Fences, Fires & Francis (plus Oscar update)
Sadly it's been a horrendous week as now have 2 fires that are out of control and eating quickly. One is the Cameron Fire. This fire is in Colorado, very close to Estes Park (Stanley Hotel aka The Shining) This one now is currently 120,000+ acres but spreading quickly in every direction but mainly heading towards the Rocky Mountain National Park and the smoke is coming north with the wind . The second is Mullen Fire - this is in Wyoming and around Centennial Valley and Woods Landing / Fox Park (where we used to live) This area we know especially well, the fire started in Savage Run - which includes all the projects that Alan did survey's in when we first moved here. Rambler, Rob Roy, Keystone. This one is really out of control . Yesterday morning (26th) it had grown rapidly to 35,000 acres and with yesterdays winds by evening it had grown to 68,000+ acres. The ranch is covered in smoke from both fires plus with intensity and winds of Mullen Fire, it is raining ash
Cameron Fire details & photos - click & scroll
Mullen Fire details & photos click & scroll
(please ignore black dot - phone camera lens is bust)
As the fire has doubled in a day there will new maps issued later - evacuate perimeter is currently including All Centennial Valley and Sheep Mountain and round to Wycolo / Mountain home / Fox Park, Woods Landing. We are on standby for assistance with Rich's family, personal horses etc - Rich is our close friend and hay supplier in the valley.
Air quality is utterly vile, I'm not allowed outside due to the smoke flaring up my TN, hayfever and breathing. SO the boys are doing all the outside work - until they leave tomorrow morning
They have been extremely busy since Francis arrived last week ( 18th) He was under no obligation to help as he needed to decompress from working flat out since May and only a couple of days off. But he has helped Alan alot regardless
Alan walked the / 6byed the fenceline that has been damaged and weakened by the bulls (oh - Alan fixed the 6by - so proud he worked out the problem, could find it and then repair it) When he returned a couple of hours later he found where the bulls have been getting in.. there is another hampshire gate there - which has always been closed since we moved in - it was OPEN! and not by us. We think the neighbors opened this for free grazing or too dumb to care (Attorney is currently forming the legal paperwork for us against them for damages, repairs and nusiance animals.. sadly cannot prove they opened the gates or left openings along the fence line - to which now they cannot do and no access along that line bar one hampshire gate for when they bust through again) So with 100+ twizzle sticks, new fence posts, several rolls of wire , smooth and barbed, the hampshire gate at the bottom of the ranch in the ravine has been fortified as much as possible and no more opening! This section took a couple of days. as they also redid weakened sections along the line and strengthened everything.
Yesterday (26th) Alan dug out and reset the gate post the bulls pushed down near the house. Luckily he did not have to take off any of the wires, phew - hay strap and all looks better than before. I went to FoCo in the morning (my Mecca - 2nd hand record store) was having a stock sale so I had permission lol. When I got back the boys went out for a couple of hours and did firewood - 3 trees worth , they cut in situ and Francis bought up the loads, dumped and I stacked. In-between laundry, tidying up and finishing off a fruit cake for Alan to take and 2 batches of cookies for Francis . As I couldn't be outside due to smoke and Oscar has to be watched constantly, I made myself busy inside! (whilst vinyls playing of course)
Oscar - well the pathology came back last week and Oscar has a low grade metastasizing cancer . Since the surgery 2 more masses have appeared. If the mass regrows in the incision area then it will be 2nd grade cancer. he is doing fine - the scar is fusing so much better - he is constantly covered so he can't get to it now and he has adapted to the donut of doom too. He has alot of pent up energy and is dying to go woof and chase anything that moves! prognosis will be that he will have a happy life with no more vets / trauma or procedures. His ptsd is bad enough and we're not doing that too him.
Below - pics of the mass that grew within days and was removed - left hind leg
Me and health - well thats another story - but recapped - STILL waiting for a consult with neuro #4 - they still havent recieved my referral from neuro #1 - who state they have sent it 4 times now since mid august - I will be loosing the plot tomorrow on this that's for sure - just want to be out of pain as it has been 24-7 non stop facial pain since Sept 19th 2019! The smoke is making it so much worse too so I am constantly on a drug now
Alan and Francis head out tomorrow morning - Alan is going to take him back up to the office in Dubois, stay over and then head to El Centro for a while, not sure how long yet 2-4 weeks
Lessons with Beastie are going fantastically. She is just lapping up the lessons. I'm challenging her. She is just thriving and she thoroughly enjoys doing it with me too, so proud of her
Beastie and Diaval <3
@melissa - sadly no reply option for comments , so stoopid but I will reply in comment and cant tag you - so bizarre - heyho! <3
I see you made me a nice big cake. That ought last me 2, maybe 3 days if I don't share