Indy Groomed and Vaccinated and Happy As Could Be

WHO the HECK is THIS?  That CAN'T be our little hairy Indy, can it????  Yep, that is her, on the way home from the groomer today (Sunday).  Last Friday (a week ago Friday) I took her to the Vet.  She had her vaccination shots, de-worming (just in case), Heartworm Test and 6 month Heartworm shot (because that is important to have in Florida).  Since she seemed to be going into Heat, we decided to have her Spayed in Florida. 

The Vet said she is probably closer to 8 months old, and not 6 months like we initially thought.  She said she is a mix breed with some Terrier, some Yorkshire, and other 'stuff'.  In looking at pictures on the Internet, I think she is close to a Yorkie Maltese Terrier mix, also known as a Morkie.  However, a Morkie is typically around 7-8 pounds, and Indy is already at 10 pounds, and not an ounce of fat on her...so she might have more Terrier in her than a typical Morkie.  But in doing a google image search for a "Morkie" there are a few which look just like her.

We don't think she ever had a haircut.  Her hair is very fluffy, very fine, very soft.  It was hard to even decide to cut her, she looked so 'cute' and 'cuddly' with her long fluffy hair.

She loves to roll on her back, and she likes her belly rubbed, especially by her daddy.  She is definitely another "Daddy's Girl" dog.  😍

Look at how much hair there was as I grabbed it as close to the skin as I could get.

    

 

Now she looks so thin and tiny...more like the 10 pounds that she is.  With this hot weather, I am sure she will enjoy it.

Of course, if Uncle Arny keeps feeding her all those "Arny Treats", she will bloom way out like her daddy!  Honestly, Sandy and Arny give very little treats, but they make a big ordeal over it when they do.  Now with Bubba, that's a whole another story...but he sure isn't bursting out of his seems, that's for sure.  Speaking of Bubba, I groomed him on Friday.

It took Indy about a week to get use to getting her Arny Treat first thing every morning.  I cooked up a batch of Pork, and that did the trick...now she is on some chicken strip treat which comes out of a bag.  Here she was wondering if there might be another treat in store from the nice couple who lives next to us

It is going to be different not seeing all that hair.  Amazingly, she did not shed at all!  That is definitely going to be nice.  I also bought her a blue collar, and we will use the vest when she is playing "service dog" once we get home to Florida...it is perfect to attach the cell phone to so that if Marcia falls, Indy will be there to rescue her from the ground.

Made it to Sacramento

We had a decent nights sleep, despite having the AC on until 2 am, then having to turn it back on at 4 am because Bubba was panting.  At 4:30 Marcia woke up, I told her I reset the alarm clock on my phone to 5:30 since it was very dark still at 4:30.  Since we have traveled each and every day, I don't think the "time changes" had totally set in on our systems yet...so 4:30 is really 7:30 to our minds and bodies.  At 5:15 I see a bit of light coming through our windows, and up we were, and we pulled out of the park at 6:00 sharp.

From Bakersfield you have two choices...go up US-99, or go over to I-5 and go up...both go through Sacramento, but from where we were, I-5 was 10 miles longer.  In a car, I would have gone I-5...but in a RV pulling a car with a 55 mph speed limit in California, I decided to stay with US-99.  Sailed through Bakersfield, and cruised along towards Fresno, and I see the GPS icon which essentially says, "You have a delay ahead".  Pushing that icon and I find out it is a wreck, 7 miles ahead, and it would be a 30 minute delay....NUTS!

Sure enough, traffic was at a crawl...and then at a stop.  However, within 20 minutes it was all over.  A wreck?  Maybe...it was gone when we went by, but we did see a fire truck putting a foam along side the road, so there was something.

The rest of the trip was non-eventful, other than the stretches of construction, bumpy roads especially near Atwater, and traffic was just fine going all the way through to my sister's house.  We pulled in right at 12:35, and by 2 pm we were settled in.  Bubba was/is one happy camper!

It is ALWAYS nice to be back in our home away from home, sitting on the concrete pad in Sandy and Arny's backyard, 30 amps, water, and way to dump our tanks with the use of our Blue Boy Tote, and enjoy family.  It was so nice to see mom doing so well, and being "SAFE" in her new normal at Sandy and Arny's house.  Even Patti came by for a short visit with her little dog Parker.

It was exactly six months today that we lost little Skruffy.  Just a few months ago Patti lost one of her dogs, Charlie.  More importantly, seven months ago, on Thanksgiving, Dad passed.  For the most part the grieving is done with...the memories are fond, full of love, and miss them all so very much.

