Virtual AZT: Beginning The Adventure

 

"Beans" here again...

You may remember my trail-name from our year-long hike on the AT.

Today, begins our new Virtual Adventure on the 800+ two month adventure known as The Arizona Trail (AZT) 

We will be NOBO (Northbound) from Mexico's border to Utah.

Outfitted yesterday, and was somewhat alarmed after a discussion with some SOBO hikers who were just finishing their journey.

Apparently, June is a rather late start for NOBO hikers...and I have missed the Spring Window of Mar-May.

What this means is that we will miss a lot of the early cactus blooms, but more importantly that the heat will be oppressive, and water sources will be sketchy.

"I'd wait until next year, if I were you."

I heard this a lot.

But this is virtual...and we are as ready as we'll ever be...so let's go.

Started out after a good night's sleep and a decent breakfast.

Packing in 5 liters of water and mindful of reminders to top them off every chance I get...because this late it can be miles before you reach another water source.

Other tips included a floppy hat that shades the back of your neck, good sunscreen, sunglasses, a thick sleeping pad, thermal underwear for cold desert nights...oh and a cell phone...not for communication, necessarily, but for GPS so they can (QUOTE)

"...locate your dead body..."

 

Yeah, very funny.

 

Started out at 6:30 AM...it was 75 degrees. Planning 25 miles a day for the next 4 days...to reach the 100 mile marker by Friday. Plan to take every weekend as Zero Days...restock and camel up...800 miles in 8 weeks. 

I will check in on M-W-F.

It is now past noon and stopping in the already 90 degree heat because damn...

The terrain from the border seems to immediately climb and is little more than desert...scrubs...dead plants and rocks.

I can envision this in 65-70 degree temps with blooms and wildlife...but this month is not that.

I have used 2 liters of my water already...and nothing to replenish to be seen.

Others have advised to watch for green areas indicating water...but I've yet to see anything remotely green.

The heat...dry though it may be...is exhaustive...relentless...and I'm beginning to wonder if this was a mistake, already...

I'll quit whining, now...catch you further up the trail.

Love,

     "Beans"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer...Bears...and Pacers

 

Nothing says the bears are back like Benny goofing off...

Hibernation is coming to an end and the Usual Suspects are arriving.

83...909...Bead and Bean...Grazer and Biggie...Bucky...Chunk...and Benny!

909 arrived with triplets three weeks ago...before the camera were even on...lost all three of them and promptly went back into heat.

(...life is precarious for baby bears...) 

83 caught 6 salmon in a row his first day back not even finishing chewing one before catching the next.

Grazer and Biggie look plump and happy after a successful hibernation.

Chunk has sustained a major injury to his lower jaw...not sure how this occurred...or how he will do this year.

Both Bean and Bead are now emancipated...and this will be their first year on their own. They are two, now.

Bucky and Benny are back.

Poor Benny has a stalker, already. 909 has set her sights on him and follows him everywhere!

With both of them having bright blond pompom ears...if they do mate...next year you will be able to see the cubs from space.

And it is nice to have coffee, once again, with the bear-folk. 

Enjoying tea with comb honey and warm croissants with blackberry jam on this first day of Summer proper.

Woke up to sunshine and 80 degrees at 9 AM...I think it is going to be a hot one, this year!

John and I have been watching The Pacers slowly creep toward winning the championship...

BOOM, BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday's game was amazing...and now we wait for tomorrow's.  It would be so great to win the championship!

Had to laugh at Haliburton calling McConnell 

"The Great White Hope"

 

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Love,

Carla, John, Gadget and Tux

 

 

 

Five Months In...

 Okay...so it is a lot like this...

 

And we are exhausted.

 

And we have 43 more months of this.

 

So much random shit has happened that frankly it is impossible to keep up with it all. 

Hundreds of lawsuits filed...people snatched off the street by ICE agents in plain clothes and face masks...some of them American citizens...targeted assassinations...the (failed bigly) military birthday parade...squeaky tanks...the hugely successful No Kings march...the return of Albrego Garcia...in TWO WEEKS...and it just goes on and on and on...

 

But Summer is finally here...and limiting my news intake to morning and night...balancing my desire to stay informed with my need to stay sane...and there are flowers to plant and brunches to plan and life to be lived.

We will survive.

Eventually he and his MAGA followers will be gone.

Nothing more than a bad memory.

But for now...we play in the plants and regroup.
 

Middle of The Year...BEARS...and New Stuff

 

Here we are...right in the middle of 2025!

 

Despite the current President and Administration...and multiple wars raging...and unrest here in the states...it has been a fairly decent year so far.

Everything is paid...there is food in the house...John has finished surgery, radiation and chemo and will remain on immuno-therapy for a couple of years but is feeling good...doing well...and we will have another CT-and MRI in August...all in all the feeling is positive and life is good.

Thriving.

Oh...and tomorrow Explore.org turns the Bear Cams back on at Katmai and the bear-folk will be back for coffee!

