For several months, I have been looking to find a male Dalmatian to add to my pack. There is the Adopt-A-Pet website --- that once a profile is set-up --- prospective adoptable dogs are sent to my e-mail. I also applied to Dalmatian Rescue of Colorado. There, I could go to their website and see who was available. That was when I first eyed Jameson.
He was being fostered in Las Vegas by a Fire Chief and his wife. I originally wanted a younger male --- less than five years old. But, I decided to arrange a "meet and greet" on Saturday, August 3.
I was supposed to have a colonoscopy this week. But, the office did not send out the paperwork in time. So, it was rescheduled for a month. Tom had an appointment in Flagstaff at his Ophthalmologist office. I went too and ordered a new pair of progressive glasses through a very reasonable program.
Later that afternoon, Libby, Kelsey, and I drove to Las Vegas. It was 111 degrees when we arrived at the La Quinta Inn & Suites. Fortunately, the direct sun was behind some buildings.
There were some nearby restaurants, so I walked with the dogs to get some take-out beef and chicken satay for dinner.
The next morning, I walked Libby and Kelsey, had breakfast served in the motel lobby, and drove the 15 minutes to Jameson's foster parent's home. Suzan and Andy have three male Dalmatians of their own.
The "meet and greet" went very well. I signed all of the paperwork and wrote a check to Dalmatian Rescue of Colorado. Then, Libby, Kelsey, and Jameson hopped into the back seat of my truck.
I told Suzan and Andy that I would be shortening Jameson's name to Jamie. Jamie was a less formal name and better suited the casual Team Dalmatian. Off we went back to Williams!
Jamie is a big boy. So, from the garage, I brought out the large kennel that I have had for a number of years. I set it up, and then little Kelsey decided she wanted it. But, Jamie was fine with the middle kennel.
The first walk in the neighborhood was to Cataract Lake. Jamie was a good walker. I had washed and cleaned Ramsey's red collar and it fit nicely on Jamie.
Tom and I played pickleball on the tennis courts on Sunday afternoon. On Monday, I had an appointment to have my phone battery replaced. Ever since our trip to Bend, the battery was not keeping its charge. Battery Plus Bulbs had a good price for battery replacement. Tom went with me to Flagstaff. The phone was not going to be ready for several hours, so we went to Hiro's Sushi for lunch.
Unfortunately, the glass back of my phone cracked while the technician was replacing the battery. I read reviews and this was not uncommon. That is why I went to a professional. A replacement for the glass back to my phone was ordered. I picked up my phone and will return to Flagstaff later in the week. At least the battery was replaced!
Libby, my oldest Dalmatian, has had a lot of urinary problems. I decided it was time to take her to Dr. Jacoby at Williams Veterinary Clinic and check her urine. It was confirmed that she had an infection and a lot of inflammation. She was put on medication for both issues. The good news is that she had no crystals in her urine, so she can eat REAL dog food. I need to fatten her up!
Tuesday afternoon, Jon came over to the house. He volunteered to change the oil in Tom's truck. Tom bought the filters and oil when we were in Flagstaff the day before.
That evening, Tom, Jon, and I went to the Grand Canyon Brewery for dinner. When we came home, it was evident that Jamie had surfed the laundry room counter top for a couple of bags of doggy treats.
Since Jamie is a big boy, we'll have to be mindful of food left out on the counter tops!
On Wednesday, the Williams Parks & Recreation Council met at City Hall. On the agenda was Pickleball. We are trying to work with the city to find suitable places to play pickleball. The outdoor tennis courts are in dire need of resurfacing and we can't play there in the winter. The Rodeo Barn has multiple uses. There is talk of taking over a building that was built years ago for roller skating.
Living in a small town has its advantages and its disadvantages. Things move slowly in in small town politics. It was an impressive turn-out of about one-third of the 30 or so Williams pickleball players.
Later in the afternoon, Tom tackled a project in the back yard. Some of the drip system hoses have lifted above the gravel/rocks. Tom used a kneeling pad to secure the hoses under the gravel/rocks. Thank you, Tom!
