Wandering Spirit

Saturday, January 16 after spending time with Kerry and Annabelle at the dog park, I follow Glenda out to the Dome Rock area to visit her friend Wendy. (These are both solo Casita ladies).  Suddenly I hear ‘ding! ding! ding!’ from JR and read “low tire pressure!” on my dash.  Not again.

I make it to Wendy’s campsite and check the tire pressure in the tire that looks low, the right front one.  Twenty-seven pounds…out of 35 pounds.  Uh-oh.  And I’m out here in the boonies.  So out comes my trusty tire-pumper-upper! I decide this is for the birds, and I’m going to get 3 more new tires, to match the one I bought a few weeks ago.  I call American Custom Tire, my Quartzsite home-away-from-home it seems.  It’s Saturday but they close at noon, so I have 5 minutes.  I order my new tires, and am told they will come in on Monday.

After a bit I check the tire pressure again and find it down 5 pounds from when I filled it. I fill it up again.  Time to go!  Hoping to find a place to put the spare on for me.  It’s not a job I care to tackle out here in the boonies, or anywhere for that matter.

Loves, about 4-5 miles down Dome Rock Road, has a tire center!  Amazingly, with all this insanity going on in town, they are not busy.  An older gentlemen removes the leaking tire and replaces it with my spare.  When he tells me he is finished, I ask if I pay him here or go into the office.  “Don’t worry about it.  No charge.” he says!  I thank him and give him a nice tip.

I won’t be driving far since  I’m using my spare tire and considering my track record wrecking tires.  We do make it to the dog park on Sunday and Monday. It’s only about 1.5 miles away from where we are staying.

Monday afternoon my tires are delivered to the tire store and by 3:30 we are there to have them put on.  We go for a walk while that is taking place, but they are busy and it takes longer than expected, so we wait in the store.

Joy and Shiloh hanging out at American Custom Tire in Quartzsite.

Sooo…one of my goals for 2016 was to work on better health and on January 2 I caught a cold.  Another goal was to save some money and by the middle of the month I’ve dropped $200 at the vet and more than $700 at the tire store.

I think I’ll start all over again with the goals on February 1 !  :-)))

My traveling companions

Joy about 10 years ago.

Shiloh about 7 years ago.

I’ve always said that…’it’s all about the dogs’.  I’ve always meant it, too.  But now I’m taking it to another level.

A week ago I was thinking about where I wanted to travel this year.  I was considering going along the US/Canadian boarder, into the upper peninsula of Michigan, maybe to Maine, then south to Florida for the winter, so as not to have to rush all the way back to the west.  Oh, I had all kinds of ideas.

Then Joy got sick.

She seems much better now, except that I realize how much her age is showing.  She seems somehow fragile  to me.  I know she has been slowing down for a couple of years now, but very recently, I’m noticing it even more.

Joy has been…well, so Joyful…all her life, and rambunctious and silly.  I’ve always called her ‘my wild child’, or ‘my wild and crazy girl.’  If you have ever been greeted by Joy, it’s not something you will soon forget.  Hopefully you were left standing.  She is truly the most joyful, loving being I have ever known.  So, maybe that makes it more noticeable  to me that she is slowing down…quite a bit.

And I’m not leaving out Shiloh here.  He is also wonderful and I love him equally.  He has a very different personality than Joy…he is very peaceful. (Shiloh…root word Shalom, meaning peace).  He balances out the mix with his generally calm nature.  He loves order and he is my protector.  I’m thankful that at 9 years old he is still going strong.

So anyway, I’m not going to worry about getting to Michigan or Maine or Florida.  There is much beauty to see that doesn’t involve so much travel.  My first consideration now involving where and when and how far we travel will be HOW THE DOGS ARE DOING AND THEIR COMFORT.

It’s all about the dogs!  It really is.

I’ve recently read on RVSue’s blog  ( http://www.rvsueandcrew.net ) that she has been having a problem with dog walking, in that her older dog Bridget (if you read this Bridget, I don’t mean you are ‘old’, just …you know….more mature), isn’t really into long walks anymore, whereas the Energizer Bunny Reggie, needs lots of exercise.  Sue has solved this problem by first taking a short, slower walk with both dogs, then leaving Bridget off at their trailer, and taking a longer, more energetic walk with Reggie.  This way Sue and Reggie both get their exercise and Bridget gets to rest.  Very wise of Sue.

We are having the same situation, though Joy loves her walks, she has slowed down and can’t go as far.  (She would never admit that though, so don’t tell her I told you).  The thing is, I just can’t bring myself to go off with Shiloh and leave her behind.  It would break her heart.  So for now, Shiloh and I tend to be a bit short on exercise.  We will play this by ear, and for now the dog park is helping Shiloh balance this out.

