Searching for a Rainbow

April 14th- May 2nd

Another 15 day rotation at work is complete and I am now on a 5 hour flight to LAX to meet up with Shadow, a friend from the AT, California, his wife Elizabeth, and of course Judy.  While I was slaving at work (just kidding), Shadow made his way from Tucson to San Diego passing through the desert where Beulah's air conditioning quit working.  Windows down, Judy sniffed the air of California for the first time.  Although travel day isn't her favorite, she takes the opportunity to catch up on her rest.  

The two traveled the 8 hours in one day and Shadow found a hospital for Beulah.  After scouting the San Diego area and completing more of his marathon training, he began prepping for our next hiking trip.  This time we (us and California) plan to complete the Trans-Catalina Island Trail.  Unfortunately Judy is prohibited to stay in the campgrounds so both her and Beulah will need babysitters.  California and Elizabeth invited us to stay with them in San Clemente before heading out.  The Trans Island Trail normally could be done in 4 days, but we decided to add an extra night on at a campsite on the beach.  It's hard to escape the mentality of hiking all day like the we did on the AT.  Maybe this will force us to smell the roses.  

Last week I received word that an old friend from Nashville has started the 3,100 mile Continental Divide Trail.  Shadow and I are jealous and have been eagerly awaiting each of Nimbus Dodger's blog posts to see how he is doing. Last word was that he was in Lordsburg, NM with a broken hiking pole and blisters...ahhh that brings back many memories.  It seems that Judy has created a following of her own through our blog.  Here's a quick story for you fans.  After her foot bothered her during our Gila Wilderness hike, I decided that she needed some doggy hiking boots.  Yes, they make those.  We took her to a local outdoor store in Tucson to try on a pair.  As I began putting the boots on her paws, she decided that retail therapy was not her thing.  After the fourth velcro boot was attached, she began kicking and jumping like a donkey until each of them flew off.  Needless to say she was not amused and we left the store without them.  

The journey we are on is sometimes hard to explain.  I'm not sure if we are running away from our old lives or chasing down our new ones.  Neither of us knows when and/or where it will end.  Maybe one day we will pull into a town that "Speaks our language", or maybe we have turned our future homestead into a unicorn.  

Judy's hiking boots

Beulah in the hospital