Today it was 100 in Citrus Heights, just north of Sacramento.  Despite the heat, the Sacramento Area normally gets a sea breeze every night and cools down into the 60's, and the predictions are a few hot days, cool nights, and in the 80's by Sunday...typically weather for June in Sacramento.

June Party, July Escape

At Bear River Casino, Loleta, Californi

On the last Saturday in June we had a family party, gathering, celebration...whatever you want to call it.  Essentially it was to celebrate Mom's birthday, Mom and Dad's anniversary, and Father's Day, all which had dad in the hospital or rehab when the actual days fell.  Happy to say, Dad is WAY BETTER, and it was party time.

Some folks, mainly Dad and Arny's mother Euleda, did not feel like being out in the 80 degree weather, so they stayed inside...but they both still got to eat, enjoy the party, and people came in and out to talk and wish them their best.

I was very happy that my son Michael and daughter-in-law Ana were able to come.  Michael was under crunch time at the State Capital as the Banking and Finance Committee in the Assembly, which is the committee he works for, has a huge Pay-Day Loan bill coming before the State Assembly and Senate to limit the amount of interest the pay-day loan sharks, I mean companies, (my son never ever called them sharks, those are my words and I will stick to them) who currently charge some of their victims 150% or more in interest.  YES, 150%!!!!  The bill, if passed, will limit it to the other type of loans in California which max out at 36%.  (Still too high coming from this former Arkansas where the highest interest is somewhere in the neighborhood of 22%).  To add icing to the cake, I even was able to have lunch with Michael on the 5th of July as he took an hour out of his day for dad.  Also, the girl bent over eating is my niece Kathryn who flew out for 9 days to see us all (lives in KC area).  It was so nice to see her, and she even had time to catch up with many of her school friends (she grew up in Sacramento) AND catch a SF Giants game to boot!

 

Of course, on Party Day we have to have food...ribs, tri-tip on slider buns, salad, fruit, and three different desserts.  Needless to say, no one went home hungry, and for many of us that was the only true meal of the day!  Arny does the BEST BBQs! 

Between the time that dad got home from rehab, and we left today, I have had some time to take a few fun pictures.  We always tease Arny that if he stops too quick, Bubba would be 'right up your butt'.  Well, this picture shows that scenario for sure.

One day in early June it rained and rained...the pictures above were taken on that day, the top one shows the huge water lake that formed on the patio.  Within 3 hours, the water was all gone, and it made for a nice sunset over mom and dad's old home.

And I took many bird pictures, these three are a few of my favorites.  In the last picture one bird is at the bird bath as another one just arrives.

Today, Sunday the 7th, we escaped Sacramento's heat (especially the upcoming heatwave where Friday is going to be close to 100), and we are sitting at the Bear River Casino in Loleta, California where we have stayed a number of times before.  We pulled out of Arny and Sandy's backyard and hit the road by 9:30.  Filled up our propane tank, emptied our waste tanks, and then headed over to mom and dad's to say goodbye to them and have a very quick visit with cousin Cassie and husband Rick who passing through on their way back home in Missouri.  (We had seen both of them while we were in the KC area for Ryan's graduation).  This past week was very busy for me getting shopping done, laundry (I do laundry on the road, Marcia does it at home but does sort and spot-clean as needed), groomed the dogs, packed up the car, took the driver front tire off the motorhome over to America's Tire (same as Discount Tires) because the stem would not hold air when I put the tire sensor on, changed the oil and checked and added fluids as needed to the motorhome, etc. etc.  For me it escaping the heat and the work...it was a very busy week before we left.

Not ONE picture of today's travels...we have done this so many times.  But as we passed by Clear Lake and saw how high the water level was, we wished we would have at least had the camera within reach.  Being the end of a long weekend, traffic was a concern, but most of it was headed the other way, and it was a long but uneventful trip.  Skruffy even cooperated by staying up on her bed for 75% of the trip!  Bubba, well, he is having 'missing Arny feelings', but little does he know that in 9 weeks we will be back for an even LONGER Stay.

9,000 Mile Delivery … That’s Our Federal Spending

At Sister’s House in Citrus Heights, Ca

Dad’s Hoveround sprung a flat tire.  Living in a Independent Living Facility, it is a long ways to the dining hall…and if you want to go to Walmart or CVS, which are across the street, one who is 90 years old needs an electric device in order to do this.  Wednesday night of last week he called to tell me to say that his Hoveround had a flat tire.  I went over on Thursday and took the wheel off, and Arny and I determined that the tire tube could not be repaired, it needed a new tube.  Two flats ago Arny found one eventually, but the last time it had a flat, same tire as this, Arny patched it.  Well, it sprung another leak, the tube just needs to be replaced.  A local ADA (Disability Assistance Store) could get a tube for like $30.  Amazon could get us two tubes for $10 plus change…but it would take 6 days to arrive.  Not a Amazon Prime item, but it was free shipping.

