GREAT MONSOON SO FAR

Almost every day we get at least a shower, sometimes it's 1/2 inch or more.  The donkeys are still only on the 10 acres, and actually there aren't many beans left.  It keeps them busy running around just to make sure more haven't fallen.  Because of all the rain we now have lots of green stuff coming up.  So that is keeping them busy too.  

Hopefully by the time it stops raining, the beans over in Burroland will have laid on the ground and gotten wet enough to no longer be edible.  I don't mind them eating the green stuff and if it doesn't rain for a couple of days it will wither up anyway.  Actually today is suppose to be zero chance of rain.

We were suppose to race last Saturday night......BUT.......Mother Nature had other plans.  Although the race director told us at the driver's meeting we would race if it took all night.  They finished one race and here came the rain.  We all stood around and lamented our fate, and at 9pm the powers to be, gave up and sent us home.  Actually the Hornets are the only cars running street tires, so we could probably have ran, although I'm sure someone would have ended up in the wall, so it's probably just as well.

Gigi is walking good for her.  I haven't taken her "diaper" boot off.  Since it's so rainy I've left it on to hopefully keep it from sealing over again.  I'll probably take it off tomorrow, I'm sure it's worn thru by now.  Gorilla tape is good, but not that good.

Smoky Joe is gimping around again, so I guess his abscess sealed over too.  It's not bad enough to keep him from chasing the girls.  Coquette seemed to be the focus this morning, although she wasn't interested in playing the game.  She had 3 geldings chasing her around, one of them was Joe.  She needs to lose weight anyway, so the exercise will do her good........!!!  LOL

If anyone in the Tucson area has cats and wants a well built cat tree, get in touch with James Caddell at 520 272-6850.  He also has facebook pages, but they aren't very easy to use.  One is  Custom made cats trees by James. 

Anyway this is a "beauty" we picked up yesterday.  It's very heavy and very well made, has 5 levels a rope scratching area, a scratching pad and a tennis ball.  John had to use a 2 wheel cart to get it into the house it's so heavy.  We paid $150 for it, which compared to what is available in the pet stores was a bargain.  He said that's how he got started building them, his wife got one at Petsmart for $130, they have 3 cats.  He said after 6 months it was falling apart, so he decided he could do better. 

Put it in place and I think everyone was on it at least once.  Nigel went up on the top level and was still there when we went to bed.  There's 5 levels but the chances of all of them getting on it at one time is slim to none.  Moogee hates the 3 boys and they seem to have the same opinion of her.  Julius the outdoor cat that comes in daily, actually use to lay on the old cat tree, he came in this morning and skirted around it, because it wasn't there yesterday.  Cats are funny little creatures......!!!

I'M BACK..........!!!

Actually I've been back for a couple of days...........but it's taken this long to catch up........!!!   LOL  Just going thru the mail was an experience.

John and Doug took good care of the "fur" kids, although John called Dr. Jeremy out to look at Gigi's foot after I left.  He agreed that it was an abscess and she isn't the best patient, so rather than fight with her and get her all upset they agreed to let it open on it's own.  I think it was the next day she was walking pretty good.  Unfortunately by the time I got home, she was 3 legged lame again, I guess it sealed over.  With the rain and wet ground, it's not unusual to have abscesses.  In fact Smoky Joe gimped around over a couple of days, yesterday he was walking good.  

So we soaked Gigi's foot in White Lightning and wrapped it in a diaper and duct tape boot and she seems a little better today.  Usually with an abscess as soon as it pops, they walk normal, but she's still limping.  If she isn't OK by tomorrow, I'll probably soak her again.

Linda  shared a video of one of their friends and his burro Sheba.  She obviously wants the road to herself.  Isn't it pretty country?

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10210042210678577&id=1435808892

I'm just putting in the link, lately my blog has been uncooperative when I try to download a video to my account.

