Early Monsoon and Health Status

Officially, Arizona’s monsoon season begins on June 15 this year, and the Governor has proclaimed next week as Monsoon Awareness Week. However, it seems an early monsoon storm arrived today, June 11. I didn’t get any pictures during the heaviest part of the storm, mostly because the Magne Shades were soaked and I couldn’t see out the motorhome windows! One shade even blew off when the wind caught the edge just right.

After the worst of the wind and rain subsided, we went outside to assess any damage. Don washed the downed shade.

He looked out back to see the wash turned into a river.

He noticed a family of quail (mom and 3 babies) scurrying away and I was barely able to get this shot.

We found out where the low spots are on our lot.

When I looked out to the street, I could see the Little Green Man had succumbed to the wind.

Gigi was first to arrive on the scene, and was about to give mouth-to-mouth. But the flag was the only thing that got immersed in water flowing down the street. What looked like a possible drowning was only a stumble and fall.

I was able to set him upright and anchor him again with tent stakes, but the ground was soaked and the stakes feel loose.

A few minutes later the sky was full of puffy white clouds against a blue background and the sun was shining.

We appreciate all the concern expressed by friends and family during the past several months as we have fought to find the source of Don’s severe burning abdomen pain. Every test and procedure imaginable has been conducted by multiple doctors, and we still can’t discover the cause. He even swallowed a tiny camera in a capsule and for 8 hours wore a sensor belt and a small computer to record the thousands of pictures. We returned the belt and computer at the end of the day but haven’t yet learned the results. (No, we didn’t have to return the capsule!!!)

On Monday (June 13, our anniversary) Don has an appointment with an anesthesiologist who’s also a pain specialist. We’re hoping he can isolate the nerve(s) that are sending pain messages to the brain and do something to interrupt or squelch the signals. It seems a logical step, to treat the symptoms instead of the source, and we’re putting a lot of hope on that possible outcome.

Don’s final appointment with the kidney doc is scheduled for June 21. Provided all goes well then, and provided his pain is being managed better, we want to start our wheels moving on June 22. It’s still our plan to attend the Escapade in Vermont in July. After spending 16 months in Arizona, our case of “hitch itch” really needs to be scratched!