When I placed the order on Thursday night (the 5th), they promised it would be here by Wednesday (the 11th), yesterday.  So on Friday when I saw it was accepted at the Post Office in Fountainville, I knew things were on the way…good deal, and especially when I saw it arrived at the Philadelphia Distribution Center less than 90 minutes later.  However, when I saw 24 hours later that it was in Honolulu Hawaii…well, I knew we were in trouble.  As you follow the package route above, you can see that they say it left Honolulu on the 9th…but it did not get to Sacramento until the 11th.  Now on the morning of the 11th, before they posted that it was in Sacramento, I contacted the Amazon Vendor and asked them to look into the matter….after all, Dad needed his Hoveround!  (Well, actually, I took Marcia’s GoGo over there, which is just like mom’s, so dad had transportation, but the Hoveround is so much easier for him to get into and out of with his bad back.)

So, the Hoveround tire tube needed to travel a distance of 2444 nautical miles from Philadelphia to Citrus Heights.  Instead, it traveled 9,194 miles from Philadelphia, to Honolulu to Citrus Heights…assuming that the ‘PIGEON’ they used to carry it flew directly to each location and not through places like New York or Chicago on the way to Honolulu, or to Los Angeles or Seattle coming back from Honolulu to Citrus Heights.  Heck, I have never been to Honolulu, but Dad’s Hoveround Tire Tube has!

Here is the tire taken apart sitting on one of Arny’s work benches.  The tube to the right is the old tube…the new tube is on the box above and to the left a bit.  The hub is in two parts, and it all goes inside that grey tire to the left.

    

Above you can see how the hub fits, once the tire is put in place.  For such a small wheel, you would think this would be an easy job for one person…but in reality it much easier if there are two people, one to hold things in place while the other works on putting it together.  I was the holder, Arny the putter together man.

    

Above Arny gets the new tube in place, gets the two parts of the hub in place, and from there I am needed to help hold it as he airs up the tube, puts on the bolts, and airs up the tube to 50 pounds. 

I went back over to mom and dad’s, and put the tire on the Hoveround … all is good.  That was our 9,000+ mile fix job…all for a $5 tire tube…one must wonder just how much that delivery job cost the USPS…

The Classic Race Car Paint Job – Part Two

This is the second part of a two part blog about the Classic Bradford 1937 Fiat Fuel Altered race car body that Arny has been repainting.  (Click Here to read part one if you missed it.)

On Wednesday around noon Arny took the race car's body to his son’s shop…by 6 pm it was back, sitting in his garage with a good clear coat on it.  Thursday was some minor rubbing and polishing a few areas, then is sat out in the sun for awhile.  Today was a little more of the same, and shortly after 6 pm, Randy (owner/driver) had arrived from Washington State.

The reflection that this paint job has is amazing…especially in the blue areas.

   

In the pictures above, on the left in the blue you can see the reflection of the tall trees which loom over the car in the picture on the right.  In the picture on right you can see the silver bag which is where the parachute is located.

Can you imagine the view out this window going over 200 miles per hours???

    

Everyone got into the act of looking over the fuel altered car body, with Skruffy (and Marcia) above left, and dad above right.

Of course Bubba had to get the VIP tour right up next to his pal Arny, along with Steve, who helped Arny out a bit with the body work.  His brother helped Arny transport it to and from the paint shops this past week.

     

   

Here is the helmet…it sure matches the race car body, and will be a great addition to the race car.  This is a brand new helmet, which had a base paint on it when Arny got it.  The entire paint job is Arny’s creation with the goal being to match the fuel altered car' body.

Here Randy (driver/owner) gets his first look at the new paint job.  Needless to say, he was more than happy with it.

He did not hesitate to put the helmet on for the camera.  He thought the helmet was awesome, and could not believe how well it matches the fuel altered car's body.

We loaded the body up on the pickup to see how it will fit. Randy has a trailer back in Washington, but while here in town is also going to pick up his dad’s fishing boat to take back with him, and it has its own trailer.  So Saturday morning, I am going to get up at 5:30, and around 6, Randy will be back so that we can load the body back into the truck, tie it down real well, and off they will go to his home near Seattle. 

Next weekend he has a car show in Abbotsford, British Columbia, where he plans to “show off” the new look of the Bradford 1937 Fiat Top Fuel Altered car  I think the Bradford Fuel Altered Car will be a big hit!  In May he races it in Salt Lake City.  Then it is off to Europe for a few shows there, but it should be back for the big race in Bakersfield in October.  When I get some pictures of the car put together, I will be sure to post them too.