In lieu of either discussing politics (This is the best either party has to offer? To me Senator Cruz is the only one who is sane, intelligent and steadfast in his beliefs and not bought and paid for by some outside interest. Democrats: Really? A septuagenarian socialist and a person who lies with every breath she takes?) and/or terrorism (Why can't the folks in the White House--or their friends in the main stream media--call it what it is?), let me stick with something a bit closer to home: Life at the Aerie:
******
Not so busy this week...so far.
As chief cook, Terry got off easy over the weekend. As I mentioned, there was plenty of opportunities to get out and eat for a good cause Saturday and Sunday. (And that was after she had her weekly Lenten Luncheon on Thursday and Simple Supper at Holy Child on Friday evening (basically soup and bread).)
Saturday morning we had pancakes at Miller's Maple Products. We also bought a couple of pints of syrup, some delicious pecan and maple syrup sauce, some "maple salt" (maple sugar, salt and pepper--use it sparingly on meat dishes), and some buttermilk pancake mix.
Saturday evening we had a chicken and biscuit dinner at the Mainesburg United Methodist Church. Where we got to see our former postmistress and schmooze with the young minister. (It's sort of odd that both this church and the United Methodist Church in Wellsboro both got new, young (I'd say 26-28 years of age) ministers over the summer. The one in Mainesbirg is Tim Parker while the one in Wellsboro is Rich Hanlon. Mr. Hanlon is an avid birder and has been participating in the Tiadaghton Audubon Society meetings and walks. I've also run into him a couple of times while out birding. Both are very nice, friendly guys.)
Sunday morning the Mansfield Fire Company had their monthly breakfast: eggs; bacon; pancakes; french toast; biscuits and gravy; muffins; juice; and coffee. And the Boy Scouts bus the tables. What's not to like!
******
So far the rest of the week has been pretty normal.
I spent Monday in the workshop knocking together a couple of wood bee traps to hand on the deck come warmer weather. Damn bees like burrowing into the logs and timbers. I've been using the long range wasp spray but the little buggers flit about like hummingbirds and a devilishly difficult to hit on the wing. Besides, I can't sit out on the porch all summer like Clint Eastwood with a shotgun yelling, "You bees get off my house!"
Tuesday I cut out the parts for two simple, basic birdhouses and put one of them together. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all these houses, but at least I'm getting rid of some of the wood scrap from when we built the Aerie back in '06 AND I'm get more confident in my use of the power tools I've been neglecting. Pretty soon I'll be back to some more serious projects.
After reading online about massive migrations of birds, I thought Wednesday would be a good day to go see. I did and found that if there was a big migration, they weren't landing here. Hills Creek and the Muck were pretty empty. Only a Pied-billed Grebe (FOTY) on the lake made the day worthwhile.
Terry's been doing her usual: stitching, cooking, go to Curves. Surprisingly she hasn't had any club meetings this week. Could be because it's the week leading up to Easter or it could just be a fluke. She does have church services, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Oh yeah, and Saturday she takes our Easter dinner to get blessed.
******
Shadow does not like getting pills. But she has become resigned to the fact. She's been sleeping on a loveseat in the basement and doesn't attempt to run away when I go get her at medicine time. Which, BTW, is twice a day. Not that she opens her mouth voluntarily. No, I still have to pry her jaws open while Terry uses the pill "gun" to get the pill as far back in her throat as possible.
Her appetite seems to have improved as well. We've been experimenting with various foods and found a few that are free of fish and dairy that she has scarfed down. She comes bouncing up the steps every couple of hours for her "special" kibble, too.
As for the scabs...they seem to be drying up and flaking off. I haven't seen any open sores for several days.
AND she has stopped vomiting both her stomach contents and hairballs.
******
Less than two weeks to Opening Day of Major League Baseball!
Let's Go Mets!
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Friday, March 18, 2016
This Week At the Aerie
SO....
Busy week with lots of doctor visits
Monday morning I went to the Guthrie Clinic in Mansfield as soon as they opened. While the doctor was at the hospital doing rounds, I did get to see the nurse practitioner who diagnosed my aching neck as an irritated nerve caused by muscular spasms. She prescribed Naproxen (500mg tablets) twice a day for the pain and Flexoril (10mg) once a day before bed for the muscle spasms. I started taking them that night and WOW! What a difference!
Tuesday I was pain free and I've remained that way all week. Of course, they have also allowed me to sleep very, very soundly.
******
I went birding a couple of times this week and added a new species or two each time. Despite the super spring weather, we're still waiting the big rush of migrants here in the Northern Tier of PA. We've had a few waterfowl show up but not the huge numbers we've seen in the past. If the warm weather holds, the next week or two should see a rush of species heading north for breeding purposes.
Even with a 600, lens, the birds always seem to be just t-h-a-t much too far away for a good shot.
******
Terry's turn for a steroid shot to her spine (L2, L3) occurred Friday morning. She has a couple of bulging discs (along with some stenosis) that have been creating pain in her hips and thighs. The pain management doctor thought cortisone injections might help alleviate the problem. We'll know in a day or two how that's working.
******
Small Town America
The township secretary called on Thursday to give us a heads up. They were sending out a crew to work on a culvert on our street and the road would be closed from around 8 AM until 1 PM. She (the secretary) knew we normally go down to get the mail and do some shopping on a daily basis so she wanted to let us know to plan on taking the long way around.
Well, because of Terry hospital procedure we were gone long before they came to shut the road down, but when we returned, we took her advice and drove the long way around only to discover that the culvert they were working on was the one running across the road right at the end of our driveway. We couldn't get in.
We parked in our top most driveway (we have three parcels of land and three driveways but only one--the blocked one--leads to the house) and walked down the hill.
Long story short, two of the work crew were also township supervisors. They had noticed we had a small drain pipe running across our driveway (not on town right of way) that was insufficient (6" cheap pipe), partially compressed and in need of replacement. They wanted to know if they could replace it with an 8 inch pipe, stone the driveway for me and generally do what I wanted to do for two years--for the price of the pipe. I said, "Go for it!" They then told me to pull my truck down and into the house and not to worry, they would be done before I had to take Shadow to the vets at 2:15. They did the work and were done by the promised time. I expect I'll get a bill in the mail, 'cause they didn't even come up to the door.
******
About Shadow...she's become something of a problem child. Not that she's fighting or anything like that, she's just moody, off her feed, vomiting, and full of scabs. Some of the vomiting is hairballs from licking the scabby areas, but some of it is from food.
She, too, went to see the doctor this week. (Her visit will end up being the most costly out of pocket. No insurance.) Shadow lost five (5) pounds since last April when she was 14+ pounds. She tipped the scales today at a svelte 9.4 pounds. That's not good.