Joy and Shiloh pick up the awesome energy, walking among the tall trees in California.

Love my fur babies SO much!

PS.  Joys heart worm test was negative, as I suspected.

***But first I want to say how very sad I feel about David Bowie’s death.  I woke up to it this morning about 5am (saw it on Face Book), and I’ve shed many tears throughout the day.  It’s a bit odd because I wasn’t a big fan.  ‘My’ David Bowie was ‘Dancing In The Street’ with Mick Jagger, and much later he was ‘Heroes’ and ‘America’ at The Concert For New York City.  But always I admired his charisma and energy and amazing creativity.  My heart is very heavy with the news today.  Very very sad.

Now to Lady Joy Belle Bojangles.  I continued to give her the antibiotic I had on hand, which was the same one my vet in Salinas gave her when she had Kennel Cough in July of 2014.  That time she responded fairly quickly, and got well, except all this time ever since then when she gets happy-excited about something, like going for a walk, she usually has a little cough or two.  Last week however, it became worse, with more gagging than coughing, and it reminded me of how she sounded when she had Kennel Cough.

Saturday she lost her appetite and vomited twice, and once on Sunday.  Then her appetite came back to normal and she has been eating and keeping everything down.  Shiloh has been fine, with nary a cough.  Kennel Cough is highly contagious.  I’m SO glad he is well….and he never caught it last time she had it either.  They live close…obviously…and drink from the same water bowl, and sleep in the same beds?  Makes me wonder then, is it really Kennel Cough?

At the vets office we go in the back door directly into an exam room, in case she is contagious then less dogs are exposed.  I tell the vet the big long story, show him her meds, tell him about other things I’ve noticed recently, such as skin rashes on her tummy.  He examines her. Her vital signs are normal.  Hmmm.  He doesn’t seem to have any bright ideas.  I tell him I’ve been thinking about hypothyroid and heart worm, and ask if she could have blood tests for those.  The heart worm test has to be sent out but they get results from the thyroid  test right away and yes, her thyroid is quite low at .7, when low normal is 1.1 and normal is up to 4.0.  Low thyroid can cause coughing…I didn’t know that. ( sometimes her bark is a bit horse lately too), and skin irritations, which I did know. Though her coat is very thick, it seems like lately I’ve noticed her shedding more than usual, if that be possible.  Hair loss  is also a sign.  She seems to lack energy…another sign…but only since the cough started, and gosh, she is 12… 84 in dog years.

They send us out with thyroid medication to last 50 days, ( two pills a day), at which time she should have another blood test to see if the level is within normal limits.  I get a copy of the lab test and the notes from today.  I’ll discontinue giving the antibiotics for now, and see if the cough goes away with the thyroid med.  They will call me with results of the heart worm test.  I really doubt she has that but I wanted to make sure.

Hypothyroidism is fairly common in Golden Retrievers.  Also in humans, and I have it.  That  makes two of us on thyroid medication!

If this is what Joys problem turns out to be, I’ll be quite relieved.

I’m getting better from the cold.  Now just trying to figure out where I left my energy.  Joy is having her ups and downs though, and I’m worried about her. There’s been loss of appetite (which just never happens with her), vomiting, and lack of energy, besides that cough.  At other times she seems to feel great.   We will definitely be visiting the vet in Blyth on Monday.

Here I’m in Q and the big weeks are upon us, and my truck has not moved since I first arrived, which will be a week tomorrow!  We have only walked.

There isn’t a lot to say, so I’m going to show you some pictures I’ve taken over the last few weeks, of….cactus.  When I see Saguaro they always seem so…other-worldly to me.  All cactus seem funny/interesting.

Saguaro often start out as babies under the shade of a Mesquite or Palo Verde tree.  It takes a long time…like probably 100 years for them to grow this big.

Cholla.  Ugh.  These are wicked!

Prickly hearts!

You see Picky Mickey Mouse?

Saguaro at sunrise.

Lots of arms.

Interesting life forms.  This is such a miraculous world we live in.

This about sums up the last 5 days or so….

Well, this, and Joy not feeling well.  And rain.

But I believe it’s all going to improve by tomorrow.

The rain should stop and it’s time for this cold to break up. Joy already feels better.

Rather ironic I thought, since I talked about improving health as one of my goals in 2016 in my last blog, that I should begin it with a cold…my first cold while traveling.  I did have one in May, but that was just after I’d checked into my vacation rental for one month, for Jason and Mandy’s wedding.

I was hoping this would be a mild cold…silly me….I never get a ‘mild’ cold.  At least I know now, what it’s like to have a cold, and rain, and two big dogs, while living in a tiny trailer.  Even Joy seems to have a cold…Kennel Cough?  She’s had it before, despite Bordetella vaccine.  I started her on antibiotics immediately, and she’s already much improved. We have a vet appointment in Blythe on Monday, which is the soonest available.  There is a vet in Q, but I only hear very negative comments about him.  I could say, I wouldn’t go to him unless it was an emergency, but apparently he doesn’t do emergencies.  Huh?

