I know, I know it’s been forever since I blogged. Honestly, my fingers just wouldn’t co-operate and type anything. I think you call that ‘lazy syndrome’.
The last month in Texas was a bummer for us. The weather was nasty. We were stuck inside for 3 days on one stretch. Several of our friends and Jackie’s friends went home March 1st. Although why, I don’t know because the weather wasn’t any better where they were heading. We just wanted to go home, but the weather back home prevented us. We are not ‘4 month’ snowbirds. Three months is just perfect for us and of course maybe if we had had nicer weather we wouldn’t have been so antsy to leave. Even Jackson was fed up. So on the 24th of March we headed for San Antonio.
We had heard that the Alamo and the Riverwalk were a must see. Since we were so close and would probably never get back down this way again we decided to spend a few days there. It was worth it. We really enjoyed both. From there we headed home. Texas sure is a large state and takes FOREVER to drive through. But once out we made a beeline home. We had a lot of rain on the way and our lovely clean truck and rig is absolutely filthy.
It is still quite chilly here at home and I really don’t want to winterize again so we will leave the rig sit in our driveway until the weather starts to warm and we are running the furnace which is ducted to the water areas of the rig and hopefully keep things from freezing.
We had a real scare with Jackson just before we came home. He had gone to the dog park in Texas and played quite robustly with one of his buddies. A very short time later after a nap when he got up he yelped and wouldn’t put his weight down on his back left hind leg. We figured he had pulled a muscle. He favoured that leg all day. That night I put the heating pad on him, which obviously he liked because he didn’t move for hours. The next day he seemed a little better and progressively improved over the next few days. Then after we left and arrived in San Antonio he started limping quite badly again. The heating pad went on again and this continued for a few days. We were worried sick. Contacted my vet and made an appointment for the instant we got home. But the last couple days on the road the limp disappeared. We think maybe being in the backseat of the truck all day kind of cramped up his muscle again. But we took him for his appointment anyway. Not a limp in site, AMEN. She examined him in earnest and couldn’t find anything. We suggested a x-ray but she said if he were her dog (she has 2 goldens herself) she wouldn’t. But if he starts to limp again get him in immediately and an x-ray will be done. He would have to be sedated for the x-ray and I know vets really don’t like to drug them up if not 100% necessary. Touch wood!!!! he is ok. She feels that he pulled a muscle. We, of course, thought the worse, cruciate ligament or God forbid the dreaded ‘C’ word. Retrievers have a higher risk than other dogs. Having gone through 2 cruciates with our Lab, Maggie, I could have handled that. And we were so pleased with all this walking and romping while we were away he lost 7 pounds. Yipee!!!!
So we’re home, what an absolutely great feeling. There really is no place like home. I have little piles of ‘stuff’ here and there trying to figure out .. now where does that go? We have to clean the rig inside and out, but that can wait until the weather gets a wee bit warmer. I really want to get this puppy back into the storage lot. She’s a monster size!!!
We’ll still trying to figure out how we can only spend 3 months south. Problem is if we wait until after Christmas to leave we risk the chance of nasty weather on the way down. Been there, done that. And of course we cannot come home March 1st, because home at that time of year, and the way home is a bigger gamble. Ah the trials and tribulations of retirement!!!
All in all at least we didn’t suffer the winter that they had here at home. We had cold, but no ice, snow or sleet. Next year we are headed back to Panama City Beach. Texas is just too darn far, especially where we were.
So until much later…take care and if you’re on the road, keep safe.