Hibernation is ending...and we are all wondering if Otis is really gone, or if he will lumber back for one more year.

Adapting...a few new glitches with FRED...but over-all fine.

Amber picking up a few extra duties that I am no longer capable of doing.

She is a lifesaver.

Planning a new virtual hiking adventure on the AZT...soon...maybe next Monday.

John and I have been cheering on The Pacers together!!! Loved beating The Knicks...and hoping to best Oklahoma and win it all!!!

Summer is almost here...everything is warm..heavy...green...lush! The fireflies are back...I have Mourning Doves...a pair of Cardinals...a pair of Blue Jays (nested in my Black Locust out back and dive bombing the cat)...ready to put out bedding plants and Summer-Up the patio to enjoy iced sweet tea and reading on.

The new stuff involves Arby's latest additions of 

Pulled Pork BBQ with a spicy sauce.

And
 

Tried this weekend and both are really incredible!

 More soon!

Love,

Carla

...and Gadget!
 

The TACO/Elmo Break-Up

 

Yeah...it's kinda like this...

 

Let's see...

Elmo first called TACO's BBB an abomination...and TACO got pissed and said Elmo wasn't the friend he thought he was...then Elmo reminded him that without him both he and the GOP would have lost the elections and called him ungrateful...then TACO got really mad and blamed Elmo about the EV mandate...then Elmo told us Trump was in the Epstein Files...Then TACO said he could save billions...and billions by canceling Elmo's government subsidies and Elmo calls him a pedophile...and threaten decommissioning the Dragon Program...

THEN Steve Bannon enters the chat!

Saying that TACO should just deport Elmo and investigate his drug use.

And Duffy blames Elmo and Doge for the air crashes...

Elmo reminds TACO that he only has 3.5 years left...and that he will outlive him.

 

Yeah...to say it has been an exciting day on Twitter/X would be an understatement.

And it is still going on!

 

We're going to need more popcorn.

 

June...Lachlan's 1st Birthday...Mission Impossible...and More!

 Yeah...yeah...I know...

It has been forever.

It's called life.

 

John is finished with radiation, now...and working his way through chemotherapy...again.

Actually, doing quite well!

We're hopeful!!!!

 The boys have been doing good, and are back to playing music together out!

Hannah has graduated!

 Brendan has grown up and become a wall!

James, Jess and some of their friends/friends kids converged on Turkey Run recently.

 

Happiness is sharing ice cream with Georgia!

 

And we finally went on our Mission Impossible Date...

Which was edge-of-your-seat good!

We enjoyed some "normalcy"...nice after the month of cancer chaos.

Some good food.

 

and just some US time.

It was wonderful!

 

Yesterday was Lachlan's Party.

"Hobbit" themed.

 

He is one, now...and there's no stopping him.

Pulling up and walking...teeth...eats everything...just a goofy..happy kid!

 

Finishing the dishes and the laundry...then outside to play in the plants!

 

Have a GREAT rest of the weekend!

 

Love,

Carla 

May...Anniversaries and Birthdays...John's Treatments...Sister's Day...And More

 

If April showers bring May flowers...we should be a boutique this year!

Chris and Tina have now celebrated their 6th anniversary...and tomorrow, John and I will be back together for 8 years!

Aiden's birthday was the 2nd, and we will be celebrating with Jess' on hers later this month.

Tina came back from vacation...and we enjoyed Sister's Day with quiche, grapes and a homemade chocolate cake that Chad made, and sent with her.

She found a new "Weeping Pussy-willow" that is too cool.

Chris brought Lachlan over, yesterday, and he is now nearly 1 and has 4 teeth and is walking already.

 

He also brought his new Martin guitar...playing a bit...and that was nice. I love listening to him play and sing.
 

Busy times!

After all the rains it is 75 and beautiful outside...trees are leafed out and everything is clamouring weed me...prune me...plant me...so it is time to play outside in the soil a bit.

My Mockingbird pair is back.

Loud, annoying, too far up North...but totally captivating. 

The doctors have now coordinated John's care, and post tumour/cancer removal treatments...we have a great team!

Radiation begins next Monday...followed by chemotherapy...then up to 2 years of immuno-therapy.

And we've already made reservations for our upcoming Mission Impossible Date...and looking forward to July's Dinosaur Date!

...yes...Jurassic Park will be releasing Rebirth...

Always have something to look forward to!

Lastly...politics...

Yeah, 100+ days in...and not surprisingly...it is STILL a shit-show.

...who saw that coming, eh???

The ports are emptying and so are some of the shelves.

Prices are slowly creeping up.

But, hey...you owned the libs...right???

Love,

Carla

(...who must now go play in the plants...)

 

 

 

 

 

End of April...100 Days...Senior Citizen...And More

 

We've survived 100 days of the Trump Administration....

Only 1360 left to go.

Try not to think about it.

We'll get back to this.

So...it has been an eventful month.

See the tiny arrow pointer on John's MRI?

He developed a brain bleed post surgery...it was scary.

Now resolved...but a real problem if it had continued.

