Sunday ; Sunny and hot again.
This morning I did an agility session with Bo, then Charlie the "problem dog" came over for his morning behavioural pack walk session. You know, as problem dogs go ... he's not that much of a problem ! We had a pack walk with five dogs. No fights ! A couple of brief episodes of "posturing", no blood lost, no fur flying.
I did some maintenance work, we had an early lunch, and we left to attend a performance of Steel Magnolias by Yuma Community Theater at Gila Ridge Center For Performing Arts. I thought it was a very well executed performance of a mediocre storyline.
We returned home and before our late afternoon pack walk I completed the repairs to the trailer's lower skirt panel damaged by an exploding tire on our Mexico trip. Well done, Daniel ! On our afternoon walk I think Charlie may have "turned a corner" in terms of aggressive behaviour. Time will tell. Well done, Daniel !
We attended the regular Sunday evening ice cream social. Park population is dwindling. The northward migration to summer homes has begun. Afterwards we had supper ( dessert before supper on Sundays ... HA HA HA ) then watched Amazing Race and Celebrity Apprentice on TV.
Monday ; Still sunny and hot. This morning I made some phone calls then took Bo for a short drivey to go pick up my custom fabricated trailer steps repair bracket that I ordered from a local farm implement manufacturing and repair business. It wasn't ready yet ! I returned after lunch and picked it up. It was better than expected !
This afternoon I removed the trailer steps assembly and worked on precisely measuring and drilling the custom repair bracket. Tough work, but it went well.
Charlie was brought over for both a morning and afternoon behaviour modification pack walk. He's doing excellent ! Well done, Daniel ! However ... on the afternoon pack walk, Spanky attacked Angel the Golden Retriever. Angel's owner Cindy got bit by Spanky while she was trying to separate the fighting dogs. OUCH ! ! ! Dog bites hurt ! She has a deep puncture wound and scratches around her wrist. To his credit, Charlie did not get involved. He just looked on, bewildered. Good dog, Charlie. Bo rushed over but stayed out of it. Good dog, Bo. I'm extremely pleased that neither my own dog, nor the "aggressive problem dog" in my care got involved. Neither Bo nor Charlie was on a leash at the time. None of the dogs were. Angel is a very sweet dog, like most Golden Retrievers. Sometimes Spanky's behaviour is ... < raising eyebrows > !
We spent the evening running shopping errands. Long day !
Tuesday ; Yesterday and today had too much doggie drama for me. And WAY too much drama for Joanne !
Still sunny and hot. < sniff, sniff, sniff > MMMMM ... the lemon trees around us are blossoming.
This morning we took Charlie for his morning behavioural modification walk around the dog park, as we have every morning and afternoon for the last four days. He has been brought to us each time not by Charlie's current owner, but by helpful and caring neighbours. Charlie's current owner seems to have given up on him ... or so we were led to believe. The helpful and caring neighbours thought it would be best for all concerned if we ... Joanne and I ... kept Charlie with us for the next couple of days until his new adoptive owners come to get him on Friday. Okay ... fine by us. Only moments later Charlie's current owner showed up to "reclaim" him. And the drama of Charlie goes on ... and on ... and on !
AND ... < sputter > ... moments after that little episode played out ... another neighbour showed up asking us for dog advice and first aid assistance. OH, SHIT ! Molly the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel had blood and pus all over the side of her face and underneath her long, floppy ear. I took one look under the ear and realized she had an abscess on her cheek that had burst. OW ... how painful ! Poor Molly ! I cleaned it ... just a tiny bit ... but it was obvious she was in a lot of pain. On my advice, Molly's owners left with her headed for the local veterinarian. I told them to not even bother phoning for an appointment, just show up as a "walk in emergency". They took my advice.
They returned a few hours later. The abscess on Molly's cheek was now shaved, cut open, drained, and a cloth drain wick was inserted to help remove all the remaining pus and blood over the next few days. Molly and her owners had attended the SKP Roadrunners Chapter 7 Spring Rally out in the desert last week. Molly must have poked herself in the cheek on a cactus quill, or more likely, been bit by a scorpion or tarantula or Black Widow Spider or Brown Recluse Spider or rattlesnake or ... ? ? ? The veterinarian doesn't think it looks like a snake bite, but the necrotizing tissue around the ruptured abscess is indicative of a venomous bite of some sort. Poor Molly ... she's in a lot of discomfort.
This afternoon I completed Guasave accident repair four of eight ! I removed the bathroom fan roof vent lid and operator arm, replaced them, and installed a new MaxxAir ( clone ) cover. It was so hot that Joanne wanted the Arizona room’s swamp cooler put into operation. Okay ! I removed the swamp cooler cover, completed a tiny repair on the swamp cooler, relocated the small desk in the Arizona room away from the swamp cooler outlet on the wall, connected the garden hose to the swamp cooler and ... let ‘er rip ! Cooled off the Arizona room quickly and well !
I arranged a tour of the Humane Society of Yuma’s new animal shelter for SKP Roadrunners Chapter 7 / Kofa Ko-op ... next December. And I booked their multi-purpose room for a fund raising luncheon following the tour. Carol Mae will arrange for a catered lunch, and we will raise funds to sponsor some animals for adoption next Christmas season. Well done, Daniel ... and Carol Mae !
