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Since Sonora was injured, I decided to go trail running in Saguaro National Park. The Eastern District is only a few miles from my house, and yet I had never been there because they don’t allow dogs. Well, this was the perfect opportunity to go check it out.

I got a late start on the first outing, but checked the sunset and twilight times and figured I’d be fine. I decided to run a loop which started at the Broadway Trailhead and included Shantz, Pink Hill, Loma Verde, Cholla, and Cactus Forest Trails. The total mileage, according to the map, is 3.3 miles. I figured I could easily finish under 45 minutes and be done before dark. Well, the trail winds around trees and cactus, goes up & down washes, and is very sandy due to the horses that have come before me (and apparently horses are okay and dogs aren’t). I also kept stopping to take pictures of the mountains, cactus, sunset, and giant jackrabbits. So my progress was a little slower than I thought and by the time I got to the Loma Verde Mine it was twilight.

Fortunately, this Eagle Scout is always prepared, and I had brought my headlamp (as well as a map, compass, matches, and plenty of water). I ended up doubling back along the Pink Hill Trail since completing the loop would have been a longer distance. Of course, hiking out in the dark slowed me down even more, and I heard a pack of coyotes howling like crazy between me and the car. Note to self: if I’m not eaten, get an earlier start next time.

Obviously I made it back safely, so the next time out I followed my own advice and started 45 minutes earlier. This time I ran a complete loop heading south from the Broadway Trailhead on the Cactus Forest Trail and returning north on the Mica View Trail. This loop was a little shorter than the last one at only 2.1 miles. Once again, I was snapping pictures of all the beautiful flora & fauna of the Sonoran desert. I came across another jackrabbit who is probably used to all the hikers and didn’t mind me getting within 10 feet of him.

There’s a really nice trail system through the park with a lot of interconnecting trails, all well-worn and properly signed, i.e. slim chance of getting lost. I think I’ll be occasionally heading back even after Sonora heals… just don’t tell her.

Enjoy the pictures!

Late Sunday afternoon I was out in the backyard giving Sonora, my black lab, some always-needed exercise. We were playing her favorite game (fetch) with her favorite toy (the frisbee). On one of my tosses, she tripped a bit and gave a little yelp. She caught the frisbee, but didn’t come back and was holding a paw in the air. Usually this means there’s a thorn and she’s waiting for me and my opposable thumbs to take it out. However, I don’t have any thorny plants in my backyard, and when I went over to check on her she brushed it off and ran back to my throwing spot, ready to retrieve some more.

I tossed the frisbee a few more times and we went inside. A few minutes later I noticed the blood spots every couple feet on the floor. I took a look and she had torn her nail pretty badly. It was broken in half yet still attached, and her quick was very exposed. Ouch!

I immediately consulted the finest minds of veterinary care (a.k.a. Google) and found all kinds of crazy remedies involving cornstarch, teabags, a bar of soap, and superglue. Deciding that perhaps Google wasn’t the D.V.M. I thought it was, I decided to simply sterilize it and bandage the wound.

Yesterday I took Sonora to the real vet since she was due for her Bordatella booster anyway. He recommended sedation, removal of the broken nail, and cauterization, which supposedly would have had her back to normal in 24 hours. He termed this the “Cadillac treatment” — perhaps because he wanted a shiny new Cadillac and was hoping I’d spend hundreds of dollars fixing a broken nail. Being on a limited budged, I asked for the “Yugo treatment” instead. This involved taking Sonora in the back “so she wouldn’t blame me,” pinning her down, cutting/yanking the nail off, and wrapping the entire paw in a sterile, antibiotic-filled wrap. They sent me on my way with some more antibiotics.

So now Sonora has about a week-long recovery with a dressing that I’m not supposed to take off until Friday. They said she could walk on it, but it’s obvious it still hurts–the poor girl has been limping around the house. I can tell she has energy and really wants to play fetch, but definitely doesn’t like chasing the ball around on three legs.

The token sympathy pictures: