June 6, 2010

So much has happened since the last post..and things are starting to blend together but here are the highlights.

Gallup, NM blah, blah, blah... the lift transfer pump...blah, blah, blah... $1,100....directly attributed to the failure to change the main fuel filter...which we thought we had done previously in Florida - still have the receipt for parts and labor. Uh huh.

Then we heard about property back in Wisconsin that might be suitable for a group home. We decided to go on to the RV park owned by our friend, Ron Regehr, in Moab, Utah. We parked the RV there and the next day Chuck drove me to Salt Lake City so I could fly home and look at the property myself. Even before I left, I had talked to the town engineer who said he would arrange for an informal appearance before the town board so that I could determine whether there were any clear obstacles to building a group home on the parcel. The realtor, I and our architect met at the property which was a lot cut out of Western Lakes Golf Course. The property was heavily wooded and very pretty. Right before we left the property, however, the realtor advised me that the owner had taken the matter off of the town schedule. I flew all that way and he didn't have the courtesy to let me know.....GRRRR. So, Nicky and I checked out a couple of other spots but didn't find anything exciting. The trip wasn't a total waste though as it was great to plant spring flowers, see the ladies, meet new staff, visit with a few people and hug Champers.

Upon my return to Moab, Ron took us out on a petroglyph/pictograph tour of some of the local Native American works. I read a bit of Ron's writings on this subject and was impressed by the subtle signs that these works reveal. Aspects such as "relaxed ears" can be telling, for example:

Relaxed ears = figure is not afraid
Deer prints with dew claws showing = fleeing
Lack of hands = defenseless
Interlocking short spirals = friendship
Broad line above person = abode (when head partially protrudes it means he is unwilling to come out of his dwelling place)

This engaging man is also an icon in the UFO field. I have seen his name mentioned many times in various books on the subject - so there is a lot he can teach us in that area as well. Sometimes Ron is able to combine his interests - such as studying the petroglyph at Natural Bridges National Monument which is believed to depict an alien spacecraft which comes down to earth.

The next day Chuck and I drove through the fabulous Arches National Park. The immense red rock takes on a myriad of intriguing forms which people from all over the world come to see, hike and climb. I'm sure we'll go back before we leave.

Memorial day is a very busy time for the RV parks and we knew we needed to move the car dolly that we had left in a tent site. On Wednesday, Ron offered to hook it up to his ATV and they were in the process of that when Chuck tripped over the dolly and hit hard. He knew immediately (and I could see) that he had broken his arm. Off to the local ER room. They anesthetized Chuck, realigned his arm and applied a cast. He asked for green and he got it - day glo! I thought that the doctor was an orthopedic surgeon but learned later that there is only one ortho guy in town. We couldn't get in to see him for follow up so made an appointment for Friday in Grand Junction ("GJ"), CO.

The doctor in GJ tried to recast it but it didn't stay realigned. Next stop = surgery. So, on Thursday, June 3rd, Chuck underwent surgery and had 4 wires placed to stabilize the correct alignment of the arm. He could tell right away that it felt better. During that whole process, however, they also realized that his oxygen saturation level in his blood was pretty low. Since we'll need to stay in the area for about a month while Chuck heals, we'll be checking that out with a doc in GJ as well.

Stay tuned for the next blog which will cover the "McDonalds and the 911 call."