Miller - Brown & San Pedro House ALL Open !!!

Sunday afternoon I heard a familiar dog barking. They leave their lab and doberman puppy in their backyard when they are gone. This is Diesel, same age as Walter and Walter's best friend besides Stella. We let them get together sometimes in their yard to play when their kids want Walter "to come over".

Only Walter wasn't in the mood for any talking or playing. He sat hidden on the patio just barely glancing around the corner at his friend. I couldn't help but notice the fantastic sky show going on so I went outside to take some photos.

Mule mountains to the left, mountain in Mexico and I can't ever remember the name of it.

Coronado NF to the left, Miller Peak and Carr Peak in that order. With all of that sky activity you would have thought rain was seconds away but not a drop here.

This morning I knew I was going to have to get out of the house and do something to keep my sanity. That announcement I posted on last nights blog was a little confusing to me. By the title it sounded as if the whole park was closed yet I knew the fire was stopped on the other side of the highway of the San Pedro River house. I had also seen the past few weeks from comments made by mountain bikers on the Cochise Cycling group that Brown Canyon was closed but that didn't seem right either ... so this morning I headed out to the San Pedro House, then Brown Canyon and Miller Canyon to see if any of them were closed.

Any photos you see with my truck in the road, I have stopped the vehicle before taking the photos.

The photo above this one was the entrance to the San Pedro House which includes many different hiking trails and some that parallel the river. High on the hill on the highway I saw nothing but green trees and green fields on the south side of the road. So why wouldn't that part of the park be open. As I pulled into the parking lot I thought about taking a short hike over to the river but realized I had forgotten the most important thing. I had my camera but forgot my water and at least one trekking pole.

From there I headed out to Ramsey Canyon Rd, the one I bike up when I ride, to Brown Canyon and saw three forest ranger trucks in the parking lot, and an open gate. Did they just decide to open Brown Canyon??? Due to my covid laziness I didn't drive the two miles to the house, nor did I park here for free and walk the two miles to the Brown Canyon Ranch House. I turned around and headed south once I got back to the highway ... to Miller Canyon.

Just one reason that I don't bring the hounds and Walter with me on my trips. The other is, it's hot and if I found some place I wanted to explore it would be too hot even with the windows partially opened to leave them in the FJ or truck. Plus Heidi prefers her air conditioning and doesn't like the rocky bouncy roads we encounter at times. Stella always sleeps most of the trips and Walter is an unknown.

This sign is common here and as I go up Montezuma Pass in the Coronado NF. Miller Canyon though is not a bad drive. Not quite two miles to the top where it dead ends. I made it today in 2WD in my truck. People are not out though like you would see under normal conditions. I did not see one person bicycling in areas that I ride, and only saw 3 hikers finishing their trek as I pulled into the lower parking lot.

That view never gets old.

The last time I was up here, there were so many cars and trucks parked that not only were there no spaces available but they stretched out into that road where I could barely get by to come back down the mountain. Not today though ... only five cars were parked and even more spaces available.

I had been wanting to stop at The Diner for lunch. The last time I tried they had one waitress that was way behind where me and another couple waited and waited to be seated. I turned and left. But today a little past 11am I was escorted to my seat, order taken immediately and the hottest chili this side of the Rocky Mts was put in front of me. That small cup with make you sweat under your eyeballs and beg for anything to drink. I ordered it every time I stop in.

Normal cheeseburger. Notice the individual packets of ketchup ... that's a covid rule now. Salt and pepper also came in individual packets. It was hot and the quality of the burger was fantastic.

This was not as good as the first time I had it ... not the taste of it ... the size. I had a bigger piece of pie and two scoops of ice cream on top of the pie. Today it came this way but it was as good as always. Sometimes the body needs fuel and I was tired of walking around all day hungry and not seeing good enough results on the scales. There might be a tab of Tums later and/or a siesta but that will be worth it.

Walter was on fire this morning after he was fed. No photos are here for proof so you will just have to believe these next few stories. When I am at my computer having my first cups of coffee of the day I can usually tell where he is by the certain kind of noises I am hearing. The first one I heard was nothing I had heard before. I LOUD explosive type of sound that came from the kitchen. I walk out quietly and peek around the corner to see what he is doing.