So where did I get the antibiotics for Joy?  Here is some info for you if you are considering long time or full time travel with pets.  At a routine vet visit a few months before I was ready to leave on my adventures, I told Dr Clark what I was planning.  I asked if it might be possible for him to send me off with some emergency medications, jic I was out in the boonies somewhere, and Joy or Shiloh got sick or was injured.  He fully complied with my request and before we left he supplied me with a few hundred dollars worth of dog meds including antibiotic, pain med, ear med and much more. (This  included heart worm medication, which accounts for about half the $$).  Also calming collars to help them relax while riding in the car, which I used at first, but no longer need.  I don’t know if this is something all vets would do, but it’s worth a try.  I’ve known Dr Clark for many years, and he knows I was a nurse.  He also told me to never hesitate to call his office, or have another vet call his office, if needed.  Also make sure you have a copy of all vaccines and other useful information with you.  I keep their proof of rabies vaccine in the glove box, but actually, I’ve never needed to show it to anyone yet.

I’m very glad that I have full hookups right now, and I’m stationary for awhile.  Soup and tea, Puffs and cold meds have been the order of the day…times 5, so I’m looking very much forward to feeling better again!

Primarily I think, what I’ve experienced these last few days with Laura and Joel has been comfort.  It’s noticeably comforting and comfortable to be with these friends-that-are-like-family.

Our time together has been spent talking, laughing, sharing good food and drink,

and mostly just hanging out.  We took short trips to the Desert Museum, and Mission San Xavier Del Bac.

We did some sightseeing and some shopping.  It’s been low key and an excellent time.  I’m sad to see them go today.

It’s been cold, and Laura caught cold, so we felt that staying at Gilbert Ray Campground was a wise decision.  Besides that, they are just learning the ropes of RV living in a rented RV.  When I started out it took me some months to finally go hookup-free.  Laura and Joel have now ‘gotten their feet wet’ and are interested in trying this again, another time, another place.  They are true adventurers!

Today I call the RV park in Quartzsite where I have reservations as of the 6th, and ask if my spot happens to be available any time sooner.  Turns out that it’s available now, so tomorrow instead of going back to Painted Rock for 3 days, I’ll go straight to Q.  There are a few reasons I’ve decided to do this.

My heart just isn’t into 3 days of boondocking right now.

There is rain in the forecast two of the three days.

My throat feels….not quite right…and I wonder if I might be catching Laura’s sniffles.  If so, I’d rather be in one place and have hookups.

Gilbert Ray Campground has been enjoyable and I would definitely come back!

Sunrise this morning, January 2, 2016

Our camp….minus two of our pack!

Happy New Year All!

Joel’s offer of tech support was readily accepted, and now we have pictures again!  The last few posts were picture-less so I’m catching up.

Christmas Joy and Shiloh

Their Christmas presents!

Someone painted the sky at Painted Rock Petroglyph Site

We arrive at Gilbert Ray Campground

Laura and Joel become my neighbors at Gilbert Ray

We are using my truck to drive around in so there was no room for Mick.  He finally made it into my bed!  Ha.

Late lunch on the last day of 2015.  Tofu tacoand a happy hour margarita!

The sun bids farewell to 2015

Part of our New Years Eve celebration!

Laura and Joels Special Margaritas!  Yum!

New beginnings are refreshing.  On the positive side they bring feelings like:

excitement, anticipation, and hope.

Do you make New Years Resolutions?  I never really called them by that name, but I do try to set some positive goals for the year ahead.  New beginnings are a nice time to do that.  A new year, a new month, week, day, hour, minute or mile.

We can always begin again.  We can always start fresh.  We can think and be positive…..look for the beauty…..reach for a star….seek peace.

Here are some goals I want to look towards in the framework of the above thoughts:

Pay more attention to my intuition.  My intuition is alive and well, I just need to learn to listen to it more attentively and trust it more.

Practice self-love and self-forgiveness.  I’m learning, but I have a long way to go.

Take care of my health.  Not by crash dieting or doing hours of exercise, but by eating more greens and fruit, drinking more water, letting go of some of the sweets and fats, and by doing more stretching and moving.

Watch my spending.  I don’t mean “scrimp and save”, but put more thought into what I’m spending money on.  Be careful about impulse buying.

Continue the minimalist path, by noticing and eliminating things from my life that I find I don’t need.

MAY ALL OF YOU READING THIS HAVE A PEACEFUL, BLESSED NEW YEAR, FULL OF LOVE AND JOY!

My mom was buried in Tucson in June and I want to visit my parents gravesite.  I want to make sure all is well with the headstone and place some new flowers there.