The vet thinks she may have irritable bowel syndrome, or a food allergy. She prescribed some steroids (for the existing skin condition, another drug for the irritable bowel, and some B12 (because poor digestion leads to a lack of B12 intake). She also suggested we change her diet. No seafood, beef, egg, milk, cheese, wheat. Just poultry, rice and oats. She had some moist food (at $2.50 a can!) and some dry food (also very expensive) to get Shadow started on a healthy diet.
I was given a pill "gun" to get the medicine into the back of Shadow's throat and was shown how to give B12 injections. Shadow will probably need those B12 shots once a month for life. When all this stuff gets put into motion and runs for a couple of months, I think I'll just go get a veterinary license and treat cats.
******
This weekend is the Maple Weekend in Potter and Tioga counties. There will be demonstrations of tapping and boiling at the sugar house at Hills Creek State Park and a number of sugar houses will be opening their doors to the public for tours and samplings. Terry and I will be going out early because one of the places is offering all you can eat pancakes for $7.
Then later in the evening, the Mainesburg Methodist Church has a chicken and biscuit dinner. And Sunday morning the Mansfield Fire Company has it's monthly breakfast.
*Sigh*
Diet is what you eat.
There is some snow in the forecast for Sunday into Monday, but nearly all of it will be to the south and east of here. We may get a dusting. With any luck, these will be the last flakes we see this "winter." The forecast also calls for 70 degrees next Friday.
Busy week with lots of doctor visits
Monday morning I went to the Guthrie Clinic in Mansfield as soon as they opened. While the doctor was at the hospital doing rounds, I did get to see the nurse practitioner who diagnosed my aching neck as an irritated nerve caused by muscular spasms. She prescribed Naproxen (500mg tablets) twice a day for the pain and Flexoril (10mg) once a day before bed for the muscle spasms. I started taking them that night and WOW! What a difference!
Tuesday I was pain free and I've remained that way all week. Of course, they have also allowed me to sleep very, very soundly.
******
I went birding a couple of times this week and added a new species or two each time. Despite the super spring weather, we're still waiting the big rush of migrants here in the Northern Tier of PA. We've had a few waterfowl show up but not the huge numbers we've seen in the past. If the warm weather holds, the next week or two should see a rush of species heading north for breeding purposes.
 |
| Redhead pair on Tioga Lake |
 |
| Common Mergansers (2 males & 1 female) on Tioga Lake |
 |
| Green-winged Teal at The Muck (Wellsboro) |
 |
| Ring-necked Duck at The Muck |
 |
| Pair of Mallards at The Muck |
 |
| Pair of Wood Duck on an old beaver pond near Hills Creek SP |
******
Terry's turn for a steroid shot to her spine (L2, L3) occurred Friday morning. She has a couple of bulging discs (along with some stenosis) that have been creating pain in her hips and thighs. The pain management doctor thought cortisone injections might help alleviate the problem. We'll know in a day or two how that's working.
******
Small Town America
The township secretary called on Thursday to give us a heads up. They were sending out a crew to work on a culvert on our street and the road would be closed from around 8 AM until 1 PM. She (the secretary) knew we normally go down to get the mail and do some shopping on a daily basis so she wanted to let us know to plan on taking the long way around.
Well, because of Terry hospital procedure we were gone long before they came to shut the road down, but when we returned, we took her advice and drove the long way around only to discover that the culvert they were working on was the one running across the road right at the end of our driveway. We couldn't get in.
We parked in our top most driveway (we have three parcels of land and three driveways but only one--the blocked one--leads to the house) and walked down the hill.
Long story short, two of the work crew were also township supervisors. They had noticed we had a small drain pipe running across our driveway (not on town right of way) that was insufficient (6" cheap pipe), partially compressed and in need of replacement. They wanted to know if they could replace it with an 8 inch pipe, stone the driveway for me and generally do what I wanted to do for two years--for the price of the pipe. I said, "Go for it!" They then told me to pull my truck down and into the house and not to worry, they would be done before I had to take Shadow to the vets at 2:15. They did the work and were done by the promised time. I expect I'll get a bill in the mail, 'cause they didn't even come up to the door.
******
About Shadow...she's become something of a problem child. Not that she's fighting or anything like that, she's just moody, off her feed, vomiting, and full of scabs. Some of the vomiting is hairballs from licking the scabby areas, but some of it is from food.
She, too, went to see the doctor this week. (Her visit will end up being the most costly out of pocket. No insurance.) Shadow lost five (5) pounds since last April when she was 14+ pounds. She tipped the scales today at a svelte 9.4 pounds. That's not good.
The vet thinks she may have irritable bowel syndrome, or a food allergy. She prescribed some steroids (for the existing skin condition, another drug for the irritable bowel, and some B12 (because poor digestion leads to a lack of B12 intake). She also suggested we change her diet. No seafood, beef, egg, milk, cheese, wheat. Just poultry, rice and oats. She had some moist food (at $2.50 a can!) and some dry food (also very expensive) to get Shadow started on a healthy diet.
I was given a pill "gun" to get the medicine into the back of Shadow's throat and was shown how to give B12 injections. Shadow will probably need those B12 shots once a month for life. When all this stuff gets put into motion and runs for a couple of months, I think I'll just go get a veterinary license and treat cats.
******
This weekend is the Maple Weekend in Potter and Tioga counties. There will be demonstrations of tapping and boiling at the sugar house at Hills Creek State Park and a number of sugar houses will be opening their doors to the public for tours and samplings. Terry and I will be going out early because one of the places is offering all you can eat pancakes for $7.
Then later in the evening, the Mainesburg Methodist Church has a chicken and biscuit dinner. And Sunday morning the Mansfield Fire Company has it's monthly breakfast.
*Sigh*
Diet is what you eat.
There is some snow in the forecast for Sunday into Monday, but nearly all of it will be to the south and east of here. We may get a dusting. With any luck, these will be the last flakes we see this "winter." The forecast also calls for 70 degrees next Friday.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Ch-ch-ch-changes!
(And a lot of the same old-same-old.)
Spent last week doing a lot of nothing much.
The lawn got cut. The garden has been pretty much retired. (Though the zukes and tomatoes are still producing! In October!) I sorted out lots of stuff in the workshop and am (nearly) ready and able to do some woodworking. Even built a couple of extensions for the hooks that hold the stick bird feeders on the deck and a new tray feeder--although the latter will need some work. And I spent time watching the Mets vs the Dodgers, college football and pro football. Sunday morning I went up to Bath, NY for the Southern Tier Outdoor Show, Did some reading, too.
The Outdoor Show was nice. They had demonstrations of how to train a retriever for duck, goose and upland bird hunting. There were falconers there doing demonstrations of their craft. They had archery games (try skeet shooting with a bow and arrow) and a 3-D contest. There was a .22 rifle range and a hatchet throwing area. The kids had an obstacle course to play on as well as those other things. There were vendors of hunting and fishing equipment. And there was lots of food. I only stayed for maybe two hours but it was enjoyable. Much smaller than the one in February down in Harrisburg, of course--the Southern Tier show didn't have all the outfitters and many fewer vendors--but nice.
