Saved Yard Work for Another Day

Had hoped today to transplant some irises, rake some leaves, cut the
TV antenna wire and seal the hole in the siding and repair the
damaged cement on the foundation but will have to save that for
another day. Maybe I can get it done on Friday afternoon.
Roofer says that will probably reroof the week after the painter
comes. I'll have to hope that they don't damage new paint finish when
they throw down old roofing. Painter will later have to come back to
repaint area of fascia exposed by narrower drip edge. I so much
wanted to get it done before the painter - frustrating!!

Found out that PDR does more mitigation than restoration - mitigation
being drying out water damage as soon as possible after it happens
which prevents the need for restoration. One day when we move out of
this house, we'll have the closet repaired but it's dry now and that
can wait.

Turns out that spouse called about the 938 square feet senior condo
that's available but he says it's too small. I told him that I'd
take the large master suite with bathroom, we'd share the kitchen and
he could have the rest of the house. He's not buying that but at
least he called.

More Details on Cabra Loop-Beanfield Mesa Hike

TS led us on an awesome hike just like the old days before we all
became old farts. We took off from the Rendija Canyon Trail up a
small side canyon on a rough, uphill trail that led up the old
homestead road that DH once took me down and which I've never been
able to find since. Some of the group was very slow so grandson and I
went up the old road and waited for the group.

When some of them got up but more were still coming, grandson and I
took off to find the raptor trap. It turns out that the raptor trap
on Beanfield Mesa is very close to the top of that old road. He was
in disbelief that eagles could be caught that way. After a brief
look we circled around the area to try to find a skull but no luck.
We came back to the trap when the hikers got there.

After they all looked and took their photos, we walked back on
Beanfield Mesa to the site of the homestead cabin that was toasted in
the Cerro Grande fire in 2000. Then we headed to lunch with a view.
I tried to keep grandson's lunch box from him so he wouldn't eat
snacks first but his lunch included a Reese's peanut butter cup. He
ate that to keep it from melting but didn't finish his chicken and
cheese. Regardless, he seemed fueled enough because the hike was
long and after lunch, we still had to walk quite a distance back to
the cars on the eastern branch of the Cabra Loop Trail. Grandson
scored a Barq's Root Beer at the aprés hike refreshments but saved it
to take home.

An aside: the English fellow sat on a cactus and had to privately
bare his bum to his wife so she could pull the cactus spines out.
JS, back from the Ukraine, told JB to go home and put Elmer's Glue on
the wound site, let it dry and then pull the dried glue off and the
small cacti spines would come out too. Cool tip!! Guess he'll give
his wife quite a show while he's drying the glue on his rear end!!

Six Point Elk Shed Along Cabra Loop Trail

On Wednesday's LL hike, grandson was looking for bones - especially skulls. At one point, coming back on the Cabra Loop Trail, I spotted something even better than a skull - a recently shed, mint condition, 6 point elk antler but only one side. Grandson would like to sell it to get the money but we don't know any buyers.

His Dad thought I meant a storage shed when I said we found a shed on the hike! I had to carry it a little less than a mile back to the trailhead - heavy! All the other hikers had passed it by when I spotted it laying just off the trail.

I told grandson that this was a spectacular find! Eventually, if he hikes with me this summer, he'll also find his skull! We found some leg bones, part of a spine and part of either a pelvis or skull.

There were nearly 20 people, the weather was coolish except for one shadeless uphill section, the smoke from the Rio Fire was non-existent and we did 5 miles. Grandson is a very good hiker!