YIKES.........I'm really getting behind.  This time of year is when I do a newsletter for Christmas.  I know, a lot of people HATE newsletters at Christmas, but that's the best I can do.  Besides I don't talk about who is at the top of their class, or has a new job  that pays twice what the old one did.  Like that's going to happen in our economy right now.....!!!  Or talk about people that unless you know them, really doesn't make a lot of sense.  I look at John he looks at me, & we ask, "who are they talking about"?  Anyway I talk about the animals & what they did this year it's usually more interesting than than what people do anyway.  So far I haven't gotten started.  But I have good intentions & nothing planned tomorrow, sooooooo.......!!!!!

The vet is coming out next Friday to test Rusty the mule for Cushings.  He is getting hairy & I don't remember him doing that before.  I have all my information printed out to back up my request for an ACTH test rather than the Dex test for Cushings.  Some vets are coming around to the idea of one blood draw & no threat of laminitis & using the ACTH test.  But it is vital that it be handled properly.  The last one I had done, had to be done over...........the lab didn't do it right.........!!!!!   Hmmmmm........as I recall we had a discussion over why in the world I wanted that rather than the gold standard Dex test..........!!!

While she's out, I'll have her draw a CBC on Cisco.  He's just not right.  We had his teeth done, but he still eats like he's got something going on.  We were going to haul him in for an endoscope, but since the vet was coming out for other animals, decided to get a CBC & see if it tells us anything, then we can do the endoscope later.  Buddy Brat has a small sarcoid on his sheath. I've been putting Equaide on it & it is holding it's own or getting smaller, but won't hurt to have it looked at.

And last but certainly not least is Jenny big girl needs to be re-evaluated for her foot.  We're still soaking, & poulticing, & fighting proud flesh.  I don't think it's any worse, but have no clue if it is getting better.  The proud flesh drives me crazy, which is actually a pretty short drive..........but the vet says we can always take care of it later, we need to try to take care of the oozing.  I don't see how the hoof wall can grow correctly, if it's got this blob of "stuff" in the way.  It does look like we are getting some hoof growth at the coronet, but below that what happens, when the growth reaches the proud flesh? 

So if I don't update for a few days, don't be surprised.  Patti left me with a "dummy" blog to play with.  I got into it a couple of nights ago, & I think it will be easier to set up another dummy blog than to try to straighten that one out.  It's amazing how much damage one person that doesn't know what they are doing, can do........!!!!!!  LOL

Just got a call from Mocha & Tucker's Mom.  You might recall that they also took in Missy the Great Dane someone dumped in our area.

It seems that during the night Missy knocked down the fence & attacked Tucker.  He's OK, but has a gash on his side, his ears have been chewed & he has some bites on his hind quarters, poor little guy.  She also killed the ducks & geese.  Missy's been there for a couple of months & none of us have any idea what happened to set her off.  Like January said we don't know her history, so we'll never know, but obviously she shouldn't be around other species, don't know about dogs.  January said she got into a fight with one of their other dogs, over food, but that's different.

She's already checked with a Great Dane rescue in El Paso & they will take Missy.   I feel terrible about this happening since I was responsible for putting Missy into that home.  As they say, no good deed goes unpunished, & in this case the ducks, geese, & poor little Tucker pay the price. 

JOHN, THE HUNTER

Probably doesn't look very exciting but I was "ecstatic"  when John came in the door carrying Jenny's 2 missing boots.  After the rain I had given up on ever finding them.  They are hard enough to see if she just lost them.  These had been missing for days, a couple of hard rain storms & lots of opportunities to get stepped on & squished into the ground.  

I had about decided to order a couple more, when John said he was going to go out & stay out until he found them.  I thought about sending him out with a bedroll & food, since I didn't think there was a chance.  He was gone over into Burroland at least 2 hours, just walking back & forth.  She usually stays on the trails or takes a side trip to the wallows, so that's where he paid the most attention. He said they were actually pretty close to each other on one of the trails.  One of them was turned upside down, which made it look weird.  He said the extra Vel-cro I sewed on, showed up pretty good, because it was white.  I've got to sew some more Vel-cro on the other one, she only had it on 1 day before she lost it, & I hadn't put the Vel-cro on it yet.  The regular straps probably would fit on a "normal" hoof, but aren't long enough to fit over her bandaged foot & stay secure.  