******
Monday I worked on winterizing the Vibe. That required draining the water system and pumping antifreeze into it. And, of course, that required purchasing a proper sized socket to remove the water heater's drain plug and that required a new socket wrench because the socket was a 1/2 inch drive and all my wrenches were 3/8 inch. And I got soaked because I failed to drain the water through the outdoor shower (clearly labeled "low drain point") before I pulled the plug and some six gallons of pressurized water came shooting out. A one hour job took me closer to four, but I got 'er done!
******
Terry spent a few days down in Valley Forge for an EGA regional convention. She left here on Thursday for a couple of days of business meetings--she's a regional rep--and then enjoyed some classes. She got to see many of her far-flung friends from around the country and came back late Sunday.
She spent Monday over at the hospital in the dermatology ward having a couple of questionable moles on her back removed. She says the doctor didn't seem to be too concerned but a biopsy was ordered as it's standard. She's got a few stitches for each that will have to come out when she's on the road down to San Antonio (SAGA convention) in a week and a half.
******
Weather has been pretty great with nice cool nights and warm sunny days with highs only getting to the mid 60s. The leaves have hit about 90% color so the hills are beautiful. Only problem has been some real breezy days that have knocked some of those leaves to the ground. It's supposed to be getting even cooler the rest of this week and there's a slight chance of some frost. At least it's not snow.
******
Even though the knees and back are feeling fine--only moderate pain--I've been a slacker with regards to hunting. Haven't even lifted the bow to check the sights let alone gone out in the woods. Don't feel that I'm missing much as I've seen only a couple of does in the yard in the last two weeks. There's still time, however. AND muzzelloader season starts on Saturday.
The lawn got cut. The garden has been pretty much retired. (Though the zukes and tomatoes are still producing! In October!) I sorted out lots of stuff in the workshop and am (nearly) ready and able to do some woodworking. Even built a couple of extensions for the hooks that hold the stick bird feeders on the deck and a new tray feeder--although the latter will need some work. And I spent time watching the Mets vs the Dodgers, college football and pro football. Sunday morning I went up to Bath, NY for the Southern Tier Outdoor Show, Did some reading, too.
The Outdoor Show was nice. They had demonstrations of how to train a retriever for duck, goose and upland bird hunting. There were falconers there doing demonstrations of their craft. They had archery games (try skeet shooting with a bow and arrow) and a 3-D contest. There was a .22 rifle range and a hatchet throwing area. The kids had an obstacle course to play on as well as those other things. There were vendors of hunting and fishing equipment. And there was lots of food. I only stayed for maybe two hours but it was enjoyable. Much smaller than the one in February down in Harrisburg, of course--the Southern Tier show didn't have all the outfitters and many fewer vendors--but nice.
******
Monday I worked on winterizing the Vibe. That required draining the water system and pumping antifreeze into it. And, of course, that required purchasing a proper sized socket to remove the water heater's drain plug and that required a new socket wrench because the socket was a 1/2 inch drive and all my wrenches were 3/8 inch. And I got soaked because I failed to drain the water through the outdoor shower (clearly labeled "low drain point") before I pulled the plug and some six gallons of pressurized water came shooting out. A one hour job took me closer to four, but I got 'er done!
******
Terry spent a few days down in Valley Forge for an EGA regional convention. She left here on Thursday for a couple of days of business meetings--she's a regional rep--and then enjoyed some classes. She got to see many of her far-flung friends from around the country and came back late Sunday.
She spent Monday over at the hospital in the dermatology ward having a couple of questionable moles on her back removed. She says the doctor didn't seem to be too concerned but a biopsy was ordered as it's standard. She's got a few stitches for each that will have to come out when she's on the road down to San Antonio (SAGA convention) in a week and a half.
******
Weather has been pretty great with nice cool nights and warm sunny days with highs only getting to the mid 60s. The leaves have hit about 90% color so the hills are beautiful. Only problem has been some real breezy days that have knocked some of those leaves to the ground. It's supposed to be getting even cooler the rest of this week and there's a slight chance of some frost. At least it's not snow.
******
Even though the knees and back are feeling fine--only moderate pain--I've been a slacker with regards to hunting. Haven't even lifted the bow to check the sights let alone gone out in the woods. Don't feel that I'm missing much as I've seen only a couple of does in the yard in the last two weeks. There's still time, however. AND muzzelloader season starts on Saturday.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Good News, Bad News (again)
Got a phone call last week from Adam K. Seems he didn't forget about the conversation we had back last November.December about pressure washing and staining the Aerie this year. (I did ask his brother, sister-in-law and several nieces to remind him when they were cat sitting early in the summer.) He's been busier than a one armed paper hanger but finally had an open week where the weather looked perfect.
So Adam came out Monday with his ladders and pressure washer. While he cleaned the logs and deck, I drove over to Beaver Mountain in Deposit, NY to pick up two five gallon containers of stain. That took me the better part of the afternoon as it's about 120 miles one way. When I got back, Adam was just wrapping up the gable end of the garage.
******
Tuesday Adam started in on the staining while I went south to Cabela's in Hamburg, PA with Joe. This was a long ago planned outing to pick up some fishing equipment to replace broken/lost stuff. I picked Joe up at his home outside of Jersey Shore, PA and we eventually got to Cabela's around 11 AM. (It's a l-o-n-g ride--about 180 miles one way when I stop at Joe's.) We shopped for about two hours and got nearly everything we wanted although I was disappointed in not finding the handgun I was looking for (Springfield XD Mod.2). Not too surprising as it's a new release and hasn't hit all the stores yet.
When I got back to the Aerie around 5 PM, Adam had finsished staining the south side of the house and the bedroom dormer.
******
Wednesday I had a doctor's appointment over at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, PA. I was to have a CT scan of my lumbar spine and then meet with a new neurologist. (The doctor who did my surgery in January has moved on to greener(?) pastures. Dr. Reichert and her PA Tim Rogers were very thorough, friendly and informative. I'm almost sorry this may be the last time I see them as the CT scan showed the screws inserted in my lumbar spine were stable and holding their own. There's new bone growth that's typical of a fusion surgery and everything is progressing well. THe small amount of tingling I still have in my right leg is normal and all I need to do is get more exercise to strengthen the thigh muscles. I was given a clean bill of health (from them and as regards the spine) and told I wouldn't have to return.
Terry had I then went over to Horseheads, NY to visit the Verizon store. I am experiencing swift battery power loss in my iPhone 5 (from 100% to 30% overnight) and wanted some answers. (In contrast, Terry may lose 5-10% of her power in the same time despite getting many more emails.) Instead of answers, we walked out having ordered new iPhone 6ses. Mine will get here around the 25th while Terry, who opted for the new rose color scheme, will get her's on the 30th. We also got new plans that are better suited to our usage.
