Thursday, March 17
The mesquite trees are “greening up!” Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, north of Sasabe and west of Arivaca, Arizona
This morning Bridget, Reggie and I toodle over to the refuge’s Visitor Center.
“You wait here. I won’t be long. Promise.”
For heaven’s sake, what faces! They look like convicts behind plexi-glass during visiting hour at the prison.
I discover the Visitor Center is closed.
The sign says it is closed due to a staff shortage. I peek in the windows and return to the PTV.
“See? I wasn’t long. Hi, Bridgie! Perk up those ears, Reg! We’re gonna’ have a great day!”
We begin a leisurely drive on Pronghorn Road.
Birds of prey perch on the highest branches of trees. Most of them fly off at our approach or in the millisecond before I catch them with my lens.
I do capture a few as we mosey through the grassland.
Most of the photos come out too fuzzy to post here, as we have to stay far away. Here are a few of the better ones:
Red-tailed Hawk
Although the photos aren’t high quality, I’m pleased with them.
It’s not like I can tell the sun to move so the subject isn’t back-lit!
Or direct a hawk . . . “Um, could you skootch further out on the branch? That stick is in the way.”
The Perfect Tow Vehicle is in drive. I let up on the brake pedal and we creep forward.
Maybe I can get a better angle. Oops, he’s watching and getting restless . . . .
I lose him for a second. While searching for him in the camera’s viewer, he takes flight.
A short distance further, I spot another one.
Coopers Hawk
We continue our roll through the grassland.
I look for pronghorns.
With 118,000 acres to roam in the refuge and more beyond that, they could be anywhere. We might not see any.
There they are!
Let’s see . . . a small herd . . . five or six . . .
I wait while two of them move out of the brush to where I have a clear shot.
Zoom in some more . . . .
Chihuahuan Pronghorn (A. americana mexicana)
This is such fun!
We leave the pronghorns to their grazing and continue on, completing the Pronghorn Road loop. On the return trip to camp, I drive us onto a dirt road, stop, and let the crew out for a short walk.
I love days like this.
As soon as we’re home, I unload the crew and plug the PTV to the Best Little Trailer.
I refresh the crew’s water dish and grab a drink for me from the fridge. Bridget and Reg hop onto the bed and make themselves comfortable. I sit down at my little table and open up the laptop.
Now to see the photos!
rvsue
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Kim is nuts for Hawks, can’t wait to show her your post tonight!
Also, Reg looks like he expected more ice-cream and isn’t happy about not getting more!
CONGRATULATIONS, DAN! YOU’RE FIRST!
Say “hi” to Kim for me…
I will! I think I have her hooked too. Can’t believe I got first, kinda nice.
First?
Tied for second with Kristie & Daisie and with Colleen!
Love the first photo of the pups. Such an expression. 😀
Thanks, Kristi & Daisie!
Nice pictures. Can’t wait to get on the road with my new Casita later this year. You give me inspiration.
How can you stand the wait? The minute I saw the BLT she became my home. I would’ve gone crazy if I had to wait. 🙂
Love pictures
Thank, Sandra!
That darn Sue leaving us again! 😛
They are just pathetic!!!
That is a really cool photo of the hawk taking off! You caught its tushy!
Things here are very boring… so… there ya go!
Hugs from Hoquiam!
Hi, Barb,
I questioned whether to show the lift-off photo. I went ahead because, gee, how often does one see a close-up of a hawk’s butt? 🙂
LOL No kidding Sue! I am glad you let caution to the wind and lived on the wild side. 🙂
Hard day today. Lost a friend. Hard day… hate those days.
Thank you for the giggles and smiles. I needed it.
Hugs,
Barb
I’m sorry about your friend and the sadness you feel. Hugs to you, too, Barb.
Beautiful photos of the hawks. They make me nervous around you sweet pups though. We had a terrible instance locally where a Chihuahua was killed by a hawk–makes me shudder–please be careful around those birds of prey — they don’t know that Reggie is your sweet fur baby !
Hi, Millie,
Thank you for the reminder. I promise to be careful!
Funniest pictures EVER!! The last one of Reggie should become an internet sensation Meme—bigger than grumpy cat!!
I think we need to make this happen some how.
Reg: “I don’t see any ice-cream!”
Hi, Tara… 🙂
I love the lift off. And the convict expressions. I can’t say why, but they somehow fit well together.
Maybe because “You two have faces like a hawk’s behind!”
Hi Sue,
I love the “prison photos” of the crew. What perfect expressions!
One question, do you get credit for orders from Amazon Prime? We have that now, but are not sure if we should continue on when we are full-time in about 6 months. What is your advice?
Sure do, katydid. Thank you.
Not only that, a commission is given for signing up for Amazon Prime.
Pitiful Puppies!!
Love the pictures!
Hi, Betsy & Mark… Thank you!
FABULOUS PHOTOS!!!
Thank you!!
Lynn B. (Baltimore, MD)
You’re welcome, Lynn, and thanks for the positive feedback. 🙂
Love the “convict” photo! Poor babies, they lead such a hard life – hah. Riley hates waiting in the car also and usually makes a fuss for a while before settling down.
The cover is off the Casita! Slowly getting ready to roll next month, down to the NOG (Northern Oregon Gathering of fiberglas trailers). It will be our first time attending this gathering and we are looking forward to it. Spring in the Willamette Valley should be beautiful.
Kitt
Hi, Kitt,
I’ve never gone to NOG. I hope you will tell us about your experience.
You managed to get some good photos! It sounds like you had a great day.
