Charlie Is More Important Than CaliforniaMay 31, 2011
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The Damage Done
Resting Peacefully
| Memorial Day, 2011 Unsure how to thank someone for going above and beyond the call of duty, I grilled rib-eyes for Frank and Diane to try and thank them for helping with Charlie. And a very happy dog got some leftovers! Once the meat was inhaled, Charlie went back to the sofa for a nap before bedtime. One reader suggested he was probably sore all over from the attack which may very well contribute to his lethargy. We begin our journey once again on Wednesday heading West then Northwest toward the giant redwoods followed by the Oregon coastline. Charlie said he cannot wait for green grass and making the desert a distant memory. May 31st, 2011 Took Charlie back to the vet's this morning because he was being very lethargic and his output was not as it should be. Thinking it may have been the antibiotics, I skipped his last dose and there was a marked improvement in his well being...even playing with a toy. Dr. Vet said the antibiotic wouldn't cause the problems I stated, re-opened the partially healed wounds to allow drainage and then asked if Charlie had any problems chewing the tabs he had given (sold) me on Sunday. I reminded him that he had supplied us with capsules and he said they could indeed cause stomach irritation and sold me the chew-ables. Additionally, I stopped at a pharmacy and picked up some probiotics as recommended by the pharmacist to help replenish some of the bacteria that was being destroyed by the antibiotics. So far, Charlie is much less lethargic, has gone on two fairly long walks and has played with his visitors today. He ate all of his dinner but so far no output...The wounds are just now beginning to re-heal and the bleeding has slowed. He has a fresh coat of topical ointment but he will not let me touch the wounds. My plan was to cross Arizona and pick up I-5 (the five) and head towards Northern California and on into Oregon. As I have so often said before, plans change. Though there is some absolute beauty in the desert, we've had enough of it. Being from the east, we miss green grass, blue skies and rain. Regardless the route, our next leg as planned would keep us in the desert for much too long...well, until close to our destination. An alternate route up through Colorado would mean crossing the Rockies and with gas prices as they are...this isn't the time. Our home base is now in Livingston, TX. It is where my vehicles are registered, it is where I get my mail forwarded from and it is where Charlie has a veterinarian that has all his records! My buddy Tom came up with that great idea. Take Charlie to a vet you know and trust to have him thoroughly checked out. Brilliant! That's why I used Tom as a sounding board. Someday, I'd like to see the West Coast, but I don't have to see the whole U.S. in one year. This isn't a vacation, it is the way I live now and plan on living for as long as I am able to do so. No offense to those fine folks that live in places like Kansas and Nebraska, Arizona and New Mexico, Nevada and anywhere else that has little diversification and miles and miles of desert or farmland...I'm not interested at this time. In fact, I don't believe there is enough time to explore this great land in a single lifetime so we must be selective. Still a novice RVer, after Charlie gets checked out in Livingston, we are headed back to the familiar territory that the East Coast offers. I'd like to stay awhile in Wilmington, NC. I'd like to visit many of the campgrounds and areas I visited as a kid camping with my family in a pop-up camper. There are plenty of places along the eastern seaboard I've never been. I've never been to New England in the fall...or any other time of the year. Eventually, the West may call again but it will be the northern route that will be taken...leaving the desert a very distant memory. Because Charlie is so sore and not knowing how comfortable he will be in route, our next stopover will be in El Paso which will only be a two to three hour drive. The RV Park has a dog run and I've requested a site nearby. Since it is a Passport America site, we can stay up to three days on the reduced rate (50% discount). We will make a stop in Fort Davis which is twenty miles from Marfa (ghost lights) and if Charlie is up to it, we will check them out. There will be a brief stop around San Antonio or Austin followed by a week or so in Livingston where Charlie will be thorougly rechecked. From there? Thanks go to everyone who has expressed concern and prayed for Charlie's swift recovery. Those expressions mean so much to both him and me. |
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