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Last goal for Florida, the Keys

Posted on December 17, 2010 by Katya Posted in out and about, state parks, travel | Leave a comment

We have been in Florida since September after almost not coming here at all. We were thinking of jumping straight to the Smokey Mountains after Savannah, but since the Everglades and Florida Keys were a major goal of mine on this “trip”, we decided to take on the potentially ’full to the brim with retirees’ state. After spending this last month in South Miami, a time where there wasn’t much to see or do unless we left town on the weekend, we finally made it to the Keys the day before leaving town on a 600 mile drive back north. This time we took Chena, something we don’t get to do often because it is either too hot, or she’s not allowed where ever we’re going (which is most places, especially since ‘pitbulls’ are banned in Dade county), but the drive down the keys could be as far as 300 miles round trip and she couldn’t stay alone in the trailer that long. Luckily the weather was cool the entire day and although she is used to sleeping 80% of the day away, she managed to stay up most the trip and get some vacation time in.

The unpopular beaches and old bridges were the best part of the Keys for me, especially the remnants of an old rail road bridge that still ran along side parts of the main bridges. We stopped at one of many state parks along the way and walked around the beach a little but the second state park we stopped at, Long Key State Park, had far less people and a beach-side boardwalk that was missing the typical “no dogs allowed” sign you see on Florida state park trails. We walked about a quarter mile and stopped on a small deserted beach covered in shells and dead tree branches. My kind of beach. The water was cold but tolerable enough to wade in and Chena got a chance to cool off but unfortunately kept trying to drink the water.

We ate at a little cafe, too early for the lunch menu (by like 20 minutes) and had banana, pineapple, coconut covered pancakes with a side of papaya syrup. For pancakes they were great though unfortunately not that filling. To make up for it, we later tried to find a pizza place but ended up finding a raw bar and had pita sandwiches, also not so fulfilling, but the raw bar was inside a health food store and book store and luckily they had the awesome and completely satisfying Stonewall’s Jerquee bites (vegetarian jerky) for us to snack on during the drive home.

Our last goal before turning back was the 7 mile bridge, At the end we found a pull-off just where we watched the sun go down and said our goodbyes to any chance of warm sunny beaches for a long time.

Chena in the Florida Keys

Lobster in the Keys

Neon sunset in the Keys

7 mile bridge and railroad bridgeRoss does the Crane

The next day we left to north Florida’s St George Island State Park, where it would be down to 22 degrees the first night. After enjoying an average of 83 for the last month, this was going to be a rough change. Sure enough I was sick within the first day. I think spending 3 days in the car between the Keys and the 600+ mile trip north probably didn’t help either.

Susa and Chena’s Morning Walk

Posted on May 7, 2010 by Katya Posted in pets and travel | Leave a comment

Susa and Chena being weird

Susa has been doing really well on the leash. I had put the harness on her a couple times in the house before finally jumping into the leash on her first visit to the vet. She was really good besides destroying my shirt at the sight of people, cars and especially a weed whacker. She sat in the waiting room and watched the other animals go by, not even flinching when a huge hyper dog went by. We don’t have a cat carrier but who needs them anyway when you have a leash cat! I’ve always wanted a cat that would walk on a leash. Shes got the leash part down, and she doesn’t struggle with it or freak out at all.. but the walking has actually yet to be seen.

Chena is as always adorable and unconventional. I got her into the habit of climbing on tables and walking on concrete walls in Argentina during walks at the park. Though once she went to jump onto a wall, unleashed, that had a 12 foot drop onto concrete on the other side. Now I make sure to keep a close eye. I guess I got into the habit of wanting dogs comfortable with height having had a wolf hybrid as a kid that would climb trees and a boston terrier as a teen who would walk up and over cars while we walked and balance on my wood fence. Plus I’ve always wanted to be in the circus (my own of course) so strange animals is kind of my thing.

May in NOLA

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Katya Posted in RV life | 1 Comment