Evidently he wanted more food. He had stood up with his front paws on the locked dog food container and tipped it over onto the tile floor. By the time I caught him he was staring at the container with his left front paw raised up on the edge of the locked lid. When he saw me, he walked over to me like nothing was going on.  :)

The only way to keep Stella and Walter from destroying my vertical blinds, my living room rug or anything in the bedroom is to crate both of them when I am gone. I have tried other options in their favor before this last resort. Long story short ... I have no other choice. I also have to use small Binks padlock on both crates or they can get out ... how do I know that ... because they have when not locked properly.

So this morning I hear a familiar sound of Walter playing inside the crates because they have the hard plastic floor. A lot of times I catch him running in and out of either crate either taking his bone in or taking his bones out before barking at them. Today I got up to see if he had accidentally shut himself in one because of the sounds I was hearing. He was standing out in front of them looking at me with the guiltiest face you could imagine. Right off the bat I saw the three padlocks I leave hanging unlocked on the top edge of Stella's crate were gone!!!

Nothing on the floor ... except one key, that is kept in the lock. So I get on my hands and knees to look under the bed ... nothing, look under the pad that Stella's crate sits on, ONE key and a padlock in different locations. So now I am looking for one more key and two more padlocks. I stand and shake out the two blankets of Heidis ... one padlock drops to the floor. Back on my hands and knees and I see the last key under the rubber pad that Stella's crate sits on just like before only this time it's on the back corner almost 4' away. So I am down to one last padlock and I can't see it anywhere.

I stand look around ... nothing ... I check the bathroom floor and shower, under Heidi's bed, under my bed again .... nothing. The only thing I have not checked is the sleeping bag in a pile by the chest of drawers. I lift the bag to see what falls out if anything ... there it is ... the last padlock.

Hours later after I get home I hear a noise I've never heard from Walter. It's his toenails sliding down the bathroom cabinet as he drags my tube of toothpaste off the counter.

He's going to be a lot of fun !!!!  LOL

Lazy Cool Days For The Hounds

Waking up to temps in the 40s now sets the trend. Sunrise keeps showing up later and with Arizona not changing time, the kids catching that first of three school buses in the neighborhood do that in the dark. I love that Arizona does NOT change time. Love it. Indiana use to do that a long time ago but now it's only Arizona and Hawaii that don't. Not only the cool temps have changed the routine a little but the two hounds have also. Both want breakfast as soon as we arrive in the kitchen first thing in the morning and they want it before I can start making coffee ... doesn't happen.

It's hard to believe that I am already at Day 53 for the new hip. Each day I can feel myself getting stronger. I might do something unintentionally, a move that was normal 54 days ago, and see that I can do that once again without feeling pain or soreness. I am doing the exercises the doctor gave me multiple times per day, I am doing most things normal but still following the first day protocol when sitting in and getting out of a chair or car.

Oh I almost forgot ... Heidi has decided to join Stella and I for the morning jaunt but just the past two days where it feels like "winter" ... she has reverted back to her Indiana Winters of hibernating and not starting her day until after 7am.

Yesterday it was cool enough outside that I thought it might be my first full day of me wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt. There is one thing different 'out here' when it is cool and sunny. That sun at 4,700 feet is still hot and if you sit in it long enough you are going to get burned. The hounds as you will see in a few pictures, LOVE this weather.

It was only 60° sitting in that ugly patio chair enjoying a beautiful day when I realized the jeans I was wearing along with the long sleeve thermal shirt was too hot ... it was back to shorts and a t-shirt in a matter of minutes. Besides the dog walk, the walk to the mailbox, I still do laps around the yard and the other day for the first time I walked over 1 mile in one of my walks. I expanded my trek through the neighborhood to get to that point. I felt fine afterward, no soreness hours later nor the next morning.

I've been doing more driving around this week in town than taking trips. Today I am thinking of two options, both familiar places. I can take the new RAV4 TRD Off Road up to Montezuma pass to compare it to what the Tacoma did just last week or the 4Runner did in June. This time I would turn around at the top and come home the way I came for a shorter trip ... unless they were still doing some road maintenance.

