we stopped for lunch at a local eatery instead of preparing food at the campground. We were proud of ourselves for ordering "healthy" salads instead of the usual greasy burger and fries.
Arriving at the campground, we had the place almost to ourselves, and picked a choice spot, close to the lake, close to the rest rooms, close to the fresh water source. The day was clear and cool, the birds were serenading us from the trees surrounding our campsite. We spent the week enjoying ourselves, fishing, relaxing, appreciating the breathtaking scenery of the Superstitions. Pretty boring huh? ...Well, read on....
Now for the truth of the matter. Yep, we went to Globe on Monday, yep, we had our "healthy" lunch of nice salads, however, we didn't count on the food poisoning that followed. Monday evening our stomachs were queasy, by Tuesday, there was no denying it, we had food poisoning, along with all the symptoms I won't go into details describing, suffice to say, we paid homage to the forest service, self-recycling toilets. For those of you have never used one of these modern marvels, imaging plunking your bare butt over a dark, seemingly bottomless pit and feeling a cold wind blowing were no winds should ever reach. There are times you simply must put your trust in Mother Nature to take care of you, this was one of those times. By the next day, we had recovered fairly well, resolving in the future to stick to greasy burgers and fries and leave the so-called "healthy" salads for those more adventurous than us.
Getting our tent set up was no small feat, the wind was whipping without any letup. The birds weren't merely serenading us, they were poking their bird beaks into anything that even resembled food. We quickly learned that we had to put all our food out of reach of prying paws after a kitfox invaded our chocolates and dog biscuits one evening.
We assume Growlph had never been camping before, proven by the fact that after hearing the coyotes howling around our tent at night, he refused to sleep in his own bed, insisting on sleeping smack in the middle of ours' instead. We tried to assure him that the coyotes weren't interested in Schnauzer stew, but being the smart critter he is, he didn't believe a word we said.
Fishing wasn't very good at all. Ralph caught three...well actually, he only caught two because the second bass proved himself to be the dumbest bass in Apache Lake by allowing himself to be caught twice, we could identify him by a small wound on his belly. What are the odds of that happening?
We came home twice to rest up at home during the heat of the day, Burnt Corral is only about 20 minutes from our house, so we had the best of both worlds. All in all, it was a wonderful experience despite the stomach wrenching beginnings. We'll do it again in the near future, this time, sans salads.

Home Sweet Home

All the comforts of home...well, almost

Ralph trying his luck

Here's Ralph with the dumbest bass in Apache Lake

This is the face Growlph makes now if you ask him,

"wanna go camping?"

This is the face I make now if you ask me,

"want a salad?"

The view from our campsite

Growlph keeping the birds away

There's no denying the scenic beauty of Apache Lake

Homage to the "self-recycling" rest rooms,

(whatever THAT means)

Cool Day, Good Dog

We've finally been getting some monsoon weather, more typical of Arizona this time of year. This morning was so humid, it was more like being in Florida instead of what most people think Arizona is like.

Some new friends of ours' from Casa Grande phoned this morning to see if we'd be interested in a short Jeep run up Workman Creek to Aztec Peak, it sounded like it would be a good escape from the sticky, icky temperatures we're having here at home.

As we climbed to the higher elevations we could feel the temperature dropping and when we arrived at the firetower on Aztec Peak, the towerman reported that the temperature was only 65º, what a super change, we haven't felt a cool temperature like that in a long time. It was overcast with spotty rain at times, the sun stayed in for the entire trip keeping the temperatures pleasantly cool. We've been testing Growlph to see how he'd do riding in the Jeep, taking him on A-Cross Road a few days ago and then up Workman Creek today, we're happy to report he did fine. He was interested in all the new smells and sights and gave no sign of carsickness at all. On the way home, he slept like a baby, not a care in the world. It looks like Growlph is going to fit right in with our lifestyle, he's passed the Jeep test with flying colors.

It's a dog's life, and this one's got it made

Clouds giving the mountains a smokey appearance

Cloudcover kept the temperatures down


Two red Jeeps are better than one

Ralph, Bruce and Judy with Red the towerman on Aztec Peak.

It's a BOY!

We were going a bit nuts around here without a Schnauzer in the house, the house seemed empty, so we contacted the Schnauzer rescue group in Phoenix, wonderful people who are doing a superb job placing Mini Schnauzers in need of forever homes. They phoned us last Thursday to tell us they had a Schnauzer that might suit us, so we headed to Phoenix on Friday stopping at Petsmart along the way to get everything we'd need, we were already sure we were going to adopt him and sure enough, after seeing him, there was no doubt.
He's five years old, salt & pepper, a bit pudgy but dieting (he fits right into our lifestyle) and packed with personality. He's housebroken with no real issues, well, maybe just a few, but we can work through his insecurities he's well past the puppyhood stage, just right for us.
He adjusted to our house immediately and decided WE could easily become trained to cater to his every whim, he's right. This morning we were up at 2:30 AM playing growly nip bark, in the den with a very rambunctious Mini Schnauzer...he decided we'd all had enough sleep and it was time to play.
He came to us named "Snoopy" no self-respecting Schnauzer (unless he's got Beagle aspirations) should be named Snoopy, so we've changed his name to "Growlph," .... a combination of GRrrrowl and Ralph, it seems fitting to name him after his Dad.
We're hoping he'll become our trail riding companion, he seems to ride well without getting carsick, he'll be a nice addition to our explorations.
We'd like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who is looking for a terrific pet to consider one of the breed specific rescue groups, there are many of them out there, an internet search should yield the results you're looking for. There are a lot of great dogs looking for good, loving homes. Puppies are cute but there's a lot to be said for a mature dog who is well past the piddling on the floor, chewing your shoes stage.

Farewell Bailey

Bailey "Boo"

10/28/95 - 7/3/09

On Friday, 7/3/09, we had to say goodbye to our sweet Bailey. His poor little body was failing him quickly. The end for him was peaceful, we held him until the vet pronounced him gone...
Even though we knew it was inevitable, it seems one is never prepared for such a terrible loss. Words can't describe the pain we're feeling at this time, but we're trying to remember the happy times.
It seems I'm at a loss for words to describe what Bailey meant to us, his presence is everywhere, a toy on the floor, an empty place in all of his favorite spots, but most of all he lives on in our hearts and memories of the wonderful times we had with Bailey.
Those of you you have experienced the loss of a dear pet will know what we're trying to say.
Eventually, the sadness will be replaced with smiles as we remember the richness Bailey added to our lives.
Sleep well our beloved Bailey Boo ..............

The Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author unknown...