As I approach Tucson and Gilbert Ray Campground though, I find I’m filling with apprehension and anxiety.  I didn’t realize it would be this difficult 6 months later.  I feel similar to the way I felt when I flew here to bury my mom in June.

I find a place to set up camp where I feel that Laura and Joel will be able to camp next to me when they arrive tomorrow.  Laura and I talk on the phone, finalizing some plans, and then I set my GPS for the address of the cemetery.

We arrive at the peaceful grounds a half hour later, and I’m surprised to find that the flower basket arrangement I made in June is still there.  It’s quite a bit worse for wear from the sun and the summer rains, and the wind though.  The little glass Humming Bird I attached to a flower stem is still attached.  I remove it all and place the new flowers.  I spend some time just sitting and thinking my thoughts…the flood of tears come later.

I take the little glass bird and attach it to a ribbon on my rear view mirror.  Somehow it’s comforting.

We drive away.  It was difficult but I’m glad I was able to do it.  Maybe next time it will get a bit easier?  Or not.

I like Tucson actually, and some areas hold some nice memories, including the area of Kinny Road where the campground is. My parents used to live off Kinny Road, some miles south of here.

Gilbert Ray Campground is nice!  The setting is beautiful here in Tucson Mountain Park (which is miles in size), among lots of Suguaro, and many other types of cactus and desert plants, with mountains as the backdrop all around.  Camping with an RV is $20 a night which includes an electric hookup and frequently spaced water spigots.  There are bathrooms (no showers), a dump station, dumpsters and a recycling bin.  There are camp hosts for each of the 3 loops.  The campsites vary, but most are nicely spaced.  The time limit here is 7 nights and a Senior Pass holds no value since this is a city/county campground.

Today as I write it’s Tuesday and Laura and Joel have flown into Phoenix where they are renting an RV and driving down to meet me.  Soon we will be neighbors!  I’m so looking forward to seeing these dear friends.

The Sound Of Silence.  Simon and Garfunkle (1965?)

There is a lot of the sound of silence out here, 25 miles beyond Gila Bend, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it.

This quiet, peaceful time is allowing me to think over this past year.  It’s been excellent in some ways, with Jason and Mandy’s wedding and all the beautiful events surrounding it.  On the other hand, it’s been hard with the sudden illness and death of my mom.  The wedding and the death happened within a month of each other.

Otherwise, I’ve been free to wander to my hearts content.  This time of freedom has been like no other time in my life.  There has always been ‘deadlines and commitments’…lots of responsibility…but now I’m free to do nothing but listen to the sound of silence….and whatever interupts it…in the beauty of nature.  For me, this is as good as it gets…Joy and Shiloh, health, freedom, natural beauty all around me, a pen and paper. And a glass of wine.  ☺️  I am blessed.  I don’t know why, but I am grateful.

There were times in my life when things were not so good.  I won’t elaborate.  They are in the past.  I don’t know what the future holds, but I am here now in this moment, and life is good.  All we have is this very moment.

The future.  2016.  I have some thoughts about that, but I’ll save them for another post.

I have some immediate plans, and I’ll tell you about those.  We are still at Painted Rock and it’s been lovely.  There have been some cold nights, but my bed and dogs are warm.  I’ve paid to stay here through Dec 26 and Then  I’ll travel about 30 miles to an RV Park and spend one night there so I can do laundry, take a long hot shower, dump tanks, etc.  Monday the 27th I plan to move on to Gilbert Ray Campground in Tucson Mountain Park.   I have some things I need to do in Tucson, and then on the 29th I’ll be meeting up with Laura and Joel (Joel being the creator of the Joel Pole)!

Maybe  you remember last year (or not, that’s ok), we all spent New Years together at none other than The Salton Sea.  I was in an RV park and they were in a tiny motel next door.  We had a crazy time, driving around the sea, stopping at the International Banana Museum, seeing Slab City and Salvation Mountain, and later having a lovely simple New Years dinner created by Laura, at their motel room.

This year they are renting an RV!  This will be a new and unique experience for these world travelers…one that they are highly anticipating.  We will meet at Gilbert Ray Campground on the 29th and visit the Desert Museum on the 30th, which isn’t far from the campground.  On the 31st, the thought is to come back here where I am now and spend New Years Eve among the Cresote, Mysquite, and the Suguaro.

I’ll take this time to wish you a peaceful Christmas, or whatever holiday you are celebrating at this time of year.  Your inner peace, outer peace, world peace, peace for the animals…I wish for all those kinds of peace and more.

John Lennon said ‘War is over, if you want it.’ ‘Give peace a chance.’

PS  I’m sorry there are no pictures.  I’m having some technical problems.  Joel has offered tech support when they arrive and I sure will take him up on that!