ANOTHER LITTLE VISITOR.........!!!

Patti and I went up to Phoenix yesterday to visit  Claire and David.  Had a great time,  lunch at Dillon's not far from where they live.  I don't think I've ever eaten before with an aquarium of 4-6 foot sharks watching me.  But they stayed where they were and we had a wonderful lunch.  

Got home late, John got to feed by himself, but he did just fine.  He doesn't like to mix up the feed bowls, but like I tell him, they don't care what they get, as long as they get something.  And if someone misses a pill or powder, it won't hurt them.

When we went to bed last night we could hear the dogs barking at yipping coyotes.  The only way we can shut them up is to shoot a gun up in the air.  Boy,  you talk about quiet.............it gets real quiet after that happens.  But neither of us was bothered enough to get up and do it.  Finally went to sleep, and woke up later with the dogs barking again, but couldn't hear the coyotes.  

This morning when John went out this is what he found up one of the trees.  We figure the neighbor's dog might have chased him up the tree.  Unfortunately the tree was right next to our dog's pen.  

Nicki is getting ready to go into the feed room, but if you look right above his body, you will see a blob in the tree.  Needless to say if the coon twitched an ear, Nicki was right there, snarling and lunging at the fence.  So the coon wasn't going anywhere.  We figured tonight we could lock our dogs in the feed room and the neighbor's dog in the the garage, until the coon came down out of the tree.  

When John started moving the golf cart towards the tree, the coon got very worried and actually moved down the limb a little bit.  The neighbor's dog was off someplace else, so I went to lock our dogs in and when I came out of the feed room, the coon was already gone.  John said he jumped down and headed towards the garage.  Later on the donkeys and mules were ears up, locked on the neighbor's property, so John thinks that's where it finally went.  I doubt that it will be back, although it might be the one that has been coming to the back porch and eating cat food almost every night.  That is when he doesn't have to contend with the skunk. 

Yesterday morning Jenny was 3 legged lame on her bad foot, & would not eat her hay.  Not eating the hay was easy, she's been on SMZ antibiotics for weeks, & I guess they finally got to her stomach.  Need to get the good bugs back in her digestive system.  Patti had me use Florastor a few months ago when Jenny didn't like the antibiotics I was giving her, & she was eating within 24 hours, so I tried it again.

Dr. Megan called Dr. Voss in Gilbert to see if he had any brilliant ideas on her foot.  His best guess was perhaps another abscess trying to pop.  Dr. Megan had been hesitant about soaking because Jenny's hoof is not that sturdy because of the open area.  But Dr. Voss said to soak in epsom salts & betadine for 1/2 hour every other day.  After soaking he wants the open area packed with a Sugardine poultice. 

I planned on soaking her foot when she came in last night for supper.........BUT......when John went out to do round-up, she was below the house & not interested in moving or even taking a treat.  We went ahead & fed everyone else, of course by then it was dark.  So I loaded up my soaking "toys", & thrashed thru the brush to where she thought she was hid.  Mixed up some sugar & betadine to a dry paste, plastered it on & wrapped with brown gauze.  She still wasn't interested in moving or eating when we came in to go to bed. 

This morning John set the alarm (YUCK) because we were taking Gus & Quilla up to Claire's for the winter.  I dreaded John going out to do round-up, because I figured Jenny was still where we left her last night.  When I went out, she was already in her pen, & John said he looked over towards Burroland & here she came with Ruthie, & Pepper leading the parade.  She was walking pretty normal for her, slow & steady.  She was also ready for her breakfast.

It tried to rain last night, didn't do a very good job, just barely dampened the ground.  I figured it had probably ruined my gauze bandage, but it was still on.  I decided to not mess with it, Dr. Voss said to leave it on between soakings, which will be tomorrow.  I'm anxious to see what it looks like in the morning. 

We hurried with chores, the 2 boys almost hopped in the trailer, guess they figured we were going to do something fun & away we went. 

Claire & David were happy to see them, & the boys were more than happy to get out of the trailer after over a 3 hour ride.  I think they knew where they were, they sure acted like it. 

 David, Gus & John

 Quilla, Gus, Doc, & Thunder's head

The boys coming to say good-bye

Got home after 7pm to a bunch of grumpy donkeys.  They really expect to be fed on schedule & don't seem to understand being fed late at all......!!!!  Couldn't find Pepper at first & John was afraid he was down someplace & we wouldn't be able to find him in the dark.  But finally, he came waltzing in, at his own speed, thank goodness.  If my hair wasn't already grey, this old buzzard would make it so.  Between him & Jenny, I am becoming quite a worry wart.  LOL