We decided to drive the Diamond Loop and the Diamond Craters Outstanding Natural Area today, first stopping at The Narrows to get gas for the Honda.

We had a BLM brochure with us that described all the stops along the Diamond Craters Outstanding Natural Area, but there are no signs at each stop...you must reset your Trip Odometer at each stop to determine where the next stop is. Well, we got lost about half way through.

Here's what Stop 7 has to say about getting to Stop 8: "Between Red Bomb Crater and East Twin Crater on West Dome, Stop Number 8, you will come upon several dead end roads. Keep right on the main, well-traveled road until you come to three roads branching off about 2.4 miles. Take the middle branch. You should be able to see two large craters in the side of West Dome. At about 2.6 miles, turn right on the short spur road to the first crater."

It was at this point that we got lost...we never could find the "several dead end roads" or the "three roads branching off." So we just gave up, and proceeded to complete the rest of the Diamond Loop Road, stopping at the Round Barn and at Diamond Hotel where we had lunch.

This morning when we got up, Maxx's tail was straight (Basenjis have tails which curl up over their back, uncurling only when asleep or at a full run) and remained that way the rest of the day. I thought that if his tail still remained straight tomorrow, we'd take him to the vet in Burns. However, after we returned from our trip, and he'd had his walk, he couldn't jump up on the couch. This was just before 4:00 PM, so I immediately called the vet and we were able to take Maxx right in.

The vet, a young woman, gave him an exam, they x-rayed his spine, and gave him a steroid shot, plus gave us some steroid pills. The x-rays showed no trauma to his spine, so apparently it's just a pinched nerve. Maxx will be on the steroid pills for 9 days: 2 pills twice a day for 3 days; 1 pill twice a day for 3 days; and then 1 pill once a day for 3 days.