She also sent a silly picture of Boaz

He's had gotten begging down to a fine art.  She said he has learned to put his tongue on her leg or whatever body part he can get to.  LOL  

As for my trip, it was uneventful, which when flying is a good thing.  Well, the 20 minute sprint thru the Houston airport to catch a connecting flight wasn't a lot of fun.  We took off from Tucson about an hour late, so needless to say we also landed in Houston late.  Wouldn't have been such an experience, except it's a long long way from Gate 34 to Gate 6.  As I was running (well by half way, it was more of a hobble) I wondered if I collapsed on the floor, #1 would anyone notice, and #2 if they picked me up would they take me to my gate or insist on taking me someplace I didn't want to go?  If I had thought they'd take me to my gate, I might have tried it............LOL 

I dreaded going to Missouri in July, figured it would be really hot and really really humid.  I was pleasantly surprised, the weather was really nice, although the natives were complaining about it being hot.  It wasn't over 100* so I had no complaints.  

I can mark another car rental company off my list.  For some reason I ended up with Budget, rather than my favorite Enterprise.  Got my paperwork and key in my hand, go to where they said my car was and it was a Smart car.  

http://www.carpricesecrets.com/smart/fortwo?mkwid=bing_cps_search&gclid=CMju1qu5mNUCFQi8fgodx1kIfQ&gclsrc=ds

There is no way I would ever drive one of these little coffins without handles out of a parking lot and into traffic.  My paperwork said a Hyundai Accent or equivalent..........  So I made a u-turn and went back to the counter with my complaint.  I was told that was their economy car and I would have to upgrade, did I want a 6.2 Dodge Challenger or a Dodge 6.2 Charger?  No I just wanted transportation, not a ticket.........!! LOL  He ask if I could drive stick shift, so ended up with a Ford Focus.  No big deal but it was keyless and 6 speed with the reverse on the left instead of the right, so I had somewhat of a learning process, especially when it came to backing up, I had to get the book out of the glove compartment.  To back up, you had to lift up on the boot around the gear shift.  I have a complaint into Budget, about having to upgrade, I'm sure they will really take my complaint into consideration..................not....!!  LOL

I knew there would be some downtime, I don't expect what little family I have left to entertain me, 24/7, so I found out Lucas Oil Speedway was having a big dirt late model show in Wheatland, Missouri.  If you have never heard of Wheatland, I'm not surprised, there are 431 people in the town..........there were probably 10,000 in the grandstands for the races.  

Preparing the track

 

Some of the cars hot lapping

The man that started Lucas Oil Company, owns 1/2 the county and most of the town according to some of my cousins.  They said he decided to build a 1st class racing complex for lots of different types of racing, including boats.  From what I saw he's accomplished his dream, it is really a wonderful place to watch races. And I would imagine it would also be a lot of fun to race on too.......!!  LOL 

I'LL BE BACK NEXT WEEK

I am leaving in the morning, headed back to Missouri for my Aunt Toby's funeral.  She was always smiling and I have lots of good memories of her when I was growing up.  She actually was my stepfather's sister, one of five sisters and one brother.  I became part of the family before I was 3 years old and I was just one of the grandkids, of which there were many, never a "step".  She was almost 91 years old and I always went to visit with her, when I went back for a funeral or school reunion.  The last time was 3 years ago, when I took Mother back to Missouri and for the 1st time it took her quite sometime to remember who I was.  Still  had that pretty smile on her face though.  

I don't like leaving John in charge, he always does just fine, BUT, he doesn't like it when something goes wrong or needs doctoring and we hadn't talked about it.  I always call every night to catch up on how the day went, so it's not like I have abandoned him completely........!!!  He's going back to Indiana in September to a family reunion in Indiana, so I'll have to weigh hay and run hay thru the leaf shredder, which I haven't done in a LONG time.  I think he handles it much better than I do, he always says I'm the CEO, BUT he's the one that makes the whole system work. 

But this morning Gigi came in limping badly.  Unfortunately it's her good front leg, so she's dealing with a crippled right foot with a shoe on it, and the left foot that is probably dealing with an abscess.  The weather we've had lately makes an abscess my first WAG (Wild Assed Guess).  She actually let John pick up her foot to clean it in case it was a rock and he felt for heat.  Then he checked the leg from shoulder to hoof, poking and twisting, with no reaction.  So she's been gimping around slowly all day.  

I told John if she isn't better tomorrow, to call Dr. Jeremy and see if he can come out.  He is a wizard on lameness, so hopefully if it is an abscess he can find it.  