We then Stopped at the Field & Stream store to pick up a couple things Joe and I couldn't find at Cabela's. I had a $25 F&S cash coupon burning a hole in my pocket that I got from purchasing a Henry Golden Boy (in .22LR) last week. We burned through that $25 coupon like a gas soaked rag as I picked up two boxes of .22 ammo, two boxes of Lightfield slugs, a couple of little stuffed toys, and several packs of the rubber skirts I was looking for...although they weren't the red and white that I really wanted. Those rubber skirts go on the Johnson weedless spoons Joe and I got at Cabela's who also did not have the red and white skirts. We're looking for something that's about 50-50 red and white but all I could find was about 10-90 red and white. Maybe they discovered that just a little red worked better than more? Whatever.
When we got home after putting another 180 miles on the Tundra, Adam had finished the north side and the west side of the house. All he has left is the gable end of the garage and the north side of the garage.
******
Got the checks from the closing on the Bolt Hole yesterday and were sorely disappointed on several levels:
[UPDATE: Our bank accepted the check with the misspelled name, all we had to do was sign it the way it was made out and then with our "real" names. I guess it's now up to the attorney's bank to accept it.]
Adam should finish staining the house today. Then it will be time for the deck. He's leaving Friday night for a week in Peru so, should he not complete the deck, I'll probably be charged with doing that this weekend or so if the weather holds. There's no guarantee that it will be good when he returns and I've got the doctor's word that I'm healing well and in need of exercises that will strengthen my thigh muscles. Going up and down a ladder (necessary to do the rim joists and rails on the outside of the deck) should do the trick.
******
Today's my birthday!
Last week I bought the Henry rifle, then it was fishing lures and line, and today I bought a new gas grill. Of course, Terry will be the one using it most as she does 99% of the cooking when she's home. She said it was like "buying me [Terry] a vacuum cleaner for my birthday."
So Adam came out Monday with his ladders and pressure washer. While he cleaned the logs and deck, I drove over to Beaver Mountain in Deposit, NY to pick up two five gallon containers of stain. That took me the better part of the afternoon as it's about 120 miles one way. When I got back, Adam was just wrapping up the gable end of the garage.
******
Tuesday Adam started in on the staining while I went south to Cabela's in Hamburg, PA with Joe. This was a long ago planned outing to pick up some fishing equipment to replace broken/lost stuff. I picked Joe up at his home outside of Jersey Shore, PA and we eventually got to Cabela's around 11 AM. (It's a l-o-n-g ride--about 180 miles one way when I stop at Joe's.) We shopped for about two hours and got nearly everything we wanted although I was disappointed in not finding the handgun I was looking for (Springfield XD Mod.2). Not too surprising as it's a new release and hasn't hit all the stores yet.
When I got back to the Aerie around 5 PM, Adam had finsished staining the south side of the house and the bedroom dormer.
******
Wednesday I had a doctor's appointment over at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, PA. I was to have a CT scan of my lumbar spine and then meet with a new neurologist. (The doctor who did my surgery in January has moved on to greener(?) pastures. Dr. Reichert and her PA Tim Rogers were very thorough, friendly and informative. I'm almost sorry this may be the last time I see them as the CT scan showed the screws inserted in my lumbar spine were stable and holding their own. There's new bone growth that's typical of a fusion surgery and everything is progressing well. THe small amount of tingling I still have in my right leg is normal and all I need to do is get more exercise to strengthen the thigh muscles. I was given a clean bill of health (from them and as regards the spine) and told I wouldn't have to return.
Terry had I then went over to Horseheads, NY to visit the Verizon store. I am experiencing swift battery power loss in my iPhone 5 (from 100% to 30% overnight) and wanted some answers. (In contrast, Terry may lose 5-10% of her power in the same time despite getting many more emails.) Instead of answers, we walked out having ordered new iPhone 6ses. Mine will get here around the 25th while Terry, who opted for the new rose color scheme, will get her's on the 30th. We also got new plans that are better suited to our usage.
We then Stopped at the Field & Stream store to pick up a couple things Joe and I couldn't find at Cabela's. I had a $25 F&S cash coupon burning a hole in my pocket that I got from purchasing a Henry Golden Boy (in .22LR) last week. We burned through that $25 coupon like a gas soaked rag as I picked up two boxes of .22 ammo, two boxes of Lightfield slugs, a couple of little stuffed toys, and several packs of the rubber skirts I was looking for...although they weren't the red and white that I really wanted. Those rubber skirts go on the Johnson weedless spoons Joe and I got at Cabela's who also did not have the red and white skirts. We're looking for something that's about 50-50 red and white but all I could find was about 10-90 red and white. Maybe they discovered that just a little red worked better than more? Whatever.
When we got home after putting another 180 miles on the Tundra, Adam had finished the north side and the west side of the house. All he has left is the gable end of the garage and the north side of the garage.
******
Got the checks from the closing on the Bolt Hole yesterday and were sorely disappointed on several levels:
- They forgot to collect the $700 for the furniture we left behind despite our having reminded the attorney's office several times and being assured that there would be a note made.
- They spelled our last name incorrectly on the check. (They used a "V" instead of a "B" in our last name. Lots of people make that mistake but considering they had our name spelled correctly on a dozen or more pieces of paper...well, that's inexcusable.)
[UPDATE: Our bank accepted the check with the misspelled name, all we had to do was sign it the way it was made out and then with our "real" names. I guess it's now up to the attorney's bank to accept it.]
Adam should finish staining the house today. Then it will be time for the deck. He's leaving Friday night for a week in Peru so, should he not complete the deck, I'll probably be charged with doing that this weekend or so if the weather holds. There's no guarantee that it will be good when he returns and I've got the doctor's word that I'm healing well and in need of exercises that will strengthen my thigh muscles. Going up and down a ladder (necessary to do the rim joists and rails on the outside of the deck) should do the trick.
******
Today's my birthday!
Last week I bought the Henry rifle, then it was fishing lures and line, and today I bought a new gas grill. Of course, Terry will be the one using it most as she does 99% of the cooking when she's home. She said it was like "buying me [Terry] a vacuum cleaner for my birthday."
Monday, May 25, 2015
Time Flies!
It's been ten (10) days since I last posted here? Seems like only yesterday! I'm still alive and haven't had to go to the hospital or anything like that, I've just been a bit busy
.
******
Terry had a great time out in Portland, OR visiting with Rick, Sandy and, of course little Chelsea Rose who turned one month on the 20th on May.
Every time I see a new picture of her, she seems to be getting bigger and bigger.
******
I made a trip up to the Bolt Hole and was pleased to find it still standing. I hauled a gas lawn mower that once belonged to Terry's Mom up there in case the lawn needed mowing, but I lucked out this time. The grass hadn't really started to grow yet.
I did get a chance to talk to Mark and learned there was a great deal of activity up there last hunting season but that there were still several big bucks and bears hanging around.
