THERE'S A THUNDERHEAD SOUTHEAST

Of course it's almost the week-end and we're going to practice tonight with the new car.  Perfect opportunity for rain.......!!  LOL  We need rain bad enough it would almost be worth having the practice rained out.

Linda called last night to bring us up to date on all their "doings".  I don't know how they keep it all straight, let alone keep going and of course with the passage of time they pick up more things to do..!!  She sent some more pictures from the Creede race mostly taken by professional photographers.  

This was the start, there's no organized starting places, if you want to run up front, start up front.  If you are just beginning you can start in the back and try to figure out what is going on.  It looks to me like a confusing mess, but it all seems to work out.   Lynn and Loki Joe are front and center, not sure what happened to Lynn's shirt....!!  LOL

This fairly chubby spotted donkey is Crazy Horse and wins more than he loses.  Looks like he's got some pretty tough competition.....!!

Guess Lynn found his shirt.!!!

Linda and May trying to encourage Justin and Pepsi..... doesn't seem to be working

FINALLY.........the finish line......May got the tail end award because Pepsi was even slower than Justin across the line.

I guess Pepsi was telling his side of the story, or trying to mooch a cookie from one of the photographers.....!!!

Can't forget the dogs, they obviously see no reason to get involved in all that is going on....unless it pertains to them. 

LIFE IS REALLY ROUGH............LOL

 

Saddik with a deer antler, Lynn and Linda found.  That's one of the things they do, go out and look for antlers for the dogs. 

We got the windshield put in the little car.  It's a good thing we didn't drive it down to Sierra Vista which was our first idea.  I'm not going to name the company, but don't believe what you see on TV about how efficient they are, and they can put in a new windshield while you and the kids enjoy a visit to the zoo.  

Had a 2pm appointment, trailered the car and handed it off at 12:30pm, the guy said it would be ready by 3pm.  Ran around town, got back at 3:20 and the only thing that had been done was the old windshield had been taken out.  Headed home about 4pm, with the new windshield, so obviously it doesn't take very long to put one in......!!!  DUH!  They sent me an e-mail wanting to know how I liked their service.........!!!    After I e-mailed them about the service, they said they would call me, haven't heard a word from them.  LOL

Rosie and Gigi are both walking better, although I think Gigi's other shoulder is bothering her, probably from trying to protect the bad foot with the abscess.  Poor girl, it's too bad when she was born the people didn't have her crooked front legs cast or splinted and saved her from a lifetime of being crippled.  It would have only taken about a week or so to straighten them out after being all wadded up before birth.  

We're fighting the good fight with Boaz and his skin problems.    The side of his mouth is healing nicely, and I'm keeping a long nosed crusader mask on him for the summer.  Right now the flies are really bad everywhere.  His front legs were starting to get sores, so we put socks on them and I figured the rear ones would be next, so he's got socks on all 4 legs.  Unfortunately his sheath has come to the attention of the flies, and the habronema eggs and larvae that hitchhike on them.  We're keeping wormer on his sheath, which kills the larvae  and discourages the flies when they try to land.

About 2 months ago I started a regime with Rosie and Buddy Brat to treat them for neck worms.  Although both of them had slimmed down quite a bit, they still had huge thick crests on their necks.  Rosie also had sores on her belly every summer that I had treated with everything I could think of.  Cortizone10 would keep it at bay, so to speak, but would not get rid of the sores.  I read up on how to worm them if you suspect neck worms and did the protocol.  Dr. Jeremy also had me try a compounded ointment and for the 1st time in years Rosie's belly is dry.  Both of them have lost the large hard crests, so hopefully between the worming and the ointment she will be good for the summer...........!!!

YEA.........IT'S ALMOST BELOW 100*

At least that's what the weather people say.  The thermometer on the back porch disagrees, but it is hovering just above 100*, so I guess it's progress.  