If he comes out while he's here he can also look at Cisco's ears.  Every year he gets a nasty smelly icky something in his ear.  In the past vets have treated it and it goes away until next summer.  It's probably ostitis and I've actually treated it for quite awhile with Animax aka Panalog, which is what the vets always prescribed.  Ran out a couple of year ago and used an OTC stuff that worked well.  Unfortunately it's no longer manufactured, so I'm back to using something that will require a script.

We're actually getting some rain, don't know how much so far, but it's enough to make some of the washes run.  The big one across our property is still dry, but if it rains heavy SE of us, it will become a raging river, for a couple of hours.  It's fun to watch, but unfortunately it sometimes takes out the perimeter fences and sometimes the one between the 10 acres and Burroland, which has to be fixed immediately, sometimes with a flashlight, before the donkeys decide to go on a walk a bout...!!!  LOL

Poor little Casper isn't happy in his "prison" of field fence at the neighbor's.  I talked to Lara today and she said he finally will take a cookie from Vic, but still won't take one from her.  I guess he's still checking the fence to see if there is a weak spot.  I seriously doubt it, the original owner was one of those people that overbuilds everything, he had been in construction and it showed in the way he built everything on the property.

I've put out the word to Arizona rescues to try to find a mini molly mule or mini mare, but haven't had any offers.  We might be on the trail of a couple of standard jennies that if we do get them, we will put them over with Casper, to see if it helps to make him less of a wanderer.

Till next week........!!!

CASPER IS BACK IN SOLITARY AT THE NEIGHBOR'S

Yesterday morning, a neighbor left a message on my phone asking if Casper was missing.  No, he wasn't he was here with the donkeys when it was round up time for breakfast.  She came by on her horse and told John that earlier, like about daylight 2 cowboys in a pickup were trying to catch him on the main road.  She said he must have spent quite a bit of time outside her fence, because there were little bitty foot prints all over the place.  Needless to say he outsmarted the cowboys and escaped to head home.

Casper fights horses.  When Kris's 2 mares were here, he thought Apache was cute and he and Mel went at each other thru the corral panels.  Always before he had only been around geldings as far as I know, but he and Mel sure didn't get along.  Of course Kris said Mel was a drama queen and she did seem to want to be in charge of everything around her.  She certainly wasn't going to be in charge of Casper, if he had anything to say about it......LOL   

So I have no idea why he was trying to get into an area that had 3 geldings in it.  As I said he was here for roundup, so we are left not knowing how long or how far he has been traveling.  We had caught him a few times hanging around outside our fence, and we'd yell at him and he'd scoot under the fence.  The neighbor is probably not a mile away by road, who knows what route he took to get there.  

He may be standing still, but you can bet that little mind is whirling.......!!

So we called Vic and he said bring him over.  Talked to Vic this morning and he said Casper is "pissed".........LOL  He won't have anything to do with them, won't take a cookie and is spending his time running the fence line looking for a weak spot.  If the little devil ever finds out how good mules can jump, I don't know what we'll do........!!!   I'm trying to find a little molly mule or mini mare that needs to be rehomed, but haven't had any luck so far. 

Doug's son Conor was here for a few days for a surprise visit.  He lives in Michigan and decided to drive down and surprise his Dad.  He left this morning, heading back to Michigan.  Not the best time of year to come to Arizona for a visit, it was hot the whole time he was here, but I think they had a good visit. 

We actually got 1/2 inch of rain last night which is much appreciated.  We are hoping for a good monsoon this year it's been so dry for almost 10 years the desert is starting to look rather bleak especially the prickly pear cactus.  They say a good chance of rain the rest of this week.  If we got 1/2 inch every night that would be great.  

I like the night rains, otherwise it usually rains at chore time, which adds a new dimension to chores.  Night rains also cut down on access to mesquite beans, because when it rains the donkeys hold up with their butts turned to the rain.  They aren't eating when they are standing, so that's a good thing.  They only have access to the 10 acres right now.  Hopefully we'll get enough rain to turn the fallen beans in Burroland black and the donkeys won't eat them.  Sure wish there were a lot of range cattle like there were a few years ago, so we could open the gates and let the cattle clean them up.  

