tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-123229082024-03-07T19:11:54.285-05:00Compass PointsThe adventures of a retired couple as they travel the USA--<br>or just <strike>build</strike> live in a new log home, the Aerie, in the north-central PA.joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.comBlogger4631125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-77983102811571212432023-08-07T19:22:00.002-05:002023-08-07T19:29:10.403-05:00The Best Laid Plans<p> After several years of plague induced closure, health concerns (mine), and then fire, our buddies at <a href="https://www.caesars-northcamps.com/" target="_blank">Caesar's North Camps</a> finally had us booked for a week at Hanotaux camp on the Goin Reservoir. Joe and I have been going up there since our youngest sons were 10 years old. (That would be 30 years ago!) We missed a few years for the reasons mentioned above. One year I took the family (without Joe) and Joe went once with his wife and another time with his eldest son and his daughter, but between us only fire and pandemic kept us away.</p><p><br /></p><p>To alleviate some of my concerns about possible blood clots in my legs, etc., we arranged to rent a satellite phone from Ollie to be used in case of an emergency. </p><p><br /></p><p>We left the Aerie around 6 am Wednesday morning after Joe drove up from just outside of Jersey Shore, PA. The new Tundra (Tilly) behaved like a dream and the GPS app scooted us through Ottawa via a route we had never take before but, considering the amount of new construction going on, was very efficient.The GPS unit must have been feeling either puckish or impish, however. Once we got past Mont-Laurier--our usual final fueling stop--the ole GPS had us go off on a new route it considered shorter than our usual . We were game so we listened and went exploring. We were sent off on some narrow, dusty roads we hadn't seen before and which seemed very sparsely traveled but er persevered. Until we got to one recommended turn where the road was a mere track and the scrub trees were making it narrower than Tilly was wide. Nope we weren't taking that turn! Luckily our current road and some re-calibration by the GPS imps, got us back on tract and we were kicking up a huge cloud of dust behind us as we progressed to Clova and the offices of Caesar's. (When a vehicle came the other way, the dust made visibility impossible!)</p><p><br /></p><p>We arrived at the new offices around 7 pm after traveling approximately 600 miles in 13 hours. Oliver greeted us sold us our fishing licenses, worms and lures, and collected the rent for the sat phone. Then we went over to get a pizza at the only restaurant in town--which was also the hotel. Actually our room was a block away in what had been Caesar's old office and Ollie's home in Clova. </p><p> </p><p>We returned to the new office/air base at 7 am Thursday, weighed and loaded our gear in the Cessna that was to be our ride. We had a new pilot, Peter, who spoke seldom and in halting English--not unexpected -- this is Quebec after all. We pushed off around 7:10 and were in the air 5 minutes later. </p><p><br /></p><p>Peter had to do some contour flying to keep below the very low ceiling and even then he passed through the lower edge of the clouds on occasion.We were in the air for about 30 minutes when Peter banked sharply and set us down in front of the Hanotaux cabin. </p><p> </p><p>There a group of four were readying to go out. The oldest of the group (a Dad?) told us they were from Wellsville which is just a stones throw northwest of the Aerie in the Southern Tier of NY. Asked about fishing, they reported fishing was slow but they had managed to find walleye in a couple of spots which they showed to us on the maps. They also helped us get our gear up to the cabin and we helped them get their down to the dock for loading on the plane. Since three of them looked to be fine strapping farm boys we asked for help in launching the boat they said was the better of the two with motors attached (Good thing we did, too. They had hauled the boat so far out of the water I doubt Joe and I--two oldish guys with four fake knees--would have gotten it into the water.)</p><p><br /></p><p>We made the mistake of telling Peter we knew about all there was to know about changing out a propane tank and relighting the propane refrigerators, hot water heater, and stove pilots. And Peter believed us and hurried on his way with the Wellsville folks.</p><p><br /></p><p>Joe and I packed our food away, chose our bunks and spread out our sleeping bags. Then we unlimbered our fishing gear and headed out to try our luck. That morning, afternoon and evening we had sparse luck but managed a few keepers which would be saved for dinner on Friday. The wind kept shifting and was producing 3-5 inch rollers with the occasional whitecap. Combination made jigging difficult. But we know we were holding on or close to the bottom. We lost more jigs in one day than we have on some entire trips.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFV_tSpxy5GZyFubN1XLm57b8F1hCYfqs_yN-H_CxiSa1XyykBLPnMtBDRy4jtUJUkkoRkgfrys0VYOfGO3AIY9EfEVyukStyclXUxrGcThQBQcw-q0k1otGbGpCjLSV-WMoFdPlQRRMsX7HP64te5vmnK1shbqmMwmWxicyFKgsvidMf1q4O/s994/IMG_0757%20(2).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="994" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFV_tSpxy5GZyFubN1XLm57b8F1hCYfqs_yN-H_CxiSa1XyykBLPnMtBDRy4jtUJUkkoRkgfrys0VYOfGO3AIY9EfEVyukStyclXUxrGcThQBQcw-q0k1otGbGpCjLSV-WMoFdPlQRRMsX7HP64te5vmnK1shbqmMwmWxicyFKgsvidMf1q4O/s320/IMG_0757%20(2).jpg" width="320" /></a>The water was calmer and the winds light when we went out Saturday morning heading off in a southerly direction. There was a haze in the air which we learned later was due to fires miles to the north. Again we struggled to find the walleye under the direction/scorn of a pair of loons who thought we were trespassing. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFV_tSpxy5GZyFubN1XLm57b8F1hCYfqs_yN-H_CxiSa1XyykBLPnMtBDRy4jtUJUkkoRkgfrys0VYOfGO3AIY9EfEVyukStyclXUxrGcThQBQcw-q0k1otGbGpCjLSV-WMoFdPlQRRMsX7HP64te5vmnK1shbqmMwmWxicyFKgsvidMf1q4O/s994/IMG_0757%20(2).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a> <br /></p><p><br /></p><p>On the way back to the cabin for lunch, I managed to hit a couple of submerged rocks that were a good 15 meters off the shoreline. The motor ceased up and stopped--in forward gear. The winds, which had kicked up again blew us to the shore about 400 yards for camp.On the opposite side of the water. I put the oars (thankfully they were in pretty good shape!) in the oar locks and put my back into it.</p><p><br /></p><p>First I crossed the water to the shore that was a bit more protected from the breeze. Then I turned and rowed along the shoreline until we reached the camp. It took a little over an hour and my back and shoulders were feeling the workout's effect. </p><p><br /></p><p>We made a satellite phone call to report our problem, Asked if we could still fish, we said yes because there was another boat and motor. We were told Oliver would be there the next morning. Ours wasn't a medical emergency. We went and left the red board on the dock (a mistake we were told as every pilot flying over reported an emergency at Hanotaux which is what the red board means). </p><p><br /></p><p>We fished that afternoon and evening while fighting the wind the entire time. We did manage to boat a few keepers that went into the freezer to be taken home. Nothing was too big to throw back and none of the handful of pike we hooked were big enough to keep and filet. </p><p><br /></p><p>During the night the propane ran out. While I slept, Joe went and changed out the propane tank and start the process of relighting the hot water heater and the pilot lights on the stove and refrigerators. He got the burners on the top of the stove (not the oven) going but was frustrated on all the others. I managed, some how to get the hot water heater going but the fridges didn't want to cooperate. I put a second note on the door (there was already one there for the motor) and we went fishing. </p><p> </p><p>We weren't out more than ten minutes before we heard a plane heading in so we pulled our lines and scooted back to listen to Oliver who was trying to his temper while showing us how to light the damn pilot lights. (I think he was just as mad at Peter for not insisting we listen to his instructions as he was with us for brushing Peter's spiel aside because we had been coming here for 30 years and seen everything. Well we've seen it, but we didn't remember it!)<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Ollie went on his way and we went back to our poor fishing. </p><p><br /></p><p>Sunday morning Joe wakes me up with words I didn't care to hear, "Rich, I've got a problem." Joe has been dealing with an issue with his right eye (retinopathy?). Sunday morning he had a large, yellow circle in the middle of his left eye. His ophthalmologist had told him that if he experienced any change to his vision--either right or left eye--he should get into the office/emergency room ASAP. </p><p><br /></p><p>The sat phone came out again and Joe called headquarters to request immediate extraction. We were told someone would be flying out that was around 10 am which gave us time to have breakfast, clean the cabin, and get our gear stowed and stacked on the shore. </p><p> </p><p>10:15 Jean-Luc set down to fly us out. He had to stop at another camp to deal with a motor issue (leaking oil). That stop let us see the multitude of skills a bush pilot like these guys have. They can pretty much deal with everything and, while it may not be perfect when they finish, it will be serviceable. </p><p><br /></p><p>Back at headquarters we told Jean-Luc thank you and to let us know if we owe Caesar's for the motor. </p><p> </p><p>It was about 11 am when we hit the road south with a huge cloud of dust rising behind us. We made stops in Mont-Laurier for a fill-up for Tilly, at the border for some beer and booze for us, and finally in Troy, PA to refill Tilly's tank. It was just after midnight when I pulled into the Aerie's driveway. Appropriately enough it was raining cats and dogs.