Wuf’s Den :: ROCKAHOLICS ANNOMYOUS

May 27, 2009

Another May In The AZ Desert

Hey Folks!… Been a while since we’ve been on here to post items, but it’s over 100 degrees out here now and we ‘estivate’ here in the summer… (going inside as much as possible and only come out at night!)

Last of May and already set all time records out here.

Set record for 14 consecutive days in May over 100 degrees…
2 of them 108… 5 over 105… It finally cooled off and had 97 and 16% humidity for Memorial Day weekend!… but back up on the scale by about 2 degrees a day for the next week. Total of 19 days over 100 degrees for month.

Rock picking has slowed way down and last trip out was 3 weeks ago with a (desert tempered) fella from Tuscon and weekend temps were in 105+ region. It took a toll on both of us but I was introduced to ‘SeraLyte ‘ a ‘mix it yourself’ rice based electrolyte drink and it worked for me. Dehydration out here is critical and by the time you realize you’ve stopped sweating you’re well into dedehydration.

[click on thumbnail photos for larger format]

All in search of the infamous ‘Bullard Sandwich’ material

Jumped a deer also
a good size doe for this area

Had an experienced ‘desert rat’ (that brought his own rock hammer!) on this one and we came across a couple nice veins.

Doug had to pose outside the powder magazine in the old ruins.

Some of the stone we dug that outing.

All in all was a good dig but a hot one!

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Got us a new partner!… Jake… ‘Jakeasarus’… as he’s begining to be known around these parts…. If I don’t see someone for a week or so and they look at the pup and ask, "Is that the same dog you had last time?" First 10 weeks he was gaining 1/2 pound a day. 18 weeks now and already 46 pounds.

The Watchful Eye - He thinks he’s hot s&!t because he ran off a pack of coyotes and was bit by a ratttler before he was 4 months old… Got him pretty good - WARNING PHOTO IS GRAPHIC

Mom wasn’t around for second one and it got him with just one fang in the side of face just behind the jaw. Already a desert veteran now. He’ll be watching my back in a few months.

He and mom found his first rattler on March 30 when he was 10 weeks old. It was an experience watching his mom teaching him that it was a danger… Bad danger…. leading them off and staying between them and the rattler.

Wouldn’t allow cub and his brother and even us too close to the rattler in the brush along the trail… I approached it and she didn’t want me to get near it and tried to push me off trail… One shot took care of it and all was well. She still didn’t believe it was dead as you can see in photo above, but knew it was OK. Grandma seemed to agree.

            8 Weeks old Jake ready to go mining!
                         Come on Dad let’s go!
                             We’re burning daylight!
         Until it got hot and now he’s the ultimate shade finder!

Just a couple month later at 17 weeks old on a dig…
Startin’ to look like a wolf!