Featherstone,
Recovery coming along, thanks! This trip was not very hardcore because of my condition -- more to relax and enjoy the outdoors without taxing myself too much.
Ron, the dog is doing great just as you'd said she would.
I called Ron from the desert (couldn't believe I got cell phone service) because one of our dogs, a Border Collie, trying to herd us (her instincts are strong) ran full speed through a bunch of cacti, and she had needles galore in her, including the barbed type, and she was on the ground yelping in pain. We removed all we could, but one barbed spine in her paw was hurting her bad, and she started acting listless, so I called Ron to double-check on the situation and get his perspective on what to do. I was aleady geting ready to bring the dog out and to a local vet. Whenever possible, I like to maximize my choices for remedies for any situation, which means soliciting advice to make sure the best choice possible can be made. Whenever a person or animal's health is at stake, then I am especially anal about getting the best advice.
Ron being who he is, of course, simply asked me what part of NM I was in, then without having to think about it, told me exactly what type of cactus was in that area with barbs, told me the thing would work itself out, and the dog would be fine on its own. Ron is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge in this arena, as you all know. It's nice having him available to consult when I need back-up.
Thanks again, my friend, for having my six.
Best,
~Brian.