</p><p><br /></p><p>Joe shifted his gear into his truck and he was on his way. He texted me when he got home. Then again this morning he texted to say he had an appointment with the doc on Tuesday.</p><p><br /></p><p>Maybe Mother Nature is trying to tell us older guys with infirmities that we should rethink our recreational choices?</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwRE2L5U3J9Bb4AT9yLflNDTuPxlHuaMkHB0OnIS0Set9CzAJMS7ZSkBsJYQx4NoFBl-uLai3VvrtiHuN8Obz9H5QCiGKAtigabl_FD9Vrg0Cp9An7Bjyl3yocZqvOU9ClryXn4Gi9O1hGeo3l0mjevy9MKeASlBIsgZI359AJTsxAON742hN/s1119/IMG_0756%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="1119" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwRE2L5U3J9Bb4AT9yLflNDTuPxlHuaMkHB0OnIS0Set9CzAJMS7ZSkBsJYQx4NoFBl-uLai3VvrtiHuN8Obz9H5QCiGKAtigabl_FD9Vrg0Cp9An7Bjyl3yocZqvOU9ClryXn4Gi9O1hGeo3l0mjevy9MKeASlBIsgZI359AJTsxAON742hN/s320/IMG_0756%20(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-13976690533518974872023-05-31T17:34:00.002-05:002023-05-31T17:34:23.321-05:00It's the End Of May!?<p> Well, another month has gone by and as wet as it had been in April, we are super dry in May. On the positive side most farmers have gotten their first cut of hay baled and in storage. The trees are all green and everything looks alive! (Well, except for the ash that have been killed by the borer.) </p><p> ******</p><p>Terry had surgery on her spine mid-month. A partial laminectamy where the surgeon took out a bit of bone and cartilage that was pinching a couple of nerves. She now feels much better except for the weakness she had developed in the months prior to surgery. She complains of muscle aches and pains in her thighs after walking around Wally World for a bit. I can empathize as I have had similar but more extensive back surgery (2015) and two by-passes in my legs 2019 and 2021 that have left me feeling anything but A-OK. But she's getting better!</p><p>******</p><p>Planted our veggie garden the other day. Pretty much the same as previous years with zucchini, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, Early Girl tomatoes, bell peppers, and string beans. I had planted lettuce and onions earlier in the month as they could tolerate cold better. Some of the lettuce didn't germinate so I reseeded those rows and a cut worm got one of our peppers so Terry bought a replacement. With the dry weather we're having, I need to water every day.</p><p>******</p><p><span>I mowed the lawn again today. Third time this year. Most of the lawn is either flat (horizontal) or I can follow the contour of the land (also horizontal). I switched the mower to mulch and that meant I didn't have to stop every 10 minutes to empty the bag.</span><br /><br /><span>When I got done, I decided to mow the trail. Some of that is horizontal but a goodly portion is sloped in such a way that I had to go up and down. The grade is approximately 20 degrees Thank goodness, the mower is motorized and I just had to hold on--sorta. I did about 150 yards of trail.</span><br /><br /><span>Finished with the mowing I decided to take the ATV and chainsaws up the trail to the place I stopped mowing. Not much sun and very little weeds or grass in that spot but I had spotted some tree tops that had come down and they were solid enough to cut into firewood lengths but first I had to go up the slope to get them down to the trail. Walking on shale/slate covered hillside that angles about 40-45 degrees is no picnic. Especially going downhill. My toes push into the metal of my boots and are soon hurting like hell.</span><br /><br /><span> But I got them down to where I could work on them. Luckily, the chainsaw started right up and I cut two 15 foot poles into 18 inch lengths. While retrieving the two poles from the slope, I noticed that they had come from the tops of trees that were still standing but which must be dead as they had no branches. I'll have to go back and fell them and cut them into firewood lengths--another day. </span><br /><br /><span>My Fitbit says I did 19,200 steps for a distance of 8.5 miles. Good thing I road the ATV out to play lumberjack! I think I earned a nice hot shower this evening.<br /></span></p><p><span> </span></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-23529299488875593692023-04-30T12:42:00.003-05:002023-04-30T12:42:43.659-05:00Wet but Busy, Busy, Busy!<p> It's been raining, raining, raining here at the Aerie. I barely had enough time to get out and mow the lawn on Thursday before the rains returned with a vengeance. The farmers who are growing pasture or hay must be ecstatic. The first mowing of hay will be exceptional and those cows turned out to pasture are certainly enjoying the new grass.</p><p>Don't worry. Cutting the grass only required my walking behind the self-propelled mower. Even the gas can was down to about a gallon so it wasn't a case of heavy lifting. <br /></p><p>******</p><p>Terry got to see a neurosurgeon on Wednesday and they discussed her MRI. It clearly showed two pinched nerves and one old herniated disc. His recommendation was surgery as soon as they could. She goes for presurgery tests on this Tuesday (May 2nd) and is scheduled to go under the knife the following Tuesday. The Doc seems to think she will only have to be in the hospital overnight. We shall see.</p><p>******</p><p>I go for a follow-up with the vascular team on Thursday of this week--May 4th. I haven't noticed any complications from the angioplasty. I do wish Robert Packer Hospital was a tad closer.<br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-66844351134821624562023-04-23T10:04:00.000-05:002023-04-23T10:04:03.156-05:00Aah, Spring!<p> We've gained over 10 minutes of daylight each day since the Solstice. Most of it has come in the afternoon which suits me fine. The grass has definitely enjoyed all the extra sunshine--and the rain. We had a quarter of an inch the beginning of the week and approximately half an inch Friday night and Saturday night. You might call those last two Camelot rains as they occurred at sunset. Anyway, the grass is really green and the dandelions, violets, and wild strawberries are blooming. The oaks and maples have followed the aspens in their flowering as well.</p><p>The forecasters say we may flirt with frost and/or freeze Monday and Tuesday mornings, but after that there are no low 30's in the future. </p><p>I managed to plant some lettuce seed and onion sets last Saturday before my surgery. The onions seem to be doing okay and the lettuce should germinate sometime later this week.<br /></p><p>******</p><p>I had my angioplasm/angioplast performed on Monday. Everything went well and, except for the small opening on my right groin where the surgical tool entered my body, I would never have known that Dr. B. had done anything let alone push a tube across my groin and down my left leg past my knee and into my calf/shin where he inflated a tiny balloon just below the previously installed stent to widen the vein he used as a by-pass. Oh, and there's now a pretty strong pulse down there in the left foot which was the whole reason for this particular procedure. I go back the first week of May for a follow-up and to have the pressure tested. Until then I'm sworn to do know heavy lifting. I was told to do some walking, however, and being behind the self-propelled lawn mower might be considered walking, no? I'll leave that for later in the week, however.</p><p>******</p><p>Terry got the results of an MRI she had the week before my surgery. Seems she has TWO pinched nerves in her spine which is why the shots she had been getting weren't exactly working. One shot managed to hit one of the pinched nerves and relieved pain in her hip but not her knee, then the next time the shot worked on the pain going to her knee but not the hip. She goes to meet with a neurologist/spinal surgeon this week to discuss her options.</p><p>******</p><p>Currently, Terry is enjoying a weekend at Greek Peak with her stitching pals. I don't recall if this is a set of classes or just a sit-and-stitch weekend, but either way she's got a girls weekend to herself while I hold down the fort here at the Aerie.<br /></p><p><br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-83214388779311973112023-04-14T08:49:00.004-05:002023-04-14T09:00:14.025-05:00Spring/Summer Is Here<p> Or at least the temperatures so indicate. We are enjoying a burst of warm (80 degrees) temperatures this week. </p><p>Our local garden store opened on Wednesday with some trepidation, "Last year, when we opened at this time we gt 3" of snow!" Not this year! </p><p>The aspen trees have burst into leaf over night and the hillsides are covered with a mix of red and white haze as the red maples and oaks match them. The flowering trees won't be far behind. Hay fields and pastures are suddenly very, very green. </p><p>That reminds me: I better check to make sure the lawn mower runs. Electric start and all, the battery may have run down over the winter.<br /></p><p>I've added a layer of fresh garden soil to three of the vegetable beds and bought some white onion sets to put in the ground ASAP. Except for the lettuce, seeds will wait for Terry's birthday (May 3rd) or Mothers' Day (May 14th). The pepper and tomato plants won't get planted until the first week of June. </p><p>******</p><p>Paid a visit to Dr. B, my vascular surgeon yesterday. It was my six month check-up on the bypasses I've had in both legs. Testing showed the right leg to be A-OK but a reduction in flow on the left side from 96% to 87% and ultrasound showed a constriction downstream of the stent. This was sufficient for Dr. B to order another "angiogram with possible angioplasty/stenting" to be done on Monday morning. This will be the sixth (?) such procedure since TSHTF back on June 2, 2019. </p><p>Dr. B, once again and with lots of eye rolls, said that I should limit my activities for a month after surgery. No heavy lifting, no strenuous work, yadda, yadda, yadda. Looking at the calendar, there's nothing I've got planned from April 17 to May 17 that might fit those categories. Heck, I usually let at least one generation of dandelions flower and got to seed before I mow the lawn so I should be able to obey this doctor order--this time.