I believe I'll have to go back up there this week to do a first cut on the lawn. I'll drag Terry up so she can help decide what can be chucked and what has to be cleaned. We'll probably put the place up for sale soon. I'm just not getting up there enough to justify the payment of taxes and upkeep.
******
Terry and I came to a mutual agreement (as in we were both thinking the same thing at the same time even though we were separated by a few thousand miles) vis-a-vis the Winnebago Access that's been parked in the yard for way too long. We decided to go back to a travel trailer.
After nearly three years of owning the Access we came to realize it wasn't as flexible as we would have liked. Part of that had to do with the need to tow a second motor vehicle along if we intended to do any sightseeing. So, we drove north and visited Camping World in Bath to see what they had in
stock last Friday. And I spent a goodly portion of Saturday and Sunday
searching their website and comparing models from Heartland, Coleman,
Keystone, Forest River and Crossroads.
There were quite a few to chose from but most had features we didn't want (bunk beds for extra campers) or were lacking in storage space in the galley or living quarters.We winnowed them down and prioritized them. Then we went back today to take another look and ended up closing the deal on a 31-foot long Forest River Vibe Extreme Lite (model 279RBS).
The kitchen has plenty of counter space, an oven that may actually be able to do a roast and a huge pantry. The bathroom does not require that you grease up before you enter and contains a big wardrobe. There's storage under the dinette area's bench seats (Why some Heartland Prowler models had regular table and chairs I do not know.) and even under the couch. It has an outdoor kitchen area with a sink, fridge and grill. It's also got a 32" flat screen TV and a DVD player. (We may actually be able to operate this one. The one in the Access never got turned on after the second night of trying to figure it out.)
The only thing missing is outside storage for things like hoses and extension cords. That's why I have a Tundra. Oh, and Terry would have liked the Prowler with its two captains chairs IF they didn't have that silly dining table and four chairs.
We drop off the Winnie Access this week and pick up the Vibe on July 3rd. A brief shake down in a local park to be sure we (meaning "I") know what I'm doing and then we'll be heading west to see that lovely little girl in the photo above.
******
In other news, the bear sow and her three cubs have been back. Several times. She tore one hummingbird feeder off the deck and cracked the plastic so now no one gets anything. I may have to start strapping on my .40 S&W M&P when I go outside. (Or make sure Terry goes out first, eh?)
******
In a reversal of fortune, Terry has been suffering from a degerative disc disease that has been giving her fits--especially in the right arm. The doc says it originates in the neck area where there compressed discs. She's on Naproxen (industrial strength) and it helps...a little.
******
We had an eventful week at the Aerie in the bird department, too. The Indigo Bunting has returned and sings from the top of the poplars with the Red-eyed Vireo. (At least I can see the Bunting!) I had a Scarlet Tanager fly through the yard one day and Terry and I heard a strange "po, po, po" call which made me think immediately of Cuckoo. Sure enough All About Birds confirmed that we were listening to a Black-billed Cuckoo. Then, there were the Bobolinks in the fields down near the post office.
Then, on Saturday, I recorded 39 species at Hills Creek State Park. Nothing particularly new or exciting except for the Black-billed Cuckoo.
******
Well, that's about it for now. Terry's got a couple of appointments on Tuesday then we'll drop the Winnie off Wednesday or Thursday. We've got to get up to the Bolt later in the week so I can cut some crass and maybe pull some weeds while Terry sorts out things in the cabin.
This upcoming Saturday is the last guided bird walk of the season. I'll finish with the list of species I generated on the 23 of May:
Hills Creek SP, Tioga, US-PA
May 23, 2015 7:45 AM - 10:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Comments: Crisp, cool morning with lots of sunshine.
39 species
Canada Goose X
Wood Duck X
Mallard X
Double-crested Cormorant X
Bald Eagle X
Spotted Sandpiper X
Black-billed Cuckoo X
Ruby-throated Hummingbird X
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker X
Hairy Woodpecker X
Pileated Woodpecker X
Eastern Phoebe X
Red-eyed Vireo X
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Tree Swallow X
Barn Swallow X
Black-capped Chickadee X
Tufted Titmouse X
Red-breasted Nuthatch X
White-breasted Nuthatch X
House Wren X
Eastern Bluebird X
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
European Starling X
Common Yellowthroat X
Yellow Warbler X
Chestnut-sided Warbler X
Black-throated Green Warbler X
Chipping Sparrow X
Song Sparrow X
Dark-eyed Junco X
Northern Cardinal X
Indigo Bunting X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Brown-headed Cowbird X
Baltimore Oriole X
Purple Finch X
View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23591453
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
.******
Terry had a great time out in Portland, OR visiting with Rick, Sandy and, of course little Chelsea Rose who turned one month on the 20th on May.
 |
| Chelsea Rose, age 1 month |
Every time I see a new picture of her, she seems to be getting bigger and bigger.
******
I made a trip up to the Bolt Hole and was pleased to find it still standing. I hauled a gas lawn mower that once belonged to Terry's Mom up there in case the lawn needed mowing, but I lucked out this time. The grass hadn't really started
to grow yet.I did get a chance to talk to Mark and learned there was a great deal of activity
up there last hunting season but that there were still several big bucks and bears hanging around.I believe I'll have to go back up there this week to do a first cut on the lawn. I'll drag Terry up so she can help decide what can be chucked and what has to be cleaned. We'll probably put the place up for sale soon. I'm just not getting up there enough to justify the payment
of taxes and upkeep.******
Terry and I came to a mutual agreement (as in we were both thinking the same thing at the same time even though we were separated by a few thousand miles) vis-a-vis the Winnebago Access that's been parked in the yard for way too long. We decided to go back
to a travel trailer. After nearly three years of owning the Access we came to realize it wasn't as flexible as we would have liked. Part of that had to do with the need to tow a second motor vehicle
along if we intended to do any sightseeing. So, we drove north and visited Camping World in Bath to see what they had in
stock last Friday. And I spent a goodly portion of Saturday and Sunday
searching their website and comparing models from Heartland, Coleman,
Keystone, Forest River and Crossroads.There were quite a few to chose from but most had features we didn't want (bunk beds for extra campers) or were lacking in storage space in the galley or living quarters.We winnowed them down and prioritized them. Then we went back today to take another look and ended up closing
the deal on a 31-foot long Forest River Vibe Extreme Lite (model 279RBS). |
| Forest River Vibe Model 279RBS |
The kitchen has plenty of counter space, an oven that may actually be able to do a roast and a huge pantry. The bathroom does not require that you grease up before you enter
and contains a big wardrobe. There's storage under the dinette area's bench seats (Why some Heartland Prowler models had regular table and chairs I do not know.) and even under the couch. It has an outdoor kitchen area with a sink, fridge and grill. It's also got a 32" flat screen TV and a DVD player. (We may actually be able to operate this one. The one in the Access never got turned on after the second night of trying to figure it out.)The only thing missing is outside storage for things like hoses and extension cords. That's why I have a Tundra. Oh, and Terry would have liked the Prowler with its two captains chairs IF they didn't have that silly dining table and four chairs.