His head has healed nicely.
 

And the staples are removed.

He has his new primary (Dr.C) and thinks he is going to be a good fit...and tomorrow goes to get another MRI and discuss the oncology/radiation going forward.

To make sure Ethel doesn't re-stage....later, to deal with the lung cancer which has come back.

...it's always something... 

It helps (me) to be involved (3-way) during these appointments...even when I can't be there in person.

He drove out last week (as soon as he was able) to celebrate my officially becoming a Senior Citizen (...65....how the hell did that happen???)  and it was wonderful with steak and cheesy french onion soup and salad. Chocolate and a balloon and even brought me my favorite...a piece of cherry pie!!!

...it was perfect, honey...

Tomorrow, we see what the game plan is...

 Catching up with the boys.

Chris is doing great...and Lachlan is walking (and dancing) now. He is back to playing guitar and the little guy loves it!

Lennon is fine...got his new roof done and sent me the cutest 1.5 quart crockpot for my birthday! We spend a lot of time discussing politics, now.

James, Jess and the kids were over on Saturday...Rylee has a new job...Brenden is a wall...Ethan and Aiden are back on the ball-field...and I got to hear some new reggae that he is working on!

About those hundred days...

It has been such a shit-show one barely knows where to begin.

Signalgate...tariffs...stockmarket plunges...more tariffs...lawsuits...lies...more lies...economic disasters...plunging consumer confidence...et al

Economists are predicting real supply chain disruption by June/July.

MAGA...getting everything they voted for...sorry about your FEMA.

Worst 100 days in 80 years!

...sigh...

45 more months.

Watched the latest Venom

Which was entertaining....and I highly recommend!

Tried Wendy's Thin Mint Frosty

which was nasty and I do not recommend.

...bleah...

It is basically thin mint cookies...ground with chocolate syrup and layered in the Frosty.

The consistency is that of chocolate covered beach sand.

...yeah...

Have a Great Week!

Love,

Carla and Tux

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April...Mushrooms...John's Surgery...and WTF has Happened Our Economy

 

t

It's April...

 

The mushrooms are beginning...red-buds are bloomed by the road-side...daffodils are swaying in the warmer Spring air...and Ethel has left the building!!!

Spent a day before surgery just having brunch and playing with Tux... 

even managed a short nap together!

Then Surgery Day arrived.

He was pretty chill about it.

 ...of course, he would be sleeping through the whole business...

The rest of us?

Yeah...not so chill.

Terrified, actually.

Eric and Melissa drove in from Ohio.

May and Amy from Plainfield.

Robert and Jonathan from Indianapolis.

And we waited.

The operation seemed to last forever.

...it was hours...

But the surgeon seemed very happy...and it was non-complicated and successful!!!

ETHEL has left the building.

He thinks all of her!

Better still...John was able to leave the hospital, Friday, and is doing very well!
 

We are thankful...and he knows how much he is loved!

Monday, they will do a scan to make sure they removed all the tumor...also find out if it was benign or malignant.

We are thankful.

But, as in life, there is ALWAYS something~

When they did the PET scan pre-surgery...they found the lung cancer has returned.

Now that we've survived the brain stuff...well they're going to meet next week and discuss what's next.

~sigh! 

...before the surgery John set us up on a Mission Impossible Date when it releases in May!!!!

My eBay mushroom guy was able to send morels early...and sent a pound of grays...my favorite.

Finished the last of them yesterday with rib-eye steak...which was amazing!

And despite the return of the cancer we are staying pretty positive about things.

Watch Cory Booker give his marathon 25 hour speech!!!

 Reminding us to get in Good Trouble.

And a bunch of us listened...and did exactly that!

And the leopards have been feasting...

Mostly on MAGA faces...who have entered the Find Out portion of their misguided voting.

Tariffs are on...then they are off again...the stock-market has been a wild ride...trillions have been lost...in short...

It's a shit-show.  

But, seriously, didn't most of us know it was going to be????

 

Love,

Carla, John, Gadget and Tux

 

 

 

Rain...Rain...and More Rain

 

It's going to rain forever...

 

Tux is settled in his tunnel playing...I'm sipping hot tea with honey and contemplating a relaxing bubble bath.

It's all good.

Spring has sprung in earnest...the grass is bright green and the willow tree has taken on a yellow-green mist.  Pollen is back...and although it is early...the world looks very mushroomy out.

Soon.

Had our (Chris, Lachlan, Don and I) Spring Brunch this week with Chinese and chat.

Plotting and planning for Lachlan's first birthday in May!

 John joined The Euchre Gang where he and our friend, Jan, beat everyone yesterday!

And he pulled together the last piece of the puzzle recently which we have been working on for a few years.

By finding the previous owner of his Charger!

And got a laugh as she sent him a photo she had taken of her own when she owned it.

LOL!

Going to catch up with everyone...get my bath...maybe a good nap with the cat...then fixed pulled BBQ Pork with baked beans and potato salad.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Love,

Carla