Hi, Sharon,
It was a great day in a quiet sort of way. 🙂
Hi Sue, Bridget, and Reggie. Great post. I especially like the expressions on Bridget’s and Reggie’s faces before and after! Not much change in Reggie’s. Great pictures of the hawks and pronghorn’s too.
Thanks, Renee,
Reggie, like a baby, is too busy making a sad face to see that I’ve come back!
Love the pictures of the hawks. We have quite a few here this spring also. I love were you are now. Very different from what I am used to. When I lived in Tucson I never got that far south. Birds are wonderful to watch. Have a great day!
Hi, Jean… Enjoy the birds of spring!
Hi Sue, good pictures of the Hawks, I can identify them for you…the first one is a Redtail, as you can see by the red tail when in the sun…you got a couple of clear pictures so that the tail shows red…and especially the tushy shot…lol..great action shot.
The other one I believe is a Coopers Hawk, they have a banded tail (striped). I cannot tell the size, but they are usually smaller than the Redtails.
And oh, the puppy faces, that is hilarious! Too bad the office was closed I bet they had good stuff in there.
Enjoy your weekend out there, we have no plans except to get the dogs groomed and get haircuts ourselves and then to breakfast with our fishing buddies. Happy smiles and big rubs for the babies..
Thanks, Shirlene. I put the hawk identification under the photos. Have a great weekend!
Gorgeous photos of the hawks, Sue! The second photo of the crew–“whew! we’re out on parole!” Priceless! Beautiful grassland–love seeing the pronghorns.
Thanks, Dawn. Those pronghorns are a perfect accent in a grassland scene. I enjoy sharing things like this ….
Convict pictures are hilarious. I laughed out loud. In the second one, Bridget is happy to see you, but Reggie still isn’t buying it. So funny.
Beautiful hawks. Love the birds of prey – there’s just something magnificent about them.
Hi, Applegirl,
I should put these two jailbirds in striped pajamas. 🙂
WOW!! RV Sue, what great pics, my husband loved them also. You have the best blog anywhere! Can’t wait until another post comes! Take care, tell The Queen and Reggie Man that they look so pitiful staring out the window for you to return.
Hi, Linda and Mr. Hughes :)….
Thank you for the great compliment. I’m glad you both enjoyed the pics!
I suspect that the “staff shortage” at the visitor center is due to budget cuts keeping them from hiring staff.
Hi, Diane…. No doubt that’s why. I miss the long ago days when this country had a robust economy.
That expression on Reggie’s face…I didn’t know he had such a flat, uninterested, phlegmatic expression. Where is our lively Reggie? Bridget looks totally animated next to him.
I just saw my doc and he said he would try cardio-version in three weeks to get me back into sinus rhythm. I hope that works, I’m souncomfortable being in a fib.
Beyond that,nothing new.
Hey D.G., I was in afib for one week this week…it is uncomfortable. I have had cardio-version several times, no problem, just a little sunburn on my chest and back…aint getting old fun! Might look up Valsalva maneuver and watch YouTube videos to see if you can reset yourself for a temp fix.
As a retired nurse I would say NO to her trying Valsalva or anything else unless directly under her Doctor supervision! She did just finish having heart surgery!
I’ve got to agree with you Velda….I’m not trying anything without my doc’s approval. I’m a chicken like that.
Don’t you just hate it? I feel anxious, can’t focus, tired and out of breath, dizzy…it sucks.
You are awesome, DG. With all that you’ve been through, and you’re hanging in there and kind enough to give us updates. I am still praying for you, as well as others on the blog.
Sending a feel better hug!
Good morning, Ginger…. I hope today is better than yesterday…
Yeah, afib is sucky DG. Sorry you are in that, the docs are trying medication first I presume. As a former cardiac RN, I am glad you are sticking to the program. You might ask your cardiologist about “pacing ” you out of afib. And kudos for doing nothing without the docs A OK. Taking your time in this phase of recovery is a good investment for solid progress in the future. Work the ‘bugs’ out of your care while you are there on a monitor and before you hit the road.
Lisa: thumbs up!
Precious pics of the crew. Isn’t it sad how their little eyes
never stop watching until you return? We’ve been traveling
with our cat for awhile now. He like Reggie will be turning
4. When Chloe goes out he stands like that at the window
& stares sadly until she comes back in. Never for us, just
her. Lol
Hi, Nancy,
Well, I guess you know where you stand in the order of importance. Ha!
Dear Sue,
I have a delicate question that I would like to pose to you and the full timer Blogerino ladies, if I may. Feel free to delete if you prefer not to have this in your blog. I will understand.
Background: My friends are weekend campers. Thier fifth wheel is more or less permenently parked at a campground nearby. It is a practice of women who use their toilet to dispose of used toilet paper into a wastebasket after urinating, rather than flushing it. It was explained to me that this saves the tank monitors from hung up with excess paper when being serviced. I get that line of thinking. I am also familiar with the practice of “if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down”.
I’ve begun to contemplate the possible odor as well as the mounting trash problem that this practice might create when boondocking. I have yet to get my full time adventure started and have only had my little motorhome out on two brief trips last fall so I am as new of a newbie as there is. I’m just thinking ahead to May when the adventure begins for me full time.
Question for the Ladies: Does the yellow vs. brown practice apply to TP when you are camping full time?
I flush everything. The BLT doesn’t have tank monitors, so that isn’t a consideration.
Any comment on this, lady blogorinos?
I lived in my 33′ travel trailer for 3 years. I always only used Scott tissue. I always flushed and never had a problem.
Thank you, DG, I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I am leaning this same direction.