The second option is head out to the San Pedro house again, walk further along the San Pedro river than I did last time since the ground will be dry instead of spots of mud. Or I could take one of their three or four other hiking trails that are all flat. If I do that I will definitely be using the two trekking poles I bought right before my bike accident.

When I am at home I leave the screen door propped open and the patio door open so the hounds can come and go as they want. I know some will be thinking "what about snakes or spiders" having a free lane into the house? So far after 4 months I have been pretty lucky and have not seen but one snake in front of my garage door, laying in the shade back in July or August. I do keep a close eye out for them, using the blacklight flashlight early in the morning or after dark before the hounds go outside.

You would think with the cool weather, sunny skies and the doors open for easy access that Stella would have the perfect place to stay while I am away from home either running errands or driving to Tucson's REI for a look and some winter clothing. By the way, REI was the first time I climbed up and went down a LOT of stairs since my surgery. It was hard going down as you lead with your bad foot ... I had to take one step at a time, holding the guardrail all the way down ... taking no chances.

I will show you why at the end of this post that Stella does not get "free range" like Heidi does. Heidi is really enjoying her time outside and spends the majority of day out there after 10am when that sun I talked about earlier is warming her up and probably making those old joints feel much better. So far she has not shown any signs of hip arthritis or stiffness. The supplements seem to be enough from the Fromm Gold for Large Breeds dog food. Yes, once I got the okay from the doctor to lift a 33# bag, I was back downtown buying the Fromm food instead of buying Diamond Naturals on Chewy.

As long as I am around, Stella is fine and will sleep either in the shaded patio or out in the middle of the yard. Is the lack of landscaping cutting down my chances for snakes and spiders? I follow a Facebook group of Cochise County Wonders ... a place where photographers can post their pictures ... professional or everyday people that like to take pictures. Believe me, there are plenty of snakes and spiders in this area yet I have not had any neighbors report seeing them recently.

I keep forgetting to vacuum that small strip of weather stripping between the patio and door jam. That soft material is a dog hair magnet apparently, that is 4 months worth of dog hair you see there. I will get that cleaned today.

Hint:  See those small scratches on the patio floor just southeast of Stella's leg???

The problem with the later arrival of sunshine and Heidi already falling into her 'winter mode' is that our walk is later. That puts us in the range of people driving to work, some arriving at the vet building we walk behind and around or the street that was vacant this summer where Stella could explore every inch, now has a little traffic pulling into the business building we pass which is more vacant than filled.

Since I am jumping all over the place from topic to topic I will say what many of you may have already experienced. Once that first trip to a hospital for any reason or seeing a doctor for any reason is made, it opens up the flood gates to my mailbox for all kinds of Medicare Supplement Insurance whether you already have it. Bills are mixed in with the Medicare reports that show charges submitted, what was paid and what I "might" have to pay. This was expected and something I never wanted to go through after hearing the nightmare stories from my dad and a couple of friends.

To give you just one example of kaos causing me to get on the phone for more minutes or hours than I want, causing me to spend time that I don't want to spend trying to sort out and correct mistakes .... make sure your paperwork from the doctor or hospital has your first name matching what is on your Medicare card. That's a key piece of information there ... what a mess !!!!

I specifically gave them my 'official' first time on purpose in the ambulance, to numerous people with clipboards in the emergency room and even gave them my drivers license when asked to show them my 'official' first name.

But just like toward the end of my working career, "attention to detail" seems to be unheard of. It drove me nuts then and is driving me nuts now as I sort through billing errors because they put my name down as Steve instead of Stephen. Yes they will and have corrected that in some cases but it is a constant battle now and I am the one that has "attention to detail" with my phone nearby ready to dial and talk to someone.

I never wanted on this "medical train of crap" but I have been assigned a seat whether I want to go or not.

Of course this medical kaos is far from the hounds thought process ... they want food, sunshine and sleep ... so they are in a perfect situation. Heidi has taken more walks out here even with me out of commission for a while, than she had in years back in the field in 'the tropics'. As she gets older it has to help that there are no steps except an inch or two as she steps off the patio.

