Purrrfect!

With hushed meows, Greta & Boulder discuss their plans to sneak into my suitcase.

Quack!

Josh & Cowboy went duck hunting at Pintail Lake this weekend. There weren't any ducks, but Cowboy had a good time running around and getting all muddy. He showed off his retrieving skills when he decided to get one of the decoys and proudly brought it back to Josh.

Who Let the Dogs Out!

Tahoe and I walked in the "Walk to Save Animals" at Tempe Town Lake. It was a fundraiser for the animal shelter where I got Tahoe and the girls. When we arrived, Tahoe was so excited to see hundreds of dogs and people. He tried to walk in every direction at once.
There were vendors, food, raffles, and games. They even had Santa Claus posing for pictures with pets, but I didn't force Tahoe to endure that trauma. The walk was 2 kilometers, and we started out toward the back of the procession, but Tahoe thought it was a race, so he pulled us to the front of the pack.

Quick Kiss

I think I made him blush.

Turkey & Stuff-ing

Frank chewed on his dingo bone for a while. Then, he gave up and decided to swallow it mostly whole.
Pardon me, but I seem to have misplaced my head. Have you seen it?
The men stood around the deep fryer in a sort of trance and said things like, "What kind of oil you got in there?" and "Last week we made deep fried hot dogs!" and "What else can we deep fry?"
Wendy's dinner was really good. Everyone said the turkey was really tender and juicy. I decided to stick with the potatoes which were really good too.

It's Thanksgiving!

Boulder & Greta are thankful for each other.
Tahoe is thankful for sunbeams.
Boulder is also thankful for crickets.

Madera Canyon

Tahoe and I went backpacking in the Santa Rita Wilderness. The trail started out in scrub forest of oak trees and yucca plants, but it soon gave way to pine trees as we climbed.
Tahoe greedily drank the water at Bog Spring.
The trail was a loop that led to a ridge near Mt. Wrightson.
I was making dinner when a mother and baby doe wandered near our camp. I held Tahoe, so he wouldn't chase them.

Miss Thorp's Ditch Day

A few times each year, I cut class and do something fun. Thursday was one of those days.
Tahoe and I went to the Superstitions Mountains and hiked the Hieroglyphic Trail. Here's a nice view of them with some Teddy Bear Cholla in the front.
At the end of the trail, there were a few small pools of stagnant water which looked like they fill up pretty well when it rains. The nearby canyon walls were covered with petroglyphs.

Tahoe's "Room"

Tahoe often goes to the small area behind the couch to sleep. Whenever I can't find him, I know just where to look.

Ballantine Trail

Traci went hiking with us today. The weather was perfect for a desert hike.
The trail was really fun with some rocky sections to scramble up and great views of the Mazatal and Four Peaks Mountain Ranges.
This is part of Boulder Mountain.
Tahoe and I declared ourselves King & Queen of the Boulder.





This big falcon was circling around, looking for prey.

35 is Really Old

Lucy, Mike & the Birthday Girl.
This is one of Maggie's rare moments of remaining still. Maggie gives mom some kisses.
Brandi & Maggie are ready to go out on the town.

What's in Style?

Tahoe is sporting his sophisticated evening look for those upcoming chilly nights.

State Fair

Full moon over Phoenix.
We started out with the Ferris Wheel, the Gravitron, and the Swings.
Then, I persuaded Josh to go on some of the scarier rides with me.
It seems like the rides are much safer than they were when I was a kid. Now, there are lots of straps, harnesses, and even cages to keep one from flying off a ride.
We ate Indian fry bread with powdered sugar. I decided against eating the deep fried corn on the cob.
This is "Mount Rushmoo," a sculpture made entirely of butter. After staring at it for a few minutes, I had an odd craving for toast.
Do I have anything in my teeth?

Fly Like an Eagle

We went to the Steve Miller Band concert last night. They had a new keyboard player and guitar player. They played Dance, Dance, Dance, Take the Money and Run, & Abracadabra, to name a few.

Granite Mountain

Granite Basin Lake.
A grand view of Granite Mountain.
I saw two tarantulas along the trail.



Tahoe hoped he would get a piece of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Falcon

Peregrine Falcon