We are not full-timers but we do enjoy camping in our motor home as often as we can. We used to flush everything until a seasoned rver that we trust told us he rarely flushes TP… He said you only need to get your black water tank clogged once with TP to learn never to flush it.
So now we have a small wastebasket with a plastic bag liner in our RV toilet room and we put all of our TP into it. If you fold it up tightly after using it there isn’t any odor. We tie it up every day or two and dispose of it.
We personally flush everything else, and are conscientious about putting 2-4 gallons of fresh water and toilet deodorizng stuff down the toilet after every time we dump the tank (we like the individual pouches/packets but have also used the liquid).
I always flushed the TP and never had a problem. I was using regular single ply paper too but you can by TP that is made to break down even quicker. Doing anything with it but flushing is nasty and unnecessary.
Hahaha – When I contemplated buying The Madness my (mtrhm) I was grossed out by the idea that I would have to attach a hose to the black tank and dump! I can hardly believe that I am asking questions about used paper publicly!
I do appreciate your response, AZ Jim. I’m leaning your direction, too.
I think my friends also heard of the same problem so they adopted the practice. They also rarely pull out thier camper so I wonder if the movement of constant travel eliminates the problem.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I appreciate it.
FYI, when I lived in my trailer for 3 years it was stationery, in the backyard of a house I owned. Had no problems.
I line my bathroom trash can with plastic grocery bags and dispose of the yellow toilet paper there. Wad up and seal once a day…no odor. I takes more water to thoroughly flush paper as opposed to a quick flush with liquid only. This seems to conserve water as well as tank space. I also keep a plastic bowl in the sink to collect dishwater. I put some of that water in a covered container in the bathroom to fill the toilet bowl for the “more serious business”. This also saves water and space in the gray water tank. Once you’re on the road you will find what works best for you and for your rig.
I like the reminder to add extra water to the bowl for “more serious” business. (love the way you framed that, too)
I’ve also read that you should line the bowl with a few strips of paper. It would have the effect of packaging the material so no skids are left behind. Unfortunately, that just adds more paper and adds to my confusion.
Thank you for responding Marilou!
Flush the TP! The TP breaks up easily!
I can understand if it’s just “family” using that tactic…but visitors? IMHO-that is quite nasty as well as unsanitary! Who gets the job of emptying the trash?
Besides men don’t use TP unless it’s brown..
We’ve never ever had a problem with TP in our tanks or the monitor.
Cinandjules, your comment about family reminded me of other family rules that were accepted but never spoken. Like FHB (family hold back) when having guests for dinner. Mostly this was directed at my older, teenaged brothers who could clear a serving platter on it’s first pass.
I’m thinking that there are enough nasty but necessary tasks in RVing (empting the black comes to mind) that I will be solely responsible for. Sealing up the used paper bag daily is one that I think I will take a pass on by just flushing.
We were full timers for over 6 years and still live stationary in our RV full time! I never flush my toilet paper! Even so, last year we spent over $1,000 for replacing our black tank! Seems there was a pyramid pile of toilet paper that never got flushed out over time. it was almost like concrete! Just as important and keeping as much TP out of the black tank is to use water, lots and lots of water each time you flush! Saves $$$$ that way! We also found out it would have been better IF we had used a “honey wagon” to suck everything out of the black tank. Live and learn!
I do flush the “brown” TP !
Good to know! ?
I think the movement of driving swishes the water around and helps break down the tissue.
We did the “tissue test” putting a piece in a jar and shaking it..making sure it falls apart.
Our home now has a septic system..found out the hard way that some “septic safe” tissue really isn’t! Yeppers ended up digging frozen dirt only to find paper miche! We only use Scott 1000 now….and don’t dare try to double wipe da butt!
I use Scott 1000 for the brown and put it in a sealable container that has a hinged lid that seals just fine with a Walmart bag in it,, when full we have a fire, a real small one,,, our black water tank is only 4.8 gallons, so nothing but brown and yellow go into it with waste dissolver,,,,,, and I dump once a month, unless I eat a lot of ice cream,,,,,,,,,,,
Well, it took 6 years of constant use to build up to trouble! Didn’t happen overnight and there was no real warning until suddenly there was a big problem. Week end or casual campers may never notice a problem building. We sure didn’t! We will have to try Scott 1000, we have been using a brand that says septic safe…..but who really knows?
Do the test I mentioned above. I tried it on the “septic safe” stuff we were using and it never disintegrated.
Thank you everyone for your replies!
It seems like there is a split between no issues and big, expensive issues. The biggest problem seemed to be stationary vs. constantly moving from place to place, tho. Good to know that those who do use the waste basket method don’t have odor problems. There’s only me traveling so I guess I’ll Find find a middle ground. I do like the idea of burning paper when I get a chance.
Thank you again for responding.
We have had various rvs through the the years, various types of toilets and we always flush the paper. Never had a problem. If you open the throat of the toilet and look down you can see into the black tank, which isn’t black, it is white and when clean, light glows through. If you can see build up, dump in a bag of ice and take the trailer for a ride, it cleans it right up. We also use a rv tank wand that hooks onto a water hose and has a small end that blasts water out the tip when you turn on the water. Blast away after you have emptied the tank, it will move hangers on right out. Amazon sells them.
We also use use regular toilet paper, just not facial tissues, too tough, no sanitary products..just organic brown and yellow, water, tp and something like Pure Power for organic digestion.
It would gross me out to throw paper into a container..so I have never considered doing that and have had no reason to..we are talking fifty years of using rv toilets…..
The Casita is our first rv without tank monitors, not a problem, and we never had a monitor clog or get coated with yuk doing it this way….
I really appreciate your response, Lee J.
