Mountain, Cross and Shuffleboard Nats

[pixychick]

I just rode 9 of the last 11 days. I have had several friends visiting. I love being around my NJ/NY friends. We had some great riding and many smiles! We rode most my favorite trails all over town. Still not much rain out here, but temps have been ideal with highs staying between 58 and 72. It does not get much better than this in winter. I know some people love the cold, but I am not one of them. It feels like spring may be early. No snow in southern AZ right now so most trails at elevation should be open. It is prime time to visit.

 

[Jeremy]

I know some people love the cold,

They’re lying. Nobody loves the cold in February. Maybe in November…

 

[pixychick]

Driving across the wash yesterday, I saw 3 new born cows. According to a neighbor, there are at least eight new borns this spring. This little black one with the white eyebrow markings is cute. I have no idea how they survive without rain. The rancher must have water out on his property.

Art finally mortared in small rocks on the sides of the stairs he built back in 2020. That has been on his to do list for a while. He actually had to buy rocks. ...pretty funny coming from a place like Ringwood. These are native river rocks, which are pretty cheap by the pound. His next project is moving the gate again! ...The gate saga continues. More on that another time.

My veggies are doing great! They are actually early this year, so maybe I will get a better harvest before we head out in May. Lettuce is getting picked now. Mustard greens are about done. Those were plants purchased. The rest is grown from seed. Strawberries are green. Snap peas and squash are about 6 inches tall. Tomatoes plants are still small.

On our last ride in Honeybee we explored some new found trails. A few were very nice and we will ride again. Always nice to expand our ride possibilities. We have both been feeling great on the bike and enjoying the weather! Still quite comfortable in the upper 60's.

 

[pixychick]

I just had my video appointment with my cardiologist, and he was ok with the slight improvement in my blood work. I was a bit disappointed that my LDL only went down to 90, but the doctor seemed happy that it was trending down. All my other numbers he thought were excellent. Being that I was only taking the bergamot every other day for 5 weeks up to the point of my bloodwork, he was cool with me taking it every day for 3 more months. If the numbers do not reach the goals, there are a few drugs I can try at that point. In general, I feel good on the bike and my weight has been staying in the 116 - 120 range. If I can avoid any drugs with side affects, I will first try natural ways to reach my optimal heart numbers.

So, as it turns out, our gate that we moved last year, is still on our neighbor's property by a few feet on one side. Arizona has some strange property line laws that has prompted our neighbor to want us to sign a lease. Anyhow, Art has decided to just move the gate again. This time we will attempt to do it ourselves. The existing geography has made fitting the gate into a tighter spot challenging, but we hope to figure it out. He has removed dirt from our dirt ramp to lessen the grade near the gate. We really want to keep the ramp access for our bikes and for removal of large furniture from our bedroom as the staircase inside is very tight. He is currently mortaring the hillside to keep the dirt from falling down on the path. Besides moving the posts and gate, Art will need to move the electrical line as well. He also wants to cut down the wall a tad because it looks funny and may hit our handlebars. I am not sure how long this will take, but being that Art does not have any trail work happening, he has been up for the challenge.

More baby cows:

 

[Mitch]

I just had my video appointment with my cardiologist, and he was ok with the slight improvement in my blood work. I was a bit disappointed that my LDL only went down to 90, but the doctor seemed happy that it was trending down. All my other numbers he thought were excellent. Being that I was only taking the bergamot every other day for 5 weeks up to the point of my bloodwork, he was cool with me taking it every day for 3 more months. If the numbers do not reach the goals, there are a few drugs I can try at that point. In general, I feel good on the bike and my weight has been staying in the 116 - 120 range. If I can avoid any drugs with side affects, I will first try natural ways to reach my optimal heart numbers.

So, as it turns out, our gate that we moved last year, is still on our neighbor's property by a few feet on one side. Arizona has some strange property line laws that has prompted our neighbor to want us to sign a lease. Anyhow, Art has decided to just move the gate again. This time we will attempt to do it ourselves. The existing geography has made fitting the gate into a tighter spot challenging, but we hope to figure it out. He has removed dirt from our dirt ramp to lessen the grade near the gate. We really want to keep the ramp access for our bikes and for removal of large furniture from our bedroom as the staircase inside is very tight. He is currently mortaring the hillside to keep the dirt from falling down on the path. Besides moving the posts and gate, Art will need to move the electrical line as well. He also wants to cut down the wall a tad because it looks funny and may hit our handlebars. I am not sure how long this will take, but being that Art does not have any trail work happening, he has been up for the challenge.

