Dutchman's Trail

Tahoe and I hiked 9 miles in the Superstitions today. It was warm and beautiful.

I made friends with a horned lizard.

Tahoe led the way, as usual.

I was so happy to find this nice bit of water. Tahoe got a refreshing drink, and I sat down to eat my Subway sandwich.

Coffee Flat Trail

The saguaros in this area are stunning.

This is why I always bring tweezers in my pack. Each cholla needle has a tiny hook on the end, like a fishing hook and must be pried out one at a time.

Tahoe had a great time, but he was really tired when we got home.

I saw this tarantula walking right across the trail. Tahoe, of course, ignored it.

Papago Park

After all the rain we got over the past couple days, the desert smelled sweet and fresh like creosote this morning.

My favorite part was climbing on top of the sandstone buttes.

I found a fragile arch made of gravel, dirt, and a few boulders.

View of a saguaro through the arch.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wendy and Mike hosted the party this year again, and deep fried a turkey. Cowboy seemed especially fond of the rolls.

It takes more than 1 man to carve a turkey properly.

This is my tofurkey. Doesn't it look appetizing? I was so intrigued by it, and thought it might actually be edible, but no. Definitely not.

Frank is thinking deeply..."Yes, I really am the cutest pug in the world."

Double the Pleasure

It's finally raining! After a weak monsoon this fall, we finally got a little sprinkle today. The bonus was the double rainbow right over our house.

Saguaro Lake

I backpacked the Butcher Jones Trail this weekend. The trail was fun, and there were lots of exploration opportunities along the way.

I took along my new Spot to try out for the first time, and it worked great. Now, I can let people (and by people, I mean mom) know that I am fine. I just press a button, and voila! Emails are sent out with my exact gps location and a link to google maps. I guess this is what it's like to be a modern backpacker. What luxury! Now I can't even get lost properly. Although, there is the offchance that it will run out of batteries, or I get suddenly attacked by a pack of wolverines and can't press the button...

Among the usual desert scenery, were riparian areas near the shore with cattails and willow trees.

Camper's Cove

This cove can get really crowded, so I figured there might be some boaters camping there, but it was completely deserted. I found a great spot right on the beach.

As soon as we reached the water, Tahoe ran in and took a drink.

This is my view from the tent of Tahoe luxuriating in the afternoon sun. The weather was great; it didn't get below 60 all night.

Sunset

There was an incredible amount of wildlife in the riparian areas around the lake, especially at dusk. The birds and crickets were almost deafening. I saw something patrolling the shore near my tent which looked like a coatimundi, but I couldn't be sure.

A blue heron took an evening stroll along the shore.

Then, all the insects came out. The beach was covered with daddy long legs, and this stick bug tried to sleep in the tent. He was missing one of his back legs, but seemed to be able to get along without it.

This is what I wake up to. Tahoe has a designated part of the tent, but he would rather hog my sleeping bag.

State Fair 08

Josh and I made our annual trek to the state fair. Here's a view of fair and downtown Phoenix.

It was wristband day, so we rode lots of rides, but of course, one of our favorites is the ferris wheel.

Fair Animals

Macy's petting zoo has lots of unusual animals, so we always visit it.

This was the first time I have seen piglets milk, and it was startling. I had always pictured it to be a more peaceful event.

Reticulated Gila monster.

We paid an extra dollar to see the "1,000 pound, 7 foot long, Giant Pig," and I have to be honest. It was worth every penny. This thing was massive.