We drop off the Winnie Access this week and pick up the Vibe on July 3rd. A brief shake down in a local park to be sure we (meaning "I") know what I'm doing and then we'll be heading west to see that lovely little girl in the photo above.
******
In other news, the bear sow and her three cubs have been back. Several times. She tore one hummingbird feeder off the deck and cracked the plastic so now no one gets anything. I may have to start strapping on my .40 S&W M&P when I go outside. (Or make sure Terry goes out first, eh?)
******
In a reversal of fortune, Terry has been suffering from a degerative disc disease that has been giving her fits--especially in the right arm. The doc says it originates in the neck area where there compressed discs. She's on Naproxen (industrial strength) and it helps...a little.
******
We had an eventful week at the Aerie in the bird department, too. The Indigo Bunting has returned and sings from the top of the poplars with the Red-eyed Vireo. (At least I can see the Bunting!) I had a Scarlet Tanager fly through the yard one day and Terry and I heard a strange "po, po, po" call which made me think immediately of Cuckoo. Sure enough All About Birds confirmed that we were listening to a Black-billed Cuckoo. Then, there were the Bobolinks in the fields down near the post office.
Then, on Saturday, I recorded 39 species at Hills Creek State Park. Nothing particularly new or exciting except for the Black-billed Cuckoo.
******
Well, that's about it for now. Terry's got a couple of appointments on Tuesday then we'll drop the Winnie off Wednesday or Thursday. We've got to get up to the Bolt later in the week so I can cut some crass and maybe pull some weeds while Terry sorts out things in the cabin.
This upcoming Saturday is the last guided bird walk of the season. I'll finish with the list of species I generated on the 23 of May:
Hills Creek SP, Tioga, US-PA
May 23, 2015 7:45 AM - 10:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Comments: Crisp, cool morning with lots of sunshine.
39 species
Canada Goose X
Wood Duck X
Mallard X
Double-crested Cormorant X
Bald Eagle X
Spotted Sandpiper X
Black-billed Cuckoo X
Ruby-throated Hummingbird X
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker X
Hairy Woodpecker X
Pileated Woodpecker X
Eastern Phoebe X
Red-eyed Vireo X
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Tree Swallow X
Barn Swallow X
Black-capped Chickadee X
Tufted Titmouse X
Red-breasted Nuthatch X
White-breasted Nuthatch X
House Wren X
Eastern Bluebird X
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
European Starling X
Common Yellowthroat X
Yellow Warbler X
Chestnut-sided Warbler X
Black-throated Green Warbler X
Chipping Sparrow X
Song Sparrow X
Dark-eyed Junco X
Northern Cardinal X
Indigo Bunting X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Brown-headed Cowbird X
Baltimore Oriole X
Purple Finch X
View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23591453
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
Friday, May 15, 2015
Life in the Country
The road running past the Aerie got regraded today. They needed to do something about the deep ruts and washboarding the forced a truck into the ditch last week after a light shower turned the clay into one slippery mess. That truck, by the way, sat in the ditch for nearly an hour awaiting the arrival of a tow truck to haul it out.
They first sent the road grader, with it's big front-end claws and belly plow up and down the road to loosen and roughly level the road. That was followed by a tractor towing a rake to make things even more level. Finally a steam roller went up and down, down and up to pack the dirt road into a hard(er) surface.
The final product is a relatively smooth ride but dusty as hell. The showers forecast for tonight might get rid of some of the dust temporarily but, hey! it's a dirt road! The dust will be with us again as soon as it dries and until the snow covers it in...October? November?
******
In other news, removing the bird feeders for a couple of days has seemed to have worked vis-a-vis bear visitors. Haven't seen Momma and her three cubs for several days.
******
The amoxicillin seems to have knocked out the infection that inflamed my throat. Things are back to normal in the swallowing/talking department.
******
It's amazing what a couple of stays in the hospital (back surgery in January, kidney stone in April) and a severe sore throat can do to your weight. I was around 220 in the beginning of the year. Now I'm tipping the scale at around 200. With Terry cooking for Rick and Sandy in Portland, OR, I might even get below that. (I tend to eat less when she's not around. Not healthier, just less. Like two simple meals a day instead of three.)
They first sent the road grader, with it's big front-end claws and belly plow up and down the road to loosen and roughly level the road. That was followed by a tractor towing a rake to make things even more level. Finally a steam roller went up and down, down and up to pack the dirt road into a hard(er) surface.
The final product is a relatively smooth ride but dusty as hell. The showers forecast for tonight might get rid of some of the dust temporarily but, hey! it's a dirt road! The dust will be with us again as soon as it dries and until the snow covers it in...October? November?
******
In other news, removing the bird feeders for a couple of days has seemed to have worked vis-a-vis bear visitors. Haven't seen Momma and her three cubs for several days.
******
The amoxicillin seems to have knocked out the infection that inflamed my throat. Things are back to normal in the swallowing/talking department.
******
It's amazing what a couple of stays in the hospital (back surgery in January, kidney stone in April) and a severe sore throat can do to your weight. I was around 220 in the beginning of the year. Now I'm tipping the scale at around 200. With Terry cooking for Rick and Sandy in Portland, OR, I might even get below that. (I tend to eat less when she's not around. Not healthier, just less. Like two simple meals a day instead of three.)
Friday, April 17, 2015
April...You Can Keep It!
A couple of most interesting weeks.
I would have been posting about my 12th week post back surgery, but other issues have arisen that have placed recovery from that operation on the back burner. So I'm going to halt those reports for the latest news.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I broke out in a fever
and chills on Tuesday, April 7th. The chills stopped and the fever
subsided somewhat on Wednesday into Thursday morning. They both returned
Thursday afternoon along with some pain in my right back/side. I thought the
pain was muscular. I was to be proven wrong.
I broke out in night sweats on Friday and again Saturday
with my temperature spiking around 103.5 degrees. Idiot that I am, I insisted
in trying to tough it out until Monday morning when I could go to the walk-in
clinic in Mansfield. Someone had other plans, however.
Sunday morning just as Terry returned from Church, I
virtually collapsed being unable to breath or even take more than two or three
steps without gasping for breath. Terry fired up the Jeep and hauled my ass
over to Troy Community Hospital’s ER. By the time we arrived (about a 15 mile
drive) my breathing had returned to normal but the fever and pain were letting
themselves take control.
A quick examination in ER and a CATscan proved I was suffering
from both a urinary bladder infection and a 5mm kidney stone that was wedged in
my ureter (the tube from the kidney to the bladder). I was assigned a room and
begun on a regimen of IV antibiotics, painkillers, and fluids—lots of fluids.
