Our little 14yr. old, 8lb. Yorkie, Wicket, can't do much anymore.  She's almost blind and can't walk far, but she sure loves to take a dip in the lake. One of her favorite things are "boat ramps".  She realizes she's on the ramp and she runs for the water.

 

Rocks at Lake Ute

 

 

Bob climbing rocks at Lake Ute north of Tucumcari, NM.

 

Antelope north of Tucumcari, NM

 

Newly developed website, www.snowbirdsinPhoenix.com now has a couple sister sites.  www.snowbirdsusa.com and www.snowbirdsinTucson.com.  The Tucson site still has a little work left to do, but it is about 90% done.  It'd be nice to get some "activity and entertainment" information from the activity directors at the RV Resorts, but I try to get as much info as I can from searching the internet. Hoping to have www.snowbirdsinYuma.com up and running in a month or so. Well, it may take more time then that, as we hope to be on the road to Mesa within a couple weeks.  Yahoooooo!

Bob has been a busy guy indulging in his interest of woodworking and music.  He has been making Cigar Box Guitars. These are photos of his first two as they are being constructed from a pile of lumber.

These first two will be electric. One will be fretless and the other will have frets.

You can see how it shines?  Well, it feels smooth as a baby's butt, too. He will be selling them if anyone is interested.

Great music in the middle of nowhere land - Pomeroy, IA

Doug Deming with harmonica player, Dennis Gruenling and the Jewel Tones

We saw them in July in Des Moines and can you believe it? They were in a little town, yesterday, of 662 people (Pomeroy, IA) for the evening. Not only are they all really good with their instruments, but they have sooooo much fun

http://dougdeming.com

Doug writes most of their stuff.  He's really good at composing with lots of upbeat tunes.

Sitting here this morning with only one good arm. All I can say is OUCH!

Thresherman and Collectors Show - Albert City, IA

Who woulda thought all this would be happening out in the middle of no where.

Over 600 exhibits & collectors show off their pride of tractors and gas engines.
 http://www.albertcitythreshermen.com/

Rotator Cuff surgery for Susan - Spencer, IA

The shoulder is the most flexible joint, so when I was able to only move my arm straight out to the side and straight out to the front without pain, I knew something wasn't right.  (Funny how you turn 50 or 60 or 70 and immediately following your birthday, something like this happens.  Is that a reminder to you of how old you are?) Following x-rays and an MRI, it was determined that one of four tendons, which make up the rotator cuff, has ripped loose and needs to be pulled back down over the head of the arm bone (humeral head).  The doctor will use a Dremel type drill to drill into my humerus(arm bone) to anchor a little plastic type "special fastener" which will provide the doctor something to attach the end of the tendon to with sutures. This plastic anchor piece will dissolve between 2-4 years following the surgery.

 

  There were several bone spurs in the shoulder, also. Those will be removed during the surgery, too.

Bone spurs form when the area becomes inflamed from osteoarthritis or tendinitis. The inflammation stimulates the cells to deposit bone in this area, eventually forming a bone spur.  Kind of like a stalactite in a cave.  The minerals accumulate to form a stalactite or in this case a bone spur. So what shoulder wouldn't hurt with a stalactite in it?  As you can see from the above photo, the bone spurs are usually located between the collar bone and the tendons.  Therefore, they continuously scratch and rub or in some instances tear the tendon because they are wedged between the narrow space.

The procedure is called Arthroscopy because a long, thin, lighted instrument will be used.  The arthroscope will be inserted into the shoulder area through very small incisions.

So that's what we'll be doing the next couple of weeks.  We planned to leave the NW Iowa area this coming Thursday, but looks like that won't happen until mid-Sept.  Lots of physical therapy will be needed following the surgery.  Maybe Bob can take a speed course in physical therapy and he can be my therapist while we are on the road? We'll see if that happens.