This is heading back toward the Huachuca Mountains from Benson the other day. I broke one of my rules of taking a picture while driving  but that car up ahead was the only car in view in front and in back of me. The hounds were back home so I thought I could take a chance that lasted less than a minute of distraction. I know, accidents can happen in seconds and I personally have been a player in a couple, but with a straight road and little traffic I couldn't resist. Of course I could have chosen not to put it on the blog I guess but then you would have missed that great mountain view up ahead.

Over the past month with the day time temperatures cooling off in the early morning I thought the perfect place for Stella to stay was in the backyard. She would have water in the shade, a shaded patio if needed and plenty of sun to lay out in to keep warm. I would NOT be leaving the doors to the house open because of her tendency which I will mention here.

I don't like putting her in the largest crate possible inside the house when I leave. I don't like locking the two of four small Blinks padlocks to keep the crate together because she is strong enough that she has created space with her nose between the edges of the door and sides trying to bust out. All four padlocks are locked in key locations.

But she walks in on her own when I say "I gotta go". I've caught her sleeping inside the crate when I return home. It is the only way I can keep her safe and my house in place while I am gone.

Due to those scratches I now have a job of repainting the patio around all the phone calls I am having to make now ... doesn't make me happy at all. But she is who she is and I am use to it after 4 years and 2 months of picking her up in 2015. I love that hound no matter what. I am the only owner that has not given her away nor will I ever give her away.

The thing is this is proof of what I am going to say. If I have the door shut, she tries to get out of the backyard like she does the crate. It is NOT that she wants to GET IN to anything, she is wanting to GET OUT from where she is.

If I were to leave the doors open like I do for Heidi, I'd come home to having my vertical blinds tore down AGAIN on the front windows in the living room because she would be trying to GET OUT. She would (hasn't yet) bite the round door knob so hard in an attempt to open a locked door that happens to have a deadbolt. So I'd be replacing the door.

So that is why, even though it is so tempting to let her run the house like Heidi when I am gone I can't. I can't take that chance. She has lulled me into giving her chances before and they always end up disasters and I am not going through that out here.

Yes I could give her "doggie downers". I tried some meds the vet gave me in June and by the time the end of the bottle was gone I was still replacing vertical blinds in two different rooms and a hit to my checkbook. I am in and out of the house multiple times every day it seems now that I am healthy. Personally I don't want a dog 'zoned out' all the time to cover the multiple times I leave the house so the meds are not an option. The large black crate for large breeds worked for all the hounds I have had since 1987 when they were puppies. They were only given the run of the house after they showed signs I could trust them. But the bloodhound breed was the only three dogs that showed any kind of damage while I was gone.

It's because they are trackers by nature, more than any other breed of dog, and they get bored when left alone. That is why things get destroyed and they find things in places I may have looked for years and shows you by destruction they found something you could not.

No worries though ... things really are great, I'm feeling better every day, it's great weather and I love this area. I am seriously thinking about stepping up and sitting on my bicycle seat today just to see how that feels. IF I feel good enough to pedal, I will do it very slowly and for no more than 5 minutes no matter how good it feels. The doctor gave me approval to do that back on October 22nd, "when you are ready."

Time to feed the hounds, wait 30 minutes and then take our morning walk here in the Wild West.

Hiking The San Pedro River

The plan on Monday afternoon was a quick run to the bank and then turn the opposite direction and head to Papa's Diner for lunch. I first saw a photo of this diner during my research last winter in Indiana. I like to click the 'images' link when doing an internet search.

I had missed the hours for lunch so I thought the diner might be a little less crowded in the early afternoon. I was happy to see a cars in the parking lot, a good sign there is good food, and I was happy that it wasn't that busy as I stepped inside. I was thinking just the basics, a cheeseburger, fries and a milk shake.

A surprise was inside this menu. This wasn't just a burger and fries diner, this had multiple pages for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner. I still steered my way to the page full of different burger combinations and with the help of the waitress I was able to find a 'normal' cheeseburger, but hold the mayo. Something caught my eye in the lower right corner of the next page ... chili.

