Huachuca Sunrise and Goodbye to the Javelinas

The sunrise from Reservoir Peak:

My former home in 1984--the blockish building in the foreground. There was a beautiful old wooden Officers Club next to the lake but it was over fifty years old in 2004 when they finally tore it down. The Army no longer has Officers Clubs.

My newfound friends, who no longer flee when they see me:

More Javelinas ... But Not In A Sandwich

Oh, you wacky blog followers. No, I did not put a javelina in a sandwich. I'm not even sure a javelina would go along with that idea. But I did see more of them today and got another picture. I tried to speak javelina to them but they looked confused:

Then I took a picture of this part of the Huachuca Mountains. There is a bit of a story here. When I went through training in 1984, which Al calls "maneuvers" because he's a military expert, I partook in an extended field training exercise which included a helicopter insertion. The insertion point was the sharp peak in the foreground of the picture below. Now it may not appear too dramatic, but I distinctly remember this event because the landing pad at the top of the peak was about twenty feet square and there were sheer cliffs off three sides and a sharp, dropping trail off the fourth along a ridgeline with steep dropoffs on both sides. It was a breathtaking descent and offload, an even more breathtaking hike down the trail, and frankly, a wonderful experience. We spent the next two nights in the mountains pretending to be a recon/strike team. We conducted a simulated raid on a remote site. We even killed and ate a rattlesnake for dinner one night. We weren't supposed to do that but we did. I wish I could do that whole training sequence again.

Sunrise Javelina Chasing

I spotted them and tried to be stealthy in my approach. Then they spotted me and decided I was Vuyek the Javelina Slayer. They fled. Well, sort of. They trotted off like Javelinas do.

 I was not to be deterred. Using the terrain to hide my movement I was able to cut them off. Experience in coyote chasing is a skill easily transferred, it would seem.

Snow on the Huachuca Mountains at Sunset

Fort Huachuca, Arizona

It has been 32 years since I've been here. Technically more than that, but only by a few days. It has changed so much it is unrecognizable...almost. The beautiful Huachuca Mountains are the same, just covered by snow. Also, the old historical post is kept the same for good reason.

I always loved this view. The high mountain/desert air, too.

Anti-Trump Protests!

I heckled 'em!

Another November Journey to Santa Barbara

To LAX and past Randy's, then to the best donut shop in the world (Tyler's in Carpinteria) and to one of the SB icons: