My excellent googling skills have revealed that I am in what is called the Mogollon Rim. It’s a geological feature and you can find out more on Wikipedia!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogollon_Rim

Puck enjoys Horton Creek…

With guidance from the friendly Ranger at the Ranger Station, Puck and I have found some lovely trails. Puck’s favorite so far is Horton Creek because, yep, it follows a creek! It’s a 3.5-mile climb and we have hiked and biked it. My favorite is the portion of the Highline Trail we rode this morning. It’s rolling, so it’s easier on me and it is quite lovely as it travels along below a long ridge line (I suspect it is the Rim…). No creek, but Puck carried his water and he did great. There was one decent puddle and he contemplated lying down in it, but he couldn’t quite make it work. He also chased a really large bull elk down the trail and that might have made his week. Luckily the elk can go cross country. Puck not so much.

We’ve been getting out early so as to avoid crowded trails. As we finished our bike ride on the Horton Creek Trail yesterday, the crowds were really starting to build. Puck delighted several groups of kids with his crazy antics. Today we saw no one on the trail, another point for the Highline Trail!

…And Highline Trail!

There was one group just starting out on a hike this morning as we pulled into the parking lot: They were climbing up to the top of the Rim and wondered if I had seen any turning leaves. I looked around and pretty much every tree was a pine tree. I didn’t know how to break this to them. Come to think of it I HAD seen one deciduous tree turning colors on Horton Creek. They seemed pretty bummed about the lack of fall colors but I told them I was sure they would see colors on the Rim (like I know?!).

I’ve resigned myself to afternoon Cold Brew at Starbucks. You feel bad for me, I know. What a tough life.

Maya is hanging in there. Sometimes it seems like she is settling down to die and other times I see a bit of the old Maya. We found a great vet in Payson yesterday and they gave her more fluids and more drugs. They sent me home with some different food to try and with a bag of fluids to give her myself. I was dubious as to my nursing abilities, but this morning I successfully gave Maya her daily subcutaneous fluids. Then I promptly stuck myself with the needle. Of course.

I’ve been mixing her food with a lot of water and she’s trying to eat. I think she may just be drinking the water, but hopefully there are some nutrients in there. She’s crying at me a lot and all I can do is snuggle her and tell her I wish I could make her feel better.

It has been interesting & sad to watch Makoya react. She has essentially abandoned her sister. She growls at Maya and won’t let her snuggle. I have no idea what is going on. I’m not sure if Makoya thinks this is some imposter Maya. Or perhaps she thinks she doesn’t want what Maya has. Or maybe she is just being an animal and moving on from the sick and the weak. I don’t know, but it is hard to see. Maya could use her sister right now.