The collective experiences of the Blogerinos is invaluable to me. It almost seems as though there are “urban legends” in the RV world that are difficult to separate from real world. Some of these legends might have thier roots in the different uses of campers and motorhomes. By that I mean, like my friends, there are many, many experienced campers in my area but the rig is used as a summer home and rarely moves. That could create a different set of problems; which I may never encounter.
I am leaning toward the “flush it all down” practice when it comes to used paper. There is the gross-out factor, of course. The same could be said of the many composting toilet fans. They seem to move past it pretty easily.
I also have dogs who would find a wastebasket with used paper too much of an attraction to ignore. Talk about GROSS! (lol)
Wow, great photos! You saw more wildlife in one day than I’ve seen in the 3 months I’ve been here! All I’ve seen are a couple of bunnies. You must be pretty heat-tolerant to be so far south right now.
Funny you mention being heat-tolerant right now. I braced myself for a heat-wave, based on predictions of highs in the 90s. A few minutes ago I was outside in the lounger wearing shorts and a tank top (early afternoon) and I laughed in the face of those forecasts. I had to come inside and put on another shirt because the breeze is so cool! I’m amazed that this bit of elevation makes such a difference. Elevation can overcome latitude… 🙂 It’s very pleasant here.
Love the post today, Sue. Your Red-tailed hawk pictures are very nice and the Pronghorns are great especially the zoomed in duo.
Poor Bridget and Reggie looked quite forlorn when you left them in the PTV.
Hi, Lisa W…. Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed the post!
Hi Sue –
I’m the new ‘lurker’ who commented a day or two ago. I was just looking around at your ‘home’ page and some of the old (i.e. prior site) posts and I no longer see any info about your background (i.e. please don’t knock with no invite) and the early planning that went into this adventure… is it deleted or am I just not looking in the right place? I thought all of that was not only interesting but helpful .. hope this question is not too intrusive so feel free to ignore .. 🙂
Hi, Kim,
I think you’re talking about the page “About RVSue and the crew.” You’re right. That page isn’t in the header when one is at rvsueandcrew.com. It can be accessed from the header when one is at rvsueandcrew.net. I should figure out why it isn’t above the earlier posts. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
Aaaw,,,,,,, those two in prison , such looks and Reggie still looking up set even on your return, but the Bridge looks likes she knows that your on the way back,,,, the Bird of pray and the prong horn photos look great,, your photos are a whole lot better than if I took them, you would see fuzzy photos if I took emm,,,,,,, to bad the visitor center was closed,,,, but it sounds and looks like you 3 had a great day,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Thanks, Rusty, and good morning to you and Piper!
Thanks so much for the Friday post! After the hectic day at work today, it sets up a good mood for the weekend.
🙂 I hope your weekend is wonderful, Dawn. It sounds like you’ve earned that!
Hi Sue,
I’m wondering if it’s cooler at Buenos Aires than at Gilbert Ray in Tucson. Perhaps this is a travel day for you and you’re on your way to higher elevation. I love seeing the prong horn. You’re really in the boonies when there are antelope!
Tomorrow is the last day we can stay here. We’re going to head for the national forest camps near Prescott for cooler weather. Love the Sonoran Desert though. Thank you for introducing it to us with your blog.
You’re welcome, Marilu,
I don’t know if it is cooler at Buenos Aires NWR, overall, compared to Gilbert Ray Campground. Probably not. I look out our back window across Altar Valley to the mountains and it may very well be miserably hot on the desert floor. We’re comfortable on this ridge because of cool breeze. I don’t know where the breeze is coming from! Maybe it’s an updraft but that doesn’t explain the coolness. At any rate, I’ll take it!
No, we’re not on the road today. We will stay through the weekend and then I’ll decide what to do.
You will be cooler near Prescott. Have an enjoyable drive further north.
Your pictures are beautiful. The puppy dogs look sad though that they didn’t get to go with you.
Don’t feel sorry for them. They get to go almost everywhere I go, every foot of the way! 🙂 Thanks for the compliment on the pics.
I love it! “…convicts behind Plexiglas…”. What a perfect description of those expressions!
I wholeheartedly agree! hahaha!
Hi, Ann and Geri!
LOL! Convicts behind plexiglass!!! What a funny picture!
🙂
Fabulous pictures, Sue! Love the ones of your “furry family” – PRICELESS!
I’m checking out travel trailers online to get a feel for what I want.
Happy and safe travels to you, Bridget and Reggieman!
Ooh… Drooling over the keyboard yet? 🙂
Isn’t it great to have the internet when trying to make a big decision like this? I wouldn’t have known about Casita travel trailers otherwise. Good luck figuring out what you want!
The inmate photo made me roar!
Love the lift off!
🙂
” They look like convicts behind plexi-glass during visiting hour at the prison.” Thanks for the Snicker Of The Day. And I don’t mean the chocolate candy kind.
You ARE good with that camera and I loved the bird photos.
Thank you, Nancy…. for the snicker and the compliment!
You have received rave reviews about the ‘prisoner’ picture but very faint praise for the Chihuahuan Pronghorn (A. americana mexicana) . This species is found only in southeastern Arizona where it was reintroduced from Texas. The ONLY places they can now be observed in Arizona are Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge and the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area. There are not a lot of them so you were lucky to see any and got some good pictures.
The hawk pictures are good also but they are a dime a dozen compared to the Chihuahuan Pronghorn in Arizona. Congratulation on getting a trophy to be proud of!!
Thanks, Ed. I had no idea! Which, of course, is not the least bit surprising.