</p><p>******</p><p>Terry had an MRI done to try and determine what has been causing the crippling pain she has been having in her back/hip/knee. She's had shots in her back that have produced mixed results. The first provided relief for nearly a year. The second lasted less than a month. She has also had shots in her knees as well as fluid removed from those areas. Those treatments have been good for about six months.</p><p>The MRI was a precursor to a visit to a spine specialist (neurosurgeon) and possible surgery for her. All this is reminiscent of my experiences culminating in 10 hours on the table back in 2015. (I still have pain in my lower back despite the scraping out of bone spurs, stenosis, and fusion performed back then.)<br /></p><p>*sigh* <br /></p><p>******</p><p>Fishing trip to Caesar's is once again on the calendar. June 20 is the departure date for Joe and I. We got Ollie to agree to rent us a satellite phone for emergency usage so I would feel better about being out in the back of nowhere for a week. Looking forward to it since my last trip was back in 2018. </p><p>******</p><p>Terry and I booked a five day visit to Disney World for November. She's been wanting to go to EPCOT for a long, long time and I finally caved. We will also be visiting the Animal Kingdom while we are there. </p><p>Hopefully, what ever medical problems we are experiencing now will be cleared up by then. If not, we may be renting either a wheelchair or a motorized cart--or two.</p><p>******</p><p>That is all for now! </p><p><br /></p><p>******</p><p>Forgot to mention:</p><p>I started on next winter's firewood. Dropped a big ash tree and cut it up into firewood lengths. Still have a couple more to drop but they will have to wait until mid-May per doctor's orders. They are clearly standing dead, however, since the bark is peeling off. As a result they won't need much seasoning.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVS9HckfYzCNNibf6RFD9VwsDSCxnzhoY_e_UcyH35fRa_dWjTus2DKI5MXIkcfetssTlJ_KycCZP4PdevxGG8n9S4qMvy4kSkwSi5N7TH69YxoR2s3c-rfdYAkkpi4OMe_Zvealz1OlFQLnfA4ZveyStc6YW7DZYk1QxVgzeWed5QYn9vWQ/s1024/IMG_5268a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVS9HckfYzCNNibf6RFD9VwsDSCxnzhoY_e_UcyH35fRa_dWjTus2DKI5MXIkcfetssTlJ_KycCZP4PdevxGG8n9S4qMvy4kSkwSi5N7TH69YxoR2s3c-rfdYAkkpi4OMe_Zvealz1OlFQLnfA4ZveyStc6YW7DZYk1QxVgzeWed5QYn9vWQ/s320/IMG_5268a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpH9zM380IllLaaWgNpHP1pXq-IDjnrbs5Y38KVBNYMU2U1_7U12qkA43ziuRBEExRUjSjxPIgscX3dYqk6ubLHL_dVvfT6NuIz7YzZAa8qkqbkTsEpLTn8dnF7SK3MSfjrX934I873tcdeT-vZn3vbshUdU1LAiLXUZg_Ay-_Tjp60kLqw/s1024/IMG_5269a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpH9zM380IllLaaWgNpHP1pXq-IDjnrbs5Y38KVBNYMU2U1_7U12qkA43ziuRBEExRUjSjxPIgscX3dYqk6ubLHL_dVvfT6NuIz7YzZAa8qkqbkTsEpLTn8dnF7SK3MSfjrX934I873tcdeT-vZn3vbshUdU1LAiLXUZg_Ay-_Tjp60kLqw/s320/IMG_5269a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-45260984564111776972023-02-10T16:07:00.000-05:002023-02-10T16:07:03.955-05:00Is It Spring Yet?<p> So Joe and I got down to Harrisburg yesterday for the Great American Outdoor Show. Our primary goal was to book a fishing trip with Caesars North Camps. We've been going there almost every year since 1994. Missed a few because of health or other commitments or the border being closed but we've been to nearly ever one of the lake/cabins surrounding Gouin Reservoir. </p><p>After an uneventful drive down and a near perfect timing for arrival, we managed to locate Oliver and the rest of the crew at the same place Caesars has occupied for a number of years. We'll be going back to Hanotaux on June 22 for seven days of fishing for walleye and pike. </p><p>Our business concluded, we than strolled around for an hour or two. (Well, Joe strolled. I kind of hobbled. Totally different walking a hard floor than shoveling snow or cutting grass. Even with the cane, my feet were killing me!) I picked up some summer sausage (wild boar and elk), some jerky sticks, two hundred feet of paracord, and a new pocket knife. Thinking back, that was my usual shopping at the show although I think I got rope and a canvas duffel bag last time.<br /></p><p>Joe got some paracord, too, but that was the end of his shopping.He said his wife would skin him alive if he bought another knife. Neither of us wanted anything from the archery or firearms areas. (Though, I did look to see if they had an across the chest holster for my Redhawk. Just in case I should run into any bears while walking out back. I'm getting too old to stand up and scare 'em away.) Nor did either of us want to drool over the ATVs, boats, or trucks.</p><p>We departed the show after going back to Caesars' table to say hi to Jean Luc, Ollie's partner who had to shuttle his wife to the airport earlier. It was only a little after two in the afternoon when I headed back to the Aerie from Joe's home and around 3:30 pm when I pulled into the driveway. </p><p>In all a fairly productive day. And a reminder that I need to do some serious walking on hard surfaces to harden the nerves in my toes so they don't interfere with my mobility. <br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-749552945973470912023-02-06T20:20:00.002-05:002023-02-06T20:20:49.945-05:00Spring Is Right around the Corner<p>*tap* *tap* Is this thing still working? Yes? Okay then. Where to begin... </p><p>Ground Hog's day has passed with Phil forecasting six more weeks of winter.
That's actually a pretty safe bet for Ground Hog's Day--or Candlemas as it is
also known--is half way between Winter Solstice--the first day of Winter--and
Vernal Equinox--the first day of Spring or the last day of Winter. </p><p>We had a second blast of super cold air last week (minus 8 F) to match the not quite as
cold air we got around Christmas time, but things are warming up! The day after
the low of minus 8 things got up to the low 40s and then the 50s for a day. We
won't see the 60s anytime soon, but there's no snow in the forecast for the next
twn days so there's that. We still have a scattering of snow on the ground
around the Aerie, but if we go down the hill to Route 6 there's nary a flake to
be found. </p><p>With the warmer temps, I'm getting itchy feet. I've spent the last
three (?!) years sitting around the house doing not much except mowing grass,
cutting firewood, shoveling snow, and assembling jigsaw puzzles. To say I've got
a touch of cabin fever is an understatement. Some of my reluctance to
get-up-and-go has been due to my peripheral vascular disease (PVD) that has seen
me get a bypass in each leg so there's only one artery feeding blood to each
foot. Should either get blocked, I could lose a foot. </p><p>But now, my vascular surgeon has given the okay to take some chances to get out and about. With that
in mind, I'll be attending the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg on
Thursday. Joe and I will be looking to book a fly-in fishing trip with Caesar's
North Camps in northern Quebec Provence. We've been fishing with them since 1994
and have missed very few years. In fact, while I've not been fishing for four
years, Joe has gone with his son and granddaughter, and his wife. (I think he
wants me back because the ladies out fished him!) </p><p>In addition, Terry and I have
been thinking of doing some traveling together also. The travel trailer has been
woefully underused. But Florida may be calling too. </p><p>More to come. <br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-15232775934730033952022-09-02T19:54:00.003-05:002022-09-02T19:54:53.859-05:00Wood Heats Three TimesThe saying is that wood heats you three time: Once when you cut the tree down and into fireplace lengths; once when you split and stack it; and a third time when you burn it.
After taking a couple of days off after completing Step One, it was time to get back to working on the wood pile. I took advantage of the coole temperatures and went to work splitting the cut ash and stacking it for use this winter. Having been a standing dead tree, it ws already pretty dry and, being ash, it split easily along the straight grain of the wood. There were only one or two pieces that had significant branches that needed to be split just so. The splitting took only two hours and the stacking another hour, I didn't even break a sweat.
Two or three dead ash trees becon me as they stand either on the edge of the trail or a few yards into the woods. There's one giant that is a significant distance off the trail but on the edge of the field. I don't think I can get either the tractor or the ATV into it should I fell that tree. I'll have to check it out though, It's too damn inviting.
I don't need any of that wood for burning this year. I think I've got enough to keep us warm and significantly reduce our use of propane. Still, I could fell it, cut it to length and stack it along the side of the trail for next spring.joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-55040015734466667152022-08-30T17:56:00.002-05:002022-08-30T17:56:28.460-05:00A Busy Week at the Aerie. <p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Last Friday I felled a third ash tree. This one didn’t go as
planned and I needed the help of a second chainsaw (the first got caught in the
tree when it insisted on going the wrong way!) and the tractor when that second
saw also got caught. I managed to get the tree on the ground and got clipped by
some of the upper-most branches in the process when my rope was five feet too
short for the task at hand. (My son, Rick—the urban forester who once worked in
felling trees—then told me of the 1-1/2 rule. Always pull from a distance 1 and
½ times the height of the tree to make sure you are clear of those upper
branches.) Anyway—as the Black Knight in Monty Python’s Holy Grail said—it was
only a scratch.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Friday afternoon I trimmed off all the branches and cut most
of the main trunk into 18-inch lengths. On Saturday morning I got the rest of
the main log and nearly all the branches over 2-inches in diameter cut.
