My Journey

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Arjan.....of course !

jadmt.....the desert is real nice there but it pains me to see it filled with trash.....and I do mean filled.....

PNWY.....yes I do remember the name but as I look at tikerobs recommendation I'd go with Erica Medina. I know nothing about the dentist that I used so I'd hate to recommend him (although I am pleased with my outcome). There must be hundreds of dentists here to chose from and thousands of Gringos getting dental work done daily. You could literally come here, price shop and get recommendations from Gringos in the morning, and still have plenty of time to get your dental work done the same day. I still wonder how one becomes a dentist at 24 ?

tikirob.....thanks for posting that. She sounds ideal.....



DAY 800.....Winter Solstice.....spending most of my waking hours outdoors this is always a huge day for me.....I always long for the sunlight.....



My friend that is now traveling with me had a quote in the U.S. of nearly $6,000 for dental work and here the total bill was $1,400. When you add $200 for the plane ticket it's easy to see why this town is packed with Gringos.....



I had quite a bit of time to kill so I walked the streets of Los Algodones for hours upon hours.....



It always amazes me how different life is once you cross the border.....



How could I say no to this little guy selling trinkets that I'll never need ? I bought 3 for $5 and then his friend approached me and was selling the same ones for $1 each.....the streets are filled with kids selling Mexican crafts.....



This little Mexican girl shared a candy with me.....her grandpa is a lucky man.....I sure miss mine.....



This Mexican guy thought he was going to sell me a wood statue.....the grizzly bears were quite nice at $30 but I live in a camper.....



The guy on the left convinced me to try his friends home baked breads.....



The breads.....filled with either cream cheese, apple butter or pineapple were off the charts good. Cooked in a kiln with mesquite wood they had an unusual and pleasing flavor.....



It's difficult to pass the street vendors.....the aromas of the Mexican food draws me in.....



I think we won't make Mexico this year so visiting the border towns will have to suffice once again.....Yukon is the priority for now.....

 

[GregSplett]

That was fun catching up on your travels and adventures until the news on Yukon. What can I say to make it alright? After just putting two dogs down within a week, one from old age and one probably a brain tumor I would say nothing really. I will say though there was a big difference, at least for me, in saying goodbye to the German Shepard who had a great life and just wore out at fifteen vs the little guy that had half his ten years stolen from him by medical conditions probably caused by malnutrition as a puppy. All I could do was thank the German for everything he gave and we had and say I am sorry, sorry, sorry to the little guy that got robbed of life. I will be thinking about you, Jerry.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Greg.....thanks and so sorry for your losses. It's such a struggle now just to get through a single day and the nights can be even worse. That feeling of being unable to control the inevitable, fearing the future and knowing that each upcoming day might be our last together is quite the challenge. And then there's the part that's not about me.....Yukons daily struggles to adjust to her new limited abilities.....it crushes her that I can see.....




This picture of Yukon walking in the desert with her leash firmly grasped in her mouth.....this was the last time that she walked normally.....the folllowing day she developed a severe limp.....



She still enjoys a ball and but now her time is spent just lying behind the camper chewing away.....





The desert is perfect for basking in the sun.....she's always loved the sunlight warming her coat and putting her into a deep sleep.....



I had mentioned in an earlier post to jadmt that there was an alarming amount of trash strewn throughout the desert. I picked up enough to fill the back of the Jeep during our stay and honestly it wasn't a drop in the bucket compared to what was out there. What are we doing to our treasures ?



In the distance cars passed by on the interstate.....probably a source for much of the massive amounts of trash that we encountered.....



We had a few interesting skies during our 5 day stay in the California desert.....





And finally I'll wrap up this post with a picture I saw in Los Algodones and my thoughts.....



People often say to me "Oh you're a Snow Bird" and my reply is always the same "no I'm not". I have huge problems with that term and it's not at all my style of life (at least by my definition).....maybe I live on the fringes of being a Snow Bird but I am not. Nor am I an overlander (why am I here ?). I'm just a guy that likes to wander in a truck camper with his 2 best friends.....

 

[ITTOG]

So sorry about Yukon. She is a beautiful girl. I always liked to see her yellow coat in the sun. May her days be peaceful and full of love.

If you saw my recent post I started on my "overlanding" you will see I feel it is different for everyone. Like you, I do most of it on my feet but I also do it on my ATV and some in my F150. You do it how you want and ignore the naysayers; like I do.