I put the identification under the pronghorn photo. Makes me look like I know what I’m doing. 🙂
all I can say is WOW……..great pictures, Sue………
them poor dogs….HA…
Great post again young lady……..keep up the good work!
chuck
Thank you, Chuck. It looks like you made it back from the 6 hour drive from your friend’s place. 🙂 Have a great day!
I’m enjoying your tootling around Buenos Aires NF with the inmates. The photos of them are too cute. I never knew there was a savannah in the desert of south western US- way cool and extremely beautiful.
Hi, Monica,
Isn’t this a wonderful country? The U.S. has such a variety of landscapes and each beautiful in its own way.
Bridget certainly has taught Reggie the “Oh no, she’s leaving us Look pathetic” routine.
As HRH has gotten older has she calmed down any on the histrionics whenever you leave her alone? Did she teach this to Reggie or did he just pick it up from day one?
No, Bridget is just as hysterical as always. She taught it to Reggie. I think that was the first lessons he learned from her. The pathetic look. The second lesson was the high-pitched, pathetic crying. 🙁
Oh those faces in the window! So funny! They look like a couple o’convicts ready for a plea deal!
Hi, Gayle,
With faces like those, they stay in the slammer! Ha!
Really neat pics!
Thanks, Eileen. It was fun taking them and preparing them for post.
Just fantastic pictures!!! I laughed out loud at the pathetic “convict” puppies! Great shot RVSue. Great shots of the birds of prey. Have a great day RVSue and Bloggerinos.
Thanks, Krystina. You have a great day,too!
Good Morning! I have a dog/pet question to see if anyone else has had this happen. Olive, 86 pounds, about 9 years old, has randomly attacked our 45 pound, 13 year Dixie! I say randomly because I can’t find a reason for it such as food, jealousy, etc. One time Dixie was asleep, curled up on the floor, and Olive attacked her. The last bad time was a few days ago when they were outside walking around the yard and Olive just dived at her and that ended up with a trip to the vet as Dixie ended up with a 3″ laceration across her chest. Olive is not that way with other dogs and never with people at all. I feed them in separate rooms and it’s just my husband and I now, so not a lot of noise and activity. I took Olive to the vet who did blood work and he suggested ‘doggie valium’, a shock collar or just keeping them apart. We talked about putting her down but he wasn’t in favor of that and I am not either unless it happens again. Right now I am keeping them apart, they are in the yard at separate times and I have been blocking off rooms which I think is going to be my new normal. Any experiences or suggestions? Thank you!!
Kay from KC!
Good morning Kay!
Upon reading the first few lines of your comment — an older dog, randomly attacking — my first thought was “I wonder if she’s on Rymadyl.” Apparently she isn’t, because you’ve discussed this with a vet. I’ve never heard anything like what you describe, except as a reaction to a drug. And in a female… ???
I wonder what a professional dog behaviorist would say. There are conditions that cause personality changes in people, even to violence.
What a tough situation, Kay. I hope the behavior disappears on its own or somehow you figure out what is going on and can remedy it.
Oh Kay, living with the anxiety and vigilance that you must be is hard on all involved, I’m sorry that’s happening. When I see what appears to be unprovoked aggression, defensiveness or any strange behavior in an animal I look for what isn’t readily apparent. Safety first, of course, if I need to involve a vet or anyone for that, I do. I look for signs of dental pain, urinary tract issues, tangles, thorns, problems with collars, insects, limb or joint problems-anything that causes pain or jumpiness. Critters usually seem to think one near them inflicted the pain somehow. Even loss of vision by the one attacking or the one being attacked can cause it, because unacceptable looks or stares are thought to be deliberate provocation. I dearly hope a way to restore peace with continued health and happiness is found.
I was bit by a stranger’s on leash golden retriever years ago. Later the owner called me and said that her golden had also been suddenly aggressive with their other dog. She took the golden to the vet, and they found a brain tumor–which was changing the dogs behavior. A sad finding, but the owner said she was grateful that the so out of character bite that I received got her to the vet for an x-ray and that the aggression didn’t escalate. Hope your situation resolves quickly and safely.
Peggy, The vet did bring up a tumor but he said in his experience, there were other symptoms that went along such as tilting the head, whining with pain, motor difficulties. If she should attack a human we wouldn’t have a choice except to put her down. Thanks!
Kay from KC!
Weather, The vet looked her over good and did blood work but haven’t heard back yet. I know she’s a little overweight but I’m spayed and overweight too! I feel so sorry for my older dog, Dixie, because she’s having to change her ways too. If it does happen again, I may have to re-think the ‘putting her down’ idea, but it comes to that I will be blubbering mess! Thank you!
Kay from KC!
Sue, I think we’re just going to try and keep them separated for now, until we get the results of Olive’s blood work. If it’s normal, I may try the doggie valium just to see how Olive would react to it, if not good, then no more. She has not shown any aggression to any other dogs or humans, but if she did attack a human, then I wouldn’t have a choice except to put her down. It’s amazing how much we love these animals……!
Kay from KC!
Hmm…not a fan of doggie Valium (masks the real problem) or a shock collar (I think that would make her MORE aggressive).
I think keeping them apart would be the best! Hope it works out!
Cinandjules, I’m probably not going to try the shock collar cause I think it would cause more aggression, but I would like to try the doggie valium but only for a short time to see how Olive would react to it. It’s hard to keep the dogs apart, I must admit. But my husband is in agreement too so we’ll just make it our new normal, but I’m still nervous that I’m going to screw up and leave a door open, etc. Right now I have plywood across a couple of wide doors. Augh! Sometimes I feel like I live in a kennel!
Kay from KC!