Unfortunately, one of the chainsaws quit on me and I couldn’t get it started
again. Luckily, I had a second ready to go. I spent a goodly amount of time
picking up the smaller slash and using it to line the path. I figure if I can
build up the downhill side of the trail, I won’t feel like I’m about to roll
over in that direction when I take the tractor out that way. </p>
<div style="border-bottom: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
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was a day off for the local Audubon Society’s picnic. Funny how we all ended up
talking about our ailments!</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Monday, I took the errant chainsaw down to AJ’s Power
Equipment in Mansfield. The guy at the service desk said he wanted to try a couple of simple
things before he put a tag on the machine which could have taken it out of
commission for a week or more. While he went into the workshop, I picked up a
hardhat, face screen and earmuff combo used to protect your noggin while tree
felling. (My earmuffs are better at cutting the noise, but the scabs on the top
of my head were begging for a hard hat.) I heard that magical roar of a
chainsaw revving up in the workshop and started feeling hopeful. Sure enough,
the service dude came out and handed me my saw.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“She’s good to go,” he told me. “Just flooded badly enough
that pulling the starter and letting it sit overnight weren’t going to help. We
used an air line to blow the fuel out and that’s all it took.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“What do I owe you?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Nothing.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The head gear, however, cost me ninety bucks. Eh. Better
than a cracked skull or another visit to the ER.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qmyooVn2lpZGsRVaKzoX-pctjTQWa6CU_lP__1RCAirWIYP1_VOwgccwv35B6OblkD11eJhCklqZAsMYSLa8GeOqfBKAcKiMr_zsFL6Go0gksVn0wXXfIbZHgxw_LP9al-rUVnodDbhb32Ks1Vq84ak-A-nzYTmodG2jMIa3D10xm9o3zw/s2016/Apples%20in%20store.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qmyooVn2lpZGsRVaKzoX-pctjTQWa6CU_lP__1RCAirWIYP1_VOwgccwv35B6OblkD11eJhCklqZAsMYSLa8GeOqfBKAcKiMr_zsFL6Go0gksVn0wXXfIbZHgxw_LP9al-rUVnodDbhb32Ks1Vq84ak-A-nzYTmodG2jMIa3D10xm9o3zw/s320/Apples%20in%20store.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />On the way home I picked up a half bushel of Zestar apples
and another of Honey Crisp apples. More about them later.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Back at the Aerie, it was back to pick-up sticks and cutting
to length.</p>
<div style="border-bottom: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">Tuesday,
I was again engaged in pick-up sticks and dealing with the slash. I finally set
that aside and started hauling all the cut wood up to be stacked for either
burning this winter or to be split and later stacked. The Yamaha Prohauler did
most of the heavy transport. I just had to lift it up and put it on the flat
bed. That was enough! I got a real workout from that. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-border-top-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBwLq6YnLSSsKNmpUt7Ki507L1FO-sw5ck1vtVdiTedIg3RtdKn65fRS1O8Mzi06ulII_48MUTv2guO2F6a-jnt46I7K0FHH90JsMJOkW7axxIyLW8-YW2VUxbg3AZ3XWhBzzsMzTIMAhRRbOaeFQGgrLnIrqAW4kTVqrKD2xmHS2ODWoBQ/s1324/Wood%20to%20split.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="1324" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBwLq6YnLSSsKNmpUt7Ki507L1FO-sw5ck1vtVdiTedIg3RtdKn65fRS1O8Mzi06ulII_48MUTv2guO2F6a-jnt46I7K0FHH90JsMJOkW7axxIyLW8-YW2VUxbg3AZ3XWhBzzsMzTIMAhRRbOaeFQGgrLnIrqAW4kTVqrKD2xmHS2ODWoBQ/s320/Wood%20to%20split.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wood waiting to be split. <br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> (Did I mention it is raining? No? Well it is. Buckets worth at times. Sorry for the screen.)</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Wednesday, the weathermen promised rain—and they were right
for a change! So I stayed inside and converted the apples into apple sauce. I
took 48 apples (24 of each variety) washed, cored and sliced them; cooked ‘em until
the were soft; and ran them through the food mill to produce a delicious sauce.
Terry insisted they needed a little sweetening so I let her add about ¼ cup of
sugar to each eight-pints. Ladled them into pint jars and submerged them in a
boiling water bath. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4kl54kqrPQW2irdNaj_wmD2RUam3dwO5hzgT_Os1RV4SpuBLXJKEyRycPxjaIJxlTQe2WEO14mviyoQO8PpEPRejN8LktnR8Ao5G0Nx-soNaHWrp401u9rPnvczB90l97jk0A-2rM9IFX-Qovv4UGZftz8ypY8Xw2PflI6S7MLGBo9sK7A/s2016/Apples%20take%20a%20bath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4kl54kqrPQW2irdNaj_wmD2RUam3dwO5hzgT_Os1RV4SpuBLXJKEyRycPxjaIJxlTQe2WEO14mviyoQO8PpEPRejN8LktnR8Ao5G0Nx-soNaHWrp401u9rPnvczB90l97jk0A-2rM9IFX-Qovv4UGZftz8ypY8Xw2PflI6S7MLGBo9sK7A/s320/Apples%20take%20a%20bath.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apples got a bath first. Then they got cored and sliced. Cooked until soft.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtx0oguQzOXFwYNgMGDijltHbr-r3CRE-N4ioIDJoTHWgnhrgPFpKeazY6bsV6gAPDF-su_zlI_dWv00H3p-4dezZoooIqratlcxlfnGWHgsRIR3MVRGGImdGHfPVD8bf9jhgzHZwqTmA5CIScIft6w9IZCeeLJ3T--7Hq9laJgTcq-zKWeg/s2016/Food%20Mill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtx0oguQzOXFwYNgMGDijltHbr-r3CRE-N4ioIDJoTHWgnhrgPFpKeazY6bsV6gAPDF-su_zlI_dWv00H3p-4dezZoooIqratlcxlfnGWHgsRIR3MVRGGImdGHfPVD8bf9jhgzHZwqTmA5CIScIft6w9IZCeeLJ3T--7Hq9laJgTcq-zKWeg/s320/Food%20Mill.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soft apples went through the mill to become<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfnr4-IlTLox8rYzpKem6_yQA0NkyzVEyDtoQWXfxT78TRMqFkLyFI84kn-uPpTqnDbCqVLWSpwVrx6L4GJ60zF49wIUUC3f3wSURk1S0OG-oMxSFNtCQxcu_QnZr-bK2zHbHW6hQbYkRCJv5cEC0BHXZgFIPhOHQxmRvoaZwHvJngIDj6w/s2016/Sauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfnr4-IlTLox8rYzpKem6_yQA0NkyzVEyDtoQWXfxT78TRMqFkLyFI84kn-uPpTqnDbCqVLWSpwVrx6L4GJ60zF49wIUUC3f3wSURk1S0OG-oMxSFNtCQxcu_QnZr-bK2zHbHW6hQbYkRCJv5cEC0BHXZgFIPhOHQxmRvoaZwHvJngIDj6w/s320/Sauce.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Applesauce!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p>
<div style="border-bottom: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">I got sixteen pints this way.