I would stay in Troy Community Hospital for only a couple of
days before they sent me over to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre. (It’s where I
had my back surgery in January.) Troy doesn’t have a urologist on staff nor
does it have an OR with the facilities of Robert Packer. I arrived at RP late
on Tuesday afternoon, was allowed one final meal before being shut down at midnight
so I could go into the OR on Wednesday to have the stone removed and a stent
placed in the ureter. Only the IV fluids, antibiotics and painkillers were
allowed after the witching hour.
Being low man on the totem pole (i.e. having a non-life
threatening condition and being a nonscheduled, last minute addition to the
roster) I waited all day with nothing but the IV drips going for the call which
finally arrived around 3:30 PM. Even that was a perfunctory, “They’re calling
for you in the OR.” Since I hadn’t had a meeting with the surgeon, and had
never met the guy before, I said, “Hang on a minute! I need to see this guy
first and talk about what the heck he’s going to do before I go under.” So I
had to wait a bit longer for him to show up and introduce himself and explain
the procedure and implications.
Eventually I did get to see him and agreed to proceed. I got
wheeled down to the OR, met the anesthesiologist and the rest of the crew, had
the stone removed and the stent inserted. Then back to my room and a nice slice
of pizza and fruit smoothie that Terry picked up at the cafeteria for me.
The next morning, Thursday, I got some more IV antibiotics
and pain killers before getting the okay to go home.
And that’s where things stand now. The back pain I had been
suffering has been replaced by some discomfort when I urinate in both the
kidney and bladder but that should go away when the stent is removed on the 28th.
I hope. Then I can get back to recovering from the back surgery. I hope. Meanwhile, some oral antibiotics and pain
killers have been prescribed. The fat lady hasn’t sung yet, but her appearance
has been booked.
I have to say that while there was an awful lot of
hurry-up-and-wait involved at both Troy Community and Robert Packer, the people
themselves were extremely pleasant to deal with. I think the nurses were happy
enough to deal with me as well. I was pretty much independent (except for the
damn IV stand that went wherever I needed to go) and demanded little in the way
of care (except when the IV bags were empty and needed replacement).
Sandwiched in all this were four (4!) bouts of auto
problems. The Tundra got its windshield replaced and is awaiting parts for a
repair (secondary air pump?) as is the Aveo. The Jeep dealer had all the parts
needed to fix a sensor and cracked ring. None of the problems rendered the
vehicles inoperable, which was good, but needed/need to get repaired. They were
all the result of either being stored for the winter (Aveo), inactive for a
long period of time (Tundra had to sit while I recovered from back surgery) or
dealing with the usual early mud season where the road might be a quagmire one
day and frozen into a rutted mess the next morning.
And the cats all had to go to the vet for their booster
shots and exams. I did two on my own and then Terry had the privilege of doing
two by herself while I was in hospital. She got the easy ones (Chester and
Julie).
I think I would like a do-over on April 2015. Except for the Mets. They can keep on doing what they are doing. (Currently 7-3, 1st in the NL East.) But, please get some folks healthy ASAP.
Oh yeah, almost forgot: I’m waiting to become a grandfather
as Rick and Sandy will be delivering Chelsea Rose some time in the week ahead.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Oh Crud.
Tomorrow is our first bird walk at Hills Creek State Park. The ice is out, the rain of the last two days has abated and it may even be a nice day.
Alas, that achy, feverish, shivery, thingy that swept through my system on Tuesday afternoon/night, seems to have made a return visit. Along with it's friends mucus and congestion. All that's lacking is the shivering.
As much as I would like to get out there and do some birding with the gang, if I wake up tomorrow morning at 6 AM feeling as I do now at 8:20 PM, I may just push Terry out of bed to feed the cats, roll over and go back to sleep.
Alas, that achy, feverish, shivery, thingy that swept through my system on Tuesday afternoon/night, seems to have made a return visit. Along with it's friends mucus and congestion. All that's lacking is the shivering.
As much as I would like to get out there and do some birding with the gang, if I wake up tomorrow morning at 6 AM feeling as I do now at 8:20 PM, I may just push Terry out of bed to feed the cats, roll over and go back to sleep.
Wednesday, April 08, 2015
Week Eleven...
...of my recovery and it's been an interesting one. Things have happened. Luckily those things have little to do with my recovery which is going pretty well, actually.
Last Thursday when I was coming back from birding a truck heading the other way on Route 6 kicked up a stone of which I became aware when it smacked into my windshield--right on the edge of the windshield, right over the passenger's seat. Unlike the stone that hit the windshield back in 2010 and left a nickel-sized bullseye about two inches in from the left edge, this one left three straight line cracks which, if I remember correctly would have just continued to spread as the temperatures warmed up.
I called the insurance company and then made an appointment with Safelite to get the windshield replaced. Problem solved. They did the work on Tuesday afternoon. It took them a little over an hour.
Tuesday. PT in the morning and then over to Wellsboro to have the windshield replaced while Terry and I went to Timeless Destinations for lunch--which was delicious, by the way, despite the sudden onset of something that had me shivering uncontrollably even after a couple of cups of hot tea and a bowl of soup. And I ached all over. When I got home, I went right to bed and threw a second cover over myself. I eventually stopped shaking and started to sweat. I stayed in bed all afternoon and all night and by Wednesday morning I felt better. Still ached in muscle and joint, but it was better. By noon I had finished my rehab exercises and the aches had faded to the background.I've no idea what hit me, but I'm very happy it didn't last long.
Thursday I have PT again. Then I have to take the Tundra in to have its engine checked. It told me it needed this service on Tuesday morning when that damn dashboard light did not go off after starting turning the key.
Oh, and we got word that we owe about 9K in taxes--almost all of it federal, which didn't surprise me. I'd rather have to pay than have to try and get MY money back.
Last Thursday when I was coming back from birding a truck heading the other way on Route 6 kicked up a stone of which I became aware when it smacked into my windshield--right on the edge of the windshield, right over the passenger's seat. Unlike the stone that hit the windshield back in 2010 and left a nickel-sized bullseye about two inches in from the left edge, this one left three straight line cracks which, if I remember correctly would have just continued to spread as the temperatures warmed up.
I called the insurance company and then made an appointment with Safelite to get the windshield replaced. Problem solved. They did the work on Tuesday afternoon. It took them a little over an hour.
Tuesday. PT in the morning and then over to Wellsboro to have the windshield replaced while Terry and I went to Timeless Destinations for lunch--which was delicious, by the way, despite the sudden onset of something that had me shivering uncontrollably even after a couple of cups of hot tea and a bowl of soup. And I ached all over. When I got home, I went right to bed and threw a second cover over myself. I eventually stopped shaking and started to sweat. I stayed in bed all afternoon and all night and by Wednesday morning I felt better. Still ached in muscle and joint, but it was better. By noon I had finished my rehab exercises and the aches had faded to the background.I've no idea what hit me, but I'm very happy it didn't last long.
Thursday I have PT again. Then I have to take the Tundra in to have its engine checked. It told me it needed this service on Tuesday morning when that damn dashboard light did not go off after starting turning the key.
