We are back in Yuma.  The temperatures are climbing and the weather forecast for the next few days  will be sunny and warm.  But we have a bit of a situation on our hands.

Finally we go boondocking! We headed out to Fortuna Pond, just north of Yuma, to boondock on BLM land. There were RVs parked all around the pond.  There were families with kids, single vandwellers, and everything in between.  It’s a fun spot where you can camp for free up to 14 days, but a bit crowded for us.  We parked next to a Hymer Aktiv from Ontario.  What are the odds?

The next day, we stopped at Betty’s Kitchen, a short hike on our way to our second boondoking spot, Mittry Lake.

It’s just a short interpretive trail, but we’re happy to walk in the warm sunshine, so no complains!

We loved Mittry Lake!  We had a great spot near the water, watched the water fowl, and the sunset, and were greeted the next morning by a beautiful sunrise.

The van is finally summer-ized completely by eliminating the hot water tank bypass. The opening that the anode rod screws into was completely rusted out and the anode rod would not screw in.  Luckily, we had some lemon juice in the fridge and a light application did the trick!

This is the extent of the wildlife that we saw…

We went back to Yuma for a small get together with RVillage friend, the mystery author, Jack Huber at Cactus Garden RV resort and spent the night there.  A great opportunity to fill up water, dump the tanks, and do laundry.

The Situation

Unfortunately, our night was less than peaceful.  Emma was throwing up all night and had the runs several times during the night.  Not the best scenario when you are in RV, or in an RV park for that matter.  There was only one vet clinic that was open on Sundays, and they were able to squeeze us in.

To kill time until our appointment we drove around Yuma a bit. We went to the West Wetland Park in Yuma and had a lovely walk along the Colorado River.

We also stopped at Pivot Point train history point of interest.

The diagnosis

Emma has Pancreatitis and given initial treatment. We left with a bag full of medication and special food for her.

The vet was great, and our experience with the Desert Veterinary Clinic in Yuma was really good.  Not only did they squeeze us in on a Sunday; they ended up spending a lot of time with Emma and us.  we wouldn’t hesitate recommending them!

We needed to stay in town to monitor Emma’s progress, so we went to Yuma Mesa RV Park, where we spent another night darting in and out of the RV with a sick dog.  The poor girl is not doing well and we are very concerned about her.  on a good note, she stopped throwing up.

Another chat with the vet and the decision is to keep on going, and if her condition worsens or doesn’t improve, we will need to go to another vet in Phoenix, or somewhere else on the way.

We continue

We headed north and stopped for the night at Palm Canyon BLM after a quick stop at The Bridge to Nowhere – the story is that the Golden Gate Bridge was fashioned after this bridge that fell out of grace and is no longer in use.

Palm Canyon BLM is amazing.  Not a soul in sight, dark starry night, and we can start a fire and sit and relax a bit.

We spent the evening with some helpful beverages, working on the blog to take out mind of Emma’s misery.

Emma seems to be holding her food a bit better and seems slightly better.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that this is the turning point and that she will start improving.

Wish her luck!

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Cost: CAD$250 (US$180) includes groceries, gas, and a meal out – not including vet bill
• Distance: 311km (193m)
• Fuel average: 7.8 km/l (18 mpg)

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