This morning Spike wants OUT while my head is still on my pillow.
Bridget is cuddled next to me. What a warm little muffin you are, little girl. Spike obviously has to go out. “Okay! Okay!” I rush to dress. He continues to bark like crazy, jumping at the door. Before I can get my pants on, I turn the lock, push the door open, and he busts out. Quickly I yank the cords to lift the mini-blinds. I want to keep a close eye on him while I finish getting dressed. Bridget sticks her head out from beneath the covers.
Our house on a hill
I pull up the blind in the rear of the BLT.
There goes Spike, trotting up the lane. At that very moment I also see an animal, greyish-brown, dash across the lane at the top of the hill, running from creosote bushes on the left to a clump of palo verde on the right. “OH NO!”
I dash out the door and sprint up the lane.
I scoop up Spike who’s totally unaware of the possibility of danger. As I carry him down toward the BLT, I look to our left and see a black-tailed jackrabbit the size of a Volkswagen bounding up and over a small ridge. Oh, it wasn’t a coyote after all. It’s time to step up the security. When rabbits show up, coyotes soon follow. Spike stares at the sky from my arms, oblivious. Man, that was one humongous bunny. No wonder he’s so big. He keeps ahead of the coyotes.
Bridget’s looking out the window at us.
Oh geez, if I don’t get us inside in the next two seconds, she’s going to start crying. We get back inside and I dish out the crew’s breakfast before setting up the percolator. “Boy, Spike, you really know how to jump-start a morning!”
Photo taken yesterday before heightened security.
After coffee, I take my cellphone outside to call Felix.
In case you haven’t read this blog from the beginning, for which, if I might add, you should feel great shame, Felix is the guy who bought my house in Georgia. I need to track down my W-2 form. The school I retired from sent it to the house as I didn’t have mail-forwarding set up at the time I retired.
“Hola, Felix! It’s Susie!”
I can tell Felix is happy to hear my voice, but then he gets serious. “I’m at the hospital. Remember my brother Transito? He’s been here for three days. They’re running tests.” He tells me Julio (his son) asks for me and then adds with his typical directness, “We need you, Susie.”
I used to translate letters, notes from Julio’s teachers, and other cryptic documents.
When English isn’t your first language, acronyms, slang expressions, and multiple word-meanings make the written word incomprehensible for people like Felix who have diligently studied and practiced the language for years. Anyway.
“Felix. Do you know what a W-2 form is?”
I want to make sure he knows what I’m talking about to avoid starting a comedy routine reminiscent of Abbott and Costello. If you don’t know who Abbott and Costello were, well, you should, so google it because I’m not going to sit here and explain “Who’s On First.”
Back to Felix and the W-2.
“Yes. It’s for tax-eez.” We arrange to talk again in a few days. That’ll give him plenty of time to turn the house upside down to find where Julio might have put the form. Julio’s a great kid, but he takes advantage of living in a one-parent home and gets into everything.
Felix asks where I am and I tell him I’m in Arizona . . . in the desert.
“Oh, Susie. You need to come back here.” I reply with “maybe someday,” although I doubt that will happen.
Whenever Spike's happy, he licks Bridget's ears.
Tomorrow is the PTV’s appointment at the shop.
Once that’s taken care of, it’ll be close to tank-dumping and propane-buying time. That would also be a good time to leave the area and find a new camp.
I do want to stay and see the desert come into bloom. Every day we discover new flowers. But I also want to camp in new places.
As is my style, I’ll wait and see. Maybe when the PTV is ready to tow, we’ll be ready to go!
Every day we explore something new.
rvsue
2/16/12 . . . $0 2/17/12 . . . $0 2/18/12 . . . $0 2/19/12 . . . $0
“who’s on first?”
“Yes”
That routine is genius.
Hi Ms Sue. I know who Abbot and Costello is.lol. I know whos on first also or rather I know the routine but have never figured out whos on first. Or second or third for that matter.lol. Anyway the pictures are great and i enjoyed the post…..Joe
Glad you enjoyed it, Joe!
I, for one, am glad you do not have to go rushing back to Georgia! Or rushing anywhere for that matter! Coyote time again??? Wonder why they never showed up at your previous camp site?
