We picked up treats from Kat, dark chocolate dipped crystallized ginger, gluten-free dog treats, and, of course what we actually went for, plump, delicious dates from Yuma. We forgot a cooler, so we had to leave the wonderful lettuces and sprouts behind. Afterwards, we took the dogs visiting at the bark park, went to Mama Burger for lunch, and finally to Old Cave’s Crater to let the dogs run around and chase pinecones.

Related Links

• Kat’s Cupcakes
• Flagstaff Farmers Market
• Mama Burger
• Coconino NF: Old Caves Crater Trail

The photo at the top of this page incorporates many elements of why I am so delighted to be the Coconino’s new web manager. I took that photo at the Red Rock District Visitor Center on a “welcome to the new job” tour my boss gave me. In the reflection of the glass behind Smokey is a view of Sedona’s glorious red rocks. This forest, that view, and even the bear are all central to my being. The opportunity to be part of it, to contribute to the work of the Forest and communicate its mission to the public, is incredibly important to me.

This is a photo of Smokey Bear at the Ohio State Fair, taken in 1969. While this isn’t my family’s photo (it’s from the Ohio Historical Society aka Ohio History Connection), it easily could be. In this era, I was a tiny girl (a couple years younger than the little girl in the blue dress) who went to the Ohio State Fair each year with her parents, eager to visit Smokey as soon as we entered the fairgrounds. Smokey is one of my strongest and fondest early memories.

Here are a couple shots of the view from the Red Rock Visitor Center taken the same day as the photo at the top of the page. Not my best shots, but Sedona’s beauty shows through, even in photos taken with a crappy point-and-shoot on a cloudy day.

A few more shots of the Coconino National Forest. We spend a lot of time hiking, backpacking, camping, and exploring with our dogs. There’s tons more in my Flickr photostream.

As the sun rose and the air started to warm, the evaporating moisture created a brief fog.

We started with the Bruschetta, which featured two servings each of the classic, roasted tomato, and prosciutto bruschettas. The entrées come with a small salad. Stuart had the Caesar salad and chicken Alfredo, and I had the market salad and spaghetti and meatballs. And, of course, I ordered the tiramisu. The prices and servings were reasonable. We went in pretty hungry, and left full but not over-stuffed. Next time, I think if we want an appetizer and a dessert, we’ll probably order and extra salad and split an appetizer or pizza.

Our first stop, as always, is to see Jane, who runs the Aussie and Friends Rescue. We adopted Dax (blue merle Aussie) from her a few years ago, and Sidney (red Aussie) last year. She’d personally fostered Dax for a year to work on his behavioral problems. She did a great job, because he’s a great dog!

Australian Cattle Dog Rescue also holds a soft spot in my heart. Toby is our second heeler. We got him out of a litter of seven from Fresh Start Rescue at last year’s event. Australian Cattle Dog Rescue took in Toby’s four siblings who were left at the end of the day.

There were lots of dogs of all shapes, sizes, and ages. And even a few cats.

It was a hot day. Luckily, one of exhibitors (Kingsmark Kennels, I believe) had a kiddie pool full of ice water. Sidney knew exactly what to do. As a matter of fact, she didn’t want to get out!

Afterwards, we packed up a picnic dinner and the dogs, hit Arby’s for a quick snack, and headed out Woody Mountain Road to the annual Penstemon Festival at the Arboretum at Flagstaff. With 85 degree temps and three pups in the (shade-covered) truck, we only stayed long enough to lay claim to a couple handfuls of plants and run. However, it was a gorgeously perfect day to be hanging out at the Arb.

The Arboretum at Flagstaff

We grabbed three penstemons, a blank flower, a couple cinquefoils, and some hummingbird flower to fill in a spot where we’ve ripped out an old juniper bush.

Woody Mountain Road

After hitting the Arboretum, we stopped off to let the pups out to run. Toby and Sidney were having a good time fetching sticks.

The Rim

We headed out to a favorite spot on the Rim. Part of our goal was to hold a little memorial for our recently deceased dog, Tasha, a border collie-heeler mix who could walk on water, and her buddy Nikita, our heeler who passed away five years ago. After paying our respects, we went to a viewpoint above Bear Sign Canyon that provides a spectacular view over the Sedona area.

Dax was quite certain he heard thunder, and opted to stay in the safety of the truck instead of facing certain death while enjoying the view at the Rim.

Rogers Lake

We wrapped up our adventure with a picnic at Rogers Lake. We drove around to the west end of the dry lake so we could enjoy the superior view while eating. I made a version of chicken and grape salad sandwiches, with grilled chicken and no nuts. I also pruned one of my basil plants and made a tomato salad side dish, plus we had the usual fresh fruit, sliced cheese, hard boiled eggs, and a slice of Trader Joe’s Chocolate Peppermint Loaf.

The monsoon brought rainbows (and then, rain).

The pics did not come out well at all, but as we sat in the truck finishing our sandwiches, a pair of elk came out onto the dry lake bed to graze.

Views of the San Francisco Peaks and Sunset Crater

Wildflowers

Dax, Sidney, and Toby

Sidney

Toby

Dax

Monsoon Skies

Rain was falling on a distant hill, with a faint rainbow visible to the right of the hill.

Beautiful sunset at the base of the Peaks.

I believe the pinkish streaks on the right side of the image may have been a sun dog (they were visible to the naked eye).

See all the photos in my Flickr photostream.

I’d picked the fabric from their remnants, and got dibs on some silver tacks that matched the fabric nicely. What I wasn’t expecting were the little touches. The upholsterer added a fancy blue trim under the tacks, and went through the chair joints to secure them with a bit of added glue.

The chair was one of a pair that originally belonged to Stuart’s grandmother.