Haven't heard from Lynn and Linda, if they made the people race this week-end and if so how they did.  I'm sure they'll check in when they get the chance, it sounds like their days stay pretty busy.

John and our neighbor Jorja, hung the gate into Burroland this morning, so that job is finally done.  Jorja insisted on helping because Lynn, Linda and John helped her string some fence to keep range cows out last spring.  It's a good thing she helped, because if there is one thing Jorja knows it's fence and gates.  When John came in this morning after they finished he said in 500 years archeologists will find that gate and wonder who built it..........LOL  Ranch people don't want to have to "fix" stuff, so they overbuild.

Tyler and his helper DJ came Sunday to reset shoes on Gus, Rosie and Gigi.  Gigi had been gimping around for a few days and when he started cleaning up her bad foot he found an abscess.  So now she's got a duct tape boot on that foot with a green slime poultice.  He said leave it on till it falls off.  

Penny also got trimmed.  She had a halter on, awaiting her fate and DJ went into put a lead on her.  He's young, big, strong all those things we all wish we still were, not to mention confident.  He grabbed her halter, which sent her into hypermode.  She uses her front feet like a deer or moose does, and also uses her head as a battering ram.  It's hard to keep track of both feet and a head, when you are in close quarters like that.  She nailed him under the jaw with her head and he managed to stay on his feet and hang on, much to her disgust and my amazement.  

This morning I had to put a  sock on one of her hind legs to keep the flies from chewing on her leg and she was just as cooperative as she could be.  Of course animal crackers help, BUT where Tyler and DJ are concerned, bribery isn't going to help much,,,,,,,,LOL

We have to take the little car today to get the windshield replaced.  Sunday John was coming home from Benson, and the hood latch broke with him going about 60mph.  The hood flew up, broke the windshield, dented the hood and John said made a lot of noise..........no kidding......!!!  

This was his fix to get it home

We have 3 night blooming cerius and the last one bloomed last night.  Usually they all bloom the same night, but the 1st one bloomed about 3 weeks ago.  They say there is only one night moth that pollinates them, but John saw bees going in and out of the blooms this morning before they closed up, so we'll see if they set on fruit.  Of course a moth could have come last night too.

We'll be going to practice Friday night to take the new/backup car thru tech and see how it does on the track.  It's not finished although most of the mechanical stuff is done. 

 Neons are known for jumping out of gear and that has been a big problem for me this year.  So our friend Larry came up with a fix that I used last race night and it worked.  

This metal triangle sets like this before the race starts

When the race starts and I want it to stay in 3rd hear, I flip it down against the gear shift and there is no way it can jump out of gear.......!! 
THANKS, LARRY....!!! 

WE'RE READY FOR WINTER NOW...........!!

It's actually cooling off a little was only 102* this afternoon on the back porch.  I honestly don't see a lot of difference between 102 and 106.....!!  LOL

Tyler is coming tomorrow morning to trim feet and reset shoes on the ones that have casting material on their feet.  Actually Gus and Rosie are the only 2 with the casting material.  Gigi has an elongated shoe on her crippled foot and he trims Penny, just because she is a royal pain and I don't want Courtney to get hurt.  

Gigi has been 3 legged lame on her bad foot and today is actually the 1st time she's been out of her pen for almost a week.  So she is doing better, but tomorrow will probably set her back.  SIGH....!!   Have no idea what the problem is, maybe Tyler will have an idea.  

Heard from the Colorado "satellite" this morning.  They had an interesting day yesterday.  First was suppose to be a parade.  Let's just say the morning did not go without a few problems, up to an including losing the keys to the truck, that was suppose to haul the trailer full of donkeys to the parade.  Sounds like they had quite a scavenger hunt and finally found them.  Took off for the parade, I think all 7 donkeys went and they were really hoping for a late start.  No such luck, but at least they finally found the donkey walkers that were meeting them there, didn't have time to dress the donkeys, and took off trying to catch up.  Linda said they were about 2 blocks behind and never did get caught up.  