Heard from Linda in Colorado, she actually sent pictures of Lynn's foot after he had a chain saw accident and sliced thru his heavy boot.  Not a good thing to do, especially when you have races with dog, and burro races planned.   Hope this doesn't mess up all the fun things they have planned for the summer. 

I THINK WE'RE ALL READY FOR WINTER..........!!!

We actually had a few sprinkles last night and today it's really humid, so hopefully we'll get some rain in the next few days.  I'd hate to put up with humidity without eventually getting some much needed rain.  

The donkeys are vacuuming up ripened mesquite beans as fast as they can.  The problem with mesquite beans is, if we locked them in their pens and that would have to be done for weeks, not days, the beans would still be there.  Unless we got a good soaking rain.  The beans on the ground turn black if it rains and the donkeys won't eat them.  That's a good thing........!!!!  

So they are staying in their pens until noon before they go out for the afternoon.  I was hoping it would be so hot by then they would just go find a shade tree to stand under.  They seem to be determined to eat beans no matter how hot it is.  

Gus has a routine of eating slow, so he usually doesn't go out until noon anyway.  He has a special soft place by the dog pen where he likes to lay most of the afternoon.  But once the beans started falling, he started spending his afternoon roaming around looking for beans.  John and Doug put up corral panels around the area, so now he is locked in for the afternoon.  He is chronically foundered, has to wear special shoes on his front feet, and doesn't need the extra sugar and starch in the beans.  None of them do, but, as we say mesquite beans are like "crack" for donkeys.  

Doug took these awhile back of Gus in his "spot" hanging out with Saddik

I guess they are "best" buds

Linda sent more pictures from Colorado, this time it was a doggie outing in the mountains.  They all looked like they were having a lot of fun, in the tall grass.

Saddik surveying what looks like an old burn area

Cute picture of Lola

I think this is Lennon getting a drink, looks like he knows how it works

Thanks Linda for sharing your adventures with us.........!!!

YESTERDAY AFTERNOON WAS RATHER EXCITING.........!!!!

We got a call from our neighbor that relies on John for everything, from shopping to fixing any and everything that breaks, that her ride hadn't shown up to take her to a doctor's appointment.  Years ago John found out that she can call in advance and get rides to the doctor, which is a good thing for him.  It was getting close to time, so John said he'd take her and off he went.  

Not long after he left, I heard the most horrible noise, sounded like metal crashing and banging around.  Looked out and there was a Devil Duster going thru.  Went outside and Doug come flying out of his trailer, said he thought it was going to turn over.  Looked towards the pens and this is what we saw.  

This was 2 shelters for the donkeys, one was actually 2 pens away.  It flew up in the air and hit a gate on it's way out, that John had to straighten so it would close today. 

 

This was Gus' shade area, Doug was trying to figure out how to tighten it up.  Gus was under it when it collapsed, but it didn't take him long to get out.  I guess Cheyenne is the "sidewalk boss" for the project

Doug and I were out in the pen area trying to organize the mess and heard this funny noise, sounded like it was coming from the neighbor's but she wasn't there.  Sounded like a horn.  I hopped on the quad and went over to investigate.  Saw nothing, came back and the sound got longer and more desperate, Doug thought it sounded like it was coming from the east side of the pens.  He went down that way and started shouting there's a car in the wash. 

Yep, looks like a car..........!!!

 We went down to investigate and found the woman that was suppose to take the neighbor to her doctor's appointment.  The wash is between us and the neighbor.  She said the GPS told her to turn right, so she turned right.......!!!  She was in far enough she should have figured out she wasn't on a road..........LOL 

It doesn't show just how much gravel is over the axle, from her spinning the tires in deeper and deeper.  

We all waited a couple of hours for what we thought would be a tow truck, but instead her boss came out from Tucson with a 2 wheel drive pickup to fix the problem. 

I have to say this is NOT the best way to get a car unstuck

Needless to say there was no way a 2 wheel pickup was going to get that SUV out of there.  What's really funny is the SUV is 4 wheel drive, I don't guess either of them knew that.  Once the boss showed up, tried to pull it out and said he was calling a tow truck, Doug and I came home to do chores, since John was still in town with the neighbor. 