Wednesday ; Still sunny and hot. After my morning behaviour modification session with Charlie we went out to run errands. Bo was eager to go for a drivey. I bought what I needed to repair the Arizona room's swamp cooler at RV Connection. I bought some bungee balls at Sewmasters.
I dropped Joanne off at a laundromat in The Foothills. She needed to wash some small floor rugs and that's not allowed in Kofa Ko-op's washing machines. I went shopping at Al's RV Service & Supplies. I picked up the new skylight I had ordered. I went to "A TO Z BLINDS" to get some nylon bushings to repair broken day / night shades. Just in case ! I refilled Lanoire with diesel.
WOO-HOO ... price of diesel is down ! I picked up Joanne at the laundromat and drove to Wally's World to buy a lot of "guy stuff" I needed. Last stop was a sharpening business to drop off clipper blades for sharpening. We returned home for a late lunch.
In the afternoon I fixed the swamp cooler's water inlet line ... again. I did an obedience session with Bo. What a good dog ! Joanne made lasagne in the Sun Oven to take to this afternoon's Happy Hour Potluck. MMMMM ... lots of good food ! Chatted with George and Betty about how their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Molly is doing. She’s improved in the last day and a half.
In the evening I took Charlie for a long walk around the RV park. Problem dog ? What problem dog ? ! ? He certainly is different than he was five days ago. All he needs is a strong and calm “leader of the pack”.
Thursday ; Still sunny and hot.
< sigh > I'm "Charlie'd" out ! I regret offering to work with Charlie the "problem dog" twice a day for his final week here. Too much human drama involved. Oh, well ... only one more day to go. And ... well ... I did achieve some very good results ! Well done, Charlie, good dog !
After my morning "Charlie session" I worked on some small home improvement and maintenance projects. Joanne went out to run errands. I mounted a new thermometer beside the trailer's rear kitchen window to replace the one lost in Mexico. I installed new plastic bumpers on the dinette chairs to replace the ones lost in Mexico. They help to reduce "road rash" on the dinette chairs from bouncing and rubbing against one another. Admittedly, that's not really much of a problem on most Canadian and American roads.
And then ... I installed the custom made repair bracket underneath the trailer, and with Joanne's help when she returned from running errands, I reinstalled the trailer's steps assembly. Finally ! It's been more than a month and a half since the steps mounting bracket on one side fractured. That was a tough repair ! Well done, Daniel ! Nice engineering work !
After my afternoon "Charlie session" we went out for supper with our friends Carol Mae and Larry. We took them to an El Salvadoran food truck. Warm weather, nice sunset, good El Salvadoran pupusas eaten at a picnic table beside the food truck. Everybody got to practice a bit of Spanish. The owner / operator of the truck, Maria, doesn't speak English.
Friday ; Still sunny and hot. This morning we were joined on the "Charlie session" by Charlie's current owner as well as the other "Charlie regulars". Her first time with us ! I'm eager for this "Charlie drama" to be over ! His new owners will arrive later today. I'm typing this at noon.
After the Bo and Charlie pack walk was over and Charlie and his entourage left, an insurance appraiser arrived. He was hired by the Mexican insurer to appraise the damages to the trailer from the Guasave underpass accident. We climbed up on the roof, he examined all the damage, some of which has been repaired already, and took photos. Which leaves me wondering ... what was the point of the adjuster in Mexico who came out to do the same thing the day after the accident ?
Our friend Pat came over to give me a pound of fresh shrimp. Our deal was ... you supply the fresh shrimp, you clean the shrimp, I cook it in the Sun Oven in fresh coconut milk and lime juice, we have lunch together. I put the shrimp to bake / poach in the Sun Oven while Joanne prepared a rice pilaf and salad. Lunch was good ! After lunch Pat and Tom visited with us in our Arizona room.
Late in the afternoon Charlie was brought over ... with his new owners. We talked ... and walked. They are eager and excited about having Charlie. We discovered that Charlie has friction burns on the pads of his front feet. UH-OH ... poor Charlie. He must have tried to zig and somebody else thought he should zag, while on the park's asphalt streets. The wounds are already healing, so it must have happened at least a few days ago. We did some first aid before Charlie left ... for the last time. Goodbye, Charlie, and good luck. Be a good dog !
Saturday ; Still sunny and hot ! This morning we attended the Open House at the Humane Society Of Yuma. We toured their new facility, then visited with the cats and dogs in the adoption wings.
This afternoon I worked on Guasave accident roof repairs. I removed the remnants of the broken bathroom skylight, grey tank vent pipe cap, and black tank vent pipe cap. Inside the trailer, behind the hallway closet drawers, I cut off the grey tank vent pipe, shoved the broken pipe up through the roof, and installed a new section of pipe. I cut off all of the damaged rubber roof membrane from around the skylight and the two vent pipes. < sigh > All easier said than done ! I damaged both of the new vent pipe caps I had purchased, and will have to buy two more. I'm angry and upset with myself. I have difficulty forgiving myself for mistakes.
DSK
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