Bear Belly Adventures

An Update on Nana

Nana had to have oral surgery after splitting a back molar. I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but my best guess is she chomped down on a stone stuck to her Benebone chew toy.

I try to inspect her teeth weekly and noticed one had turned a darker color. I decided to keep an eye on it at first, but while brushing her teeth she suddenly yelped and pulled away.

That got my attention.

I grabbed a headlamp and took a closer look. Sure enough, the tooth was split—up past the gum line—and part of it even had a little movement to it.

Poor girl. I felt bad for her.

What surprised me was she didn’t seem to be in much pain otherwise. She was still eating, still acting normal, and we already had a vet appointment scheduled in a few days at Yuma Proving Ground for her annual vaccines.

After taking a look, they confirmed the tooth needed to come out.

They could do the surgery there, but this time of year they’re also handling dental work for military working dogs, so they wouldn’t be able to get us in until the end of April.

That didn’t sit well with me.

I was hoping to be out of the desert heat by April 1st.

They recommended I try Desert Veterinary Clinic in Yuma, and that turned out to be the right move. I was able to get Nana established there within two days, and she was in for surgery on the third.

Both clinics were great to work with.

Nana came through surgery just fine. She’s recovering well and is already back to her normal self. We’ll do a follow-up in about 10 days, and then we’ll be heading out of Quartzsite shortly after.

The Heat

Things have heated up a little early this year.

Several records have already been set for March, and we’ve had multiple days over 100 degrees. That kind of heat takes the wind out of any afternoon plans.

Most days, Nana and I just sit under the awning in the shade and wait for the sun to drop.

I’ve shifted into morning mode—getting things done early, slowly organizing, and starting to pack up camp.

It’s strange to think we’re leaving next week.

It doesn’t feel like it’s been three months.

Things and Stuff

As I’ve been packing, I’ve found a few items I haven’t used since hitting the road. Those will not be moving on with me.

At the same time, I’ve also picked up a few new things—mostly tools I realized I needed for different projects.

The other day at the dump I came across two Jackery SolarSaga panels—a 200 watt and a 100 watt—just sitting there.

There was one cable between them, but the barrel plug was snapped off. The proprietary connectors on the panels were loose and corroded. It looked like they had taken a beating from the wind.

I clipped the plug, checked them with a multimeter…

Both panels were still putting out good voltage.

For $10 I ordered MC4 pigtails to replace the broken connectors and make them more universal.

I basically just picked up about $600 worth of solar panels for $10.

Not a bad day.

At the End of the Day

I’ve noticed something shifting over the past few months.

I’ve become more of a maker—a DIY type.

I enjoy figuring things out, fixing things, building things. There’s a real sense of accomplishment that comes with it.

Nana and I will be heading north to Flagstaff, Arizona next. At around 7,000 feet, it should be quite a bit cooler.

I think it’s safe to say…

We’re both looking forward to that.