After John got home he was out surveying the damage and planning what he had to do today, just before dark, and saw a tow truck coming in to get the SUV.  The driver managed to get it and get out,  I bet that wasn't cheap.  If John had been here he might have been able to get it out with the Bronco, but it would have taken quite a bit of digging to clear the back wheels.

Linda sent pictures from a local parade they did Saturday.  Everybody was all decked out for Independence Day and looked great.  Don't know if there were prizes or not, but they should have won, hands down..........!!!   Well maybe I'm a little partial.........!!!   LOL

Leddy, Linda, Quilla and Steph, ready to go

 

Turbo and I think that is Lynn.........LOL

Always have time for visiting with new friends

THANKS LINDA FOR THE GREAT PICTURES.....!!

It's almost like we are there too

 

I BET THE DONKEYS WISH THEY HAD GONE TO COLORADO WITH BOAZ AND QUILLA

It's not getting any cooler, well it is, but it's still over 100* every day, so it's hard to tell.....!!  LOL  John stays out in it most of the day, I'm a "woose" I don't handle heat if I can stay out of it.  Still no chance of rain, although the humidity is rising.  They tell us the high humidity is necessary to get the rain.  BUT, many years we get the heat and humidity and not much rain if any.  

I raced Saturday night as planned and did pretty good, finished 3rd, running pretty close behind my two nemesis.  Brandon broke our tie, as I knew he would unless he had bad luck.  He's now 9 points ahead of me.  The other guy is about 40 points behind me, but he won and passed inspection this time.  As long as I keep finishing good, it will take him awhile to nibble away at my lead on him, but I'm sure he'll catch me before the end of the season.

Actually they both were having problems.  Brandon's car was over heating, I was close enough to him to get his water all over my face shield.  The other guy's car was smoking and by the end of the race, John thinks it blew up on the last lap.  Maybe if the race had been 5 laps longer, the finish would have been different.  John says I can't wish them bad luck, so I'm just making an observation......!!  LOL

Our son Rod, set fast time in his modified and finished 3rd in his main event.  I teased him that he didn't want to let his mom finish better than he did.

 

This is Rita Race Cat.  Rod has had her for years, she was a stray and like most cats has become indispensable by having her curious nose in any and everything going on in Rod's garage.  She sleeps in the seat of his modified and when he brings the car home from the track, he said she goes all over it, checking it for damage I guess.  Or heaven for bid, some other cat being on "her" car....!! 

All the donkeys are doing good, unfortunately mesquite bean season is getting here in a hurry, I guess the hot weather is quickening the process.  The last few days we have noticed the tree limbs are really moving around a lot.  Perhaps because the donkeys are grabbing the limbs they can reach and shaking them until the beans fall or they break the limb, whichever happens first.  We have 5 that I already consider obese or close to it.  Sure wish the range cattle were still around, so we could let them in to clean the beans up in Burroland.  But they aren't so we will have to try to get thru the season without weight gain or colic.  

It was about this time last year when Miss Penny Packer coliced with an impaction of mesquite beans in her gut and had to have surgery.  Sure don't want to have to go thru that again, but we would.  I know the clinic thought we were crazy, having colic surgery on a 20 some year old, unfriendly donkey that is hunchbacked and has had a broken jaw and lousy teeth.  But she came thru the surgery with flying colors and has had a chance to eat a lot more animal crackers, so why not.  When John lets her out at bedtime, she follows him into all the pens and if he doesn't pay her with animal crackers as quick as she thinks he should, he says she pokes him in the back with her nose.  If that doesn't work then her head goes under his arm and she starts pushing and lifting his arm.  Last night when he came in she followed him all the way to the gate.  When he disappeared into the house she started yelling.  I told him Penny didn't get enough cookies, but he didn't want to go out and give her a cookie, because by tonight it would become a habit........!!!  Poor little Penny...........LOL   

 Linda sent some more pictures

Being in Arizona in 100* temperatures right now, if I was there, I think I'd be making snow angels, or just "rooting" in it for fun.........LOL

Dogs and donkeys headed out for adventure

Boaz must be sneezing or got a bug up his nose.....!!