first day of vacation
Posted by Zonie on December 24, 2023 at 04:17:18
Yesterday southwestern Arizona had three flash flood warnings and one severe thunderstorm warning. Here in central Arizona things were a bit more sedate, but we still got ¾" of rain.
It was also my last work day of the year, as I have a week's vacation. It has been the company custom to shut down for Christmas to New Year. This year a few people who want some extra money will be working the day shift Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for shipping, receiving and maintenance. My headache Thursday had been planning for an anticipated rainy day. I had to find cover for the parts the customers hadn't yet picked up that we usually keep uncovered in our parking lot.
Enrique wasn't among the volunteers for next week's day shift, but he told me he wasn't going to Mexico this vacation. He's a Sonoran and had told me some details about Alejandro Corrales Felix. Just about every time we have vacation or a long weekend, he goes there to visit his physicians in Nogales (for he and many others prefer the Mexican health care system) and his family in Hermosillo and Guaymas. This year he said he was staying in Phoenix for his vacation. He didn't say why, and I didn't pry, but I suspect the border crisis has him worried. Two ports-of-entry have closed, and if more close, he might have difficulty getting back.
Then I had a minor legal ordeal with a jury duty questionnaire. There was a 2009 court order restoring my right to serve on a jury, but this was in response to my felony declarations. Maricopa County Superior Court has on every occasion tried to exclude me over the 2004 declaration of insanity. The last three times I replied that Arizona law excludes jurors for insanity only as long as the treatment order is in effect, and mine expired in 2005. Each time the commissioner agreed to let me report for voir dire, but on no occasion was I actually placed on a jury. I'm giving up. This time they excluded me for insanity, and I won't keep trying to tell them the law. If they're determined not to have me on a jury, I can't force them to accept me. I suppose I can understand their reluctance. Jurors who have been declared insane might pose some new legal issues. For example, suppose a juror asked a judge, "Your honor, during deliberations should I exclude the opinions of the voices in my head or should I consider them to have been selected with me and try to form a consensus with them?"
Well today it was time to unwind with a seven hour mud hike of the east section of Reach 11, between Tatum Boulevard and Scottsdale Road. NWS had said there was a 70% chance of rain for today. No such luck. In the morning it was actually mostly sunny, and despite it being winter, I was regretting my decision to do a mere mud stomp rather than gearing up for a full wallow, but by midday it was overcast and cool. The parking lot wasn't crowded, and I saw only a few people during the day.
West of 56th Street the south trail generally has larger and more numerous mud puddles, so I stuck to that for my outward journey and was soon splashed up to my knees. At the 56th Street bridge there was a garbage can that hadn't been emptied in some time, and next to it was something very strange--a statue of a dog. At first I thought it was real, but there was no one nearby, and it stayed quite still, not like the behavior of a real dog.
East of 56th Street I shifted to the north trail. With those puddles I can sometimes have fun creating a drainage with my boot heels, and I had a lot of fun doing that.
Nearing Scottsdale Road it was time to turn southward towards the arroyo country. I found some good mud holes there, especially by the mud cliff at the start of the arroyo. I returned to the trail, and it detoured around a very deep arroyo with steep sides. There was a large mud hole at the base. I backtracked trying to find an accessible area. I found a gentler slope, but the arroyo was choked by a mesquite tree, and I had to crawl under it. I spent some time stomping on that and then tried to scale the walls going up, but it was a hopeless task, so I crawled back under the tree. I was surprised to see a very sedate bee slowly crawling on the ground and then looked up to see what looked like a poorly-sheltered honeycomb. I can only assume that it was largely abandoned or that the colony was sedate from yesterday's dousing, not having dried out yet. I'm given to understand that bees can be active down to 43°F, and it was definitely warmer than that. It seemed strange all my crawling and forcing caused no reaction from the colony. Still I'll give that area a wide berth in warmer weather.
I explored other arroyos, and it occurred to me that between fatigue and the short winter daylight, I should probably start heading back. Despite my fatigue and knowledge that there was less exertion in hiking on firm ground, I found myself deviating towards the mud on the way back. It's a compulsion.
West of 56th Street there were more people, and I encountered a mountain bicycling couple. The mud puddle covered the whole trail, and they couldn't escape it, but there was room for both directions, and they made their way through the puddle on their bicycles as I nonchalantly splashed by them.
I probably don't have the energy to duplicate that tomorrow, but I plan to have more mud adventures during this week off work.