In Memoriam

 Hi all,

This is my first special post.  I am deeply saddened by the sudden and shocking passing on November 5th of my Hiking Buddy (HB as I've called him in this blog for the past 2 years).  He and I were work friends for 30 years.  We ate lunch together every week (Whataburger was our go to).  We both retired at the same time in December of 2015 and started hiking all over Arizona together nearly every week.  HB was a young 64 year old who looked forward to many more Arizona adventures and spending time with his lovely wife.  Our lives strangely paralleled as he lost his beloved mom around the same time I lost my beloved dad.  Then he lost his dad around the same time my father-in-law passed this year.  We would share funny (and sad) stories of caring for parents in assisted living facilities.  

We loved hiking in the Superstition Wilderness, but HBs favorite spot was the Inner Basin near Flagstaff.  He has a special spot west of there, way off trail where he spread the ashes of some of his favorite dogs many years ago.  The dog tags are still there last we checked in July of 2019.  

Since I am moving to Colorado, I was ready to say goodbye anyway, but I wasn't expecting to say goodbye forever.  Life is fleeting; savor every moment.

Here are some of my favorite photos of HB on our many hikes:

Happy Trails HB...