And an extra quart for immediate consumption. I love it with roast pork and potatoes
cooked in the pork’s grease. Heck, goes well with venison or beef roasts, too! </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrK5ZdsQ5XtvD6t6iGQHLjtyTHpGMVR4shg6ysEn6piesubESpi1YC4xdMPbFG4Y31MOu54q60Ko9_WXBGwaWD_geo0ff9ugkkdmP101e7uKIJ6gpXXqVJEg0Aa3P3xqF7idLhIHURJMcl8XM4TZ-vI_azqcibET77zsmuVgjXHju8bHJq8A/s2016/8%20Pint%20Jars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrK5ZdsQ5XtvD6t6iGQHLjtyTHpGMVR4shg6ysEn6piesubESpi1YC4xdMPbFG4Y31MOu54q60Ko9_WXBGwaWD_geo0ff9ugkkdmP101e7uKIJ6gpXXqVJEg0Aa3P3xqF7idLhIHURJMcl8XM4TZ-vI_azqcibET77zsmuVgjXHju8bHJq8A/s320/8%20Pint%20Jars.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eight of the sixteen pints of applesauce I canned today.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal">While I was doing all this, Terry was busy, too. Granted
some of her “busy” involved Embroiderer’s Guild meetings, but they count. I
seem to remember two during the time I was felling trees and cleaning up the
branches--in 85 degree heat. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the times between meetings, she converted Early Girl,
Roma and even some grape tomatoes into spaghetti sauce. She then canned that
sauce in 10 one-half pint jars for later use. (She estimates that half the time she's using spaghetti sauce out of a pint or quart jar, she has plenty left over. Using half pints she figures she'll be right on the mark for most meals.)<br /></p>
<div style="border-bottom: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">She also converted zucchini into
breads. She added six more loaves to our collection. By her calculations she
has baked some 30 loaves this year and we have eaten/given away four leaving 26
in the freezer. A slice or two with a cup of coffee makes a fine breakfast. Unfortunately,
once opened and the first slice is taken, there is a tendency to take another,
and another, and…until it’s gone. A single loaf might , I say <i>might</i>, make it to lunchtime. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8MuuZQtMPta8mMxmovKPqTHI3r_L6Ejs2G2zs-sBlU-lp5M2klOfTVj7MDWN4mbeD0FPU4Mim_4qPBEDKDSAOhTdcJeIAsUc5WQRoMPGWHfmdu1zuyHkTqvvB2h79w2uTUFE46IAB1fKntHBNhgjIb5b1_q2uadbq9zuQ4GhXgbcH2ccvQ/s2016/IMG_5133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8MuuZQtMPta8mMxmovKPqTHI3r_L6Ejs2G2zs-sBlU-lp5M2klOfTVj7MDWN4mbeD0FPU4Mim_4qPBEDKDSAOhTdcJeIAsUc5WQRoMPGWHfmdu1zuyHkTqvvB2h79w2uTUFE46IAB1fKntHBNhgjIb5b1_q2uadbq9zuQ4GhXgbcH2ccvQ/s320/IMG_5133.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zucchini bread remnant. This one has only lasted so long (two days) because of all the canning going on. (And the cornbread made to go with yesterday's chili.) It got shoved into a corner of the counter and was ignored. But now it's out in the open. It will be tomorrow's breakfast for sure.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">Since we just finished one from two years ago
(They hide themselves well in our freezer!), Terry said she will bake no more
this year even though the plants are still producing zucchini.</p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I said we’ve been busy, busy busy!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-84797100104323806722022-07-28T18:54:00.000-05:002022-07-28T18:54:01.771-05:00*knock-knock* Is this Thing Still On?<p> I have been derelict in my duties vis-a-vis adding to this blog in a timely fashion. Again.</p><p>On one hand, there's not a heck of a lot to add on my part. I've not even been to New Jersey all that often. Heck, the new 2022 Tundra I picked up on March 4 hasn't had its first service visit yet. How's that for an indication of how house bound I've been.</p><p>Terry's been all over the place this past year including Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Hawaii all in one trip. (At least I got almost four weeks of quiet out of that deal!)</p><p>"House bound" doesn't necessarily mean inactive, however. Just this past month I've felled two dead ash trees and cut them into firewood lengths. That took a little longer than I had planned as I banged up my right ankle and had to wait for it to heal. (Two weeks of waiting!) </p><p>I spent some time trying to determine why my second Yamaha ProHauler would not go into reverse. Turned out that there's a pivot joint in the linkage that is anchored by a 3/8 inch bolt which also serves as the pivot. It was sheared off in the frame. I had to drill (most of) it out before I could put a replacement in. Now it works fine.</p><p>Aside from the one day raptor survey Terry and I participated in last December, I haven't been doing much birding. The feeders were attracting bears and the outdoor cats were stalking the birds, so I took them down for an extended period of time and have yet to get them back up.</p><p> Then there's that amazing sinkhole called "Facebook" which has made time disappear. <br /></p><p><br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-9357843008919429452021-11-18T19:38:00.003-05:002021-11-18T19:38:43.333-05:00Once More Into The Breach!<p> We've had our first snowfall of the year (last Saturday into Sunday--only about 1-1/2 inches that melted swiftly) and also our first fire in the fireplace. We needed the latter because the temperature in the house fell to 57 degrees overnight when the power went out just long enough on Saturday to send the furnace off the deep end. A quick "Reset" was all that was needed to get the old heater working properly again. Seriously, I turned the thing off then on again and pushed the reset button and voila! Hot water was soon being produced and pumped through the pex piping to warm the floors and the air above. Still, I needed some quick boost in the form of fires in the livingroom and basement to take the edge off.</p><p><br /></p><p>******</p><p>I had a follow-up appointment with the vascular team over at Robert-Packer Hospital today. I've not been experiencing any severe pains or anything else since I went to the ER several weeks ago so I expected a fairly routine check-up and an in-and-out visit.</p><p>The tech doing the pressure testing on my legs seemed moderately optimistic but ended her stint with a "We shall see." that produced some little concern.</p><p>Then it was Dr. B's turn. He and his physician's assistant declared my right leg A-Okay, but my left.... The left is a problem child. </p><p>The left leg is the leg that started the whole mess. First the foot was pronounced DEAD at the Troy ER back in June of 2019. Then, as the last staple and stitch was removed from the emergency bypass, an infection developed that had me back in the OR. That was followed by several weeks on an open wound vac. Then came a series of angioplasties (3? 4? I forget) because the vein used to bypass the blockage of June 1 was too thin. Then I had terrible pains in the quad muscle just above the knee the source of which could not be determined. Finally I had so much pain one morning I just couldn't put any weight on the left leg at all so it was back to the ER for a CAT Scan and other tests which showed deep bruising, a lump of tissue--perhaps dead or dying because of the lack of circulation--or some such.Then for two months--nothing! Things seemed to be back to a new normal.<br /></p><p>Well, Dr. B didn't like what he saw from the tests today and declared I should have another angioplasty. This time, instead of just stretching things out with balloons and calling it a day, he will try to insert a stent in the upper portion of the bypass to keep it from narrowing down--again. </p><p>Surgery is scheduled for bright and early Monday December 13. I'll have to go get tested for Covid the Thursday before that. The surgery itself will be a couple of hours long but they will keep me overnight.</p><p>Dr. B wanted to do the surgery earlier but that would mean no heavy lifting for a couple of weeks or so and deer season runs until December 11th and I wasn't going to give that up. As it is, if I can fill out a tag or two (three?) early the week before, I can relax after the Covid testing is done.<br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-55662445051077365812021-10-29T06:28:00.000-05:002021-10-29T06:28:22.970-05:00Firewood Finished<p>I finished splitting and stacking the the firewood yesterday. I managed to get eight stacks 18x18x48 inches. They are loosely stacked to allow some air circulation since the wood was pretty well moisturized by Mother Nature while in felled tree and cut to length form this summer and fall. Even so,my supply has nearly doubled and, if I use it judiciously, there should be enough to get us through the winter. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-a1lc8IcCQ7Kg0h3Xir6DVQtlobVt41y0QbX50EBt9BlmlZuqh-TjvH_6fbLKR4AwvPEE8WIDamtrfJ5HPCk6Cc0PbRVfDnISA_BMorMV4H74Vr_aLbfmcKygqKXMYINqdVLt/s320/IMG_4780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-a1lc8IcCQ7Kg0h3Xir6DVQtlobVt41y0QbX50EBt9BlmlZuqh-TjvH_6fbLKR4AwvPEE8WIDamtrfJ5HPCk6Cc0PbRVfDnISA_BMorMV4H74Vr_aLbfmcKygqKXMYINqdVLt/s0/IMG_4780.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stacked Firewood</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p><p>The wood under the light green tarp is the new stuff. The ten stacks in the left end, under the camo tarp is from last year and will be the first I burn. Everything is ash. </p><p>I've got a couple of trees picked out for next year's supply and hope to get them down and cut into length after the hunting season. They are also ash trees that show signs of borer infestation. Two are close to the house but not so close as to require a pro to come in to drop them. Two smaller ones are on the edge of the same field in back that I took this year's three trees from.<br /></p><p>Of course, that depends upon two things: </p><p>1- Weather. Last year we got snow in mid-December and every so often until March. The worst part about that was that it never melted. It just kept getting deeper and deeper. </p><p>2- Health. Even if the snow hadn't kept me out of the woods, my health would have. Too many trips to the vascular team and eventually surgery on my right leg (Yeah! I've now got matching scars!) plus other disorders that turned out to be the "rewards" for a full and active life.