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[Arjan]

Trash is everywhere....
Even in the Alps - Europe's well know beauty spot - we now find really tonnes and tonnes of rubbish in the most beautiful locations.

Yukon enjoys the warmth and you company.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

ITTOG.....I saw your thread this morning.....nice start.....trip reports are what brings me to XP most days. We are the foot soldiers of XP.....

Arjan.....that completely surprises me about trash in Europe. I always think of Europe as I saw it decades ago. It's so sad what we leave to our youth.....



Yuma, Arizona (situated between Los Algodones, Mexico and San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico) has a year round population of approximately 200,000 but the population increases by nearly 50 % during the winter months with the arrival of the "Snow Birds". With such a large increase in the population some of the services offered can be overwhelmed (this is my opinion not supported by any real facts). A search of veterinarians in Yuma on the internet will show reviews of vets turning away dogs which died that very day, or maybe the next as appointments were not available. There just aren't enough vets available.....



This new limp in Yukons left front leg has left me devastated and quite puzzled to say the least, and watching her try to walk was killing me.....



I really wanted Yukon to be seen by a vet once again so when the dentist I used in Los Algodones, Mexico suggested his vet in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico, I was all in.....



Yukon and I hopped into the Jeep and crossed the border early on a Saturday morning.....it was my first time here crossing the border in a vehicle, although I had numerous crossings last year by foot.....



The pet hospital was first rate and although we didn't have an appointment we were in seeing a vet within half an hour.....





The vet decided to take x-rays of her joints to see if there was a possible break.....





The x-rays indicated that her bones were just getting weak (in layman's terms) and that there were no breaks. She prescribed several drugs for Yukon and it's just been amazing to see the positive changes that she has made in just a few days.....



The vet recommended lots of rest but as you can see she's making up for the lost time.....swimming in the canal in Yuma, Arizona.....



And I'll close this post by saying that this is the best Xmas gift that I could have asked for.....I am so very, very thankful.....

 

[Ace Brown]

A Christmas miracle indeed.


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[Riversdad]

I'll bet the vet put her on prednisone. Worked great for my dog Ellie and I'm sure it bought her an extra year. Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[longhorn1]

❤️❤️

 

[tgil]

This is great news Jerry! So glad to hear she is feeling better!
Merry Christmas Jerry, Yukon and Tanner! Safe travels in the New Year!

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[Arjan]

It seems very good news !!
If this helps her to enjoy you all and the travels it is great.

Safe travels !

 

[ghostdancer]

Prednisone is what turned our little shepherd mix around. Her energy levels were down and wasn’t eating. After the first dose, wow, miracle drug.

 

[ITTOG]

Merry Christmas. May your life be merry and full of love.

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[halseyt]

Merry Christmas and best to the dogs..

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Ace.....yes indeed.....

Riversdad.....thank you.....she's actually on a drug which is part non inflammatory and part pain killer. Once that dosage is completed she will go on a pain killer. At this point I guess the goal was to try to reduce any swelling and then mask the pain. The vet said that if she responded to the first drug that that would be a good sign (and luckily she did).....

JD.....thanks.....

tgil.....thanks and Happy Holidays.....

ghostdancer.....last month I was concerned with her energy level and we saw a vet then that did a thyroid test and found her to be at the low end of normal, but still in the normal range. A new medication then brought hope but quickly quit working, plus it messed up her digestive system really bad. After consulting with her vet in Montana I quit that medication after a week.....

ITTOG.....thanks and same to you.....

halseyt.....thanks and Happy Holidays.....



Driving back to San Luis, Arizona brought a whole new perspective to crossing the border at this location. Oddly when I had crossed the border into Mexico I was directed into the second checkpoint where the armed border guards admired my old Jeep and then let me through.....



Waiting in the line I assumed that the U.S. border guards would also send me into the second checkpoint.....



But that was not the case and after an hour plus wait I went right through.....



We would return to San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico one last time.....by foot. I wanted my friend to know the town, to see the wall, to share a bit of what I experienced last year. We had lunch at the park and ate at the same little booth that I frequented last year. The vendor remembered me.....not sure why that made me feel good.....





I like this park.....





San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico is as Mexican as it can get.....few Gringos ever take this route.....



My friend just can't believe how much I love to walk.....



My explanation is that this is how I choose to see the world.....