We looked at the pictures she sent before we read her story, and couldn't figure out why the donkeys weren't dressed, especially Quilla, who's legs are bare from years of fly damage.   

Looking for a parade.......????

Justin and Pepsi doing what they do best.........standing

  

Leddy striking his, "aren't I pretty" pose.....!!!

   

Linda and Jennifer with Quilla

  

Leddy has a thing about flowers, he almost dismantled the flowers from a wagon in front of us, when we were in the Rodeo parade in February in Tucson this year.  The parade hadn't even started and he was determined to eat those flowers. 

From there I think they went past home dropped off some of the donkeys and headed for their 2nd gig, a book presentation for a really good book, On the Backs of Burros.  This is Leo promoting himself for the cover of a sequel I guess.........LOL

The donkeys had a great spot for people to come and visit with them after the book presentation.  Linda said there were a lot of people there and they really enjoyed the donkeys.  Of course the donkeys enjoyed all the attention.  One woman even brought treats which they REALLY enjoyed. 

What a gorgeous stain glass

You think donkeys aren't good baby sitters?  Can't imagine a horse doing this

Nothing like kids and baby donkeys, wonder if they got to grow up together?

They sure have some busy days.  I think they are going on a 5K run with the dogs tomorrow, hopefully Saddik will take care of his "elimination" stop before the race and help Lynn win one.

This is a picture of one of our 3 Night Blooming Cerus with 4 blooms in the back yard.  The other 2 should bloom either tonight or tomorrow night.  They only bloom one night and have to be pollinated by one type of night moth.  If that moth doesn't find the bloom that night, it's all been for naught, no seed pod sets and no chance of a little plant starting.  Seems like a rather hit and miss way to survive.  When we find them in the desert we bring them into the back yard, so the donkeys or cattle won't step on them.  Those spindly sticks are all that is ever above ground.  Below ground is a large tuber that can weigh pounds.  The Indians use to eat the tuber, which considering how tedious their life can be for survival, I guess it's amazing they've managed to survive at all. 

Hot, hot, hot, but life goes on.........!!

John went to his heart doctor yesterday and they don't want to see him until October, so I guess he's doing good.  He was hoping to get rid of some of the pills he's taking, but that didn't happen.  He finally got his monitor to work.  Living out in the boonies has it's good points and bad points.  Our cell phone does not work in the house unless you get in the kitchen window and stretch out as far as you can stretch towards the window to get a signal.  

So the monitor that was suppose to be by the bed was not happy when he first hooked it up.  He called them and they said not to worry about it.  A couple of days later he got the brilliant idea of going out of the house to see it it would work.  All of a sudden it started putting different little emogis on the face of the monitor.  Brought it back in the house and it's worked ever since.  Guess it just needed to be woke up.  So every night at 1AM it downloads to the doctor's office.  If they don't like what they see they can call and have him come in for a tune up I guess..............!!!  LOL  Modern medicine is absolutely amazing.

Not much going on around here, it's too hot to be doing much.  The donkeys just stand around in the shade waiting to be fed or for it to cool off.  Actually for the last few days we've had 2 donkeys 3 legged lame.  One is Frijolita, who is never sick or anything.  She has a neurological problem call string halt, probably cause by getting into some poisonous plants before she was captured by the BLM as a 6 month old.   We got an inch of rain the other day, which was really appreciated, but I wonder if it had something to do with her not wanting to put weight on one of her hind legs.  

The other one is Gigi, who has probably been crippled since birth.  She has to wear a shoe on one front foot to keep that foot from turning backwards, which is how it  was when we got her.  

 Of course that was the foot that was bothering her, and she refused to put any weight on it for the first day or so.  She just laid down all the time.

If you don't know if it is an abscess or not, you are not suppose to give bute.  The bute interferes with the abscess opening up, which gives them instant relief.