</p><p><br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-79784147020457095042021-10-27T18:18:00.000-05:002021-10-27T18:18:25.667-05:00Step 4 Making Firewood: Splitting and Stacking<p>Tuesday was a very, very rainy day. We recorded 1.81 inches of water from late Monday night through Wednesday morning. I took the opportunity to cut some 10' long pressure treated decking boards into 2-3/4" x 3' slats to be used in making new pallets upon which I can stack my split firewood. Several of the pallets I am currently using date from 2006 and are, well, rotting. I built two new pallets last year and the two I put together this afternoon will give me more than enough room to store a couple of cords of split firewood.</p><p>I did take advantage of a nice clear, cool afternoon to build the two pallets and then see if the log splitter would start after sitting since September 2020. The gas tank was dry so I filled it. Choked the engine and gave the cord a pull to prime the engine. On the second pull the engine roared to life and I pushed the throttle to "Run" mode. That Briggs and Stratton engine just purred! </p><p>Over the next two hours, I managed to convert a little more than half the cut logs into split firewood. I'll be finishing the rest tomorrow and then stack the split wood and put a tarp over it so it will get a chance to dry a little more. Luckily I still have about a cord of wood left from last year's stack so there will be no rush to burn this batch.<br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-4387783262868519172021-10-25T19:46:00.000-05:002021-10-25T19:46:12.532-05:00Step 3 in Making Firewood Completed<p> Step 1 was selecting and felling the trees. That was done last spring when it became apparent that several ash trees had been attacked by the emerald ash tree borer. Each had only a handful of leaves on their very highest branches. Felling them--and letting them lay on the ground for the summer--would allow the leaves to draw moisture out of the wood of the trees. Or so I hoped. The copious amounts of rain we had all summer long slowed the drying process--especially since there are a couple of springs on the hill side that fed water into the field in which the felled trees lay. Win some, lose some.</p><p>Step 2 was actually cutting the downed trees into 18" lengths. I managed to do that over a two week period in late September and early October in between visits to the ER and rain storms.</p><p>Step 3 was finished yesterday and today as I got the ProHauler 2 to haul the cut wood out of the field and to an area behind the house--again between rain storms. It took me a total of three trips, one for each felled tree, to get the wood relocated. </p><p>Step 4 will be the splitting of the log lengths into pieces that will be set under protection to dry. (Luckily I still have a cord and a half of ash from last year that is well dried. This will be the wood I will burn when the temperatures drop to no higher than 35 degrees.)<br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-87103852179853369982021-10-22T08:23:00.000-05:002021-10-22T08:23:07.723-05:00Visit to Toyota Dealership<p>Terry and I drove the RAV4 and the Tundra (both 2017 models) over to Williams Toyota in Sayre yesterday morning. The RAV needed new tires and the Tundra needed an oil change, tire rotation and general dealer inspection. (It's too early for a state inspection. That's due in April and while they might be able to do it a month or two earlier...well. six months is just way too early.)</p><p>It took a little over 90 minutes for Terry to get her new tires mounted and balanced. My service took a little longer as it was discovered that the rear brakes needed pads and rotors. </p><p>While the Tundra was in the shop. I asked that the sales manager do an appraisal with the ultimate goal of my trading it in. He came back with an approximate value of $30K!, which floored me. I know used trucks are going at a premium right now, but this was about $5K higher than I expected. </p><p>When Terry's RAV was finished, she and I went to visit the sales manager (SM) to talk about the possibility of ordering a 2022 Tundra. All the reviews and internet information says they will be available "by the end of the year." The SM had just come back from a Toyota show and told us that the new models (completely revamped!) were really sweet looking. HOWEVER (he said) the SMs in attendance were given no delivery dates or even pricing information. Even now, he said, while they are still getting '21 models in, there is no pick-your-model-and-options. I reality, the dealers have to take what they are given. Yet, they are flying off the lot. He had just received five earlier this week and three were already sold. Folks are putting their names on waiting lists and being notified when anything close to what they were asking for becomes available.</p><p>As for the '22 models, he has no idea when they will make there way to the dealers but suspects it will be later rather than sooner. Being able to order the vehicle I want (rather than settling for whatever they get in) may be possible in the spring. A lot depends on the computer chips sitting on cargo ships and the truck drivers available to deliver them to the plants.</p><p>*Sigh* looks like I'll be waiting until April at the earliest. One more PA Inspection. <br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-83874478845487618822021-10-20T21:08:00.000-05:002021-10-20T21:08:34.138-05:00October, 2021<p> Well, October has been an improvement over August and September. I finished my PT yesterday (the 19th) and say the left leg go from a bend of a mere 60 degrees to somewhere between 105 and 110 degrees AND there have been no visits to the ER!</p><p>Last Thursday I took the Yamaha ProHauler (1) out to do some work on the logs with the chainsaw last week It started up fine and ran well as I went out to the site and I managed to cut the two smaller trees up and stack the wood for later transport. The ProHauler that had behaved so nicely on the way out, didn't do as well on the ride back to the house. It ran okay on the choke, but would stall whenever I applied any throttle or put the machine into gear. I tried to get it to work on Friday but it didn't cooperate. I made a call to Glider City Power Sports up in Elmira. I managed to hoop the utility trailer up to the truck on Sunday and on Monday, Terry and I wrestled the ProHauler onto the trailer and towed it up to Elmira. They told me on the phone that they have a backlog of a couple of weeks, but it sure didn't look like it to me. Oh well, whenever they get to it will be fine.Just hope it's before we get any snow.</p><p>I could use the ProHauler 2, but it needs new tires and there's some leakage around the carburetor that concerns me. For now I'll be using the tractor. And I did just that today. Managed to get most of the third tree cut to length during a three hour stint. I will say that the vascular surgery on both legs has really taken it out of me. Far more than the knee replacements or the back surgery. I don't seem to have the strength in my lower legs I once had. Nor do I have the ability to walk on uneven ground without rolling my left ankle. Add the tangling ability of three foot high goldenrod, raspberry and multiflora rose and I have a tough time just getting from one end of the 40' log to the other. The latter two plants along with the spines on the crabapples/hawthorne shrubs do not mix well with my blood thinners, either. <br /></p><p>Tomorrow both Terry and I have appointments at the Toyota dealer in Sayre. She is to get a new set of tires and I will get an oil change and tire rotation. I will also discuss the possibility of getting a 2022 Tundra. </p><p>Rain is forecast for Thursday afternoon so I won't be heading back into the woods when we get back. I may be hitting the woods on Friday and/or Saturday, however those are the last two days of a special deer hunting period for us senior citizens. It's antlerless only and I've two doe tags to fill. <br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-6436714909107145302021-10-20T20:32:00.002-05:002021-10-20T20:32:28.335-05:00September at the Aerie, 2021<p> It's been awhile since I posted. September went by in a blur. I started Physical Therapy on September 9th and promptly spent the next day in the ER at Robert Packer Hospital because I woke up unable to put any weight at all on my left leg. Luckily I had a leg brace and Terry was home to act as chauffeur. I donned the brace and we drove over to the ER.<br /></p><p> Aside from finding the same Doctor on duty in Sayre that I had seen the week before in Troy, I picked the absolutely worst day to be in the ER. That morning a water truck took a tumble and an 18 year-old got his legs pinned. ER staff traveled to the sight along with the vascular team as there was some discussion about needing to amputate the kid's legs. The CAT scan team was put on alert and no one else was allowed access until things got cleared up. (A soft shoulder on the road caused the truck to roll over into a water filled ditch. The driver got out okay, but his companion didn't get clear. Turns out they needed a crane to get the kid free. Water soaked soil may have saved his legs.) </p><p>Terry and I sat in the ER from around 8 am until 3:30 pm. Frustratingly enough the CAT scab only showed some dense tissue and a possibly thickening of a tendon. I scheduled a follow-up with my primary care and one with Orthopedics.</p><p>By Saturday, the 11th of September, I was managing to walk around the house fairly well using the leg brace and a cane. By Monday I was doing well without either aid. And by Wednesday, I was back at physical therapy. </p><p>The rest of the month went along quietly--on my part. The primary care and Orthopedics visits produced no miracle cure for my ailment. They just recommended I continue with the PT regimen and otherwise don't push things too fast. So I did--mostly. I did go out on the tractor and do some work on the logs I felled last spring. There were three ash trees that were nearly dead from ash borers. I cut them and let what few leaves they had suck out as much moisture as possible. I used the loppers to trim the smaller branches so I'd be able to get at the larger ones with the chainsaw.</p><p>Terry had two outings in Chicago area that she attended. One was for EGA and the other for SAGA. It's sort of unusual for both to be in the area of the same city but, well, it happens. She drove out for the first one and started to regret it as soon as she got there. The ride caused her spine/hip/leg to start hurting. Luckily she had her cane with her. The ride home was no picnic. As soon as she got home, she did two things: 1-called the pain management team to see if she could get another shot to combat the pain and 2-she booked a flight to O'Hare for the next convention. Driving was out of the question. (She got her shot and has been doing fine since.)