Yes it's near 90°, it's summer time but in my book there is always time for chili ... especially when one is labeled "the hottest". I ordered a small cup of chili not knowing just how big the burger was going to be nor the portion size of french fries. Near the end I could barely finished the burger and fries. The chili was just as hot as I wanted, the kind that takes your breath away and you can feel sweat below your eyes. Perfect flavor.

Either I didn't read the small print or did not notice but a piece great tasting garlic bread was included with the cup of chili. I forgot to tell them to hold the lettuce, so as I peeled that off the top finding a large plain beef burger with a lot of cracked black pepper (just the way I like it) ... I lifted it up to see an amazing amount of melted cheese. Not sliced America cheese but shredded Cheddar cheese. Perfect.

I never like taking photos inside a restaurant where people are sitting. So the corner seat across from me and behind me was the only inside photo I took. The food was FANTASTIC and as I was at the cash register paying my bill I joking mentioned with that 3-meal menu I might have to start going there for all my meals and stop buying groceries. She didn't even laugh, didn't think it was a bad idea as she replied "see that guy over there? he does that ... doesn't buy groceries and eats here for all his meals."

I will be eat at Papa's Diner a LOT !!!

There was nothing planned after that trip to Papa's Diner. I figured that would be my blog post of the day, my first or a few food reviews. I guess I have done some in the past on this blog. Every time I drive east on Hwy 90 heading to Bisbee or Tombstone I always tell myself I need to stop and check out the San Pedro River House. Finally yesterday as I headed back to town thinking I was going to buy some things at the store, I made a right turn instead and headed out of town.

It's easy access off and onto the highway. It is not that far from the highway, not nearly as far as the photo makes it to be. Even at this point of the drive I had no intentions of taking a hike. I thought I'd look around the house, check out what was near the house and take a few photos. But at times things with me can change within an instant. Just like heading out this way instead of going to the store for some things I needed to buy.

As soon as I parked the car I saw one of the biggest tree trunks that I can remember. I stepped back as far as I could so I could fit the tree in the photo but this was the best I could do and still get a close up photo of the trunk size, my main reason for getting a photo. Off to the left was an old stone structure.

I could see on the different displays there were a lot of hiking trails branching off from the house area. It was hot, I was not wearing my ballcap nor did I bring any water with me ... so taking a hike on those trails seemed out of the question.

As I opened the door to the house I could see it had almost everything a tourist would need or even someone like me that came unprepared to take any kind of hikes. It had all kinds of maps and one page cards with information. Besides protein bars, water, t-shirts, ball caps, and sun hiking hats for sale, there was a vault of information sitting behind the counter, the house host. Although I saw they had guided hikes listed out front along with bird watching times ... she asked me if I was interested in taking a hike down by the river.

I told her I stopped by on kind of a impulse trip, didn't have a hat and didn't bring any water with me to take a hike. She replied that she could fix that. Instead of trying to sell me a brand new Sun Tripper Cap, she said if I did not mind the stain I could use the 'defective cap' she had in back. The stain she spoke of was about the size of a ball point pen. Hardly noticeable. She also had a fridge full of free water if I wanted some.

She handed me the cap, and a one page trail guide. As she was in back getting the sun tripper cap this t-shirt caught my eye. With concerns from out of state friends almost certain the hounds and I are not safe from all the rattlesnakes that MUST BE living here ... I saw something I would buy on the way back. A nice addition to my t-shirt collection. I live in t-shirts.

I had a short walk towards the river and once I made a right hand turn to head south, those large tall cottonwood trees would supply me with enough shade, the rest of the 1-2 mile walk was out of the sunshine. I wasn't more than 50' into my walk when I knew I really liked this area and the loaned cap I was wearing ... a good idea to come out here.

Someone will have to tell me what this is called. I have read about them but as usual I cannot remember it's name. I WAS going to keep a keen eye out for snakes or spiders. That seems to be the norm anymore, while still enjoying the scenery around me and above me.

Last week when I thought of coming out to the San Pedro River, I was just wanting to see how much water it had running from the south toward the Gila River up north. Surely the monsoons had added some water to the dry river bed I saw weeks ago as I crossed the San Pedro River on Hwy 90.

This was my first check point to see what if anything was flowing from the south. The host reminded me after my hike that this area is at higher elevation than Tucson and the river starts about 150 miles inside Mexico in the mountains.

