August 22, 2025

REMINDER: YOUR SUBMISSIONS ARE ENCOURAGED

Overview for this week.

1. The Arizona State Fair in Phoenix is coming up in September. bringing rides, games, fair food, livestock & petting zoos, a rodeo, monster trucks, and concerts from Grammy winning artists.

2. Endurance athletes from around the world gathered together in the high Rockies last Saturday to compete in one of the most challenging ultramarathons, The Leadville 100. New course records were set in both the men's and women's races.

3. I'm doing a little catch-up with Dr. Hayward M. Fox this week and have his two most recent blog posts, including a new guided meditation for the Flock.

4. In the Kid's Corner, I'm making a recommendation for a weekly news and current affairs magazine aimed at kids between 8 and 14.

5. In Nature, I have a story of a hiker's chance meeting with an extremely rare and endangered Cascade red fox. It's a reminder to keep your eyes open for wildlife, because you never know what you might see on the trail.

6. I have a Reader Submission this week, one of my Tucson hiking buddies, Julie Woolsey, who's been in Alaska, has shared some photos and video of a momma bear catching salmon for her cubs.

7. I had my babies out for too long in the summer heat this week and the pads on their paws got a little burnt, so I'm including some paw first aid in this week's Pet's Corner.

Now, to this week's Flock.

The Arizona State Fair will run from September 19th to October 26th in Phoenix this year. The fair has all of the rides, games, and food you expect to find at the fairgrounds, plus concerts, rodeo events, a figure 8 car race, and all-star monster truck shows. I'm particularly fond of the Agriculture and livestock exhibits because they remind me of visiting the family farm in New Hampshire as a child. Along with the petting zoos, they are a great way to introduce kids to farming.

From: KTAR News, By: Jeff Vinton, August 18, 2025

Get ready for five weeks of concerts, rides, food, games and more as the 141st Arizona State Fair is almost here.

The fair will run Thursdays-Sundays from Sept. 19 to Oct. 26. It is located at the intersection of 19th Avenue, Grand Avenue and McDowell Road.

This year’s fair will feature rodeos, racing, monster trucks and a performance from a Grammy Award winner.

What is September Nights at the Arizona State Fair?

September Nights will be a nightly event at the fair from Sept. 19 to Sept. 28. There will be special deals and performances.

Some of the deals available will be a “Dream Pass,” a package of 10 rides or games and fair admission available for less than $50, and a coupon book that will have special savings for anyone who attends the fair during the event. The coupon book will also include a ticket for free admission to the fair in October.

There will also be special deals available on food from 10 p.m. to closing during September Nights.

Some of the special performances during September Nights include Wrestling Superstars Live, Shanghai Circus Acrobats, a Japanese drum show and an agriculture show featuring large animals such as longhorns, Watusi cattle and a mammoth jack donkey.

Last Saturday, August 16th, was the 42nd running of one of the most challenging ultras, the Leadville 100 ultramarathon. The Leadville 100, the "Race Across the Sky", features a cross-country course of rugged trails and dirt roads through the heart of the Rocky Mountains. The out-and-back course starts and finishes in Leadville, CO, at an elevation of 10,200 feet. Throughout the course, runners are challenged with steep climbs and descents, technical terrain, and two passes through the thin air of its highest point, the 12,500 feet high Hope Pass, yielding 15,000 feet of elevation gain over the whole course.

From: Runner's World, By: Theo Kahler, August 19, 2025

Over the weekend in the mountains of Colorado, we witnessed two of the most impressive ultrarunning performances of the year.

Saturday night, David Roche broke the tape at the Leadville 100 in a new course record of 15:12:30, bettering his headline-grabbing course record from 2024 by over 14 minutes. About three hours later, Anne Flower came through in her own course record time, easily winning the women’s race and finishing second overall in 17:58:19.

The two, in many ways, took different paths to the start line. Roche, 37, is a well-known name on the trail scene. He has a popular podcast and YouTube channel and is known for his unabashed positivity. In June, Roche competed at the Western States 100, but he dropped out at the mile 62 aid station, citing mental struggles.