</p><p>After my birthday on the 17th things got considerably quieter for me. Aside from the visit to the orthopedist, I had only PT twice a week to attend to. And that went well. <br /></p><p> <br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-30833274594209416422021-08-27T10:45:00.003-05:002021-08-27T10:45:21.523-05:00Good News--Bad News<p>After making the rounds of emergency room docs; primary care PA; emergency room docs, part 2; sports med doc (orthopedics); and, finally, the vascular team the consensus is that I tore a muscle in my thigh. How is still open to debate.</p><p>Yesterday I went to the vascular team to have some pressure testing done to assure there was no blood clot in or blockage along the by-pass done on the left leg. The tests showed the by-passes on both legs were doing just fine. Doctor B. was pleased that, at least for now, his team was in the clear. He examined the area and twice(!), while asking, "Is this where it hurts?" poked on the correct spot with the accuracy of a dart champion hitting the bulls-eye. "YEAH! THAT"S THE SPOT! Now STOP doing that!" </p><p>Doctor B did agree with the folks in the ER and over at the sports med (orthopedics) that it was likely a strain/tear in one of the major muscles of the thigh. More likely a tear based upon the severity of the pain. He suggested I keep it wrapped (he has a thing for ace bandages), keep it elevated, and take either Advil or Motrin--maximum dose--for 5-7 days. Okay, I'll try that.</p><p>My primary care PA had "muscle cramp" in this round, so she's out. <br /></p><p>Sleeping Thursday night was, well, spotty. Can't sleep on my side as two knees coming in contact with one another is painful. Even a pillow between them isn't cushion enough. Sleeping on my back is better but I can't get the right head elevation. Toss and turn. Wake myself up in pain. Repeat. </p><p>This morning I had an MRI scheduled with results awaited by both the primary care PA and the sports med folks.I went to Soldiers & Sailors over in Wellsboro because, though they were out of system, they could fit me in with out a month long wait. Fast check-in and all my data was there since I had been there before. Got all set up and eased into their tube. There was an al too brief clanging and clunking of the imager when everything came to a stop. Seems there's a wee bit too much metal in my artificial knees for the machine to get a good, clear picture of the area.*sigh* </p><p>Guess we'll have to settle for the muscle tear and Advil cure. Crutches and ace bandages.</p><p>******</p><p>Oh, did I mention that Terry's leaving Tuesday AM for a EGA Convention in Chicago. She will be gone for a week.<br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-47258654255145998472021-08-21T08:18:00.001-05:002021-08-27T10:48:35.714-05:00Interesting Times Continue<p>This week started out about as normal as could be. I mowed the lawn on Saturday (10K steps) then Terry and I went over to Hills Creek State Park for an Audubon Society picnic on Sunday.</p><p>Monday, Terry went out to one of her stitching group luncheons and I sorted and searched through the garage for the tree stands and portable climbing ladders. (I finally decided to sell them off since I don't see my self using them to climb into trees any more.)</p><p>Tuesday morning, Terry and I loaded some cans and bottles into my truck and went over the mountain to visit the dump. Everything was normal until later that afternoon.I began feeling some tenderness and pain in my left leg. In a zone running approximately from 2-3 inches below the knee to the same distance above. The tenderness got worse and worse during the night to the point I got (barely!) 15 minutes of sleep all night.</p><p>Wednesday morning I examined my leg and, while the tenderness and down right pain continued, the only discoloration was this eerie mottled appearance.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwobEfOX-IIZUSmlGi3dnoVOVJ0jW9RPpB4FFGYJjZ8RIHvax9_hyphenhyphen_XpdaVYB1u9721wa0VTmlBDx2Xkh3RcBvwqxgg3qW3Wwe8UaPSZk6ogt0VmrcE-NPDYLXx9nXeIVVYc-/s4032/IMG_4728.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgwobEfOX-IIZUSmlGi3dnoVOVJ0jW9RPpB4FFGYJjZ8RIHvax9_hyphenhyphen_XpdaVYB1u9721wa0VTmlBDx2Xkh3RcBvwqxgg3qW3Wwe8UaPSZk6ogt0VmrcE-NPDYLXx9nXeIVVYc-/s320/IMG_4728.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>As the early morning progressed, the pain in my leg got worse. Eventually I threw in the towel and at 7:15 I had Terry haul my sorry ass to Troy Hospital's ER. I managed, to get into the ER where the doctor listened to my tale, looked me over, poked and prodded, got an X-ray and had an ultrasound, and eventually said he thought it might be a torn tendon or ligament. He gave me a shot of fentanyl and a leg brace that would keep the knee immobilized, and suggested I see about an MRI.</p><p>Thursday I went to see my primary care PA in Mansfield. She poked and prodded and listened to my story. She gently massaged the area and concluded it might be a severe muscle cramp (really?). She prescribed some cyclobezaprine (aka: flexeril). And set up an MRI for September 15th. If we go outside the Guthrie system, I could get an MRI at Soldiers & Sailors over in Wellsboro on August 27th. (Still waiting for the insurance to give the nod to this one.)</p><p>Friday, things got worse. I could barely lift the heel of my left foot up off the bed. Any bending of the knee and I saw stars. Crutches did help me get from point A to point B as long as they were not too far apart. Discharge papers from Wednesday directed me to return should things not improve. They didn't, so I did.</p><p>ER Doctor did some more poking and prodding. Ordered a full set of blood tests, gave me a shot of morphine, had a CAT scan done. yada, yada, yada.</p><p>The CAT scan seems to have ruled out a torn ligament or tendon. The blood work seems to have eliminated an infection.</p><p>What? All roads currently lead to a severe contusion in the large muscle on the front of the thigh. How remains unanswered. When would seem to be Tuesday sometime. As to Who? I'll be dusting all baseball bats for prints.Where? I've not been out of the house except for doctors calls and the Audubon picnic. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-82521436863127636072021-07-23T10:16:00.001-05:002021-07-23T10:18:34.301-05:00At Least the Blood Looks Healthy<p>I got the last of my staples and sutures taken out yesterday. That was immediately after having a pressure test on both legs and a sonogram of my right leg--the one with the staples and sutures still in place. All this was done two years and two days after the last staples and sutures were removed from my left leg.</p><p>I have to hand it to the Amandas in the vascular department at Robert Packer Hospital. They did a fine job. And, yes, there were three Amandas doing the yeoman's work. Two of them did the testing while the third, Dr. B's physician assistant, removed the staples and sutures. (She said Dr. B is better with patients who are unconscious.) </p><p>My only problem was the blood thinners. Being on three(!) meant that the small holes from those staples and sutures would weep blood. Nearly all of them stopped with a mild amount of pressure but one up near the groin wouldn't quit for some time. Finally the PA Amanda and I were able to stem the flow and get some steri-strips in place so the leg could be wrapped in gauze and ace bandages. </p><p>I got home and sat down to work on a puzzle for a couple of hours, went to the bathroom and then prepared for bed. That's when I discovered quite a large amount of blood in my jeans. Terry and I struggled to get the little hole that was causing the problem to stop. It took nearly thirty minutes with a styptic pencil and lots of pressure to get that little bleeder to stop long enough to apply a bandage followed by a pressure wrap. This morning there was evidence that it had continued to bleed into the bandage but not much. Hopefully that will be the last of that!</p><p>Now my only concern is a pocket of fluid causing some pain behind by right knee. Dr. B says it's not unusual but all I can think about is the similar fluid accumulation that occurred at one end of the incision he made two years ago on my left leg. That turned out to be an infection that put me in the hospital for a week before sending me home with a wound vac for a month. Keeping my fingers crossed that my right leg is better behaved.</p><p>Have I mentioned how much this feels like deja vu?<br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-88155293240610896822021-07-12T17:43:00.002-05:002021-07-12T17:43:35.570-05:00Going Out of My Head!<p>Very early on June 23rd one of Terry's friends drove us to Robert Packer Hospital where I went under the knife to have a couple of aneurysms in my right leg by-passed. Things went smoothly and I spent the next six days in the hospital. I was able to get up and go to the bathroom on my own with the help of a walker almost as soon as I woke up from anesthesia. Perhaps that is why the women from physical therapy and later occupational therapy felt I was advanced enough--especially after moving to a cane on day three--to not warrant their attention or the attention of a rehab facility. </p><p>They and the nurses must have reported to the insurance company that I was an overachiever. The Carleton over in Wellsboro had a bed for me on Friday but when the insurance company balked at making a decision, I stayed in the hospital over the weekend. Word finally came on Monday that insurance wouldn't cover a stay in a rehab facility and that I would go home on Tuesday instead.</p><p>Tuesday was the day Terry was scheduled to get an epidural for her very sore hip. She would need a driver as would I. Her cousin Joe--my fishing buddy--stepped in. <br /></p><p>Going home meant I would have some visiting healthcare providers. Someone would come to check on the incisions and make sure they were healing properly. Someone would come to do physical therapy with me. And someone would come to do occupational therapy, i.e. make sure I could dress myself, clean myself, and in general care for myself. The health care provider has been coming round twice a week although he's cutting back to once a week for the next two weeks. The PT person came once, watched me walk around a bit and said she couldn't think of anything she could help me with. (A few more exercises would have helped. But I've been down this road before and can figure out what I need to do.) The occupational therapist called and, when she told me what she would do, I politely said I can already do all those things and she never came out to the house.