I called to see how Tucker & Mocha are doing.  Sounds like they've got the household up & running to their standards.  Unfortunately George the Goose got helped to make his final journey by Mocha.  He flew over the fence to challenge the donkeys.  January said they tried to ignore him, but he got right in Mocha's face honking & threatening.  Geese can really be nasty if they want to be.  So Mocha stomped him.  Our donkeys aren't getting along very good lately, first Honcho with the goats & now Mocha.  January doesn't blame Mocha, she says it was George's fault, but he was a pet, & I know they all feel bad about it. 

Heard from Bill that Maddie is lame on her good front leg.  He said her & Zorro didn't come in to eat, so he started looking for them on 40 acres of heavy brush.  Said he spent hours & couldn't find them.  Finally Zorro showed up to eat & when he finished, he led Bill to Maddie.  They have had a lot of rain, & Bill said her feet looked like softballs from a build up of mud.  He cleaned her feet, but said her knee looks a little swollen.  She probably fell off to the side with her feet built up like that & twisted her knee a little bit, sorta like falling off your high heels.  He's going to watch her for a couple of days & if she isn't better, I'll probably go see what's going on.  

John noticed some quids in the mini pen this morning. Cheyenne has lost some weight lately.  Actually she looks really good, we're so use to seeing overweight donkeys that seeing one that's in good weight, looks funny.  We had talked about getting a blood work-up on her, to make sure everything was OK.  So now this...............we'll try to look in her mouth tonight & maybe we can see something if she has a problem. 

WATERMELON ANYONE?

John said one of rock squirrel's favorite foods is new mesquite shoots.  This one seems to really enjoy watermelon.  This is the first thing I've tried him (yes, him) on besides milk & water.  He seemed to think it was just fine, & managed to eat a pretty good sized piece before he keeled over in a dead sleep.  He seems lethargic to me, although I have no idea how little rock squirrels normally behave, maybe all they do is eat & sleep.  If so, he is being very typical.  

Yesterday afternoon we managed to get everyone fed, Mocha & Tucker loaded & got on the road at 4:10........!!!!  We were shooting for 4:00, so that was pretty good.  In all our planning we did forget about the one hour ahead in New Mexico, so instead of getting in around 8, it was about 9:30 their time.  They were anxiously waiting for us, we unloaded Tucker & Mocha, they were headed to their pens & the geese started honking.  Mocha decided she didn't need to go any further & planted her feet.  Of course she planted her feet, guess what Tucker did?  We cajoled, we pushed, we tried bribery.  Just about the time Mocha would decide, to maybe move a foot, one of the geese would honk..........Grrrrr......!!  Finally Tucker got a little antsy about just standing there, showed a little interest in moving.  Claude & I literally dragged him into the pen, with Mocha not far behind.  Whew!  Usually they are right in your hip pocket, I wonder what they thought of the geese this morning in the light of day?  LOL  They will be sharing a fence with the geese, so they better get use to them. 

We said our good-byes & headed home.  I had taken the squirrel with us, so I could feed him.  On the way home I got a brilliant idea.  I've heard of people putting little critters in their bras to keep them warm.  He didn't seem to care for the air conditioning in the truck, so I took him out of his cage & plopped him in between my boobs.  He snuggled right down & except for the tiny little claws it wasn't as weird as I thought it would be.   I read about a woman one time that literally hatched some type of bird by carrying the eggs around in her bra.  Now THAT is dedication, can't imagine how she kept from breaking the eggs.  

Haven't heard from January yet today, about how Mocha & Tucker are doing,  I would imagine she's too busy playing with them.  She already had friends lined up to come a see them, so maybe they are having a party.......!!!!  LOL  Should be a great home for them, & I'm thrilled they could stay together & grow up together, since Mocha was only 26 months old when Tucker was born. 

Didn't take the camera since I knew it would be dark when we got there, but hopefully January will take some pictures & send them to me.