October 2000

In some ways we are sad to say our 2000 Season of research is over. In other ways, we are happy to see October gone. It was a tough month.

We started October in a most beautiful place on the border of Utah and Arizona - Monument Valley. It is a barren land with many shades of red sandstone, splashes of white rock, and clumps of green vegetation. Massive blocks, shear walls, spirals, towers, canyons, and fancifully wind and rain carved rock masses decorate the desolate landscape. We treated ourselves to a guided tour of the area by a local Navajo. It lasted all day and was worth every penny. We have lots of pictures to show you the next time we get together.

After those few days in Monument Valley, we headed for Phoenix AZ for some "civilization." It took maybe a day and a half (if that long) to remind ourselves why we prefer the much more rural and less "civilized" environment of southeast Arizona.

And than it was home - beautiful Bisbee. Everything was so incredibly green and lush, particularly our yard. We are told there is a law on the books forbidding any Morning Glory seeds being brought into the state. Now we know why!!! Our yard was a tangled mass of these pretty but insidious plant. Plus, the grass must have been 10 inches tall. Poor Fred spent days (and ten big leaf bags) bringing the yard back to its former manicured appearance. Otherwise, our home was in good shape.

A phone message awaited our return concerning Harriet, Suzi's mother. Harriet had fallen ill and had been put on a feeding tube. Suzi left to see her. At that time, it was decided Harriet would not want to be maintained in this manner and the nursing home was told not to re-insert the tube if it came out. About a week latter the tube did come out and the nursing home complied with our wishes. After three or four days, Harriet regained consciousness and requested something to drink!!! Pretty good news. Her recovery is slow but continues.

While in San Diego, Suzi caught a cold. After the pneumonia earlier this Summer, a trip to the doctor seemed in order. It was determined the cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever of an old-fashion cold. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the doctor's office, Kermit exhibited some very serious symptoms of his own. A visit to a mechanic (yes, our area still has gas stations with mechanics on duty) identified a blown head gasket. This means, since leaving Monument Valley, Fred's still camera has been acting-up, the camcorder has stopped working, and the television from our trailer (the one with the tv and VCR as one unit) started performing erratically. Such a run of bad luck. Well, Kermit has been through so much and been so reliable, we can't complain too much but a blown head gasket is a bill we didn't really need at this time.

It only took a day to correct Kermit's malady and he was ready to come home. So we piled into our rental car and headed out to swap vehicles. We had to stop at some road construction along the way and, while waiting for the flag person to give us the go ahead - BANG!!! We were rear-ended!!! Fred sustained a mild whiplash and the rental car became a bit shorter.

We got Kermit back to Bisbee that day before the torrential rains you may have heard about started. This storm brought another deluge to the already soaked ground. To say the Moon Canyon's roadway ran high is an understatement. Mule Creek, which Moon Canyon Creek runs into, was a torrid of raging water with baby strollers, table lamps, and other household items being carried down the canyon. The sleepy, stride-wide San Pedro River went from a gently lazy flowing stream to a quarter or half-mile wide flood of rolling cocoa brown water. Adding this rainstorm to the other three or four that fell before we reached the end of the month means October was a very wet month. The Tucson tv news folk say October 2000 was the second wettest recorded. And you thought Arizona was a dry place.

Between storms Suzi made a mad dash in Kermit to Cochise Community College. You may remember our mentioning Bisbee's streets are rather narrow. Moon Canyon has basically only one place wide enough to turn Kermit around. Suzi headed for that spot but started her turn too soon, hitting a neighbor's truck. She is still kicking herself for being so stupid. The sad thing is Kermit sustained far more damage than did our neighbor's truck.

Earlier in the month Fred's giardia seemed to have returned. Our doctor ordered a comprehensive series of tests and a diet heavy in yogurt, banana, and Gerber's Rice Cereal - y-u-m-m-m-m-y. These tests started with blood being drawn, and ended with a berium (sp) enema (YUCK). Initial diagnosis was nothing to worry about, just the lingering effects of the giardia.

Along with all this excitement, we finally got our third book, U.S. National Forest Campground Guide - Southwestern Region, "on the bookshelves." What a relief!!! With our return to Bisbee we begin our work on the Eastern and Rocky Mountain Region guides and the whole process begins again with them. Hopefully it won't take as long to get them "on the bookshelves."

The last week of the month we learned Mike Monbeck, our agent/editor and dear friend, had been admitted to the ICU at Fairfax Hospital with double pneumonia. By the end of the month, we were told, Mike had been upgraded to a cautious "stable" and "improving." We know you, along with us, wish Mike a speedy and complete recovery. At this writing, Mike is still in ICU.

Well, as you can imagine that was about all the excitement we could handle for an October. And, boy, are we happy it is over. With the end of our 2000 Season, we begin working toward the 2001 Season. Our goals are to get the books for the Eastern and Rocky Mountain Regions to 1st Books for publication and to complete the National Forests in Utah, southern Idaho, and Nevada. Ambitious, yes. Doable, we think so. Exciting, very. So until our May "Wanderings," have a good holiday season, a great Spring season, be happy and healthy, and please stay in touch.

Suzi and Fred