Kay,
I personally have only heard of this kind of thing happening twice before. One was a female cat attacking and the other time was a male dog. Both times the owners had feed the pets raw meat recently but on occasion and was not the norm for the animals to have it. It seems that the taste of the raw blood was a super-charged treat for them. Once the animals realized more raw meat with the raw blood was not coming again soon — they attacked to get some. Maybe that is what has happened if you have given Olive any raw meat of late — say within the month or so. Also, parasites can build up in our animals and that can lead to very aggressive behaviors over time — especially in some larger known attack-breeds. I say this because my dear best friend (passed on now) had her little dog attacked by her granddaughter’s dog. The vet said at the time that the other dog was seeking a raw blood source and her dog was the chosen source to find it! I was very sad because the other dog attacked on the back of the spinal column and victim-dog had to be put down. It broke all our hearts. The granddaughters felt so awful they. too, put their dog down for attacking. Later we learned that the attack-dog had also done this to a neighbors dog the year before — out of the blue, without warning and no signs of illness. It seems like raw meat with fresh blood in it is like a super-drug for some animals, they can’t stand to go without it for long periods of time and will attack to get it again. Kay, if you didn’t feed them any raw meats maybe one of them got a bird, chipmunk or small animal outside recently — bringing a later attack on. Ask your Vet, maybe that could be something to consider.
I hope you find a permanent cure and everything is back to normal for you and your pets.
Did you open with “March 17…greening up” with that being Saint Patrick’s day in mind? It’s being an altogether filled with good fortune day certainly seemed to follow ! The crew receiving an early reprieve because the visitor’s center was closed, a marvelous trip for seeing wildlife and so enjoying where you are. The Chihuahuan Pronghorn herd sighting alone would have been an experience to treasure, add the hawks, drive, walks and BLT within it’s current home…well, it’s like a slice of heaven. I’m thrilled for you and so appreciate that you shared it all.
When you look through your camera’s view finder are things magnified? I wonder because I’d like to know if wildlife there can be found by looking up and around or if one would need to use binoculars or other aids? With the two week time limit the preserve places for staying there, it seems at least some of the species might need longer to trust some folks ,so seeing them wouldn’t just happen by stepping into sunrise and everyday routines near the campsite or nearby trails.
Good morning, weather,
You make the connections that I miss! Maybe I subconsciously thought “green” because of St. Patrick’s Day. I think I’ll go edit the post. Thanks for helping me make it better!
Yes, when I zoom in on a subject, it is magnified in the viewer and on the screen. Often I use the camera as binoculars (always appreciate items with more than one function!). I’ll be walking along with the crew, see something in the distance– “I wonder what that is?”– and the camera’s zoom tells me.
You’re right about time needed for animals to trust. Also one is not allowed to camp near water sources. The area around the refuge’s visitor center — like Pronghorn Road — includes water and hence the increased presence of birds and animals.
So, if I understand correctly, if a primary part of being in nature one enjoys is interaction with or proximity to wildlife, camping in a preserve might not be a particularly rewarding choice? I get the point of a place for no harm, influence or disturbance by human behavior, and whatever my peculiar experiences are,it’s still an influence. I wonder what your opinion and observations are because as far as I’m concerned less threatened species make equally great acquaintances so I enjoy most places. I might find a preserve a bit disappointing if my expectations are not in line with reality.
I can imagine some folks might be disappointed if their expectation is that a wildlife refuge is a zoo, only bigger. This refuge is home for wide-ranging animals like the pronghorn, coyote, and bobcat, which are elusive. Hiking trails take you to higher viewpoints where wildlife can be viewed without disturbing them. Of course, birds are everywhere and there are rare species to find. Anyone who appreciates and enjoys a wide range of aspects of nature — more than number of wildlife sightings — will not be disappointed. 🙂
Thanks for your detailed reply. The hiking trails with higher viewpoints sentence tells me what I hoped for is available. Except in rescue situations I don’t approach wildlife. I go where they can see me and allow the choices to be theirs-to let themselves be seen, approach by foot or in the air, once, more often, etc. I “met” an eagle a few days ago that way. I couldn’t find the information that matters to me on the website for the preserve or others I read. Your photos and descriptions of the flora, fauna, feel and views are what made me want to camp there, now even more so 🙂 Have a wonderful rest of your stay there, no more questions , honest.
The refuge suggests approaching wildlife by vehicle — drive very slowly, use the vehicle as a blind, and be patient. There are several roads, in addition to the 10-mile Pronghorn Road, that give folks who can’t hike a chance to enjoy seeing wildlife. A person would have to wait a very long time for pronghorn to approach and waiting all day still not see one. I hope you don’t have the impression that I was driving around disturbing hawks. The “restless” statement is conjecture to put some energy into the story. Those hawks were too far away for us to cause them stress. BTW, questions are good!
Oh my, that’s hilarious-no, it never crossed my mind that you of all people would drive around disturbing hawks or any creatures. I’m sitting here laughing remembering how appalled we both were when some guys paddled right through a bird flock feeding peacefully until then.
🙂
Gosh, you have a great memory. I don’t remember that!
“Spanish songs of passion at the Disneyland of laundromats” ,it wasn’t part of the post, just an incident involving pelicans while you were at the Salton Sea that you wrote a comment way down on the page about right after it happened. What I found funny was that I’d ever have the impression of you disturbing wildlife, not our being appalled by those guys’ behavior, of course.
Crashing thunder and waves one day, blue sky with puffs of white clouds streaming through it the next, this week the temps have been in the mid sixties one day and now they’re in the teens. The light of sunrise made diamonds shimmer on the lake a few mornings ago, at the moment what’s sparkling is frost. It’s the vibrancy in constant change, energy and life that makes being here a fresh experience all the time. Sometimes though, like last evening watching the motion like a film I notice everything become still as if someone had pushed a freeze frame button. In the time it took to glance at the finches asleep by one window, note that my cat was curled up for the night near my pillow and see the three kitties sitting together on one porch cushion as if they were posing for a portrait I saw the scene wait just long enough for me to memorize it’s details.
That is as close as I can get to understanding what your camera does for you, Sue. Not for the blog or as a hobby that you enjoy, for a personal glimpse to bring back everything that surrounded it. If that’s even close to what happens taking a picture today might be sending yourself a postcard to read years from now. I wonder what the one about the first day of spring in 2016 will say.
The country around your home has frequent and often dramatic changes. Where we are now, at this time of year, change is barely noticed when the sky is cloudless for several days.
In the morning, first thing I peek out the window. A joke to myself is to say, “Hmm… Looks like yesterday.” Ha! The only movement is the waving of the grass (if there’s breeze) and the circular flights of the big black birds.
Still, what you say is true. In future years photos will remind me of the hawks, pronghorns, and disappointed faces behind window glass. Already I treasure the “postcards” of our days with Spike.
Today’s first-day-of-spring postcard says, “We’re on the road again! Wish you were here!”
May the trip there be pleasant and your next home have all you hope it does, “see you” here when you can stop back in next time.
Just when you think there isn’t one more cute, funny, laughable dog picture to be taken, along come HRH and Reggie and make that untrue. Those two shots are hysterical! So funny! Keep them coming, please.
I’ll try! Glad you had a laugh, Susan. 🙂
You made me laugh so hard with the prison pic! I use to be a Correctional Officer in Florence Az! Poor pups. The birds of prey are fabulous! A wonderful blog BUT they all are! Thanks!
Aha! Someone who knows the through-the-plexiglass look! 🙂 Hi, Karen!
My goodness, 118 replies! Really blogerinos, go blogerinos go!! I love be the hawk pictures, even the tail view exit shot, they are magnificent. And those prison faced pups, I laughed out loud, thanks for cheering up a rainy weekend.
Hi, Lisa… The misery on those faces appeared and disappeared in a flash. They really can turn on the noise, too!
Hi, Sue,
Thank you for sharing your day with us. We got to see a side of Reggie that we had not seen before. He looked devasted that you were leaving – with tears in his eyes and a quiver to his bottom lip. Even upon your return, he still was fuming. If Miss B and the Reginator act like that when you leave them in the PTV for a grocery run, that must be stressful.
I liked the pictures of the prong horns grazing among the shrubs. Maybe it is their markings, but they always seem to have a happy demeanor about them…almost as if they are smiling!
Have a good evening! Sending hugs to you and the Crew from me and Gracie pup! 🙂
Hi, Denise,
The faces match the crying. In fact it’s the effort of crying in protest that screws up Reggie’s face and gives Bridget the laser-beam stare. I admit I’ve become used to the drama.
Thanks for the good evening wish and the hugs. I wish you and Gracie pup the same, after you’ve had a wonderful day!
We love seeing pronghorn – they’re just so delicate! Great hawk shots, not easy to do when they’ve got their eye on you. Most visitor centers we’ve visited are dog friendly, too bad this one was closed though. Reggie’s face is priceless…….and pathetic!
To tell the truth, I wasn’t overly disappointed about the center being closed. It was another beautiful morning and I wanted to be outside taking photos. 🙂
Great photos!!
Just love the sweet faces your Crew make…!!!!! 🙂
Thank you, Betty-Shea.
This really looks like an ideal place. I was checking it out with a camping app and one of the links was to the Wheeling it blog. I was surprised to see a comment in 2014 from an RVSue saying she looked forward to visiting the refuge one day. We all learn from one another. Perhaps next year we can visit this refuge. Our house is scheduled to be on the market May 1 and our RV is patiently waiting for us in Texas to hit the road again
That’s right. As I said in a previous post, I learned of the refuge from other bloggers and have wanted to come here ever since. It’s tricky choosing the right time to visit in regards to weather, when one is camped near the AZ-CA border for warmth in winter (low elev.). I waited in Midland for winds to pass, then moved eastward, taking my time at Buckeye Hills, then, when a good weather “window” opened, made a move toward Tucson and then south to the refuge.
I wish you good luck selling the house!
NWRs use Volunteers to man their Visitor Centers. We met the previous volunteers from Maine who left several weeks ago. I bet the Buenos Aires staff would be delighted if a blogarino would step up and take over the Visitors Center.
I don’t know for a fact, but this is a guess. As we left the Visitor Center we met people coming in hauling a large 5th wheel… maybe new volunteers?
I wish our economy would recover and become robust enough so that people can be hired for these positions.
Oh my gosh! The pics of the two convicts had us laughing so hard! Those faces!
Good morning, Kelley! 🙂
I WANT TO RETIRE AND GO TO A WILDLIFE REFUGE!!
🙂 I am jealous, Rv Sue!
Wonderful wonderful pictures. It looks so peaceful and beautiful! Actually, we are planning a trip to the Smoky Mts in the fall. Dreaming for now…
Take care.
Terri
Hey, Terri! A trip to the Smoky Mountains in the fall — That surely will be delightful!
Hello Sue & Crew
We are at the Nebraska /South Dakota border heading north with our 3 English Cocker Spaniels. How is it you have no Nose Art on your windows. I can see their little faces very well. ? Take care, still lovin your Blog
H&I from Vancouver Island
Hi, Harold and Irene,
I hope you arrived home safely. I’m sorry I missed your comment when you first posted it. Thank you for reading my blog… Pats to your canine crew!
