Dancing thru Lost Dutchman, California, and Phoenix, 2013

      The temperatures are in the 90’s, the Saguaro’s and hedgehogs are blooming, and graduations are approaching.  All are signs that it’s time to be getting back on the road. 

Saguaro in Bloom

Hedgehog in Bloom

      Our past couple months have been jam packed with activity.  We went to Lost Dutchman State Park, by Apache Junction, for a five day mini-rang, as the Boomers call their rallies.  There were about 10 rigs there, so it was a nice turnout.  Our views were spectacular, as usual, and this year I was able to do some hiking as well, thanks to the new ankle.

Gary and Pam lead the way

Views of Superstition Mountains from our rigs at Rally

     Everyone shared their talents.  Leland set up a terrific telescope for a wonderful star star show,  Ken brought his guitar to enjoy at the camp fire, Steve and Pam led some great hikes, and I even led a short session on Laughter Yoga.  Of course we also visited Tortilla Flat and enjoyed the western atmosphere and great views out there. 




    

Ken and Joan

       The last day several of us rode Phoenix’s new lite rail system across town to the Old Spaghetti Factory for lunch.  It was a great adventure and the ones who usually do all the driving in city traffic got to really enjoy themselves.   Lunch at the Spaghetti Factory is always good.  I’d forgotten how good their Mizithra cheese is and bought some to bring home.
  

Lite Rail approaching.

All Aboard!

Boomer Mini-Rang at Lost Dutchman State Park

     The week after we returned I went on a three day Quilter’s bus trip to Eleanor Burn’s studio and store in San Marcos, California.  There were 46 of us on the bus.  We stopped at Cozy Quilts in El Cajon the first day and had a great trunk show by Sandy Thompson, who showed us what great things we can make with selvages.  For the non-sewers out there, selvages are what you rip or cut off the edge of your fabric, before sewing with it.  They are usually discarded.  When I got home, I tried it out and quickly made bags for my I pad and camcorder. 

Bags made from Selvages

Eleanor Burns and I

Classroom at Quilt In a Day Studio

     The second day we went to Eleanor Burn’s.  She greeted us and put on a great show about our country’s First Ladies and quilt blocks named after them.  She also showed us many of her antique quilts.   Eleanor always dresses the part and infuses a great deal of humor into her shows, so it was not only interesting but really funny. 

Eleanor as Eleanor Roosevelt with Antique Quilt

Eleanor with Storm at Sea Quilt

 We had a gourmet box lunch served to us there and then that afternoon she put on another show about some of her new, modern patterns.  Of course we had plenty of time for shopping in between.

    That night we went to dinner and a magic show at the Lawrence Welk  resort.  Then it was off early the next morning to Rosie’s Quilt store in San Diego, before heading back to AZ.   One of the gals had the idea to pass a paper around for everyone to write down how much they had spent in just the 3 quilt stores.  All done anonymously of course.  We totaled it when it came back to us and all together we had spent almost $13,000 at the 3 stores.  With 46 of us  on the bus it was an average of about $282 per person.  Yes, there was room on the bus for all our purchases, but we definitely made California a little greener with our visit.

      In April, Riki and I attended the National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation (NFFF) Annual Survivor’s Conference in North Phoenix.  I picked Riki up at the airport on my way to the Hotel on Saturday, we attended Peer Support Training all day Sunday, and the Conference was Mon-Wed, with about 136 attending, plus staff from NFFF.

Peer Support Training Group

       It was really an amazing experience, full of tears and laughter.  We had workshops to choose from each morning and afternoon, plus some special activities.  I had met some of the mothers 8 years ago when we went to Emmitsburg, but like most attendees, that week is still a a bit of a blur.  The NFFF has a special closed group on Facebook, where many of us share our feelings, as we each travel our journey of losing a beloved firefighter in the line of duty.  It was wonderful to finally meet some of these incredible ladies in person.  We hope to be able to attend next year’s conference, close to St. Louis, MO.