Gigi is not easy to work with, she does not trust people or want people in her space.  So getting up close and personal with her bad foot wasn't going to happen without a lot of drama.

She's actually a little better this morning, she's up and moving around a little bit, so hopefully she's heading in the right direction.  I still think the rain probably had something to do with both of them.

We've heard from Colorado a couple of times and they are staying busy as usual, makes me tired just to hear about all they do.........!!!

One Saturday they were going to run a people race with dogs early in the morning and then do a parade with donkeys later. 

This is the dogs I assume before the race started.  Linda runs with Lola and Lennon and Lynn runs with Saddik.  Lynn and Saddik were running in 1st place, when Saddik had to do a #2 pit stop and Lynn had to pick it up.  So they finished 3rd.  That's the 2nd time Saddik has interfered with the finish of a race because of his elimination problem.........LOL Linda was 2nd female and placed 9th overall with Lennon and; Lola so they all had a good day. 

So after that they went over to the parade area and it was raining, as Linda said it was literally raining on their parade.  They didn't see any horse trailers or floats, so they went home. 

I think this was taken earlier not after the race, just the dogs taken advantage of the nice weather.

This is Linda's friend Stephanie, trying to groom on Pepsi.  Unfortunately Loki Joe seems to think she needs his help.............or..........he wants her to groom him, not sure which......!!

Lynn out playing with the "fur" kids

The parade of donkeys

SOME INTERESTING VIDEOS.......!!!

 There is so much interesting stuff on the internet, I learn something new every day.........!!


https://www.facebook.com/spanacharity/videos/10156900125895695/


https://www.facebook.com/878540765638275/videos/1021539531338397/

Couldn't resist........!!

Linda sent this video and I just had to share.  I guess Justin and Pepsi have decided that the adventure of getting in the trailer, camping out, all the other donkeys and people is really fun and exciting...........that running stuff..........not so much.  This is next to last place and last place "racing" to the finish line, after 6 hours to do about 10 miles.  I would imagine Pepsi and Justin aren't as tired as Linda and May......!!!  At least it was still daylight......!!  LOL

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj1CO7qFFTl/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=7pwkpvo2y295

Linda hasn't filled us in on all the gory details yet, so we only know what the pictures and videos show, don't know did Leo and Jill I think her name is finish?  Leo is a racer, so I would think they did pretty good, if she could hang on to him.

Leo and Jill?

 

 We also don't know how Lynn and Loki did.  

Not sure why Justin's crupper is over his tail, hopefully they caught it before the race started

The scenery in Colorado is really gorgeous, lots of history

Not all the race is on nice wide roads

Pretty country, to a desert rat....!!

Thanks to Linda and May for the pictures, it's almost as good as being there, without all that running.!!!   LOL

BOY.......IT'S HOT........AND HUMID.......!!!

Not much going on around here.  We've had clouds the last few days, even had a few sprinkles hit the ground, but mostly just temperatures over 100* and icky, sticky humidity.......!!  Suppose to be this way for the foreseeable future.  The donkeys just stand around in the shade waiting for something to happen.  I would imagine they move around more after dark, although it doesn't cool off until close to midnight.  

John is doing really good with his defibrillator, he says it is less painful every day, which is a good thing.  He goes for a wound check this week and should find out more "dos and don'ts".  He let the donkeys out at bedtime last night.    Doug has been letting them out and he does it like I do, open the gates and let them out.  Of course they feel cheated without the obligatory piece of carrot, that John always gives them.  So I'm sure they appreciate having the "real" crew chief back.....!!

 Here are some more pictures from last week-end, haven't heard anything about how this week-end at Creede went. 

Look at Loki's front feet.......!!

It looks like he is mimicking the way Linda is standing, so funny........!!

Justin looks like a winner, doesn't he?

Justin had no problem jumping that log.......!!

