Sunday ; Gila Bend to Yuma, Arizona
This morning before leaving Gila Bend Shell we dumped Elsie's waste holding tanks, refilled the fresh water tank, put air in the tire that's been slowly losing air, and refilled with diesel. We headed west on Interstate 8 back towards Yuma. We stopped at Dateland and had date shakes for lunch. Including Bo. Poor Bo, the last two times we've had date shakes in Dateland, once a week ago and once last year, he was ill or recovering from illness, and we didn't allow him to have any date shake. But today ... WOO-HOO ... Bo had date shake !
Approaching Yuma from the east we stopped at Fry's in The Foothills to buy a few grocery items, then headed to the Humane Society of Yuma for Bo's 3 PM agility class. It was cooler than last Sunday, so all the dogs were more comfortable this week. Bo was not as focussed and disciplined as he was last week, but still did well, and enjoyed the experience. Two more dogs joined the class, so now there were nine. And ... all did quite well ... all "got it". It wasn't so last Sunday, the first week.
We were hopeful that once we got home, Sully would find comfort in his "home" litter box, and his constipation would end. NO ! It's now been eight days, and we're getting very worried.
Instead of watching the Super Bowl ... as everyone else in the United States seemed to be doing tonight ... we watched Doc Martin and Downton Abbey, our regular Sunday evening ritual. And I ate Joanne's wonderful, home made, fresh guacamole with my "custom ordered" flour / vegetable oil tortilla chips. Great !
Monday ; Nine days without a bowel movement, Sully ! Could you be more anal retentive ? ! ?
This morning the first of half a dozen neighbours came over with a copy of yesterday's Yuma Sun newspaper. And there on the front page ... above the fold, yet ... was a large picture of ... ME ! HA HA HA ! It was a photo of me, walking Penguin the Husky at the Humane Society a couple of weeks ago. The photo accompanied an article on the Humane Society of Yuma. Thank you to all the neighbours who brought me a copy.
And ... in desperation ... we tried to end Sully's constipation. First I inserted a petroleum jelly lubricated cotton swab very slowly into his rectum , hoping that would trigger a bowel evacuation. Obviously that caused Sully great distress, but an hour later ... still nothing in the litter box. So ... Plan B ! With great trepidation, I very slowly inserted a gloved, lubricated index finger into his rectum. My entire finger ! Much more distress ! Still no bowel movement. < sigh > After lunch, it was time for Plan C. Because Plan D was an emergency trip to the veterinarian. Plan C was ... I slowly injected a three ounce syringe full of warm water into his rectum. TWICE ! A six ounce warm water enema. Lots of distress, obviously. BUT ... after the second syringe, we put Sully down on the floor and ... he waddled as quickly as he could over to the litter box and ... ten seconds later ...
HALLELUJAH ! ! ! Wow, Sully ... how could you have held that much for that long ? ! ?
We still don't know what caused him to be ill for a couple of days a week ago, and we don't know why such severe constipation resulted but ... we're just very relieved that it's over. As is Sully ! He was very content this afternoon, lying in the sun, grooming and snoozing. Once again I'm hopeful that he can make it to his eighteenth birthday in eight months.
I did not attend this afternoon’s “Cooking For Life” cancer survivors’ cooking class. I’ve “dropped out”. I’m just not a lentils kind of guy !
Tuesday ; Sunny and warm.
Well ... I had quite a volunteer shift at the Humane Society today ! Our friend and neighbour Carol Mae came along to do her volunteer shift this week at the same time as us. Our objective was for her and I to walk dogs together. Only one dog can be walked per volunteer, so when there are two dogs in a kennel, as is sometimes the case, it takes a pair of volunteers working together to walk both dogs at the same time.
Carol Mae made the first selection. A pair of Catahoula Leopard dogs in one cage. Big fellas ! Nineteen month old siblings. One large, one huge ! While we were attempting to get leashes around their necks while letting them out of the cage, the huge one leaped out, knocking me over, and charging over top of me in an attempt to get out ! I tackled him. We wrestled. Carol Mae screamed at me to just let him go before I got injured. PHHHHTTTTT ... I don't ****ing think so ! We wrestled ! Powerful fellow ! I lost ! He escaped ! My elbow was smashed ! It hurt ... and still does, many hours later.
Buzz ... or Woody ... no way to tell which was which ... ran out the open door of the building. I picked myself up off the floor and headed out after him, Carol Mae following, with the other dog on a leash. I chased the huge dog around futilely. Carol Mae opened the gate into the small, fenced play area and entered with her dog on the leash. And fortunately, the loose one followed them in. I entered the play area and closed the gate. The dogs ran around feely for a few minutes blowing off steam. I licked my wounds, so to speak. After about five minutes they calmed down, we leashed both of them, and walked them around the grounds for half an hour or so. By the end of half an hour, they were acting sweet and docile. Oh, yeah ... it's all fun and games until somebody's eye gets poked out !