Good morning. I woke up early to a phone call from one of my clients; his business Internet is not working so I called up the Network Ops Center and it’s not him. A crew headed out to fix an issue.
So as long as I’m up I thought I’d catch up with your blog and see if I couldn’t have a “last post”. I love the doggie photos. It looks like Bridgie is happy you’re back but Reggie still thinks you might turn around and leave. LOL
Hawks are a weakness of mine. We had a resident redtail at our farm for a long time. Now we watch for them on the freeway; they like to perch on the light standards at the exits/on-ramps. Lots of road kill I imagine but also a good high vantage point.
I’ve never seen pronghorns and did not know that they ranged that far south. I always thought Wyoming was their natural home. We have some property near the Nogales airport so the next time we’re down there I’ll be sure to head over to Arivaca and check out the refuge.
Your camp sounds wonderful! 🙂
WDR
Dear Sue,
I appreciate you describing your travels and I will very likely follow in your foot steps in the future but I regret to have to say you are doing your readers a disservice by being ignorant of your solar system. I am going crazy trying to figure out what you have and how it works. There is a panel on your roof it’s a 200 watt 24 volt panel that feeds into a mppt charge controller then into your optima batteries which are pretty light weight for a solar storage system. Whatever it works and that is great.now there is a wire that goes somewhere to your camper. What the heck do you have. Your friend Mike that handles the technical stuff doesn’t even know. Will you please have someone track this down so we call can reap the benefits of your system. Honestly I think what your doing is so awesome. I can’t wait to do
it. God bless and I hope to find out how it all works. Take care. Goes
I apologize for being ignorant and for doing you a disservice, Todd. I will take a photo of the wire with a pencil next to it and insert it somewhere in the blog for you to see. Another idea, if I don’t post it fast enough for you — Instead of me finding someone to ask, you could locate a professional in the field of solar and ask yourself what would work. You’ll have to admit you’re ignorant as to what wire is appropriate for this application. Just tell them what you want to do and ask. God bless and may you find out how it all works. Take care.
Thank you very much for your offer. I apologize if I am sounding rude but I have tried contacting the folks that did your installation with out much success. It is what happens and where it goes in the casita that is the great unknown. I am still reading your adventures back in 2013 and will catch up on of these days. Take care.
If I remember correctly, Starlight Solar in Yuma, AZ is closed in the winter.
Todd is not necessarily in AZ. He doesn’t say where he is.
And Starlight Solar is closed in the summer. It is open when the snowbirds are in Yuma in the winter.
A wire (the size of which I will try to determine for you) goes from the charge controller to the back of the PTV and out the bottom of the PTV, running to under the back bumper where it ends in an Anderson plug-in (the kind with two contact points and that slides apart easily when connected to another Anderson plug) where it is affixed to the underside of the bumper.
From the BLT’s 12 volt system there is the same gauge wire coming out the front of the BLT and it, too, has an Anderson plug.
I cannot explain how the wiring was done in the BLT because I did not crawl under the BLT and watch while the work was done.
How it works: When the Anderson plugs are put together, the charge from the two storage batteries in the PTV flows to the house battery in the Casita until the charge between all three batteries is equalized. The house battery gives charge to the BLT’s 12 volt system. Inside the BLT I plug in an inverter into one of the 12 volt sockets. Then I plug in my laptop, chargers, whatever, into the outlets on the inverter.
My ceiling fan runs off the 12 volt system of the BLT, as do the LED lights and the electronic panel on the fridge.
Todd….
Go to the header where it says Solar Power and then, on the drop-down menu, open up “Batteries, Controller, and Meter.”
Scroll down to the heading “A reader asked . . . ”
You will find a photo of the wire/cord and its width. I hope this helps.
Please let me know here if you’ve seen it.
Oh my gosh Sue, you’re really going to insert a pencil in the blog for Todd to see. Wow! Is that kinda like a needle in a haystack thing? Did you not way back when you first got it let everyone know what your solar set up was or is my memory not correct? I could go back and find that blog but then I would be further behind than I am already. Computer on the fritz and trying to find someone to look at it is becoming frustrating. Don’t know about other blogorinos but I find the idea that a pet lover would feed their dog or cat raw meat with blood in it is totally asinine! Even for someone to suggest that is hard to understand. Sorry but that really burned my brisket. Feel free to delete this if you think my words are too strong or may cause a problem with the individual who wrote it. Do not wish to bring anyones wrath into your blog again. I found myself singing “Back in the Slammer Again:, to the tune of Back in the Saddle again” and could not stop laughing. You are my breath of fresh air. Keep up the great blog and “super” pictures! Be Well.
Jazz Lover
I don’t understand why feeding a carnivore raw meat is “asinine” but I’ll let that go. For that reason I don’t think anyone will be offended by what you wrote.
No, I won’t hide the photo of the wire and pencil. I’ll let Todd know where it is. I just haven’t figured out where it would make sense. Then again, I may not do it at all. I can’t be all things to all people all the time.
You be well, too.
well that reminds me of the first fish fry I did at our local forum yearly fish fry….different folks wanted their fish cooked different ways than I was frying…….after being frustrated trying to do what everyone wanted I had the wife of a friend tell me to cook it they way I did it and if someone wanted it different way they could cook their own….yep, thats what I did…..no one came back to cook their own….
also sorta like the friends that want some extra fish that I catch and I say sure no problem….first couple of time taking fish to them they asked “are you gonna filet them for me?”……….nope I just catch em………they donnt want them if you dont do all the work…
chuck