Ah, home sweet home. We are now set up at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge having arrived here on Tuesday, September 15. Our first day of work is tomorrow, and our work schedule for now will be Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. This is by far the worse RV site we have had on any volunteer gig, but it’s a full hook up site and the refuge provides propane. The gravel surfaces and the presence of lots of weeds with things that make you say ouch or worse when you step on them are kind of hard on the doggies’feet. And it has been hot here. It was still 87 at 7:30 tonight, and the highs during the afternoon have been getting into the low 90’s.    

We left ABQ and arrived here on a high note. Tuzie had an ultrasound and exam by an internal medicine specialist on Monday. The “clinical picture is most suggestive for microvascular dysplasia vs. single intra or extra-hepatic portosystemic shunt,” said the specialist. I couldn’t have said it better or clearer myself. Anyway, it was his opinion that Tuzie will get along just fine and live a long life. However, he maintained her on the special diet for dogs with liver issues and kept her on the drug, an extract of milk thistle, which were prescribed by the Ridgway Vet. We were ecstatic to get back our dog even though she never showed any adverse symptoms of liver disease. And, you don’t want to know how much that sentence quoted above cost us…  

Ah, another new phase of Alan and Shannon’s Great Retirement Adventure is about to begin. Hold on.