Behind Schedule

I've had to dig deep for some photos for this blog post. I guess you could say the hounds, the dog and I have been busy as well as lazy, therefore a lot of photos were not taken since the last blog post. I have added some from a couple of years ago at the bottom of this post. Remember the topsoil I told you that I bought this month and found this instead of the normal back pure dirt from the same company. Things are changing everywhere I guess. I will now spend a little more money for a bag with a different brand name next time.

Sunshine Time For The Hounds & Dog

As we have done everyday when the sunshine is out, the hounds and the dog and I have spent time outside enjoying the heat, the blue skies and puffy clouds. It's quite a change from spending time in the backyard in Sierra Vista. You see and will see that Stella really enjoys the grass yard more than the rock. Henry likes the deck and Walter tried to sneak away again just like on Tuesday. I caught him coming from the front yard when he heard me calling him.

Snow Flurries This Morning

It was cold but nice early this morning. I could tell by the clouds there was different weather at higher elevation. People had already posted photos of their yards with a light snow cover on the Cochise County facebook group. Looking at my iPhone weather it was not going to get higher than 44° today where just a few days ago it was up to 78°. I had a few places I wanted to go today ... The Diner and Miller Canyon.

No We Don't Miss Indiana Winters

With our second winter here in the southwest the bloodhound and I have realized we do not miss those single digit days in the winters back in "the tropics" of southern Indiana. The puppies are pure Arizona pups so they have not experieced the lifting of paws while on a walk through freezing snow like Stella has. Yes, it has been cold this week and it does get cold every night while sleeping but by the afternoon the sun is hot enough to be outside. Stella and Henry do this every afternoon. With the temps in the 50's and 60's this past week.

Does Stella Have A Pulse ??

It does not feel like a holiday weekend. In fact it feels just like any other day especially since the life altering news last March. It has been almost 6 months since the news broke to all of us about COVID-19. Little did we know just how much that news would change some things in our lives, possibly permanently. Yet when I stepped out on the patio early this morning with this view and a cup of coffee in my hand ... all that 'newsy' stuff was the furthest thing from my mind.

A Spur Of The Moment Hike On Monday

With the hot sunshine out every day with cool temps, the hounds have been spending most of their time sleeping on the warm stones in the backyard. They rotate back inside once they get too hot. The weather has returned to beautiful with morning temps in the 30's. I'll take that with no complaints because I am not experiencing windchill temps below zero and no ice or snow. There has not been a lot going on ... but yesterday I took an impulse trip back out to the San Pedro River and hiked almost 4 miles in the late afternoon.

It's good to know that with each sunrise we are heading toward spring where the sun will start rising earlier, the hounds will get their daily walk in the morning right after my coffee and not in the afternoon. Then I will bike in the mornings right after we get back from the hound walk. I find it hard to ride in the afternoon because I am always finding something else to do. I don't have any projects going on like I would have in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana. I don't miss the house maintenance and lawn care or in some cases, shoveling snow.

My move from Cox Cable Tv to Apple Tv and streaming Amazon Prime Video along with YouTube tv has worked out better than I expected. I have all the same sports channels I had on cable. I have more movies to choose from that are free on Amazon Prime Video and the programing on Apple Tv is not large in numbers of shows but the ones they have are great, from what I have seen so far.

I stayed up all night last night watching all 10 episodes of For All Mankind, getting to bed at 5am just after I fed the hounds. A few hours of sleep I was up and felt normal except for the concept of time ... it did not feel like 11am. I still have plenty of time to get in a bike ride today after hiking yesterday afternoon. With high 40's and possible rain in the forecast this week, I have to get outside when I can.

After the holidays of not seeing a lot of the Aerostat, it was back in the air yesterday. For some reason because of that, it felt like everyone was back to work when I saw it. Combine that with the increase in early morning traffic in the neighborhood, I could tell it was a 'work week.' Less cars in the driveways and more traffic on the city streets and highways. Things were back to normal.

One little sign I have noticed that my hip continues to heal after it's 4 month anniversary, there is no soreness or stiffness in front of the hip or the socket when I get up out of a chair or the couch. I am also able to get in my cars and truck the 'normal' way now, without facing my back to the seat and sliding in that way. I am also catching myself getting in and out of bed the normal way again, instead of sitting on the side the bed and swinging both legs around on top of the bed.

Small things but big differences.

I still want to take a tour of the inside when it's anchored but there is a zero chance of that ever happening.

Stella likes to check out the temperature of the sun numerous times during the day before she decides whether to sleep outside. She continues to sniff the air or perk her long hears up for any signs of the black lab puppy next door. We hardly hear the puppy anymore as it gets older. It is tall enough now that when it jumps up on their flowerbed on it's back legs and leans against the fence, I can reach over and pet it. Stella can only smell the puppy but can't see it.