NFFF Survivor's

       Monday evening the Hall of Flame in Phoenix opened their doors to us for a private visit though their museum and Hall of Heroes.  After that we were taken to Old Scottsdale for some shopping and dinner on our own.  Somehow I wound up at a Sushi bar with Riki and new friends.  Although I didn’t plan it, I was the one wound up ordering an actually eating some raw fish.  (Who knew “seared” only meant the edges?)  I have to say it was really good.  One more thing I didn’t know I had on my bucket list is crossed off. 

     Tuesday night entertainment was provided by Yellow Bird Family Company, including the 2011 World Champion Hoop Dancer.  They have performed all over the world and were fantastic.  This is an interesting photo I took.  Yes, he was moving that fast.

Yellow Bird Dance Company

      At the closing ceremonies on Wed. afternoon, we all followed the bagpiper to a grassy area where we were given butterflies to release.  It was an incredibly moving experience.   That night Riki drove us and new friend to the Hard Rock Cafe in Phoenix.  She wanted to get her daughter a pin from there.  We were lucky there were no athletic events going on as it’s located by Chase Field and their Events center. 

Hard Rock Cafe, Phoenix, AZ

Bagpiper Brian

Butterfly Ready to Fly 

      The eighth anniversary of Robert’s death was the same day we all went to Sedona and the Grand Canyon on two large buses.  It’s always a hard day, but the tears, laughter, and bonding with new friends sure made it easier this year.  Because it was late, one of the NFFF staff had ordered pizza to be delivered to the hotel that night.  It was a great trip, highlighted by seeing two condors.  Great views brought back memories of our  hikes.

Riki & I at Grand Canyon

Bell Rock at Sedona

     I almost forgot to mention that our rooms were actually suites with separate living rooms, fridges, and microwaves in each room.  We were luck to have our room right outside the swimming pool on the ground floor.  Friday morning Riki and I took one last swim, and hot tub dip before we checked out.  I dropped her off at the airport on my way back to Casa Grande. 

View from our suite!

     Bandit has been going to school the past five weeks and will graduate this Saturday.  He's done great and works so hard to please us.   However it wears him out and he requires a nap when we get home.  At least that's what Gary says, so he can join him.

Worn out Bandit

     Gary was a great sport about my trips and stayed home to care for the dogs.  Of course he also played billiards with his team and entered a few tournaments as well.   Overall, we've had a great Spring and are now looking forward to two more high school graduations (Meghan and Amber), visiting with family and Wyoming friends, Escapade in Gillette, WY, (Row reps for RoVer's Roost this time), travel, and Show Low, AZ.
     We’re going to get the Motor Home Saturday to start packing, and hope to leave on Wed. May 1st.   We’re going up to Show Low for a few days to look around some more, as that may be a  future summer residence.  Then we’ll meet Gary’s sister, Pam and brother-in-law, Jim for a fun few days at Goblin Valley State Park in Utah.  We plan on getting to Evanston, WY around May 15th.  

Dancing on down the road................................
Hugs, Katy , Gary, Rusty and Bandit

Dancing to Deja Vu All Over Again......