</p><p>I went back to see the vascular team two weeks after the surgery to have them examine the incisions and to have half the staples removed. Taking out every other staple meant removing about 25 of them. Approximately that many remain along with an equal number of sutures. I go back on the 22nd of July to have them taken out.</p><p>Until then, I've promised not to drive until I can comfortably press down on the brake pedal. I've promised not to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk. And I've hired someone to cut the grass. (If it ever stops raining long enough!) And I've promised not to pick up a chainsaw until at least labor day.<br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-21272326159286691672021-06-22T09:18:00.003-05:002021-06-22T09:18:48.946-05:00Tomorrow Is Another Day<p> Tomorrow (Wednesday) is my scheduled right leg vascular surgery day. That's as opposed to my emergency surgery on my left leg back in June of 2019. Maybe. Should be okay. Probably.</p><p>The uncertainty arises from medical issues Terry is having. Last Wednesday, she was moving some boxes in the attic. Heavy boxes. Then on Thursday she was collecting the garbage (cat litter mostly) that was quite heavy, twisted the wrong way and felt something go in her lower back with pain radiating down her right leg. She couldn't walk. I finally got her to go to the primary care clinic in Mansfield on Thursday afternoon. They sent her to get x-rays at Troy. She called the pain management doctor on Friday but he said it was only 2-1/2 months since she last got a spinal and the insurance probably wouldn't cover it--but he'd try to talk them into it.<br /></p><p>Then all was silent on Saturday while Terry suffered. Then Sunday morning I took her over to the ER in Troy. They gave her a shot and some valium. Neither really worked for long. Monday the pain doc got her a steroid prescription and the promise of a shot on Tuesday the 29th (a day or so after the steroid pack is finished). </p><p>So Terry's not sure she could drive me to the hospital, hang around during surgery, see me afterwords, or do anything at all come tomorrow. And she's going to need someone to drive her too and from the pain doc's office on the 29th. Arrangements have been made to get me to the hospital, but what happens in the days after that vis-a-vis Terry's coming to visit, or pick me up, or see me moved to a rehab facility (as they did after the previous left leg by-pass), or getting her to the pain doc's is up in the air.</p><p>One day at a time. Step by step. <br /></p><p>Interesting times. <br /></p><p><br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-7589819740300191172021-06-10T20:46:00.001-05:002021-06-10T20:46:28.319-05:00...Try, Try Again.<p> Today was the make-up day for my meeting with the vascular team over at Robert Packer Hospital. As I mentioned in my last post, Dr. B cancelled at the very last minute last week so things got pushed to this morning. I arrived 15 minutes before my appointed time and then had to wait about 25 minutes to get seen by the nurse. This is unusual as the folks at Guthrie in general are usually spot on time--or have a damn good excuse for being late. I think today it was just volume as my appointment was for 11 am which i at the end of the morning crowd.</p><p>My vitals and other information were taken and then we got to see Dr. B and his Nurse Practitioner. The first thing Dr. B did was ask Terry all about her cruise to Puget Sound. (During the discussion he seemed to have forgot that he had scared me into staying home and sending Terry's sis as her plus-one. That was a decision that panned out when I had to visit the emergency room the day Terry left for the airport because of severe pain above my left knee.) </p><p>W eventually got around to talking about first my previously operated upon left leg--and Dr. B checked the pulse all up and down that by-pass thoroughly. Then we started to talk about the right leg. It was his opinion--and I concur--that a by-pass around the two large aneurysms would be better than waiting for an emergency to occur that could cost me the right leg...especially, he hinted, since the left leg was still in doubt. should BOTH go, I would have no leg to stand on. (I know, I know. My bad.)</p><p>I was sent down the hall to have the right leg's veins and arteries examined and mapped via ultrasound. Dr. B and I then discussed the when: June 23rd at 6:00 am.</p><p>The it was off to pre-admissions for an ECG, blood test, a meeting with the anesthesiologist, and a thorough pre-op procedure discussion: What meds I need to stop and when, what foods and liquids I will be permitted prior The Day, and what soap to use when showering the night before and then the morning before surgery. All the good stuff I missed out on the last time when I walked into the Troy ER with a dark, dark blue foot and one doctor pronounced, "It's dead!" and then at the Robert-Packer ER with a "Rush!" order pinned to my pant leg.<br /></p><p>We didn't get back to the parking lot until after 1:30 pm. We did get to have a fine meal over at The Grille. We also stopped at Bryan's Meats on the way home to pick up some nice steaks, American and Canadian bacon, breakfast sausages, and some award winning hot dogs. (The nurse said to eat plenty of protein because it helps in rapid healing!) So the day wasn't a total loss.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-43534633978842652092021-06-07T20:12:00.004-05:002021-06-07T20:12:49.085-05:00If At First....<p> Last Thursday I was supposed to meet with my vascular surgeon over at Robert Packer Hospital. We were to discuss the three (3) aneurysms I have behind my right knee. These compliment the two he had to by-pass in my left leg two years ago. The 2019 surgery was done on an emergency basis when I suddenly found no blood flowing to my left foot on Sunday morning. He and I agreed that not waiting until that happened again would be a "Good Thing."</p><p>Unfortunately, that meeting never happened. For some reason he was not going to be in the office on Thursday. Terry and I had just gotten into the truck to drive over, stopping at the end of the driveway to drop off our garbage, when I got a phone call from his scheduler informing me that Dr. B would not be in the office. She knew what our discussion was to be about and asked if I still wanted to come in to talk to the Physician's Assistant or if I would rather wait until next Thursday? Considering the gravity of the subject--and what I have been through since the last surgery, namely a serious infection and four (4) angioplasties-- I chose to wait a week to meet with Dr. B. It's not like I have a full schedule or anything.</p><p>Talk about timing, though! Another two minutes and I would have been on the road heading to the hospital. Sure, I would have still been able to answer the phone (Thank God for Bluetooth!) and would have turned around, but still....<br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12322908.post-21356032614496412942021-05-26T17:44:00.000-05:002021-05-26T17:44:22.001-05:00Flower Time<p> Summer time (right around the corner!) is flower time around the Aerie. While there are several flowering plants out in the woods (honeysuckle, cherry, wild crab apples, etc.) there are also some around the Aerie. Besides the lilacs and rhododendron that is.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj29GGKpSjZes5CJY6QpeYDEizBjTxtLRcJkbSl7fc2SnrT78XIkwF5lQ5YubTJA09QFrJzCUUhmMJRMK_RdbAaR13QbhqYGHsFfhi-60L3m3-aR-UzXZpR_v5-sghinoLNUo/s1240/01+Iris+DSCN3862_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1035" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj29GGKpSjZes5CJY6QpeYDEizBjTxtLRcJkbSl7fc2SnrT78XIkwF5lQ5YubTJA09QFrJzCUUhmMJRMK_RdbAaR13QbhqYGHsFfhi-60L3m3-aR-UzXZpR_v5-sghinoLNUo/s320/01+Iris+DSCN3862_edited-1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxIbCLTfJlv7fyvgIRlJaoD74QlfmVnhgMDsZ2ZqkhZmDh65PLi1kRtQu0kI4bbqJrWfTapWeXHwKWJkL8lwpzXPSEKVVe49YcbLU3RTl9FmfHhcDyTalcYcwp49PoiGs_0eI/s1240/02+Bleeding+Hearts+DSCN3850_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1059" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxIbCLTfJlv7fyvgIRlJaoD74QlfmVnhgMDsZ2ZqkhZmDh65PLi1kRtQu0kI4bbqJrWfTapWeXHwKWJkL8lwpzXPSEKVVe49YcbLU3RTl9FmfHhcDyTalcYcwp49PoiGs_0eI/s320/02+Bleeding+Hearts+DSCN3850_edited-1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOTdV4LBvbfDzBsX-TZev93n6cbHGmbC1SzFZ-_ox2d-ES8SZecG1_g_wT6VgXUfMY17-jZrjFyP0ysa_dzkfvV9FnLwxz5Jv1s_moL8GxMpRo0AFsD42KG8bdCIhPdBDhDie/s1240/03+Bedding+plants+DSCN3853_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="1240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOTdV4LBvbfDzBsX-TZev93n6cbHGmbC1SzFZ-_ox2d-ES8SZecG1_g_wT6VgXUfMY17-jZrjFyP0ysa_dzkfvV9FnLwxz5Jv1s_moL8GxMpRo0AFsD42KG8bdCIhPdBDhDie/s320/03+Bedding+plants+DSCN3853_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Did I not post the lilacs and rhodys?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZV0hxoSX4cH0nznglJPr8V5PAgc5mB5CSXtptvJERsCBt3s1P1Z0uiQmvP5B0qoOLTLmlnPOB9cHi5_uQy0zUQ4KmpEfa8uFG5CU_elJyxz1tliO-3lrdJ4n2X8wiFpMqi5-/s2048/IMG_4682+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZV0hxoSX4cH0nznglJPr8V5PAgc5mB5CSXtptvJERsCBt3s1P1Z0uiQmvP5B0qoOLTLmlnPOB9cHi5_uQy0zUQ4KmpEfa8uFG5CU_elJyxz1tliO-3lrdJ4n2X8wiFpMqi5-/s320/IMG_4682+%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7uPilgpsC9ApkBinSsj8pPEdV7FIUgH-6vil5QSrm-pgxLT4z_HWGv4DGGk5rWPYiu0UEfdYmLicTl4ubit_wyTXvwfY6-SlmgDmkeNep7u3a_eidqAYc1WIBQ8ibcT63mjd/s2048/IMG_4684.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7uPilgpsC9ApkBinSsj8pPEdV7FIUgH-6vil5QSrm-pgxLT4z_HWGv4DGGk5rWPYiu0UEfdYmLicTl4ubit_wyTXvwfY6-SlmgDmkeNep7u3a_eidqAYc1WIBQ8ibcT63mjd/s320/IMG_4684.HEIC" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The deer took the buds on the top of this bush.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>joatedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415726428637484056noreply@blogger.com0