Vaillacito Reservoir

When I finally ran out of cat-eye-goop for the cat that I was watching, I was free to split for a few days of camping. Off to Vaillacito Reservoir for a couple nights of car camping, hiking, and biking. 

Daily afternoon and evening thunderstorms were predicted, but hey, I have a dry tent, right? You always remember the camping trips where your tent stops being waterproof, or in this case, even just water resistant. Water went right through, as if someone stood outside my tent and poured buckets of water on me all night. 

In between the thunderstorms it was beautiful. 

Habitat week

With some time off and staying local, I figured I would track down a Habitat house and do some work with them. I like building stuff and made myself fairly useful. 

My friend Ed and I went to New Orleans for some rebuilding work in 2006. I figured I would be tired at the end of the week, but it was so inspiring to see the cooperation and large scale recovery effort, that I left relaxed and invigorated. So I promised myself I would do it again when I have the time. 

Maybe I can talk my Dad and brothers into getting together for a week of Habitat work sometime.

60 Days in a row

I heard the other morning that we were on Day 59 of 90 degrees (28 C) or hotter in a row. It's early August and just starting to get hot here. I guess I am assuming 90 days in a row of 90+ temps is pretty definite. Easily looking at 100+ days. Not sure what is typical.

In May I had 3 weeks set aside for driving across the country and doing some hiking/camping/exploring along the way in NC and TN especially. I had to change plans at the last minute and do the drive in 5 days to get to a class that started May 12 instead of June 1. That meant I would have 3 weeks off in August to hike/camp and explore regionally.

Unfortunately one of the cats where I'm housesitting needed surgery to remove the tumor in her eyelid. The vet can't say that it is cancer yet, but wants the owner prepared for the worst. I need to be around to spread goo into the eyeball 4x/day. This cat just loves me now. Before I was force feeding it pills and washing the eyelid with liquid. Now I have to grab hold, pry open the eyelid and spread ointment in there. That's a real popular thing to do.

Anyhow I am staying local, and hanging out with the cats.

When you are Housesitter to the Stars you gotta do what you gotta do.

Danger: Cottonwood Seeds Ahead

I am "training" for a half marathon at the end of August in Albuquerque. "Training" apparently means cross training on a bike or hiking. I can not seem get myself back into a groove or regular pattern of running again. I am riding a fair bit and getting in some hikes and occasional backpack trips, so I am not in too bad condition, in general. But running is different for me, much harder. I enjoy it, but it is not something I take to without willpower.

I enjoy one run, and then just can't get back to it for a longer run. I will flog myself a lot in the coming weeks and get myself almost ready and then suck it up on race day and get through the two hours somehow. It's a good profile, nothing steep uphill.

Yesterday I convince myself to get out for a 40 minute run.

I am living close to the Animas River, a river that is actually NOT dammed, and runs free. (Who would have thought that we forgot to dam up a river?) The small rivers around here are home to lot's of cottonwood trees. Cottonwood trees each spew out millions of seeds, that are shrouded in soft "cotton-y" parachutes that they float away on. These weigh almost nothing and float everywhere this time of year. They land on your bbq, on your clothes drying on the clothes line, on your beer bottle, all over your car, etc. Everywhere.

As I am running, a cotton seed is floating along the street at head height. It is going by my head, when at the last second either the wind shifts, or I am sucking wind so bad that is creates a vortex, or whatever, the cottonball changes direction 90 degrees, veers toward my head and somehow divebombs into my mouth.

There it manages to go straight through into the back of my throat, landing on my gag button and wrapping thousands of tiny strands of cotton around the gag point. I thought it would land on my tongue and I could spit it out and continue, but no, before I realize what's happening, it somehow it makes it all the way through to my throat. My eyes are already filled with sweat, and with this very uncomfortable situation I cough, gag, spit, snarl, tears well up into my eyes, froth is coming out my nostrils, I'm gasping for breath, trying not to puke, then trying to puke, then trying to reach in and root around to get it out, continuously gasping for air as I do. I've got my arm submerged into my mouth up to about the elbow trying to get it out. Now I am running, gagging, spitting, hurling, crying, tears have welled up in my eyes, snot is pushing aside the froth and careening out my nostrils, and through the tears, sweat, salt and burning sunlight I peer through squinting eyelids, and what do I see, but a crew of oil and gas field workers loading themselves up into a 1 ton pickup with dualies. They have all stopped, put down down toolboxes, and are frozen in time, watching me, staring at this crazy idiot yuppie from back east and wondering why anyone would do such a thing to themselves.

Good question I think, managing one last huge gobstopper removing, throat-clearing, cough-puke-spit. Good question. I pick up the pace to put some distance between me and the oilmen. I don't think that particular cottonwood seed will come to fruition.

All Sizzle No Steak

Here in the high desert, late July and all of August is referred to as "monsoon season". All day it is HOT and sunny, but DRY. Then in the afternoon, there is often a furious build of clouds, wind, lightning and thunder. Sometimes I will be watching the sun set from the front porch, and the storm will build up, and I'll see maybe 100 lightning bolts followed by thunder.

Typically it builds up and looks like it will rain and rain and rain. But then nothing. All sizzle no steak, as they say.

Last night it came. RAIN. It pounded and came down for like 10 minutes. The wind roared, lightning flashed brilliantly and thunder cracked again and again. The temperature dropped from 95F (33C) to 65F (15C). A great show. The wind was so strong that it blew down the flue and blew out the hot water heater pilot. After so long without rain, I expected to see plenty of water in a bucket I put out (and weighted down so it wouldn't blow away). I went out this morning, not even 1/4 inch (6mm).

Welcome to monsoon season.

Rio Grande National Forest

60 miles (100k) north of Aztec and 25 miles (40k) east is the Rio Grande National Forest. Unfortunately, unless you have 4 wheel drive and huge clearance, you need to take paved roads, which wind around the mountain passes totaling over 200 miles (320k). I ask a lot of my little Honda, but we went with the pavement.

My Favorite Iron Woman

Congratulations Rachel Saks. Multi-time half Iron Woman (that's not ridiculous enough to do half irons?) Rachel Saks not only completed her first full Iron yesterday, but she kicked its ass! 

SWIM BIKE RUN OVERALL
53:47 6:04:31 4:12:49 11:23:06

Imagine after almost an hour of swimming, and then you hop on your bike and ride over 100 miles (160K) then at some point you think, "All I have to do now is run a marathon". 

http://ironman.com/events/ironman/austria/?show=tracker&rid=159&year=2008

I knew she could do it, but I am still IMPRESSED.

When I met Rachel, it was just prior to doing an AIDS ride fundraiser in Alaska. I learned Rachel was a fast swimmer and that she had recently run a marathon. She was still riding her 50 lb (23kilo) Schwinn bike that she had in high school. After returning from Alaska, I went to her house to re-assemble her bike after shipping and hang out one night. I noticed the front derailleur was cockeyed, and said "Shoot, it looks like your derailleur got bent in shipping. It won't shift onto the big ring without some tinkering. Not sure if I can fix it."

"Oh that?", she said. "I don't really like to go fast, so I don't shift that much. Never really use it". 

12,000 feet of elevation gain or whatever the number was, and she doesn't even need a full range of gears. 

I guess she is going fast now. Way to go Rachel!