 Forty minutes from my home is the top of Mount Lemmon. I have no idea why this is my first visit of the summer, given the beauty and temps 20-25 degrees cooler. I pause at Windy Point Vista then.....  ...pass this iconic rock formation known as the "Old Man". Actually, I have no idea if it has a name but seemed appropriate.  I begin my hike at 57 degrees...brrrr! Lots of Aspen trees, pines, etc...  They're a lot more careful with forest management after the disastrous fires of the last 22 years.  I get on the "Meadow Trail" and emerging from the trees, I am greet with this view!  Oh....  ....wow!!!!!  At this elevation, above 10,000', clouds gather and rain can fall at any time. So, I hang a left on "Mount Lemmon Trail", knowing a right would take me to the hidden pools or Wilderness of Rocks loop, etc...  I was also motivated to hike this day because I'm bringing a friend in a few days and it'd be embarrassing to become lost, lol.  Center left, is a fire watch tower that I think is still in use. Maybe the ranger also uses drones now to monitor the forest.  It's only about 2 miles so then I began the drive home, pausing to take pics of long dead trees, caught in a fire.  I stopped at "7 Cataracts" and wow, a vehicle had recently run into this wall, collapsing it. Peering over the side, I saw no evidence the vehicle had gone any farther.
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 I rode around a corner and encountered this healthy king snake. Alas, my presence caused it to perform a U-turn and it didn't actually cross the road.  It seems I'm fixated on our sunrises and sunsets but why not? Gorgeous as they are.  Ohhh, monsoon activity but it was a feint and we did not receive rain.  Always something to see on Woodland Road including....  ....the horses getting showered while they eat.  The mountain sides are noticeably greener now. OK, now up to the mountain.
 Monsoon activity died down but there were some very isolated showers that did not hit in my vicinity.  A road runner paid me a visit!  I shoved off for yet another early morning ride and headed to Sabino Canyon where I....  ....encountered park rangers stopping cyclists and giving friendly warnings about mainly speed but also being overly aggressive with walkers, especially on the numerous bridges which are rather narrow. I'd like to think this will remedy the problem but it won't. The following day I talked to the ranger again and he said the next step was to bring in law enforcement and start issuing tickets and eventually, if necessary, denying the road to cyclists. I stated that I've witnessed plenty of odd behavior from walkers and he said, "Oh I know. I drive the road several times a day."  The evening view from my patio. I love it!  SC creek has been reduced to a trickle of water flow but on this day, I did see 3 rabbits. With all the rattlesnakes, I wonder how the rabbits survive but they do. OK, enough of the heat which returned after a few day hiatus so time to head higher.
 I've really gotten hooked on riding Sabino Canyon Road. It's 3 miles of rolling terrain with an additional, good 1 mile climb to the top. Currently, if I enter by 6:30am, I can ride all the way in the shade.  Of course, the scenery is magnificent.  Finally, after two days of showers, the water reached the canyon bottom again.  Families came out and were having a good time in the creek's pools.  Such an unusual sight, people walking upstream.  My patio has a nice view.  Clouds lingered producing awesome sunrises.  Alas, more rain has been forecast but failed to materialize around me.
 I visited Sabino Canyon to check on the creek. During my 3 mile hike I observed many pools but no running water. Given the 1"+ of rain, certainly it was a matter of time.  Low clouds.  Every time I pass this rock wall, I do so quickly cause there is a bee hive in one of the openings. All the AZ hives have been colonized by the African bee so gotta be careful.  Very nice!  Descending the road, I noticed this pool, in which there were many frogs, croaking.  More rain and I rode to the top of Sabino Canyon Road and the creek was flowing at all the crossings.  More interesting clouds arrived but alas, no rain this day.
 And so, I began the drive, intent to drive straight through other than brief rest stops and gas stations. Crater Lake, beautiful!  I forget where I was at this point but if I had to guess, that's the fire north of the Grand Canyon, which destroyed the lodge and still, mostly out of control.  I spent a couple of hours in northern CA, sleeping in my car but got an early start when dawn arrived.  Oh boy, then freaking Nevada.  And again, the Crescent Dunes Energy Project which fries thousands of birds.  And the Clown Motel once again where I had no desire to visit and after 30 hours of driving/sleeping.....  ....wow! What luck to arrive in southern AZ where large storms were to my east and west but a narrow opening straight down I10 so I didn't get much rain. Above, I had to take an off ramp to take this pic of the setting sun and Picacho Peak.  It rained again the following morning and we had two nice days of showers, totaling over 1.5" which is a bunch.
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