I'm noticing in my Blogger traffic stats that when I blog less, the spam comments increase and bot traffic from the Ukraine takes over the lead of all readers.  The other day the number of visits from the Ukraine tripled the number of visitors from the United States with Canada being a distant third place.

With the return of the great weather I honestly thought I'd be riding my bike outside every day this week. I still can get in a lot of riding this week but yesterday I couldn't make up my mind if I wanted to or when to ride. Of course if I wait the temps will get warm as it gets later, but the winds increase. 11am seems to be the best time for both worlds to ride. It's not too cold nor windy and I can get home before the winds pick up.

Yesterday about the time I was going to change into bike clothes I had an urge to take a local drive, just to drive. But by the time I was almost walking up the hounds to get ready to leave, I changed my mind. I didn't want to drive just to drive ... I wanted to go hiking.

I had joined the hounds off to the left of them in this photo soaking up my own sunshine. So it was close to 2pm when I decided I was going to get out and do something. Like I have said before, this area is fantastic for doing things outside and the trails or bike paths/lanes are all close to the house.

By the time I had loaded my small backpack with water, changed shoes and grabbed my hat, Heidi had moved inside to the coolest part of the house to continue her afternoon siesta.

When I want a flat trail and quietness, the San Pedro House/River area is the place I like to go. As I pulled into the parking lot I was the third car and one of the other two belongs to the host at the San Pedro House. I was going to have all this vacant land and trails to myself. People were back to work, kids were back in school ... perfect weather with cargo shorts and a flannel shirt. I was going to start my normal path but had a different plan where on the way back I would make a right turn and head for the river, then circle back to the house.

I was walking at a pretty good pace because I wanted to get some miles in for hip exercise and I wanted to get back to the car before they close the gate out by the highway. I wasn't sure what time they do that so I wanted to get back to the car and on the highway by 4pm. I found out later the gate stays open until sundown. I can explore new territory next time even if I have a late start.

I was traveling light, with only a small pack for water and my iPhone. I took my trekking poles for this one spot I would need them but carried them most of the time and didn't need to use them on the trail. My heart rate was up to 109 bpm in no time and never went over 112 bpm. That's a nice range on the bicycle to get in shape without a lot of energy used. I am seeing higher heart rates on my recent rides and find it hard to keep it in the 117-120 bpm range.

While walking the trail I could see all kinds of signs for the past weekend traffic. Horse shoes marked the trail in only one direction, mountain bike tires, ATV tire tracks and multiple hiking boots or shoe soles. With all the fresh prints in the dirt and sand I could tell it has been a busy weekend with people out here.

If I were to ride my mountain bike anywhere off the pavement this area would be the place. With the new hip I cannot fall again unless I want to see my surgeon back in the operating room. He reminded me of that during my last followup appointment. There are only a couple of places with loose sand where I might have problems keeping the bike up but 99% of the trail is hard packed dirt, a few rocky areas but very safe for me.

Here I am heading east toward the San Pedro River or that group of trees on the horizon, left side of the picture.

There are many trails out by the San Pedro House, with a few that I have not hiked yet. No hills to climb, very little elevation change and a dry river bed I'd like to follow sometime. Walking miles in that soft sand would be pretty good exercise ... but the quietness is what I like the most in this area and of course the scenery.

It will be a lot different in a few months on this bench. The temps in the late afternoon will be over a 100°, yesterday it was 62° and sunny. That's the Coronado NF on the far left ... then Miller Peak at the highest point with Carr Canyon next to it. I love the mountain views that I can see in any direction.

Other than what you see here in these photos, not much else has been happening. I think this is the first time since I moved here in June where days feel like they are back to normal. Routines are relaxed, the schedule for doing things is wide open. With great weather, less tv time and less house/yard maintenance, I have time to do all kinds of different outdoor activities. Just as I expected.

I am going through a 'down period' for blogging though. I find it really hard lately to come up with the words, entirely opposite from the times I cannot stop talking/writing. I've noticed on sidebar blog list more bloggers are post less frequently. Some of them have moved to Instagram possibly, or making money on YouTube. Some have just stopped. I remember a few years ago I had 53 blogs listed and most of them were blogging on a regular basis.

I knew once I moved out here I'd be blogging less because there is just so much to do compared to where I lived before. Better year-round weather, more time available during the day and new activities. The hounds have settled in too but their routine hasn't changed that much, just more time outside per their choice. Heidi even leads the walk some afternoons and actually gets excited now when she hears the word 'walk' or sees me taking the retractable leashes out of the closet.

That's the latest update from the 'Wild West'.

It's Cold !!!!

It's cold here in SE Arizona but if I were to compare 27° here with 27° in the winters back in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana it would not be close. Even on those days the skies were clear, blue and sunny the wind back in the midwest would cut you like a knife while we took our morning walks through the field. Here in temps like this, the daily walk was canceled Monday morning because all three of us have turned into bad weather whimps. We don't do much when it's cold during the day.

The difference in those winter days of temps in the 40's, one there is no snow on the ground and if I were to sit outside in the sun, it is so hot on my face it felt like winter was gone and summer was here again. We, the hounds and I, cannot wait for spring and summer to arrive. As you can see Heidi wasn't sure it was warm enough to lay out in the sun and nap next to the back of the house. She kept going in and out of the house as I sat facing the hot sunshine.

Stella also was a little confused. She really did want to sleep in the sunshine like she always does IF I AM HOME but when she stood in the shade she could feel how cool it was. I continued to sit in my ugly but comfortable patio chair with my camera nearby. I was going to test my equipment today and shoot photos with just one camera ... but I did sneak in a few photos with my iPhone camera.

While I was back inside fixing some low carb lunch ... do you know carrots are carb loaded? ... Stella decided it was warm enough outside for a late morning nap. Again I thought to myself "I wish she would enjoy the backyard like this while I am gone to town or riding my bike" but she has proven to me as recently as Sunday, she will not be comfortable in the yard if she knows I'm gone. She seems to think she can tunnel under the house from that one spot she started last summer. The one I keep filling back up.

Heidi had enough of the cool breeze as the wind picked up after 1pm. After my bike ride on Saturday I now know that winds 14-18mph that are gusty, is nothing to spend time in. Even if I cannot see the trees or brush blowing in some direction behind my house, that does not mean the winds are gone. Sunday the winds were so strong on my trip to Bisbee, all the flags I saw along the way were blown straight out with rippling force.

Once Stella got up to walk back inside, I slide my chair up into her spot on the patio. The temps on my face increased at least 20°. It didn't take her long to come back out, sleep and have some added back support with that rounded edge of the patio floor against her from head to tail.

She too got too hot ... but just like I did, she found out staying in the shade was too cold. I did my test on the shade by standing on the east side of the house in total shade to see if it was even possible that I might want to take a bike ride. It was freezing in the shaded yard and I went back to the sunny patio.

Within minutes she was back out in the sunshine while I snuck back inside.

Believe me, I am not complaining about SE Arizona winters. It is just what I expected it would be. It's just that I have found I don't want to put up with cold weather even when it's bright and sunny outside.

Other news outside of hounds and bikes ... I made the mistake a few months ago of downloading the Facebook app on my iPhone out of "convenience" and I knew then I had sold my soul to the devil. They would know everything I said on the phone, texted on the phone, emails I would send or websites I would visit. With that data collected they would pound me with advertising on the exact things I had talked about with friends, texted to friends or emailed.

It's not that I am bothered by that strategic advertising it's just the thought of how they can do that.

Since they have butted into my life and billions of other Facebook users or ex-users ... they still track you ya know after you delete your Facebook account??? ... the Ukrainians have decide to index my blogs and are now the leaders in traffic to my bike blog and this public blog on Blogger. The USA number of visitors are a distant second place when I look at the blog stats on the dashboard. I find it interesting that when I click a link many times it's a Blogger blog that had their last post in 2011 or 2013. Can anyone more knowledgeable than I, explain what they are doing?

I have been bopping around different internet browsers again. I use Safari on all my Apple devices like iPhone, iPad and the laptop. On my iMac I use Safari the most because of their security features built into their system. I only have a google account ending in gmail because I have a Blogger blog. None of my personal emails have gone through gmail for years. I use Apple's email system for that. I figure if the FBI cannot break into an iPhone or iMac without asking for Apple's help, then security must be pretty good.

I always get curious about stuff though so I wander around the internet, checking out the new and bestest Firefox. I like Google Chrome but rarely use it because I don't trust Google although after 24 years of being on the internet it is definitely too late to worry about what Google has on me.

So here I am on Safari with the same problem I was having last summer. They updated their OS the other day and now it works with my Blogger blog differently. When I sign into my blog, it takes me immediately to my blog dashboard. When I go back to my blog home page to read other blogs and to make comments ... Safari has logged me out !!!!

Yes ... I've unchecked cookies, I've uncheck 3rd party blah blah blah ... I have logged out of Blogger and back in ... I have turned off my computer and logged back in ... I have unchecked and rechecked those blocks that should not be checked so I can stay logged in on my blog when using Safari. I have all my settings set the way they should be for it to work ... it does not.

That is when I look at other browsers.

I had my Cox tv channels fixed sometime Sunday. They never notified me nor have they closed the ticket the made Saturday night when their tech department requested a service call. Sports Junkies, like myself, are still having problems "cutting the cord" as they say. I would but based on my cost analysis and the rising costs of these streaming companies that use to be free or low cost ... I am actually spending $30-$40 more per month now for what I need compared to "cutting the cord" to cable or tv.

I am watching less sports by the year and I found out the other night when I could not get the BTN channel due to a signal problem, I could follow the IU basketball game on my computer. I've known that for years but too lazy to learn how to do that streaming stuff from the computer to tv. I wasn't watching the game but watching the data of the game. I have watched IU football games this past fall on my computer when they were not carried on my Cox channels and the picture quality was just as good as my Sony tv.

Wow ... looks like I am rambling a little this morning and about very little actually.

My new addiction .... PGA Golf for PlayStation4.

I use to love playing this game on PS2 and PS3 but I never cared for Tiger Woods and his name was associated with the Sony EA Sports golf game, so I stopped playing it. When I got back in the mood to play games or Grand Turismo racing game, I saw a used copy of the golf game on the GameSpot store shelf with a different professional golfer's name on the cover.

Basically I have to have a lot of choices in life. From cars to drive, to bikes to ride, to food to eat and how to waste time. I'm not always in the mood to read books, never had the urge to paint, draw or learn to play an instrument. So this PS3 and PS4 games are just something else added to the mix of things to do. Plus like I have said before, I think "hand and eye coordination" are important to keep healthy as we get older. What better way to do that then play video games ... or Mahjong for time.

Now if I can find a Flight Simulator game and a Sim City game like I had on my PC ten years ago, I'll be set.

Sorry for the rambling and I admit I am surprised that I am going to post this as a real blog post.

Bright sunny skies and 31° while it's almost 9am here in the 'Wild West'.

Is That Frost On My Car Windshield ???

I researched the winter weather here, before I decided to move to Southeastern Arizona. I plugged in small towns from New Mexico to Arizona. I didn't want to live in Yuma, Phoenix or southern Texas. I did not care that it would drop into the 30's while I was sleeping if the sun would warm the day up to the 50's in the months of December, January and February. So I chose to live where I do because there was just too many positive things to pass up. Yet it was a little surprising to glance out the window this morning and seeing frost on my car windshield as I opened the vertical blinds that Stella loves. I guess I should have kept those ice scrapers I threw away last May before I left Indiana.

I am going to start posting late afternoon or early evening Arizona time again ... kind of wraps of the day with photos and commentary. I like that better than spreading days over different posts.

It doesn't bother the hounds one way or another. They have the same routine 1,710 miles away. Get up, go outside, eat breakfast and then get back to sleep as soon as possible. Based on the tossed blankets and REI small camping pillow, which is out of the photo, Heidi must have gotten too hot last night and kicked everything to the side off of her bed.

Stella was sound to sleep when I left the computer room for my second cup of coffee. She must have heard me unlock the front door to step outside to take that photo of the car and truck windows. She doesn't like to miss food or walks and can hear both in a deep sleep. I wonder sometimes if she would like to put me on a leash so she can stay near me all the time. She never sleeps too far away from me after four years and three months of rescuing her.

We are going for her walk this morning, the temperature will not matter since it's not as drastic as winter temps in Indiana were, plus the sunshine is bright this morning. I like morning walks more than afternoon walks, less traffic, less distractions for her and Heidi.

While I was getting ready to watch my day of college football, Stella decided to soak up some warm sunshine, which had not been around since last Tuesday morning. She evidently found the warmest part of the yard and wasn't going to move. She sat motionless for a long time before laying down.

During one of the commercials of the game I didn't see Heidi or Stella anywhere inside. They were not on the patio soaking up the sunshine. Look where I found them. It was in the low 50's but at 4,300  feet elevation the sun is hot and it feels much warmer than the temperature. This is the temperature range I found on climate data for a winter day. I can live with that.

After my team blew a 24-10 lead, something I have seen too many times over my lifetime, I was swearing to my friends online that if they end up losing this game "that is it, I'll never watch another ... ever". Well I grew up watching Indiana football and basketball. My dad was a coach and graduated from Indiana U, as I did and my younger brother. So I am use to terrible football records and blown games. But damn ... heading for one of the best seasons in Indiana football history ... then blowing this game would put me over the edge of insanity.  When it was 38-38 starting the 2nd overtime I came so close of turning the game off.