New Orleans jumped right into summer. It seems like only a couple of weeks ago that we were using a wool blanket and keeping Chena close at night. Now almost without warning it’s over 80 every day, often with 80% humidity or worse. Today is nice though, bearable and the air isn’t as thick as it has been. The billboards on the freeway reflect the weather clearly. They were up the first hot day as if the billboard hangers were just waiting around a corner. One with a picture of Louisiana and the word “hot” next to it and a bottle of Tabasco that says “hotter”; Billboards for beverages “give HEAT the COLD shoulder”, ac repair, roach infestation… We had our first taste of a that a couple days ago when a 2.5 inch roach was hanging out on the counter while I played with Susa on the floor. Susa nearly went feral trying to help us catch it. It got under our couch and ran like lightning across the floor – straight for our bedroom. I’ve never seen a bug run so fast, or anyhing really. If it made it into the bedroom the chances of finding it amung dirty clothes, shoes and a multitude or gaps worsened our chances of catching it. As soon as it entered the bedroom I was committed to sleeping on a bunk bed. I grabbed Susa with the intention of letting her do what she so badly wanted to do, murder the bastard, but the roach paused just inside the door long enough for Ross to get a sneak attack and squish the hell out of it. Roaches are probably my least favorite bug on the planet so I spent the next 2 days convinced every black spot on the wall or brush on my arm was a roach. After living in Argentina wth roaches twice as big, I knew that havig a cat would be my savior as it was there. Instead of coming home to dead birds or mice, on the 11th floor with a massive balcony, I would return from a night out with friends to dead or mostly dead giant Roaches and my cat Gata proudly sitting next to them. I hope that’s not the case in the trailer with Susa but at least we have a cat for when it is the case. It was my own fault for the roaches in Argentina really because I kept my cat box on the balcony and therefore had to leave the door open. It worked out for everyone anyway because I never once saw one alive (inside at least).

With all the time not moving so much, I’ve started making some more time for crafts. Trying not to spend every waking hour at the computer though I certainly have enough work, projects and photography to occupy me for years. I bought pewter trays for necklaces and tons of jewelry stuff, though still having trouble perfecting the drying process of the epoxy on the trays, I can use my own photos or drawings in each. I also made a hideous little felt monster of which I hope to improve on soon but I mostly don’t have time till the weekend.


Susa and Chena suffer much from the heat and my crafts. Susa is often in trouble when my craft things are out because she cant keep her paws off them and Chena is forced to lay on the floor while I use the couch. When the AC is not on they pretty much just rest and wait for it to come back on. Once in a while the AC throws a switch so we don’t push it too hard. Yesterday the power got shut off outside because of a short or excess power usage (no idea what caused that except the AC) and we had to flip a switch at the source. Hopefully the AC holds out for us, this weather is mostly too much to bear alone, especially when we’re trying to work all week.

Rent is due tomorrow and it’s looking like we’ll be paying for another month. We didn’t want to be stuck here this long but don’t have much choice without a truck. I’m not so sure the people want us here too badly anymore though. There are several long term people here but I get the feeling with the combo of us technically being “stuck” and the Brougham taking up extra space (and looking funky parked out front like a car  - or even in the back covered with a tarp), they are starting to get annoyed. I’m paranoid though, especially when it comes to what other people expect of me – so maybe Ross should just talk to them.

Traveling the US With a Diabetic Dog

Posted on December 8, 2009 by Katya Posted in pets and travel | Leave a comment

I don’t know any diabetic people, so I don’t know if it’s normal to need a prescription for syringes and insulin but I know it shouldn’t be. In Argentina and Portland, the 2 places I have lived since Chena was diagnosed with diabetes, no one has ever mentioned to me that you need a piece of paper to get life saving medicine or the syringes to inject it, but every other state so far seems to think this it’s something you need permission from a doctor to get. To me that means “hey, I’m just following orders. I’m going to sit here and watch you die till you have a piece of paper for me”.

When you have a diabetic dog, this also means that Diabetic dog food needs a piece of paper as well (in every other state but Oregon so far). That is just INSANE as far as I’m concerned. I don’t see diabetic food in the grocery store needing any permission slips. What I’ve decided is that canine diabetes, and probably human diabetes, is yet another racket for someone to make money off of – mainly vets and doctors, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and all the other red tape dispensers out there. I have allot of respect for vets and at least one friend who is a vet but I don’t have much respect for rules that affect the quality of life of others. I spent most of my life torn between being a vet or an artist (one was less 9 to 5 than the other) but I will admit that even if they have good intentions for the greatest beings on the planet, they are not above being money grubbing bureaucrats.

I first encountered problems in Spokane actually. I ran out of dog food about half way through my stay there and went to the local strip mall Vet’s office. When I went in and walked straight to the prescription pet food in the corner, I was jumped on like an injured deer by wolves, questions gnashed at me from drooling jaws (big exaggeration) as to my needs in their establishment. I didn’t see what I wanted anyway so I said, ” I need a case of Canine WD cans”. The woman looked baffled and disappointed, I apparently hadn’t followed protocol and presented her with a prescription for dog food, food that is in no way toxic or unhealthy for anyone or any dog to consume who is not diabetic. She proceeded to ask me if i was a patient, “no”, “who is your doctor” – “they’re in oregon”, “do you have their number or what is their name” – “gahh I cant remember!”,  – but then I did remember and she gave them a call. She was able to get permission over the phone, still leaving me without a prescription in writing but I hoped for the best – that Washington would be the only anal retentive state (HA!).

