A Friend's Return

Heckle and Jeckle (Cactus Wrens).  The cartoon ones were Magpies

JC and his wife made a brief return to the area in order to pick up Shaque's ashes.  JC let us know he was going to do a brief hike west of Tortugas, and we were happy to run into him.  We trekked the last half of the inner loop with him, talking about his best buddy, Shaque.  Back at the cars JC showed me--and then Jimmy who showed up to say hello--some photos of Shaque when he was a pup.  "Precious memories," JC called them.  He and his wife are heading to Phoenix today, then back to Fairbanks in a week or so.

Jeckle took off

Rocky western slope

A large patch of Prickly Pear Cactus

A dog with a sense of humor

Heading back up the mountain