LOL Our hound herd all got haircuts, running around naked except for fluffy tails! hahaha! Still cold in T or C, but sunny and beautiful!
No coyotes here yet. Just a lone rabbit. The rodents and snakes are still in their burrows.
Hope your friend are OK. Might want to consider carrying something outside that makes noise to scare away a coyote…like a .357…As I remember, you cannot look out without opening the door. That is our problem also which we cured with getting Anns stained glass window. Seems I remember on either the fiberglass or Casita forum that someone had drilled a hole in door or window and installed one of those door peepers like on sick built houses front doors.
Geri says you can use your alarm clicker on your keyring to set off alarm in your PTV.
Great pix!!!!
Okay. We’ve gone over the coyote-protection options. I’ll be careful. I may be out of here before any show up.
Gotta’ watch out for what lurks/lives in the desert.
I agree with you Sue…”coyote-protection” has been done. One of the joys of camping should be freedom from fear. We live in such a fear-based society these days! I may be naive but I think that if you use common sense and take sensible precautions, you should then forget it and just enjoy life.
Your photos of BLT in the desert are so intriguing. It’s hard to believe that you can just find a pretty spot and camp. Such freedom! Freedom to stay AND freedom to move on…what a life!
Tomorrow is your big day, Sue, when PTV is repaired and ready to tow. It’s our big day too: we’re going on our 3 day excursion to pick up MEGG! We want to do a test camp for a night on the way back here to Mission. I’m so excited!!! It’ll be our next life adventure.
Next time I check your site, Sue, you may be somewhere else entirely! Enjoy!
PS Have you and Spike ever checked out Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer? He’s amazing! 😉
Spike wants you to know that hints about dog training are not appreciated.
Sue, after showing off the derriere of your Casita in several photos, you ought to consider ditching the free advertising spare tire cover for Casita and get a cover that says who you are: RVSue
Here’s a link I found: http://www.sparetirecovers.com/personalized.html I enjoy reading your blog.
Chris
Or one that says “Leave Me Alone” lol……sorry Sue couldn’t help myself…..
I think that’s pretty funny! I like it! Or maybe something with a little more “edge” like “Get Lost!”
How about, “Don’t even think about stopping here.”
“I’m not at home . . . ever.”
Chris .. . Those personalized covers are fun, which they should be at $150-$225 each.
You might be right about coyotes and rabbits. However, we lived remote in Washington State location on 45 acres or so with almost no neighbors for quite aways….we noticed eventually that the outside wild kitties we had fed after moving there were no where around. We thought it a bit strange, but then cats are prone to move sometimes. Then the kitty who was so tame and lived in our garage and would never leave…got to where he refused to even leave the garage, tho we had always kept the door open at the bottom just enough for the cats to come and go. This was 2 weeks prior to moving away, when one evening at dusk, hubby was cleaning and sorting in the garage with Kitty nearby when kitty began making a HORRID noise we had not heard him ever make. Hubby finally noticed the glowing eyes VERY close to the open garage door. A COUGAR!! He had NOTHING to use to protect himself and kitty and it was a huge garage for 4 cars, 2 cars deep and the garage door opener was way too far away. So he grabbed as many rocks from the drive as he could and began jumping up and down and screaming while throwing the rocks. The COUGAR moved a little bit away from him, but still within sight. He rushed to close the door and all was well. Neighbors warned us too, to be VERY careful if the deer and wild turkeys that were usually close by, were absent….and they were at this time. Guess they knew!! So maybe seeing a rabbit might be ok?? Never hurts to be very diligent out there however!! BE CAREFUL!!
What a story! I was on the edge of my seat. I’m so glad your husband and the kitty made it through that.
You know the craziest part? About a month before the above happened, kitty was out in the woods, just beyond the edge of the yard, SCREAMING one evening at dusk…we do not know if anything had bitten him, but he was making all kinds of noise. We began yelling too, and eventually I went into the house and came out with some pots and began to bang them together as well as to yell. We kept calling Kitty…we were afraid to go SEE what was bothering him…the cougars are SO sneaky…and often jump on people and animals from up in a tree!! But all those months we lived there, hubby and I often sat out in the complete darkness in our swing on the deck, talking, listening, just sitting….we are SO fortunate that nothing came up on the deck, which was not high off the ground, to have a bite of us (neighbors up the gorge aways had a deck on the 2nd floor of the house…and no stairs to the ground level, which we saw the wisdom of at this point)!! We did have 2 dogs who could see, smell and hear much better than we could, so usually the swing was full of us and the 2 dogs and Kitty. We LOVED that life however…but we should maybe have been a bit more careful and watchful!!
