On The Road Once Again- But Sad News Dampens Our Spirit

Tuesday, August 3,2021

Monday, August 2nd: We are really looking forward to this trip. Lesson learned last year is there is no such thing as having plans set in jello anymore so plans are made for every overnight stop for a month and a half. We started the reservation process back in late February. We naturally had to wait a little longer as many places we wanted to visit have a 90 or 95 day reservation window. We feel that all the places we reserved offer new adventure for us.

We spend quite a bit of time preparing for extended trips. Part one- get the motorhome ready to roll by performing all required maintenance- check. Load the rig with non perishable foods and our clothes- check. Grub and meds for the mutzos and don’t forget leashes. Lastly, load perishables in cold refer and fresh water into the sanitized water tank- check and chec. Part two is giving the house a good once over to ensure the place is clean for our house guests Jim and Nancy.

On August 1st we say our goodbyes to our friends and good neighbors and head to the Silver State RV Park located in Winnemucca, NV. We overnight there after a 174 mile shake down cruise. A systems are in order, or so we thought. Jim calls and says our internet based TV system at home is not working. Instructions are given to unplug the magic box for 30 seconds and plug it back in. I guess that worked as we haven’t heard anymore from our house guests. Megan is acting weird.

The next morning, August 2nd we are on the road for a two night stay in Jerome, Idaho located just across the Snake River Canyon from Twin Falls. Two day distance is 480 miles with a little over 300 on day two. Fuel is expensive in Reno. We figured fuel would be cheaper in Idaho, but naah its about the same. We pay $3.86 a gallon for diesel fuel and 4 bucks for unleaded. Fuel costs are about $1.50 a gallon more for each type of fuel this year than last. Sheesh! It’s gonna cost $70 more per 50 gallons of diesel fuel than the highest price we paid last year.

Megan, our Lab, has been acting strange for at least two weeks. We usually contribute her weirdness to thunder storms and general nervousness. She can detect electricity in the air like no other dog we’ve had. She is acting extremely anxious and sometimes hides where she feels secure. There’s not been a cloud in the sky yet she’s still very anxious and hiding like she hears thunder.

Megan had gut problems before we left home and again in Winnemucca. OK, we’ll see how she does. We have meds for that. She doesn’t seem happy as we travel towards Jerome. She gets sick to her stomach once at the Silver State RV park and twice enroute to Jerome. What a mess. She stopped drinking water. She is sick! We are near Jackpot Nevada when Jill contacts a Vet in Jerome so off we go taking our house with us. The Vet wants to keep her overnight and give her IV fluids. After a battery of blood tests and X-rays the Vet determines that Megan has pancreatitus. No wonder she’s acting strangely the last couple of weeks- she’s been in pain. We’ll determine her fate after the Vet updates us in the morning. We head to the Twin Falls/Jerome KOA and set up for a two night stay.

Back at the RV Jil throws the rugs that were mussed by our sick mutzo into our onboard washing machine. That done, they go into the onboard dryer. Jil retrieved the dried throw rugs and tells me that the dryer basket isn’t spinning. Whaaa? The dryer is practically brand new! Nope, it’s not spinning. Gotta figure this one out and get that dryer working properly again…… So much for all systems working properly.

August 3rd: We have a little time this morning to do some exploring so we head over the Snake River Canyon (it looks like a gorge to us) to Twin Falls Park. It’s the dry season and the falls are dry compared to springtime. Their structure is reminiscent of Niagara Falls. The scenery is still spectacular with the falls and the Snake River sitting a thousand feet below the rim. The Snake River Gorge is nearly 8000 feet deep in Oregon’s Hells Canyon, deeper than the Grand Canyon, making it the deepest canyon in North America. While the falls are spectacular our focus is on our poor gal Megan.

Jil and I have discussed Megan’s fate. Our Woody boy had symptoms much like Megan’s which we treated for years and years. On our first trip to the South he got worse making stops at veterinary clinics necessary in several states. In spite of the care he received we lost him in Tennessee. We didn’t want Megan to go through that pain. The Vet thought putting her to sleep was the best option because of her age. When we arrive at the Vet’s at 1230 hours, Megan is just beside herself. She’s always a little crazy but meeting with her and seeing her has justified our decision. Megan has gone to join Speck, Woody, Jenny, Boomer, Mom, Maverick, and Doyle. It’s such a sad day when we lose a pet, because they are really a member of the family. Our Boxer, Oliver has been very quiet- he misses his pal Megan as much as we.

A tribute to Megan aka Mom as she always had a stuffed toy in her mouth