Pepsi and Justin look like they know what they are doing

This hot weather seems to be helping the mesquite beans set and will probably help them ripen quickly.  The day we see any ripe beans on the ground, is the day the donkeys start spending more time in their pens than they spend out.  Last year they had unlimited access to the beans for a couple of weeks before we noticed they were gaining weight.  This year we will be pro-active on how many hours a day they are out and also how much access they will have to Burroland.  They all look pretty good right now, although some of them like Coquette and Jasper, are still carrying too much weight.  

Speaking of Jasper, he has really blossomed, he interacts with the other donkeys, although he and Gus usually hang out together, which is nice.  They both have compromised feet, so they aren't going to be running all over the place.  Gus has never really had a buddy before, he's always liked being around people more than other donkeys.  Jasper loves having people here on tours and usually ends up following them around as they see the other donkeys...........just in case they might like to show him a little more attention along the way.  

He's actually looking pretty good, but if you run your hands between his spine and his ribs, there's still a lot of extra fat there, in fact it makes little hills and valleys.  Don't know that he will ever lose those pones.  He seems satisfied with what we give him to eat and doesn't seem to be overly hungry, which is a good thing, unlike some of the others, Coquette for one and Rosie for another.  Rosie eats wood, she's not a cribber in fact I don't know if I have ever heard of a donkey that cribs.  Rosie seems to like having extra fiber in her diet.  All of the shelters are wood.......except for hers.  She had a wooden one, she also had one made out of wooden pallets.............both gone.  Hers is metal and the garage has metal corners to protect them from her.  The old well house doesn't look too good either, but she had help there, Cheyenne and Lynn the 2 mini jennies decided they'd snack a little too.......!! LOL

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

 

 The Colorado boys practicing their moves.  Pepsi has become quite the little runner, even if he is a  "chunky little monkey"  I don't see his saddle bags disappearing yet, hopefully by the time they bring him back, he will be "slim and trim", although I'm not holding my breath.  At least he will miss mesquite bean season in Arizona...!!

 This could be one reason Pepsi isn't losing weight.  Lynn and Linda think the pasture up there is terrible, BUT....... Pepsi seems to be enjoying it and none of them look like they are wasting away....!!! LOL

 * * * * *

Well that didn't take long.  John had his little defibrillator installed yesterday afternoon, and we were home by before 8pm.  Doug had fed and let the donkeys out at bedtime, so we didn't have to worry about that.  

He said he slept pretty good last night and today is sitting in his recliner waiting for the doctor office to call to see how he is doing.  That isn't his primary reason for waiting for their call.  They gave him a cute little monitor to put on his nightstand, that will download info every morning at 1AM.  Unfortunately there is no cell service in our bedroom, which probably is the reason his little monitor is flashing like crazy to tell him, no service.  So when they call he's going to ask them what happens now?  

People in the city don't understand the lack of service out in the wilds of the country.......!!!  They look almost as confused as when they ask for a cell phone number and we tell them we don't have one.  We actually do have a cell phone, but we never turn it on unless we want to use it, and a lot of times when we turn it on, we have messages that have been on there for days.  So there isn't any reason to give the number to anyone.....!!!  LOL

* * * * * 

Lynn and Linda are racing today in Creede, Colorado in one of the longer burro races, with I assume Loki and Justin.  Not sure if some of the other boys will be racing or not.  Pepsi will hate to miss out I'm sure, he's really taken to this racing business.  

IT TOOK ME AWHILE, BUT I FINALLY FIGURED OUT IT IS ACTUALLY FRIDAY, NOT SATURDAY, SO I DON'T THINK THEY RACE UNTIL TOMORROW......JEESH.....!!

Lynn and Linda with Loki and Justin at the Idaho Springs Race, I think

May, a friend with Pepsi

 

Pepsi's not sure he wants to jump that log

Oh well......might as well try it....!!

The ones that finished

Yea.......I guess there are quite a few that don't finish, although this was only about 5-6 miles.  The Creede race this week-end is about 10 miles......!!!