Speaking of which ... next was Louie. I named him. He was a small terrier mix. With a mangled eye. And front claws that were over an inch long. So long that Louie could not put his weight on his front legs. When he attempted to stand, the pain of such overgrown claws forced his feet to turn over sideways. Poor guy. I picked him up, carried him to the grooming room, and clipped his claws. Probably the first time in his two year life that they were trimmed. I also used baby wipes to clean his pus filled eye socket. The eye was still there, but severely damaged. Didn't seem to be causing pain, though. He was another obvious puppy mill dog. Claws never trimmed, damaged eye not treated, had no idea how to interact with humans, wouldn't make eye contact ... ! ! !
I carried him into the small, fenced play area. Within half an hour he was walking happily on grass, making eye contact, wagging his tail ... acting like a regular dog. Carol Mae was astounded at what could be achieved in just half an hour. HEY ... it's all in the wrist action, baby. HA HA HA !
Louie was my success story of the day. But tonight ... my elbow sure hurts !
Wednesday ; Sunny and warm. Joanne used the Sun Oven to cook two large pots full of Beef Provencal, our contribution to tonight's communal dinner.
I'm a bit stiff and sore from yesterday's "wrestling match" with a Catahoula Leopard dog. My bruised elbow doesn't hurt as much today as it did yesterday.
Joanne spent today cleaning the truck camper after our week long trip, and preparing for tonight's dinner. She was hosting a table of fourteen at Kofa Ko-op's annual Renters' Appreciation Dinner. The leaseholders / lot owners feed the renters / travellers. Our table was four leaseholder couples and three renter couples. As table host Joanne had to provide the main entree, and co-ordinate the contributions of the other three leaseholder women.
I did an obedience session with Bo. I did some minor maintenance and "home improvement" work on Elsie. And I resumed working on some auto body repairs on a neighbour's motorhome. I had previously fixed the damage on the motorhome's front bumper. And the results were ... poor ! So ... I'm redoing the front bumper repair. And undertaking a larger repair on the rear bumper. Wish me luck !
Tonight's Renters' Appreciation Dinner was attended by ... WOW ... about 200 people ! Might be a new clubhouse record ! Afterwards we gave "tours" to some people who were interested in seeing our truck camper, then we spent the evening socializing in our Arizona room with friends from Texas.
Thursday ; Started out cloudy and warm, became sunny and warm.
Did some "home improvement" projects on Elsie the truck camper today. Removed the window blinds' plastic hold down clips and replaced them with custom modified metal clips. Painted the fridge exterior vent door and frame. I wanted to replace it. Joanne wanted it repainted black. Did auto body work on a neighbour's motorhome. Putty, sand, putty, sand, putty, sand. Should be ready for painting tomorrow.
Went shopping after a late supper. Joanne stayed home and did laundry. Bo came along with me for a drivey. Went to Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy, and Lowe's. One of the items I needed was a syringe to administer medicine to Sully. < whispering > I used the one we had to give him an enema on Monday. Walgreens price was seven dollars.
I thought that seemed a bit excessive for a little plastic syringe. I went across the street to CVS. They gave me two ... for free ! Thank you, CVS Pharmacy.
Friday ; Sunny and warm.
Slept late this morning. Got a late start to the day. Headed to The Foothills for the monthly 15% off sale on everything at Al's RV Service & Supply. Also shopped at 99 Cent Only Store. Had lunch at A Touch Of Thai / Vinnipeg Palace. It was GREAT ! Owned and operated by a woman from Thailand, and her Ukrainian husband from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, our hometown. My grandparents' generation of Ukrainians who immigrated to Canada a hundred years ago could not pronounce "W".
It came out sounding like "V". Hence ... Vinnipeg Palace. HA HA HA ... only someone our age, from Winnipeg, and with immigrant grandparents, would "get" Vinnipeg ! We shared a bowl of excellent Thai soup, and an excellent Thai noodle entree, and ...
a plate of perogies. Strange combination ... that works very well together !
Spent the afternoon working on painting the neighbour's motorhome's front and rear bumpers. Coming along very nicely. Almost finished.
Had a neighbour visit this evening to ask me to conduct a pet etiquette seminar in this RV park. Her and many others fed up with irresponsible pet owners. Will gladly conduct pet etiquette seminar. It's pretty simple. There's not a whole lot more to it than ...
PICK UP YOUR DOG'S SHIT ! ! !
Saturday ; Sunny and warm.
This morning I met with Carol Mae to plan and schedule my presentation of a pet etiquette seminar. Then Joanne and I took Elsie ( the truck camper ) off Lanoire ( the truck ). We had an audience. One of our neighbours, whose husband died recently, is going to sell her motorhome and continue travelling in a truck camper she has purchased but not yet taken delivery of. She asked to be taught the process of removing the truck camper from the truck, and later, putting the camper onto the truck.
This afternoon Joanne went shopping to the Dog Track Flea Market with her 93 year old friend Eilene. I did some work on the truck camper, and finished the auto body repair of a neighbour's motorhome.
We spent the evening watching the Olympics, flipping back and forth between Canadian coverage and American coverage.
DSK
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