Flower, on the other hand, is not a household name. Leadville was the 35-year-old’s first 100-mile race. When she’s not logging miles, she’s working shifts as an emergency room doctor.

But both have taken down legendary marks at Leadville. Last year, Roche broke Matt Carpenter’s mark set in 2005, and Flower’s time this year is quicker than Ann Trason’s 1994 record. The Leadville course is situated at high altitude—over 9,000 feet above sea level—and has more than 15,000 feet of elevation gain.

While I was traveling over the last month and a half, I got a little behind on blog updates from the Flock's favorite teacher, Dr. Fox, sorry, Hayward. Dr. Fox is on the mend and posting regularly to his blog at the Institute for Personal and Transpersonal Knowledge. This week, I'm catching up and including links to his two most recent blog posts. The first is a new guided meditation that Dr. Fox recorded earlier in the month. I highly recommend clicking through and listening to it in a quiet spot.

Feel the Aliveness of Being

Written By Hayward Fox, August 13, 2025

We tend to be so thought 
focused that we ignore the
vibrations of life.

Hope you find this brief 
practice enlivening.

Feel the Aliveness of Being

Hayward

In this addition of the Kids' Corner, I would like to recommend a spin-off of the weekly news magazine, The Week. The Week Junior has United Kingdom and United States editions, just like its sister publication. Instead of targeting an adult readership, it is aimed at readers between 8 and 14 years of age. Its content includes age-appropriate current affairs news articles, inspirational stories, activities, and projects. The goal of the publishers is to foster a love of reading in its young subscribers. Having a printed magazine of their own to look forward to each week also provides a positive diversion from screen time on tablets and phones.

From: The Week Junior

Imagine a magazine that can inspire 8- to 14-year-olds to discuss the news of the week with their parents, teachers, and friends. Right now,The Week Junior is empowering hundreds of thousands of kids across all 50 states to love reading, develop their own points of view, and find their voice. No wonder they love it.

• Our readers run to the mailbox. Every week, our subscribers devour 32 colorful pages full of thought-provoking articles, eye-catching photos, and big ideas—addressed to them and delivered right to their home. It’s amazing to see how kids engage and what they are inspired to express, think about, and do.
• It’s sparking their natural superpower: reading.You know just how wonderful reading is for your child. Reading sparks a lifetime love of learning, gets kids on track for success, and helps them identify and follow their passions. There are stories in The Week Junior that speak to every child and inspire them to keep reading.
• Watch them develop their own point of view...and express it. You’ll be delighted by what your child will bring to the dinner table—and into their classrooms—after reading The Week Junior. They’ll form their own opinions based on trusted, objective, unbiased reporting presented by literacy-minded editors and best-in-class fact-checkers.

Wildlife photographer Raychel Burke was hiking a trail near Mt.Rainier crossed paths with an endangered Cascade red fox. You never know what you might run into when you are out on a hike, so keep your eyes open for wildlife.

From: MSN.com, By: Alana Francis-Crow, August 16, 2025

A few years ago, Washington-based wildlife photographer Raychel Burke was out on a hike in the Mount Rainier area when a fellow hiker warned her about a coyote on the trail. But when Burke came across the “coyote” the hiker had described, she thought the animal looked more like a fox.

“Suddenly, a small, dark canine walked right toward me on a trail, but was much smaller than I expected,” Burke told The Dodo.

When Burke got home, she looked up the animal she’d seen and was shocked to discover that she’d come across a Cascade red fox — a critically endangered species.

“Being a wildlife photographer with a background in zoology and conservation, I was thrilled to learn later that I crossed paths with one of the rarest subspecies of fox on the planet,” Burke said.

Cascade red foxes are a rare, elusive species, who thrive in high-altitude regions. There are only a few dozen left on Earth, and all of them live in a small area of Washington State.

“They are smart and tough, surviving in the unforgiving landscape of the sub-alpine zone, one of the snowiest places in the States,” Burke said.