More baby cows:
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Does Art eat?

 

[pixychick]

 

[serviceguy]

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I spent half an hour trying to identify the specialty tool on top of that pillar, just to realize it's a stainless steel bottle next to a corded drill!

 

[pixychick]

We have had some beautiful cloudy days and good sunsets this past week. Finally we have a 90% chance of rain for tomorrow. We are hoping for some needed rain. While driving through town, the plants on irrigation look ok, the wild desert is looking pretty crispy and brown right now. Since we came out in November we have only had a few light rains adding up to 0.1 inches. Prior to that, it only rained twice over the summer while we were gone ..... what they call "nonsoon".

 

[huffster]

We have had some beautiful cloudy days and good sunsets this past week. Finally we have a 90% chance of rain for tomorrow. We are hoping for some needed rain. While driving through town, the plants on irrigation look ok, the wild desert is looking pretty crispy and brown right now. Since we came out in November we have only had a few light rains adding up to 0.1 inches. Prior to that, it only rained twice over the summer while we were gone ..... what they call "nonsoon".

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Beautiful pictures as usual! I always pop-in when I see you post as your photos (and stories) don’t disappoint.

 

[pixychick]

It rained! ... only a few tenths, but it was something. I'm sure the desert plants and creatures will appreciate. It also tightened up any sandy spots and will keep the dust down for a few days. More rain and maybe some snow predicted for later next week. We had two really nice rides the last few days. One up high behind our house on the 50 and the other across the valley in Honeybee. Both quite different, but always nice to have some variety.

We have been exploring at Honeybee and have found a bunch of nice new trails. When friends visit, we ride Honeybee often because the trails are not super technical and they suite a wide range of people in a wide range of off season fitness. It will be nice to be able to mix it up when we ride there.

 

[pixychick]

It rained two more times since my last post. We are up to .70 of an inch for the year on our weather station, which might actually be more like a few inches. Still no water running anywhere near me, but it has to be good for the drought we are experiencing. More rain predicted for tonight, so it seems like we are in a wet trend for a few days. April is generally a dry month, so happy to get this needed rain.

I have had a few frustrating days trying to get stuff done online and it appears that both my computers are beyond outdated. I spent the morning setting up a new laptop. Since I had too much archived, I did not do a complete transfer of data. I am just transferring what I need. I tend to hang onto old shit, and now that I am retired, I feel like I need to start letting go of stuff. I do not know why, but every time I have a computer or password problem, I let it get me down. Sometimes I just need to face it and fix it.

Art took this picture of the moon over our back porch. We have been getting lots of cool clouds.

My skin isn't the only thing turning to leather in the Arizona sun. This is a sign on our street.

 

[pixychick]

We spent a day downtown looking at murals.

 

[pixychick]

We have had a few hot days with highs in the 90's. Mornings are still nice for riding, but when that sun gets up, it can get real hot if you are not in the shade. I get out my straw hat and start thinking about taking an afternoon siesta. Today it has gone back to the eighties, so somewhat moderated.

Art's sister was visiting last week, and this week my friend Tom is visiting. I have been enjoying cooking many meals for others. ... good stuff! My squash are now blossoming, so I plan to make stuffed blossoms tonight.

 

[pixychick]

 

[pixychick]

I have had a busy few weeks with not a lot of technical riding, but yesterday Art and I got out on our home trails ( 50 year ), and did Around the Mountain loop. As we went through the forest service gate I said " maybe we will see our first Gila monster of the season". With the rising temperatures at night, snakes and reptiles come out of winter hibernation, and the timing seemed right for a sighting. Sure enough, we saw a gila monster within a few minutes and then another one higher up. Both fairly small, but fairly calm or more likely moving slow because it was a little chilly that morning. They are pretty cool to see. It also felt really good to get up in the mountains and challenge both skills and fitness, while checking out the seasonal sightings.

Even with all the draught, the ocotillo and hops are blooming. It always amazes me how all the desert plants survive with infrequent water. Usually things get green this time of year, but this year things are vey brown and dry, and the few things that flower are in contrast. Every year is different.

