Saturday Evening

Another day has come and gone and no Thelma. Sadly it's pretty obvious she's not coming back where ever she may be, whatever may have happen. Now the focus is on saving the lamb. On Monday Tom will have help come out from town and the goal will be to either capture the lamb to see if one of the new mothers in town will adopt her and feed her or to get her to learn how to feed from a bottle and eventually a bowl here or he/she probably won't make it. The magic part of course is to accomplish this without pissing off Pinto so he doesn't try and "pack Tom's lunch" as a friend familiar with the process said.

Halls Place

Tom never met Hall. Doesn't know his first name. Only the stories. Hall put a door and a window in front and he and an Indian wife lived in these overhangs for years. Tom took shelter at Hall's Place in a rain storm once and was joined by scorpions, snakes, and spiders. One day Hall sold his land to Last Hurrah and disappeared. Hall's Place is as it was when he vanished years ago.

Caves, Crevices, and Overhangs

John, who works at Last Hurrah, tells Tom the sheep frequently hang out on a rock formation not far from Last Hurrah. Tom checks every cave, crevice, and overhang he can find. No Thelma. Tom finds tracks and follows them to Halls Place.

Comes the Snow

Wednesday and Thursday are all snow, all the time. No sheep, no searching.

The Cliffs

Tom visits the sheep pen to see which direction the freshest and most numerous tracks lead in his quest to find out what has happened to Thelma. A Sparrow Hawk circles for a meal to pick off the many sparrows that have gathered at the pen for spilled over food. Tom follows tracks to the side of the river, thru the tamarisk and along the cliff ledges above the river. It's a very narrow trail where Tom frequently has to crawl or slide over from one ledge to the next. The sheep have been sleeping here most recently but there is no sign of Thelma.

The Search

With previous experience Tom and Shane search all known places the sheep have been. Everywhere they go there are three sets of footprints, not four. All through the long day Pinto, Louise and the lamb watch Tom's movements from high above the lodge. As sunset comes, Tom hikes the hill to see them. As he gets within fifteen feet of them, there is a smell coming from them and the lamb is still calling out. Pinto and Louise act as if it's over. Mothers don't leave their babies. When the chill of darkness comes to the land, instead of leaving for the night to go someplace warm, they stand above the lodge as if refusing to return to their nightly haunt. When morning comes, at first light, Tom will track where they spent the night.

Without Mother

Where's Thelma

Tom hears the lamb calling and walks down to the pen to find they are without Thelma. The lamb tries to get milk from Thelma's sister Louise and she head butts the lamb away. The lamb has been without milk for at least a few days it appears and continues calling out. Pinto and Louise stop every few hundred feet and look behind them. The lamb continues to call out. Thelma is not there. There are no large birds circling in the sky.Tom gathers up his hiking gear, it will be a long day.

Friday and Saturday Night Hockey

On the second night fights break out all over the ice. While Raquel and Tommy hide their eyes during the fights, Linny laughs. When order is eventually restored Linny says "Tom, that was completely unnecessary. You're not suppose to hit."

The Rain, The Rocks

Powell Museum

Linny and Tom visit John Wesley Powell Museum in Green River and see a replica of the boat Powell did the Green and Colorado Rivers twice. Powell had lost an arm at Shiloh in the Civil War.

The Sign

On a day that must have gotten into the high 30's, Tom and Linny go hiking. Linny under the Base Camp sign and the first vehicle of the year we have seen on top of Hurrah Pass.

Friday Evening Sunset

Linny and Tom from a rest stop at Highway 191 and I-70 about 30 miles north of Moab.

Wednesday Down Hurrah

Kane Creek

Saturday Shane took the jeep to town for remodeling materials. During his return Kane Creek ice gave way and Shane and the jeep spent two hours bumper high locked in the broken ice until a Pot Ash vehicle happened along and towed them out. Today, Tom went to town twice for materials. On the return trip of the first run the ice collapsed and Tom just barely got out. Here is the second journey to town and back.

Wednesday

Again?

Tom trudges back up the hill to the lodge and moments after getting there looks out into the front yard and they've returned again.

The Feeding

Tom walks into the pen with the gang right behind him.

You're Late

Each day at noon Tom walks down to the sheep pen to give them corn. Today, Tom had work and didn't make it. When Tom didn't show, Pinto, Thelma, Louis, and Whatever, came to get him, then followed him to the pen. Playing with fire turning your back on Pinto.

While Back in San Diego

More Saturday

Saturday

With temperatures warming all the way into the mid 20's, it's like summer. The gang is seen all over the property.

Pinto, Thelma and Louise, and We're Not Sure Yet

After Tom puts the corn down, and before he can leave the pen, the gang come rushing back in for their treat.

Thursday Evening

Wednesday Evening From the Canyonlands

Who Knew?

80? Click on picture to enlarge.

Last Day in San Diego

Linny spends some time at the beach, heads off to an indoor soccer game at Del Mar and finds her own game. To the hundred plus friends that said "Hi" to Kobae and Tom the last five days hiking through Tierrasanta thank you so much. Kobae brings a lot of enjoyment to our lives too and it was amazing how many people had been worried having not seen him for so long. In a few hours Linny and Tom head back for Utah and then Base Camp and for a couple more months say goodbye to our friend Kobae. A beautiful ending to a So Cal evening.

Everybody Loves a Parade

Kobae, Ava, Tiago, Linny, Raquel, and Cousin It.

Kobae Against the World

It would be nice to think since Kobae's departure for the winter from the canyon lands of Base Camp to be bathed in the warm sun of San Diego he would relax and lose some of his attitude issues. Then again, perhaps not.