My friend in Chicago, also an IU alumnus, texted she was leaving the tv on with the sound turned off in the other room that she could not watch anymore. "If they win ... I'll go in rewind and watch the game, IF they lose I'll delete what was taped."

IU beat their hated rival 44-41 for their 8th win ... for the only the 8th time in 130 years of playing football, winning that many games. They have only won 9 games in a season TWICE in 130 years. Maybe now you can understand my intensity, when "it's just a game Steve".

After the game, I planted that ugly patio chair of mine out in the center of my backyard facing the sunshine and still able to see the mountains, smoking my 'victory cigar' ... it could be my last. Not because they may never win again ... I just don't like smoking that much, plus cigars are not healthy.

I didn't have my phone with me to take a photo but Stella was passed out on the patio, hanging over the side of it, sleeping in the sunshine. She had a rough day moving from place to place inside and outside to find the perfect place to nap.

Remember when I said that food could wake her up from a deep sleep. Well she was smelling steaks on a grill. Not our grill. Not her grill. The neighbor's grill. But to her or any bloodhound based on the "Bloodhound Property Laws" ... that is her steak, not theirs. Once she found out that she was not eating steak on a Saturday afternoon to celebrate the IU victory ... she headed inside JUST IN TIME .... to see the Papa Johns Pizza delivery man at the door. How lucky could she get.

She and Heidi took their normal portions whenever I am eating something while sitting on the couch, which usually involves watching a football, baseball or basketball game. They don't move an inch, they don't blink their eyes ... they are focused on nothing else but getting a piece of the pizza crust or a plain breadstick. Just one piece will not be enough either and I'm not sure they even taste it since it disappears so fast in their mouths. Let's just say they had a good snack.

Just because I had nothing else on my plate did not mean that Stella was finished begging. She always tries to get closer to the action if she thinks she can sway me into giving her one more piece of whatever she has been sharing with me. She will also sit there for a long time, not blinking ... once she figures out the snack is over and nothing else is going to be served ... she pouts with her head lowered.

Commercial time or halftimes of football games are always a nice time to head outside and see what the sky is doing. In this case I just barely caught the sunset.

All iPhone pictures today.

Just in case some readers may not know that use a phone or table to read the blog ... at the bottom of your screen you will see a link called "web version" .. if you click that link you will see the normal website as you would on a computer which includes the sidebars. There you can see other bloggers listed or the blog archive for posts all the way back to 2011. I also added some old favorite blogs I followed in the past back on the sidebar. Take a look, maybe one that you followed is back there on the list.

I am not a coffee expert. I always thought it was the water, filtered or tap, that made the difference in how the coffee taste. Some friends reminded me it wasn't that at all, it was the coffee maker that makes the difference. How could it ... there is hot water being poured over grounds then into your pot no matter if it is a Mr. Coffee, a Bunn or a Cuisenart coffee maker. Well after almost 20 years using a Bunn, two different makers, I found out the maker does make a difference in taste ... a big difference.

I tried the cheap route and bought a Mr Coffee. I returned it after two days of use. I hauled the leaking old Bunn coffee maker out of the garage trash to hold me over until Amazon shipped the Cuisinart maker I bought. After the FIRST CUP of coffee made by the Cuisnart I found out my friends were right ... the coffee machine makes a difference in the taste of coffee. One of my best purchases even if I only drink two cups per day.

I like riding my bike in the morning, right after getting back from Stella's walk. That was the summer routine up to the point of my crash. By the time I was back to riding after my surgery, the temperatures had cooled enough in the mornings where I didn't want to ride until the afternoons so the temps were above 50°. So I am in a little bit of conflict ... if I wait for warmer temps in the afternoon, by that time I have found something else I want to do besides ride a bicycle.

If I ride in the morning like I want, I am going to have to wear cycling clothes, which I have, to combat the temps in the 30's and 40s, depending how early I ride. I find that riding that early in the morning kinda sets the day up for me. I feel better whenever I ride, mentally and physically. Then I have all day to do what I need to do whether it be errands, hanging out with the hounds, reading books or possible roadtrip ... there is not that interruption in the day to change into cycling clothing and riding for an hour or two. In the mornings it does not feel like I am interrupting anything ... just getting a start on the new day.

I ended up not riding. By the time the afternoon rolled around to where I planned to ride I was on a different project. Cup of coffee in hand, two sleeping hounds in the sunshine, I parked my chair on the edge of the patio and enjoyed the day.

It was a nice relaxing day today, where we didn't do much as you can see. In retirement sometimes you don't have to do anything to enjoy what you have.

Sunny days are back here in the 'Wild West'.