I am posting a picture of a hedgehog cactus bloom in our yard. I am glad to get a picture of the first bloom as today all the blooms are gone .... eaten by the javelina herd last night. Survival in the desert is tough. Two of the moms in the herd have had broken legs that are now quite deformed and they are still alive and having babies. Like the bears in NJ, the javelina out here have adjusted to suburbia and eat from trash as well.

 

[pixychick]

Today the clouds were amazing! While temps were only in the 50's, the sun was warm and we proceeded with a ride at Honeybee to do some exploring. We passed a new trail last time out there but did not take it, and wanted to check it out today. By the time we got to the new trail, the skies were darker and virga seemed to be falling everywhere. It did not rain hard enough to get us or the trails wet, it just felt like invigorating pins and needles. The new trail was pretty nice and climbed up through some beautiful rocky hills. It was nice to get a change in both the scenery and weather.

Check out the giant crested saguaro.

 

[pixychick]

I wanted to go into more detail about our exploring at Honeybee. First off, Honeybee is state trust land, which means that the state can sell it at anytime it wants to raise money. There is no state investment in recreational trails. All the trails are rogue built and not maintained officially. The trails there are not technical or super hilly making them very popular with the majority of Tucson mountain bikers. New stuff pops up on my radar and I check it out. Some is shit, but some is ok. The majority of the south end trails are tad boring for me, so any new stuff that is ok and better is much appreciated. Unfortunately the state is not on board with bike tourism enough to invest in a trail system. That being said, the rancher that grazes this land does not "have a beef" ( no pun intended) with mountain bikers. The wild west has much bigger problems like: illegal dumping, vandalism and target practice. So while things are not great, there are many trails for bikers to enjoy. This all makes me appreciate how much Jorba has done in NJ over the last few decades.

Yesterday we got word that the trails behind our house on forest service land have been officially adopted for multi use including bikes. This means that the new trail and various reroutes that Art and I helped asses could start work this fall. This is a big deal for us. It could certainly expand our riding inventory and perhaps even offer Art a chance to build more while here in winter. Another plus is that the land we use to access this tract of land is state trust and it's recreational lease is up in a few years. We hope it is renewed, but who knows what will happen. Hoping all this works out in the next year. It could be fantastic!

Our new gate posts are in and Art is working on lowering the wall on our bike ramp. The gate is not moved yet, but that will happen later. We are close to wrapping this situation up. Yay! The cool temps have left, and it is getting hot. It may get close to 100 downtown the next few days. I am in the A/C right now as I got a bit light headed today while giving blood ( 16 viles ), which is the most I have ever given. ..... Rest day today. Temps should settle back down next week. In the mean time, if I ride, it will be early and short.

 

[pixychick]

A few new blooms each day. Still very dry out on the trails, and not as many birds as usual.

 

[pixychick]

Art got the wall cut down and stuccoed it over. It works perfect for going up and down with bikes.

The cactus bloom season has begun. It seems like they will bloom even with the drought. Also, migrating birds are arriving this week. We have had multiple sightings of lazuli bunting, black headed grosbeaks and hooded orioles. .... All regulars every spring.

It is still hot, but we are blessed with some clouds today making it seem less hot. Predictions are for a drop in temps on Friday. That will be nice! While I am still doing short early rides in the heat, I am hoping to get in some longer rides when temps come down some. I usually do not mind warm weather back east as I am always in the shade of the tree canopy. However, out here there is little shade and the sun is quite strong. I have not been able to get used to those extremes.

 

[pixychick]

The good news is that the heat has broken and cool temperatures are back, and no more heat waves predicted for the next few weeks. The bad news is that Art took a tumble on the bike and ended up in the ER. Nothing seems to be broken with bones or hip hardware, but he is unable to put much weight on that leg without pain. While he was sent home as ok, if this does not heal up in a few weeks, he may have soft tissue damage, and need to have it checked out more. So right now he is resting up and will make that decision next week.

We are about two weeks from our estimated departure date. I suppose some of this may depend on how Art is doing. I have already started working on my to do list as not to leave too much for the last week. Thankfully the gate people are able to come Monday and move the gate. It will be nice to have an automatic gate again. Having to get out and open and close the gate seems like such a minor thing, but the past few weeks without it has really made me appreciate the automatic. Plus, Art had to dig out the driveway to temporarily swing the gate out. We did not want to leave that all summer. I should be able to put all the dirt back and tamp it out with water after Monday.

There is a slight chance of rain tonight. .... that would be awesome! Either way, I will be riding solo for a few days.