Since then, I encountered the same problem in Yucca Valley, California. I called them first to make sure I could get the food there in a conversation which they promptly informed me I needed a prescription as well. It was nearly 6, the hour they closed at, so I called my vet and begged for an expedited fax to the California Vet in question. My vet’s secretary started to argue that she wasn’t sure I was really allowed to get WD either because I had never bought it at their office. “Of course I didn’t buy it at your office, I take the max (the train, and yes with Chena), the Vet there, I don’t remember her name, a woman that I’ve only seen once – she must be kind of new, told me to start her on WD and get a blood testing kit, neither of which I bought from you”. She seemed unmoved and said she would have to wait for the vet to return from lunch. I had very little time, so I was (as I usually do in a Chena moment) panicking a little. While we were waiting a block away from the vets we went into Pet Smart to check the fiber levels on every dog food they carry since a bag of WD can be up to $60 for a 40lb bag. We ended up finding a bag of Science Diet that hat 17% fiber, comparably sufficient and much cheaper than WD, but still something I would have to transition her to. We called the vet at 20 minutes till 6 and they had gotten the fax. When we got there they only had 40lb bags and 10lb bags, one was too big and too expensive and the other was too small and per pound was even more expensive. I decided to try out the Science Diet from Pet Smart and bought 10 cans of WD from the Vet. Unfortunately even that was $30 – not a price I was happy about at $10 more than Oregon but it had to be done. What I wanted even more so than a big stock of prescription dog food was a copy of that prescription, luckily they were completely willing and we now have some sort of scribbled on piece of paper that says I can buy dog food without harassment (how completely silly).

The next problem I ran into with Chena’s diabetes was syringes. I left Portland with a little under 2 full boxes, about 200 syringes. I use 2 a day and always throw them away straight after (sue me for not having a sharps box, I want junkies to find her syringes rather than use ones from their friends arm and get HepC). When we arrived in Van Horn I came to the realization that I was on my last syringe. This is never a problem, usually. We just go to Walmart and get another box, no questions asked. Sometimes I buy insulin at the same time and sometimes not. It was going to be 18 degrees the night we arrived in Van Horn and we were pretty much out of propane for heat so we got a room at the Motel 6. There was a fridge so I took in her insulin and last syringe for her morning shot. When we woke up it was past checkout time and in a flurry of hauling our things to the RV, I must have left the syringe… I didn’t notice yet, assuming it would be in the insulin bag, and attempted to feed Chena like normal, luckily she was in one of her moods and wasn’t going to eat – so when I realized it was gone, she wasn’t too bad off (not supposed to give insulin to a dog who hasn’t eaten). Later that night after she did finally eat is when I noticed unfortunately.. then it was potentially bad. After me and Ross tore apart the RV looking for any syringe that might have possibly been left in a purse, bag, jacket, couch cushion, box, art box, book or drawer, we found nothing. I decided to wait a little while and give her a blood test. She tested at 250, which doesnt mean much to you or me for that matter – because documentation on blood test results for dogs is more or less useless – but I knew it wasnt bad. It wasnt low, under 100 I have assumed from what I have read, and it wasnt high – like 600, where she was last time she had a little diabetic fit. We decided to wait till the morning, a Sunday unfortunately.

I called every Pharmacy in town, all closed, then the Hospital, who said they could not and would not give me needles without a prescription. I of course went off in a rant about letting someone die because they don’t have a prescription and they basically agreed, yes, they would and will. I waited till the last minute to say it was for my dog, a fact that I don’t think should matter, and she recommended a vet. Annoyed and feeling like like any attempts at getting syringes would be hopeless in this town, I called the vet and expected an answering machine with an emergency contact number in its message. Instead a man answered, he had been called in on a completely separate emergency case and just happened to be in the office. I explained to him my situation and how I came to be completely out of syringes in a state far away from my own vet, and he told me he would have to examine Chena and I would have to pay an extra fee for a weekend emergency visit. I was getting pretty pissed at this point and told him I have all the paperwork (most in spanish unfortunately) and asked why my vets diagnosis and proof that she was diabetic wouldn’t be enough to just get some syringes so basically.. she doesn’t die. I think the “so she doesn’t die” thing worked because he agreed that if we brought in the paperwork he would look it over and give us some syringes. A short drive into town and we were equipped with 20 gargantuan, cattle injection sized needles – but needles none the less. He however could not give us a prescription for future syringe needs, because that would involve him having to examine her, something that is not cheap (at the time I had about $7).

The moral of the story is this. Will someone please change state laws so that people dont have to jump through hoops or spend $200 for blood tests every state to keep their pets from dying? PLEEEZE!!!

I still have the honor of finding out how hard it will be to get insulin soon. I have about a week or so left.

p.s. I found a bag of regular insulin needles yesterday and just about jumped off the roof of the RV.

Read more about Chena here: Chena’s Page!

Chena at Monohans Dune Hills State Park

Chena at Monahans Dune Hills State Park