That's a nice wide path but it would change later. Signs near the parking lot said that mountain bikes and Bloodhounds or Basset Hounds were allowed as long as they were on a leash and 'under control'. I saw signs up ahead though that told me it was probably not best to bring Stella out for a walk later on. She stood there staring back at me as I walked as slow as I could to get a better photo of her. She bolted off into the brush the closer I got.

There must have been a 20° drop in temperature in the shade. With a gentle breeze it was perfect weather to be taking a hike at 2:30pm.

Nice shade along the way.

Although the trail was well marked, there were other trails that branched off that could put you on a much longer hike than planned. It will be another hike on another day for that. I'll bring water and a small pack with me.

I noticed the water was really muddy but I didn't think anything of it until after the hike when the host asked me if the water was muddy. Obviously from her question, dirty water is not the normal scene.

Looking through the tall brush and seeing the mountains ... how many people in the USA would think this is in Arizona?

Surveying the ground around the trail as I walked, glancing to my left I thought this mud had some interesting designs in it. Remember that I am a complete novice in hiking. I have camped before but not a lot of hiking. Mostly riding bicycles are main past activity. Any guesses what caused that interesting design in the mud?

As I walked I noticed the skies were getting cloudy with those dark rain clouds. WeatherBug said there was a 0% chance of rain yesterday. What I have learned in the short time I have lived in this area, those forecast don't mean squat during the monsoons. A bright sunny day can change quickly as the afternoon progresses. I kept on going and wasn't concerned about rain.

The host was not sure about the trail but warned me that parts of it might be muddy or even washed out enough that I could not get through. I had seen parts of the trail pretty muddy on my way out but was always able to take the higher ground to get around them. I saw a lot of fresh dog prints and a few tire prints from mountain bikes ... so I continued on.

Since I was not intending on hiking yesterday, not only did not I not bring any water with me, I did not bring the only hiking stick I own. I may need two of them like greg mentioned on Sunday nights post. The small bank full of grass was the only way to get past this section on the trail. I did not see where anyone else had attempted to pass this section because there were no signs of grass that had been mashed down by people walking. I thought I had found a away to pass by this section of mud.

Within a split second my feet came out from under me, sliding in the mud and I was down but was able to catch myself before falling completely in the mud. The sole on those shoes are the exact same as any hiking boot. It is the same material but obviously not as thick. I bought those shoes before I moved to use as my every day shoes. They can be submerged in water like they were on Saturday's bike ride in the rain or walking through a flowing river bed.

After not finding any way to get around that section of muddy land I had no choice but to turn around and head back. I was about a mile away from the San Pedro House, where I started.

Here are some of the muddy sections I and others had a way to walk around on higher ground.

Some walked through the mud earlier.

When I heard some thunder, I thought "you have to be kidding me" ... rain today ??? To the north it was looking like rain, toward the SW at the mountains it was bright and sunny. I maintained my same pace, no hurry ... just enjoying the trail and the skies above me.

It is so nice to be living so close to hiking areas where you do not hear any kind of sound except all the different birds.

This gave me hope that I would say dry, as if it made any difference with mud on my leg, the back of my forearm and other knee.

Yet when I turned to look to my right it's raining to the north and across the highway. I had plenty of time to get back to the car. The closer I got to the house I began thinking I would go ahead and buy this hat I was loaned. While I walked under the cottonwood trees in the shade I still had a lot of sweat building up on the inside of the bill of the cap. It was really 'defective' now and could not be sold.

While I left the hat at the counter with the host, I went in the back room and pulled that rattlesnake t-shirt off the rack. I was in luck, they were on sale for $15. The Sun Tripper Cap ??? She gave me a 50% discount so I walked out the house with a $12 cap that is adjustable, comfortable, a longer bill to keep the sunshine out of your eyes and built to be worn on hikes or for those that bird watch.

I will say for those readers that want to visit the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area or hike/bike their trails ... all you need is water ... they have all the maps you need for free right.

It was a great 2 mile hike and I will definitely be going back to hike the other trails they have ... I'll come prepared next time.

Another great day on Monday here in the Wild West.