     I can't believe it's been over two months since I did my last blog.  Believe me, we have been really busy.   Christmas was made more special when our daughter-in-law, Anna, her fiance Lynn, and their five teenagers made a trip to Phoenix to visit Lynn's parents.  We were glad to drive up to go out to dinner with them.  It was fun seeing family over the holidays. 
     Just as I was feeling like getting more active again, the Board of Directors here at RoVer's Roost came to us once again and said the current managers would be leaving the first of the year and asked us to work in the office temporarily.  As you recall this happened in the Spring of 2012, when we worked through March and April.  We once again said yes, but also emphasized that we really hoped it would be temporary.  (Deja vu all over again.)  We were assured advertisements were already underway.
     With that in mind, we started to retrain and by the first of the year were once again working four days a week in the office.  I had thought I could stay off my feet pretty easily and keep my ankle elevated.  This turned out to be much harder than I thought, as the various tasks took me from one section of the office to another.   It was also far different from the slower pace the end of March and April, as January and February are the busiest time of the year.  I also had to curtail my physical therapy to once a week, but after reviewing this with my Dr., I received his blessing.  By about three weeks into it, I was adjusting and it was getting easier being on my feet.  The hiring committee worked hard and were interviewing four couples by the end of January, with one hired to replace us.  They started training right away and our last work day was Feb 13th.   We were re-re-retired again!!! 
     I had set a goal of dancing on New Year's Eve and was able to meet that without problem.  We enjoyed a New Year's Eve party at our clubhouse and I danced several dances.  Not ready for polkas or 10 steps yet, but we sure enjoyed the two-steps and waltzes.  It was the usual Senior New Year's Eve, with the party lasting until we watch the ball drop in New York, at 10pm AZ time.
     Since then Gary and I have gone dancing on a couple of Friday evenings to the live country bands at one of the other RV parks in Casa Grande.  Gary especially enjoys being able to dance with me without my having a death grip on  him.  Between the pain and trying to stay mainly on one foot, before surgery, I used to grip his arm and shoulder really hard.   Now I have a much lighter touch and it's getting better all the time.  Even the turns and twirls are coming around and getting better.  I've also tried a few line dances and enjoy those as well.
     We've been anxious to replace our couch for sometime and finally found something that fit and we both liked.  We actually got two chairs without arms.  They are super comfy and although it was a little low, Gary built feet to elevate it a few inches.  The cushions can be flipped and interchanged, unlike our previous couch.  When the back cushions are removed it becomes a very comfy bed as well.   The covers are machine washable and replaceable as well.  We're looking forward to enjoying it for many years.

     RoVer's Roost has a fundraising week once a year in February.  This year it was called the "Odd Week" with many fun activities.  During our daily social  hour, there was an odd hat day, odd shoe day, nerd day, and backwards day.  Gary really got into the spirit coming up with great costumes for every day, except the one we worked.  I had knit a bearded hat at the request of grandchildren.  We kept it and it made a great hat for Gary.  In fact it was so great, he was indicted for  "impersonating a terrorist" later that week at our Kangaroo Kourt, found guilty and fined four cans of food for our local food bank.  Below are the pictures of some of his outfits.  Keep in mind this is from someone I have a hard time getting to dress up at Halloween.  Also remember that he designed all his costumes by himself.

Odd Hat Day

Nerd Day

Backwards Day

Impersonating a Terrorist

Kangaroo Kourt

      Odd week was a great success with over $5500 being raised for the park and tremendous fun for all.  Part of the fundraising is a great raffle, with prizes donated by local businesses and people in the park.  We were lucky this year and won several, including an 8 inch cake from Dairy Queen, two large pizzas from Pizza Hut, a $20 gift card from In & Out Burger, and two tickets to the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum (one of our favorite places).  Friends of ours won a 30 day pass to LA Fittness, but couldn't use it.  Knowing I'm still rehabing my ankle, they offered it to me.  They have an Aqua Fit (water aerobics) class six days a week.  I've been going every day and really enjoying the workout.  The only downside is the 12 mile drive to the gym and pool each day.  Evanston spoiled me when we're at Riki's with only a mile to the Rec Center and their water aerobics classes.
      The weather changed quickly after that great week and Arizona was blessed with some of that white stuff we escape, but our friends and family live with all winter.   There was a golf tournament in the Tucson area that was postponed when over 4 inches of snow fell on the course.  Here's a beautiful picture of snow in the desert by Saguaro National Park and one I took of the mountains, about 20 miles west of our park

Desert Snow

Tabletop Mtn Snow

     We also heard of a geologic event taking place on Hiway 89 just south of Page.  This is our most frequent route driving north in the Spring and south in the Fall.   As you can see, we'll be taking some detours for awhile.


As I read about this, it seems the road was built over a previous landslide that has reactivated.  You can see by the white rock at the top and then part way down the hill.  The article I read, said it was a primer on how NOT to build a road.

     The road is the black ribbon you see stretching across the picture, before the landslide resumed.  The picture above that shows some of the damage.

      Last night we were fortunate to have Nancy Ruybal and Stewart MacDougall perform in our clubhouse.  They both write and play fantastic country western music.