On Thursday, I had a facial appointment in Flagstaff with Sue Kelly. I made two stops before my facial. One was to drop off my cell phone at Batteries Plus Bulbs --- to get the glass back panel replaced. The other stop was Planet Dodge. For over two weeks, I have tried to get some resolution on my faulty radio. The compass does not work properly, so the navigation system doesn't know where the truck is located.
Louie, the technician supervisor, was at lunch, so I met Jessica Mohr --- a drive service manager. She seemed very responsive and was to look into this matter and get back to me.
Friday was Smokey the Bear's 75th birthday. The Williams Visitor Center had a day of celebration with cake and activities. We introduced Jamie to Smokey the Bear the day before.
Friday afternoon, I received a text from Lynda La Marr La Rocco. Lynda was a Facebook friend of mine who went to San Marino High School. She graduated two years ahead of me, but she and her husband bought a lot in Williams in the early 1990s. She hoped one day to stop by Williams and visit their lot. This was the time! We made arrangements to meet over breakfast at Pine Country Restaurant the next morning. Lynda was traveling with her husband Andy and their two college-age children, Travis and Latasha.
Tom thought that it was a good idea to clean-up the garage. I concurred. Saturday and Sunday was a two-day project. The first thing was to go through all of the boxes and decide what to save, what to put in the garage attic, what to try to sell and what to donate to charity.
The next step was to pressure wash the garage floor.
It was a long project, but so needed!
On Tuesday, we played pickleball on the tennis courts. The Rodeo Barn had a roping event over the weekend and the participants did not clean up and rearrange the tables and chairs.
Too bad that the city seems to have a problem enforcing clean-up procedures! I also got a call back from Jessica at Planet Dodge. They placed an order for a new radio for my truck. Jessica said that it may take up to three weeks before the radio arrives. I also got a call from Bernie at Camping World. The parts for my trailer arrived. They hope to have my trailer ready early next week. Thank goodness that I have an extended warranty!
The three dogs are blending in beautifully. A dog's life is tough, I know.
Every month, Kelsey needs an anal gland procedure. Fortunately, the local vet can handle it!
After Kelsey's appointment, I had a phone call scheduled with my sister Wendy and her husband Kai. Wells Fargo didn't want to cash a $57,000 check from my dad's retirement account made payable to my brother's estate. I decided it was time for me to "put on my Super Woman's cape."
I called the Wells Fargo branch manager, explained the situation, and asked if he could help us. The next day, he called and said that he found a way to help. Yes!
Tom and I have been together for over two years. While we like to celebrate the 15th of every month, some occasions are more simple. Like, August 15, we had dinner at the Best Western Steakhouse and listened to music by Omar. Omar is my age --- born in 1952 --- but his birthday is in March like Tom.
While I was walking the dogs in the neighborhood one morning, I received a text from Jamie's foster dad, Andy. He was just checking in --- wanting to know how Jamie was fitting in. I texted him back this photo.
I told him that all was good. The next morning, Tom and I took the dogs to Kaibab Lake. It is a very nice setting and lots of trees to camouflage the mid 80's heat.
On Saturday, I told Tom that I would like to drive to Bixler Saddle. It was a rock formation near the top of Bill Williams Mountain. The map disclosed that it was less than 6 miles each way. But, the dirt road was very rugged. We made it halfway and parked the truck.
We thought we only had 1 1/2 miles to go, so we started to hike up the road. But, we were wrong. After forty-five minutes, we turned around and walked back to the truck.
It was a hot afternoon and I was not willing to hike in three miles and hike out three miles. But, I did photo shop what we missed!
On Sunday, I made preparations for my next-day drive to Los Angeles. The five John Shelton Estate siblings were meeting at Wells Fargo Bank to cash a check and close two bank accounts. The dogs were being boarded at Grand Canyon Railway Kennel for 1 1/2 days. Neighbor Gus Beatty asked if I wanted to go to Flagstaff that afternoon to play pickleball at the Aquaplex. I hadn't played there in several years. But, we had a great time!
The Flagstaff pickleball players are much more challenging to play with. It is nice to tighten my skills with good players!
