My goal today was to drive to Tucson to get Hansel's vaccines. His rabies expired on the 7th and I didn't want to wait another week for the mobile vaccine clinic in town. I always enjoy a day trip to the Old Pueblo anyway.
I took Gretchen on a two-mile walk at sunrise, stopped at the JROTC car wash in town at 9:30am, where a young gal asked to pet Hansel. I said ok, but Hansel appeared nervous when that arm reached into the car. He looked at me questionably and I told him I will no longer allow strangers to pet him; my bad.
We finally made it to the ABC vaccine clinic on Btoadway at 11:30am. Again I was told there was a two-hour wait but this time I was prepared.
I dropped off my box of recycables at the 7820 Broadway location since the original location on 1st Street is now closed, then had lunch at a Sauce Pizza and Wine restaurant near the vaccine place. The patio is dog friendly and we sat in the warm shade. The 90F did not make it conducive to walking so I kept activity in the heat at a minimum.
Ten minutes after getting back to the waiting area, I was called in with Hansel. I had waited 2:10 hours. He weighed in at 80 pounds, four pounds heavier than last year
The vet tech was a young blond man who seemed uneasy around Hansel. He tried to take Hansel's temperature through his ear and Hansel wanted nothing of it and growled and lunged at him, digging his toes in my thighs. This caused the young man to drop the thermometer. Oh my, he was not happy and I was surprised at Hansel's reaction.
The man came back with a muzzle that I had to keep tight around the snout which made Hansel even more unhappy when we entered the vet's office. Another vet tech told the blond vet tech to step outside, that she will take over.
The DVM was an old man in his 80s with large age spots on his hands. He stayed seated the entire time as I helped hold Hansel around his neck. The vet tech threw a towel over Hansel's head and we both said encouraging words to Hansel. Good god, and I have to do this every year?! He is due a booster shot for lepto in 30 days. I'm just going to give Hansel that shot myself.
When I stepped out of the exam room, the blond man was leaning against the wall and asked me how it went. As good as expected, I guess. There was no screaming, no biting, no blood loss.
To give Hansel a treat for the stress, I stopped at a new dog ice cream parlor a mile away, Bark and Berry. I heard about it through Yelp. It opened in March. It's a small shop in a strip mall near three other dog-related businesses.
We were treated like royalty as soon as we walked in. The owner, Luna, knows dogs very well. She got Hansel to sit for a few photos. She only makes four flavors: bacon, salmon, pumpkin and prime rib. No chicken, so I chose a scoop of prime rib with dried salmon sprinkles and then let us in the off-leash area where she took his photo and sent me the pics to my phone.
I didn't stay long as two other dogs came in so I moved outside in the shaded area to write a quick review. Luna came outside to give us water. Hansel still seemed stressed.
So now what? Too hot to hike and no other places to visit in town, I simply drove back to Sierra Vista.
I noticed a temporary cross memorial where my former student Mia Hirsch was killed by a drunk driver by MM293.5 on June 21st.
I stopped at MM302 off SR90 to walk Hansel two miles off leash at 5:30pm before resuming our drive home. Now the sun had set behind the shrouded Whetstone mountains
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