Nancy Ruybal and Stewart MacDougall

     As I look ahead, it's a good thing we're not working, as we have more exciting plans for this Spring and Summer.   This Sunday our park is going to a dinner performance of Marty Haggard (son of Merle Haggard).   The third week of March, we're attending a rally at Superstition Mtn. State Park, just outside Apache Junction, AZ for a week.  The week after that, I'm going on a quilting trip to San Diego, where I'll attend a class at Eleanor Burn's studio.  She is an internationally known quilter, author, pattern, and fabric designer.  I've been lucky enough to meet her a couple times, but have always wanted to visit her studio.  The Casa Grande quilters are traveling by bus and will be stopping at quilt shops on the way.
     In April, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is having their annual Survivor's Conference in Phoenix.  Riki is flying down for this, so we'll be roommates.  We are both attending a peer support training exercise just prior to the conference, and after four days of seminars and meeting with other survivors, we'll end it with a bus trip to Sedona and the Grand Canyon. 
     By the end of April, we'll be Dancing on Down the Road again toward Goblin Valley State Park in Utah, where we'll meet Gary's sister and brother-in-law, Pam and Jim for a fun week of camping and a great start to our summer activities.    We are so blessed and lucky to be able to live this great lifestyle.
      We hope to see you while Dancing-On-Down-the-Road.......................
      Hugs, Katy, Gary, Rusty, and Bandit

Dancing (or close) On a New Ankle

     Most of you know I've been suffering from post traumatic arthritis in my right ankle for the past three years.  I fractured it in 1985 and had since worn out the cartilege in that joint so that it was all bone on bone.  I was told to wait as long as I could, since they were improving the procedure all the time.  We pretty much set our sights on this Fall when I would turn 65.  My Medicare kicked in on Oct. 1st, and we didn't waste any time.  As soon as I got the Medicare paperwork in August, I called the Dr's office in Mesa, AZ, and made an appointment for 9:30 on Oct 1st.   He sent me for a CT to evaluate the surrounding bone in the ankle that same afternoon.  All looked well and we set up a preop appt. for Oct. 18th and scheduled surgery for the 24th.

CT Machine

     Gary, I and Bandit left RoVer's Roost in Casa Grande at about 7 am on Oct. 24th, and arrived at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa at about 8:30am.  Gary dropped me off and I started the check-in process, while he got the Class C  parked in the designated area, where he & Bandit would stay.  They were even able to have electricity.  Gary then came to meet me.  I went through the prepping procedure and Dr. Maling came to see me, initial my ankle (see picture), and check for any last minute questions.  Things moved fast after that and it seemed I was being whisked away quickly.  Surgery lasted about 2 1/2 hours and went as expected.

Before surgery with Dr. initials

     By that afternoon I had a brand new Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement (S.T.A.R.) in my right ankle. I came back to my room quickly and was told to order a meal by phone.  They gave you a menu and you ordered by phone, to have your food delivered about 30 minutes later.  The only complaint I had about the hospital, was this procedure immediately after surgery.  Still under the influence of anesthetic, drugs, and hungry from being NPO since midnight, I didn't make the best choices for my meal and suffered the consequences later with vomiting several times.  I was still queasy the next day and wound up spending a second night in the  hospital.  Other than that, the facility was great.  All rooms were private which was really nice for leaving the TV on all night and getting up and down during the night.

