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Odds and Ends

Pat Kofahl • November 9, 2021

Waiting for Fall to Fall

Fall in Arizona can be both tantalizing and elusive. Take today, for example: While we've had a few cool days, and summer is definitely over, it's going to hit 90º in a few minutes — much hotter than many of us would like. Sure, our blood is thin, and we've staggered through the summer heatwave, but enough is enough, already!


Everyone has their own special way of coping with the heat of summer. Some folks go to the White Mountains of Eastern Arizona, while others prefer to join the horde of "Zonies" that invade the beaches of San Diego and Southern California every year. Some folks head for Flagstaff, and some leave the state entirely, most to cooler climes.


Me? I left the country. And yes, with the pandemic in full swing world-wide, there were several more hoops to jump through, but going to London for a couple of weeks, snuggling under layers of blankets, wearing a jacket or a raincoat, and actually seeing water fall from the sky on multiple occasions (yes, I swear it's true!) can reset one's whole attitude towards the weather in particular and life in general.


All that being said, there's nothing that signals the onset of fall in Arizona like seeing the splendor of the fall foliage as the leaves change color on the West Fork of Oak Creek.  It's a destination for photographers from all over the world, with majestic red canyon walls, and maples, cottonwood, ash and oak creating explosions of color all in a cool fall setting combined with a lazy creek the wends its way slowly through this spectacular canyon.

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Where the Hell is Riga?
By noreply August 30, 2025
I love my dogs. Anybody who has ever been responsible for/owned by/caretaker for dogs/cats/ferrets/turtles/iguanas/fruit bats/T-Rex's  etc. understands this completely. I have a friend who unfortunately works for the Humane Society, and she keeps sending me pictures. Dog porn, the worst kind. Sweet, warm, cuddly puppies and dogs that needed a forever home. Normally I can resist, but my steely resolve melted when she sent over an image of Buddy, a five year old Queensland heeler. It was a weak moment; I was probably in my favorite browsing location (the can), when the image came over on my phone. I swiped out of Wordle, and was immediately overcome by feelings of love, tenderness, caring...in short, all the emotions that would make me the perfect mother caretaker. He fell out of a truck on the freeway? Fine. He had to have several teeth pulled? No worries. His right paw is almost twice the size of his left? Great. His chest is all scar tissue from multiple surgeries, and he has Valley fever? OK. It sounded like a perfect match, so the next day we met at the Humane Society, and it was love at first bite. Buddy was good natured, enthusiastic, and happy, despite all the trials and tribulations he'd been through. We left together, and I introduced him to Stella, my nine year old Blue Heeler. If they got along, great, otherwise it would be a deal breaker.But they got along great. Buddy was a typical male. First at the water bowl, first in the car, first through the door. It wasn't personal. It wasn't that he just didn't consider Stella. He didn't consider me, either. Stella, sweet girl that she is, acquiesced. My plan was to give Buddy so much love and affection that he might start thinking outside the envelope of his own ego. We've made some progress, but it's slow going. What makes it all worth it is that Buddy persistently wags his tail in his sleep. It's a good sign. 
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