One benefit of homeownership is outsourcing. About twenty years ago, I would have tackled this nasty job... and regretted it. Now, I paid a plumber, and the issue was fixed, but the problem remains... and will remain forever. (I hope). On the positive side, once I discovered the problem, a single phone call in the …
Month: May 2018
Yarnell, Arizona
At various times during the last few years my Toyota SUV struggled through multiple tight turns as we spiraled up Weaver Mountain to reach Yarnell, Arizona. It is a quiet, small, unincorporated community located in Northern Arizona. Yarnell was home to several retirees. A place where people escaped the summer heat, smog, dust, and …
TREK POLES ALERTS RATTLESNAKE
I kept my cool when this baby rattlesnake, with its wide-open mouth, caught my attention. Had anyone seen me, I may have looked calm, but my pulse jumped at the sight of the snake. Early this morning, about six, I was doing my trek exercise. There was a ten-step cement staircase to climb and go down the opposite …
The Trek Challenge
I’m back home after another trek challenge exercise. It’s 2:45 in the afternoon with a triple-digit temperature of 101. Sweat pours down my face, the back of my shirt is soaked, my arms ooze sweat and my sox are squishy. Hitting the fridge, I grab a cold plastic bottle of water, and with great restraint, …
777 steps
This morning at four the temperature was 75 degrees, a beautiful May 18, 2018. It was still dark, but I knew the day would be a good one. The sun would be bright; the sky would be blue and clear. Or maybe fluffy clouds would splash across the sky. No matter. I was in a …
Trek Poles and Chased Rabbit
Trek Poles Last Sunday I took Bernie and Chris to meet my friend who has a home in Yarnell, Arizona. Yarnell is about seventy miles from our home in Surprise. We arrived a few minutes before seven, while it was a comfortable, cool eighty degrees. Robi has four dogs, and we were all going to …
3rd Book Announcement!
This graphic might not cover the entire page… but it definitely blasts out my enthusiasm! My publisher just sent me the cover of my third book: Dog Therapy & Travel Adventures. Very shortly… June or July… it will be available on Amazon in Print and Great eBook Color. This is my 3rd book, and I’m …
The long, tough climb
It was almost seven Sunday morning the sixth of May. I found myself almost at the bottom of a bad situation. I was looking at a steep hill I’d obligated to climb. Bernie and Chris, my loyal dogs, were already lost from sight. They had no problem dashing up the mountain. I lacked their agility. …
Wickenburg, Arizona
I am jaded by memories of Wickenburg, Arizona. Is it why I’ve avoided our visit to Wickenburg? It started with a goal of traveling with Bernie and Chris, exploring various places in the Southwest. Within a year of beginning that journey, it didn’t work out. My recent book, My Last Dance, shares why. It …
Double portions?
After more than five years observing Bernie and Chris, I still get surprised. Surprises come in spurts these days. On the one hand, I enjoy them because it gives me something to share. On the other hand, surprises don’t come often enough. I know, that doesn’t make sense. I suppose, if I had a “cliff-hanger …
Challenges & Adventures 