     My foot was wrapped up in a half cast, with a cold pack on it at all times.   The remainder of the hospital stay was uneventful, thankfully, and at about 12:30 Friday, I was released.  I was wheeled out, while Gary went to get the motorhome.  He enjoyed two good night's sleep in the Class C and going out to walk Bandit gave him some much needed relief from the hospital.   The expression on the aide's face when she saw the Class C was priceless as she asked how I was going to get inside.  Gary and I had practiced the day before surgery and had it planned out.  By sitting in the doorway and using the handle to lift myself up I backed in on my bottom.  Then up and onto the couch.  When I looked back at the aide, she said she wished she'd had a camera to video it, as it went so smoothly.   It was another smooth transition into the fifth wheel, (also practiced before we left), when we got back to the park.  I took up residence on the couch, which we had made out into a bed before we left.  That was where I slept for the next six weeks.  We had a beside commode, which was I was able to use by myself, allowing Gary to sleep through the night.
      I was non-weight bearing for three weeks, basically laying on my back with my ankle elevated other than when I got up to use the bedside commode.  While laying on your back watching TV and reading may sound good, in practice it's really boring.   Thank goodness I had friends stop by to visit.  Gary and I really appreciated the friends that brought us meals. 
     I went back to the Dr. at 1 week, when he x-rayed and put a new cast on it.  At week 2, he took the cast off, giving me a large boot, but still no walking.  At week 3, he removed the stitches and I started putting 25% of my weight on it, while wearing the boot and using a walker.  At this point I started physical therapy to increase movement.  I added 25% of my weight each week until I could put total weight on it last week.  I'm still wearing the large boot and using a cane for one more week.  I will go to a brace with tennis shoes later this week.  There has never been any pain in the joint itself, but boy do the unused muscles around the joint complain as I work to get them going again.

Week 1

Boot at Week 3

Week 5

     Gary did a wonderful job as caregiver and of course had to to everything, as far as shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.  He did make one comment wondering how I had done all that when I was working too.  He even gave me blood thinning shots in my tummy, for the first 14 days to prevent blood clots.  I think he kind of enjoyed that part and was disappointed when that ended.  He sure had good technique though.
     Physical therapy consists of exercises, foot massages (which I love) and electrical stimulation with ice for the first few weeks and now heat.  I still have 3-4 weeks of pt to go.  I had new X-rays last week and all looks good.  These pictures are of the standing x-ray equipment in the Dr.'s office.

Standing x-ray machine

Checking X-ray

     Finally, here is my new ankle from 3 views directly facing the front, at an angle, and from the side.

   You can see the two metal pieces attached to the tibia on top and talus on the bottom.  These are made of a combination of metals called cobalt chromium alloy, coated with  pure titanium where they touch my bone.  In between what you can't see is the mobile bearing made out of a medical grade plastic called polyethylene.  This moves between the metal parts as I move my ankle.  Pretty amazing we think!!! 
My goal has been to be dancing on New Year's Eve and that should be possible.  It may not be a polka, but I'll be happy with a waltz and good two-step.
     Gary hasn't played much golf, but continue to play pool daily and has entered a few tournaments.  I'm now able to get over to the clubhouse most days and play cards at night. It's sure great being out and about again.  We've had marvelous, warm weather up until this week, with highs steadily in the 70's.  It's hard to complain when the high's drop into the 60's, knowing how cold it is for our families in Wyoming and Utah, so I won't.  It hasn't happened yet this year, but we do have to drip our water or turn the outside water off for a few nights when temps drop into the 20's or lower.   That's winter in Casa Grande.   
     We had a very nice Thanksgiving, with a lot to be thankful for, as usual this year.  We joined about 50+ others in the clubhouse for dinner that afternoon.  The park provided the turkeys and we all bring various dishes to add to the meal.   Good food with great company.
     We'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year.   We're looking forward to a more active 2013, with more dancing and hiking.  We'll spend the holidays here with our winter family and hope to have new adventures to blog about. 
     Dancing (or close) on a new ankle...............................
     Love and Hugs, Gary, Katy, Rusty and Bandit too.
      

Dancing to a New Ankle.............

     Well the time is finally here.  First it was years, then  months, then weeks, then days, and now it's about 16  hours until my surgery for a total ankle replacement.  It's scheduled for 11am tomorrow morning at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, AZ.  We're taking the Class C motorhome up there for Gary and Bandit to stay in.  Rusty is staying home with a friend from our park taking him out and keeping him company.  Here's a drawing of what the ankle replacement looks like.

     Bandit had his neuter surgery and a hernia repair last week.  He had to wear the cone of shame, because of licking his stitches.  Now, if only I could heal as fast as he did.

     I mentioned we really liked the Show Low, AZ area.  It looks like we'll be able to get a summer home there next year.  This is a rough picture of it.  I'll include more when we actually close on it next July.

     To travel there, we go through the beautiful Salt River Canyon between Show Low and Globe, AZ.  Here's a picture of that area.