Oh…that time, Kitty eventually wandered back into the yard to us, acting as if nothing had happened!! We nearly had a heart attack!!
I do not know if this would work, but try putting a collar with jingle bells on it when he wants to run out early in the morning. It for sure will scare off ANY other animal that is sitting around waiting and looking. Plus, Spike will learn to make his trip short, so he can come in and have that noisy collar removed.
Au contraire. It will announce, “Here come’s your breakfast.”
Or “Breakfast is served.”
…true – the coyote might start salivating like one of Pavlov’s dogs…..
LOVE your house on the hill picture. Out there all alone looks so fine to me. And the jackrabbit the size of a volkswagon. LOL…..almost ROTFLOL.
Give Spike my condolances on his soon to be more careful confinement. Me thinks you will know when it’s time to tow and go! I’ll be watchin’ ya’ll with pleasure!
To an Easterner like myself, these jackrabbits are huge! Animals in the Southwest . . . the rabbits are enormous and the dogs are tiny (chihuahuas).
I’ll bet your school district can send you another w-2 form. Ask them so send it via email.
That’s what I’ll do. I guess an emailed W-2 would work if I file electronically.
Gee RV Sue,
Sounds like it was a day where you didn’t feel retired – up early, running out the door, dealing with problems you have no control over, interacting with others who want you to be the responsible one, and knowing you have to face it again tomorrow (getting the PTV to town for repair and taxes).
All you are missing is a teenager on the homefront! 🙂
Chasing after Spike consituted the first five minutes of my day. It was lazy time from there onward!
My favorite place to go. What is Sue doing today? I am addicted. I was hoping the burro Rick told you about was back, not the jackrabbit! Longeared bunnies are cute too. I always get my W-2 by e-mail. Works fine.
Hi, Ann!
I would love to see some burros come by. I often scan the hills for a sight of them. While out walking yesterday, we did see a pile of poop of the horse or burro variety. It may have been that someone rode through here on horseback, but I’m hoping it’s from a burro.
BURROS??? WoW! What a treat that would be!
Male is male, no matter what species. They are control freaks, high maintenance, throw caution to the wind and their impetuous demanding nature leaves a lot to be desired. Spike is a cutey but he keeps you on your toes and then some. Nice to have a guy around though. They are so cute together.
Hello, Virginia,
You put into words what I’ve often thought! LOL Spike is such a guy. He can be demanding, yet he gives me a lot of laughs. I was going through some old photos and came across the ones where Spike plopped down in the water . . . at Navarro Mills SP in Texas and Elephant Butte SP in New Mexico. He took a dip in the Rio Grande, too. I love that about him.
Will do, Bob! I appreciate your concern for us.
Sue, I just love reading your blog. It’s getting to be quite the addiction for me! I’d love to live the way you live one day. When the kids and the messy house overwhelm, it’s nice to check out what rv sue is up to and live vicariously through you for a few minutes.
I know what you’re talking about, Lisa. Life at the stage you’re in now can be very overwhelming. I’m glad I provide some relief for you. Thanks for letting me know.
Did you happen to see the MSNBC report: “Pet dog chases mountain lion up a tree”? This was in California, in a neighborhood. A neighbor said he had lost a goat a couple years ago to one. Everyone seemed amazed that this german shepherd was able to tree it. SCARY!!
It is absolutely terrifying to have your pooch chase after an unknown creature. There is nothing more rewarding than the predatory chase and so you can easily lose your dog. Glad it turned out to be a bunny & Spike was out of harm’s way! We recently bumped into a huge male kangaroo. My boys just chased it and would not respond to recall. I was absolutely horrified because kangaroos can drown dogs or rip them apart if they get close enough. Thankfully, no injuries occured and the boys returned after 5-10 minutes.