I guess Lynn was up at 1am "designing" a Justin proof barrier.  Justin got bored and was jumping in and out, in and out of the trailer that was attached to the truck, Lynn and Linda were trying to sleep in..........!!!   I'm really surprised this stopped him, I see weak spots in the design........!!!  LOL

MIGHT BE OUT OF TOUCH FOR AWHILE

John is in congestive heart failure from chemo in 1999 for non-Hodgkins lymphoma a little gift from Agent Orange that keeps on giving.  He worked on the spray birds (C-130's) that drop the stuff, they even used it in a bucket around the perimeter of their base for weed control. He also said the radio equipment he worked on was pink with the stuff when they came back from a flight.  He's often wondered how many of the guys he worked with are still alive.  He has been diagnosed with 3 different cancers since 1999, two of which the VA identifies with Agent Orange.  Or as they call it in civilian circles......Roundup......!!!

Tomorrow they are putting in a defibrillator that will shock his heart if it decides to act funny.  The heart muscle is weak and none of the medication they tried made a difference.  He says he is going to be bionic..........!!!  Gee a month ago he was just fine.....till he went to his cardiologist for an annual checkup......!!!   LOL  The procedure only takes about 45 minutes, they put it under his collar bone, then he's not suppose to do anything for 6 weeks.  I have a feeling that is going to be a LONG 6 weeks.

All of the donkey are doing good right now, we're only doctoring every other day and it's working out good.  Boaz's mouth isn't healed, but the crusader mask is keeping the flies on his mouth, so no re- infestation.  Socks on the legs of all those that need them and the new socks are working out really well, staying up much better than the ones I've used for years...........YEA....!!  

Thanks for the picture Mindy, these masks do make a statement...!!! I had put this picture on the blog earlier but in case someone missed it.  I'm amazed the donkeys don't mind having it down around their mouth at all. 

Haven't heard from our Colorado satellite, Lynn and Linda are suppose to do a burro race this week-end.  I'm pretty sure Loki Joe and Justin are going, not sure about the others.  I hope Lynn starts up in front, if Loki keeps showing interest in running it won't be long before they start getting some top 10 finishes.  

This was the lineup of packsaddles and equipment for the races a couple of weeks ago.  I can see where it would be important to have everything organized, to prevent last minute frantically looking for something. 

Penny seems to be doing OK after her problem getting up the other day.  I guess she just got her legs a little wrong and couldn't get up.  Believe me, I can sympathize.......!!!  LOL

I raced last Saturday night and finished 2nd and the car didn't jump out of gear..........YEA...........!!  If it had I wouldn't have finished 2nd.  LOL  Larry, a good friend and fellow racer, came up with an idea for a rod to drop down behind the gear shift after I shift to 3rd.  There is no way the gear shift can move with the rod there.  At least that's what we all thought, but didn't know for sure until we tried it.  John said he started getting anxious at lap 14 but nothing happened, then lap 15 was OK, so by lap 16 he was pretty confident that I could make it to lap 20 and the finish.  I'm in 5th for points, not sure I will be able to finish the year any higher because of 3 lousy finishes earlier in the year because of the shifting problem.

Meet & Greet, looks like I got tired of standing..... and John found someone to talk to.........LOL

I don't race again until the end of June, which gives my crew chief a chance to recuperate and figure out how disruptive this little thing about the size of a pocket watch below his collar bone is going to be.  He already has heard some do's and dont's, nothing really life changing so far.  Of course they usually wait to tell you the bad stuff until after the surgery, at least that's been my experience...........!! LOL

One good thing I would think is, usually these defibrillators don't get put in until the person has had a heart attack and their heart is damaged.  John's heart isn't damaged, the heart muscle is just weakened from R-CHOP chemo. 

His surgery isn't until 3pm, which means he will have to go all day without eating and drinking after 7am.  I'm sure that will be a fun filled day.........!!!  He's usually not too happy if he doesn't get lunch by 1pm......!!!