          Here's a turkey vulture airing out his wings on the road in front of our park.  Nothing special, but I though it was interesting.

     Of course we also have our glorious sunsets.

     That's it for now.  Time to get this posted.  The next time I blog, I will have a new ankle.  YIPEE!!!
Dancing to a new ankle....................
Hugs, Katy, Gary, Rusty, and Bandit too!

Dancing to Dr.'s with Medicare

     We made one last trip to Salt Lake City, UT, to visit with Gary's family before leaving Wyoming.  It's only 75 miles from Evanston, so we make several trips during the summer.  While it's always hard to say goodbye, but we'll look forward to seeing them again next summer.  While there  I stocked up on several 12 packs of Vanilla Diet Pepsi.  We bought several pounds of our favorite bacon at Ken's Kash in Oakley, UT, several packages of Kluski noodles at Smith's, and got some Henna lip balm at Anita's Hair Salon.  These are all items that we cannot get in Arizona.  On the other hand, Arizona does have Trader Joe's.  We understand they are opening a store in Salt Lake City next year, so we'll look forward to that.
      In the couple weeks before we left, we bid farewell and good wishes to two grandsons' heading for college. Cory was heading to Northwest Comm. College in Powell, WY for his second year and Keegan was heading to University of Wyoming in Laramie, for his first year.   It will be fun to hear from them during the year.  I know they will both do well.
     We enjoyed Cowboy Days over Labor Day weekend and the PRCA Rodeo's in town.  At one time it was our favorite weekend with all the country dances.  Now we enjoy seeing and getting together with old friends at the rodeos.

     One of our last activities was helping the local Volunteer Fire Department with their annual fundraiser, the demolition derby.  We have done this the past several years, in Robert's memory.  We enjoy it and it allows us to stay involved with the fire department.
     A couple days before we were set to leave Evanston, we got a message from old friends who would be coming through on the same day we were scheduled to leave.  Since our plans are fairly fluid, we postponed leaving by a day and enjoyed the visit with Mabel and Lloyd, old managers from RoVer's Roost, our RV park in AZ.  We even got to meet their two new furry traveling companions. 

Geocahe #2,525

     Our trip South was fun and uneventful, considering we were traveling with an ill car.   The Warrior performed just fine, but our Honda was without the ability to charge.  Having been told, after diagnosis that the problem was the alternator, we ordered one and Gary spent a whole day taking the old one out and putting the new one in.  While this is a 2 hour job in a mechanic's shop, when you don't have the tools, or the experience, it easily becomes an all day event.  When it still wouldn't charge after Gary finished, it was really disappointing.  Rather than delay our leaving and deal with mechanics we didn't know in a Honda dealership, Gary decided we could leave anyway.  Since we were towing the car, it worked out fine.  We charged it with the motorhome when we got where we were going and only drove it minimally, recharging it after we got back.  It all worked out and we were able to see everything we really wanted to see.  It restricted us slightly on our geocaching, but we still managed to get 25 caches on our trip.   Back in Casa Grande, we took it to Gary's favorite mechanic, who diagnosed a bad alternator.  We ordered another one, exchanged the one Gary had put in, and after Bill replaced a fuse, it is back in working order.

     We started off in Richfield, Utah where I visited their quilt shop and Gary enjoyed the golf course.  We stayed at the Elk's, which is right on the course.  From there we went to Lone Rock Beach, UT, just north of Page, AZ.

We had stayed here last Spring and really enjoyed being able to camp on the beach, despite all the sand in the rig.  It takes a really, really good sweeping when we leave, to get all the sand out.  While there, we toured Upper Antelope Canyon.  This had long been a goal of ours, but we had always put it off.  This time we made the reservations and really enjoyed the tour.  It's on Navajo reservation, so you need to go with a Navajo guide or tour company.  We spent about an hour in the lower canyon.  It was all level and only about 1/4 of a mile long, so Katy could handle it.  I'll include a few pictures, but they don't really do it justice.  There is also a Lower Antelope Canyon, but it has more elevation change, with ladders, etc.  We'll tour that one another time.

t s

     From there we went on to Meteor Crater, AZ to visit with friends from 7 years ago when we worked there.  As usual, it was loads of fun to catch up with Paul and Faith and hear what all they had been doing.  After two days, we went on to Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ.  We stayed at Scotty's Reservoir there.  Its a nice campground that is free, with a five day stay limit.  There were volunteer camphosts there this time, so things were in great shape.  We visited the local quilt shop, or course, and friends from the Roost, Frank and Suzanne.  We really like this area and hope to spend more time there in the future.