Over the past two years, Burke and her family have come across this Cascade red fox several times while out on hikes…

As much as Burke loves getting to observe this special animal in her natural habitat, she always keeps her distance, which is crucial for keeping Cascade red foxes safe. It’s incredibly dangerous for wild animals, especially endangered ones, to become habituated to humans.

Momma bear on the bank of Anan Creek in Southeast Alaska

Flock reader, friend, and Tucson hiking buddy, Julie Woosley, was at the Anan Wildlife Observatory in Alaska's Tongass National Forest and has shared these photos and videos of a momma bear catching pink salmon in the Anan Creek while her cubs wait on the creek's bank. Once she had her catch, all three scampered up the hillside into the forest.

Photos & Video by Julie Woosley

Fishing for salmon in Anan Creek, Alaska.

Momma knows Salmon is rich in omega-3s and amino acids.

Now that Mom's caught lunch, It's time to head back up the slope.

The beauty of the Tongass National Forest

I made a mistake this week that I feel terrible about. I was out in the heat too long with two of my babies, and the pads on their little paws got a bit burnt on the hot pavement. I feel terrible because I posted about keeping your cats and dogs safe in the summer heat back in June, and one of the tips was to consider dog booties for hot pavement. Luckily, they weren't burned too badly, so I cleaned them up and am treating them with some Neosporin and a few days inside with air conditioning and puppy pads. Below is some information on first aid for burnt paw pads.

From: VCA Animal Hospitals, 
By: Malcolm Weir, DVM, MsC, MPH; Ryan Llera, BSc, DVM; LYnn Buzhardt, DVM

What should I do if my dog has a burned foot pad?

In addition to cuts and punctures, dogs often injure their foot pads when exposed to extreme temperatures or chemicals. Even though foot pads are tough, they can burn on a scorching sidewalk in the middle of the summer or on icy surfaces during the winter. If your dog licks at their feet or limps after a summer or winter stroll, soothe their pads by soaking the foot in room-temperature water. If the pads become discolored or if the tissue under the pad becomes exposed, contact your veterinarian. Severe burns must be treated by your veterinarian.

Burns can also be caused by chemicals. If your dog steps into a corrosive substance, hold the foot under running water for several minutes, then, wash the paw in mild soap and rinse thoroughly. Wear gloves to avoid skin irritation: if it burns your dog, it may burn you too.

Your veterinarian may recommend applying an antibiotic ointment to the burned foot pad and bandaging the paw. Daily bandage changes and close monitoring of the injury are important. Report any changes to your veterinarian.

Dog booties can help protect paws on hot pavement

Desert poppies & lupines bloom after the monsoon rains

These Flock regulars are always here for you:

Cita Scott for paintings, photography, and culinary art. Cita will be in and out of town all summer. Don't hesitate to give her a jingle. (520) 404-1551

Kimberly Gomer, MS, RD/LDN

Registered and licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist. Find me on my website at KimberlyGomer.com for information about nutrition coaching.

Sarah Smallhouse & Make Elections Fair ArIzona

– Sign the petition here

Sensitive & Specific: The Testing Newsletter by Mara G. Aspinall and Liz Ruark. Mara is always here to help in understanding testing knowledge and how it's being applied.

Kyria Sabin of Fletcher Pilates,

(520) 323-7070

The Fabric Jeanie!

Tap to learn more. 

(520) 245-0589

Linda Collazo, mezzo-soprano

for piano and voice lessons

Andres Valbuena, drum selection, drum basics, and more.

Dr. Hayward M. Fox, Ph.D.

The institute of Personal andTranspersonal Knowledge

Tucson Village Farm:

Vegetaable growing in the summer heat.

The Physio Shop,

Elite physical therapy services and more.

Icebox Cryotherapy,

Icebox Tucson’s unique enhancers allow you to be your best version! 

Nathan Anderson of Catalina Acupuncture

(520) 999-0080

Don't Be Shy: Share Your Stories!

I'm looking forward to sharing more of your personal stories - oral, written, or otherwise, as we enter our third year. I'd so love to present them to The Flock, hit a mailbox below to share your story.

Holualoa Ed Fit Wellness & Culture 2

520-818-4433

View as Webpage