Yep, it's that time again. That time where when I drive the curling winding roads on my way home I must dodge lookey-lous staring with their mouths opened to the world, their eyes almost popped out of their heads, and their brains in a bubble of touristic thoughts. Yes folks, I live in a town where the local economy is fueled with tourists dollar bills and wishes to see a small town that was once a hopping mining community. Don't take this as me not liking these folks, my job also depends on these said tourists, but I did not think it would have come this quick in the year. It is fall for Pete's sake, not yet winter. But as I drove home yesterday afternoon I dodged, braked, silently cursed, and praised the sweet Jesus I arrived home without tagging one of these fools while they were walking. I was in a gov ride, so repercussions would have been great. Now had I been in my personal vehicle, well, that is another story.

Fall is my favorite time of year. It is probably because of my birthing month, or the weather, or the pumpkin tasting foods, or the brisk in the wind. But I LOVE Fall. And the weekend of my birthday rang in the beginning of fall for me. I have wanted to hit the road and go camping since I bought my new car, and since the new doggy poo I rescued needed the amount of surgeries that she did, each time I made plans they were curbed by my sense of being a responsible adult and caring for this little bundle of crazy joy. But a three day weekend, no surgeries to recover from, and the willingness to get high in the realm of elevation were the perfect ingredients for a birthday camping trip.

I try to make it up to Mt. Graham each year to camp, so that is where my direction led me. Didn't reach all the way to the lake, stopped short at the Shannon campground. What a lucky score! Got the tent set up just in time for the night.

The tent line views

On the morning stroll

New plant species on my list...Rumex, aka Chiricahua dock

Waterfall on the adventure ride

Along the road to the top

Poor G man! Too cold for the little perros

 The dogs absolutely loved camping! Guero had been before to the trip in Mexico where I found he is a lover of tents. But this was little miss Frieda Paprika's first time (with me anyhow) to go camping. She started out with all her stitches in her lost eye, but all the digging and playing and rouging about removed them throughout  the weekend. Who knew that a mere camp trip would take those pesky purple strings out.

All stitches in at the beginning of the trip

Only one stitch remains, soon proved to be lost