     Then it was back to the Roost, a little early, but we wanted to get things opened up, unpacked, and settled in before Katy's  Dr. appt. on Oct. 1st.  Bandit did pretty good on the trip south.  Like most kids, everything goes in his mouth.  It will be nice when that phase is over with and he has his permanent teeth.  Although he was a little young, his fur had gotten soooooooo long and heavy that we just knew he  had to be miserable in the heat, so we took the plunge and had him groomed.  While Katy will most likely do it in the future, she thought it would be easier to keep up with it after having it done professionally once.  They did a beautiful job and it was fun to discover there was a real dog under all that fur.  He looks just as cute and is still just as mischievous.

     Since everything goes in Bandit's mouth, I cleaned out all the books and magazines under our coffee table.  Within a few minutes Bandit decided it was a pretty good bed.  I added the cushion from his night time bed and now he has a day time bed too.

    Well today is October 1st, as I write this section.  It is a momentous day, as it is my first day on Medicare and it has been put to good use already.  I met with my ankle surgeon today and had 3 x-rays there.  He agreed with the previous two Dr.'s that an ankle replacement is the best option for my right ankle.  We discussed three different devices and which would be the best for me.  Then he ordered a CT to evaluate the structures and bone around my ankle to make sure all the devices were suitable or weed out any that would not work.  He'll call me with the results of that and then we'll schedule the surgery.  Most likely it will be in 2-4 weeks.  It's scary, but exciting to finally be doing something to end the pain.

     I've had a lot of people ask me what caused my ankle to deteriorate.  In the research I've done, I found out that an ankle that has had severe trauma &/or been broken is 70% more likely to develop post traumatic arthritis.  I broke my right (bad) ankle in 1984 and  my left ankle (no problems so far) in 1987.  Other than that, who knows why these things develop.  I learned long ago not to say, "why me?"  The only answer is, "why not me?"  I know we've been very fortunate over the years to have good health, so I'm not complaining.  I may not run again, but look forward to walks, hikes, and especially dancing.  I'll post on facebook when the surgery date is set, but will probably not do another blog until a month or so after surgery.
     RoVer's Roost fell victim to a 100 year flood this summer on July 4th.  A few sheds were affected, but the main damage was to the clubhouse.  Although there was only a few inches of water inside, it soaked up the sheet rock inside and ruined all the carpeting.  In a flood, it's never clean water, but very dirty.  Repairs are underway, with the sheetrock having been replaced and the painting finished last week.  What a mess for our poor summer residents.  Here's a picture from near the entrance to the park.

     I almost forgot to mention the excitement that awaited me the first time I did laundry at the Roost.  I'd had gone over to change loads from the washer to the dryer, parked my scooter and gone inside.  After a few minutes I came back out to wait for the other load to finish.  I stepped outside and then heard a funny noise.  I started looking around and saw the rattler about 2-3 feet away from me.  I must have stepped over or next to it as I came outside.  Lord only knows where it was before I went inside.  Even with a bad ankle, I moved quickly away, screaming and hollering for Gary as I went.  He got Francis, our Manager, who removed it from the park.  I guess I must have momentarily forgot to breathe during this, as I was gasping for air when Gary got there.  In the picture, the snake is in the same coiled position, he was in when I first saw him.  You can see the door sill to the laundry.  He hadn't moved for at least 10 minutes (guess, my screaming scared him).  The next Sunday Gary was doing laundry and found a scorpion behind the laundry, so definitely beware of the creepy, crawlies back there.

    That's it on this end.  Until I write again, I'm dancing to the Dr.'s with Medicare........................
     Hugs, Katy, Gary, Rusty, and Bandit too!