Oh, and we got word that we owe about 9K in taxes--almost all of it federal, which didn't surprise me. I'd rather have to pay than have to try and get MY money back.
Thursday, April 02, 2015
Ten Weeks...and I Went Birding!
And I'm making progress...I think. It's sometimes difficult to tell when you ache so much after/during PT. I'm getting lots of stretching exercises that are supposed to improve my flexibility and stretch out the nerves at the same time. I have found it's getting easier to put my socks on but more difficult to get out of bed in the morning...or off the table after I've done my exercises.
******
Anyway.... We finally got a really nice couple of days. After getting rid of almost all our snow on Monday, we got two inches of heavy white stuff on Tuesday afternoon. I actually went out on the driveway and helped Terry do some shoveling! Then Wednesday we got lots of sun and much of the new snow melted. And today, Thursday, we got even more sun and temperatures into the high 50s. Some spots nearby it actually reached 60 degrees! Now almost all the snow has melted away. BUT the lunatic on the TV out of Elmira is saying we may get two inches between tomorrow morning and tomorrow evening (two separate events).
******
After PT this morning I went out to do some birding.
Hills Creek Lake is still frozen and even had some ice fishermen working a couple of spots on the north end. In the sunshine. With the temperature around 50 degrees. Our weekly bird walks there will start a week from Saturday because of that ice. Hopefully the ice will be gone by then.
Marsh Creek as it flows out of The Muck is ice free and there are open water areas around the blind. I spent 30 minutes there and got to see some Ring-necked Ducks and Hooded Mergansers along with the usual suspects. Also had a friendly and fat Muskrat feeding about 15 feet away from the blind.
Hammond Lake at Ive's Run is also still frozen over, but Crooked Creek which flows into the lake is ice free and there's a little area where the two join that is open. I stayed around the western boat launch and the fishing pier area for 30 minutes and then drove the Rails-to-Trails path that parallels Crooked Creek for almost three miles. Got to see a couple of Killdeer, three Northern Flickers, lots of Common Mergansers, a pair of mated Osprey at the nest pole, several Wood Ducks, numerous Tree Swallows, a pair of Eastern Bluebirds and an Eastern Phoebe among other birds.
Then I drove up to the overlook at the spillway end of Hammond Lake where it joins Tioga Lake. A small bit of open water on Tioga lake held numerous Common Mergansers and there were four or five immature Bald Eagles hanging around the spillway area. I watched one swipe something from a group of Crows who were none too pleased with the transaction.
By then it was 1 PM and I decided I had had enough for the day and headed home.
There I was greeted by the usual cast of characters at the feeder and a new visitor in the form of a Purple Finch. Did not manage to get a photo of him, however. Did get a couple of good shots of some of the others, however.
I'll be posting some of the pictures in the next post(s).
******
Anyway.... We finally got a really nice couple of days. After getting rid of almost all our snow on Monday, we got two inches of heavy white stuff on Tuesday afternoon. I actually went out on the driveway and helped Terry do some shoveling! Then Wednesday we got lots of sun and much of the new snow melted. And today, Thursday, we got even more sun and temperatures into the high 50s. Some spots nearby it actually reached 60 degrees! Now almost all the snow has melted away. BUT the lunatic on the TV out of Elmira is saying we may get two inches between tomorrow morning and tomorrow evening (two separate events).
******
After PT this morning I went out to do some birding.
Hills Creek Lake is still frozen and even had some ice fishermen working a couple of spots on the north end. In the sunshine. With the temperature around 50 degrees. Our weekly bird walks there will start a week from Saturday because of that ice. Hopefully the ice will be gone by then.
Marsh Creek as it flows out of The Muck is ice free and there are open water areas around the blind. I spent 30 minutes there and got to see some Ring-necked Ducks and Hooded Mergansers along with the usual suspects. Also had a friendly and fat Muskrat feeding about 15 feet away from the blind.
 |
| Muskrat at The Muck |
Then I drove up to the overlook at the spillway end of Hammond Lake where it joins Tioga Lake. A small bit of open water on Tioga lake held numerous Common Mergansers and there were four or five immature Bald Eagles hanging around the spillway area. I watched one swipe something from a group of Crows who were none too pleased with the transaction.
By then it was 1 PM and I decided I had had enough for the day and headed home.
There I was greeted by the usual cast of characters at the feeder and a new visitor in the form of a Purple Finch. Did not manage to get a photo of him, however. Did get a couple of good shots of some of the others, however.
I'll be posting some of the pictures in the next post(s).
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Nine Weeks
Hmmpff! Didn't get nearly as warm today as they forecast it would last Monday. Back then they were saying mid to upper 50s. Today it only got to 35. A windy, chilly, damp 35 at that. You see, the clouds rolled in from the south and brought some rain along with them. Apparently the front associated with that rain slid just a wee bit to our south east and we got the cold side.
Hopefully they are just as wrong about tomorrow's forecast (heavy rain and snow? Seriously?).
******
I had my first session of physical therapy (henceforth known as PT for "pain and torture") on Monday afternoon. Spent half the time being evaluated by the head torturer before I was given two stretching exercises to do at home and a third to do while I was still on the slab. Needless to say I felt the stretch afterwards. Sorta like being on the rack but it only affected the buttocks and the hamstrings. They were tight!
I added those two stretching exercises to the repertoire the visiting therapist gave me a couple of weeks ago and have been doing them twice a day as ordered. Only good thing about those two new exercises is that I can do them laying down.
Bright and early tomorrow morning I go back to Elite for my second session of PT. Wonder what they'll have me doing next?
******
I supplemented my at home PT with a little yard work the past two days. Did a little walking across the yard to and from the burn barrel on Tuesday when the winds were calm. Our garbage mail, boxes and miscellaneous paper had been building up for a good long time and had to go. I figured the extra CO2 wouldn't hurt either since we here at the Aerie are in the cold zone of the globe. Hell, we've been colder than Anchorage all winter.
Today, I tried to make amends to Terry for throwing so many stones into her flower beds next to the driveway. Holy mother Mary! Were there a lot of stones! It's surprising that I "only" broke two shear pins on the snow thrower way back when. I cleared about four square feet and could have filled a 5-gallon bucket. Then my fingers got cold and my back and knees cried, "Uncle!"
While clearing stones I had to be careful not to step on the small, green spears of the day lilies that were just poking their noses above ground. There was some green showing on a few other plants as well even as snow remained heaped on the edge of the driveway a mere foot away.
******
Yesterday and today, every time I went outside for more than five minutes I was sure to hear the honking of geese or swans high over head. Yesterday I could watch them head north at a leisurely pace. Today, with the winds out of the south at 20-30 mph with a few gusts higher, they went sailing along like a 20-meter vessel in the America's Cup. If I blinked, they were out of sight.
The feeder birds are still with us. I thought the redpolls had caught on and headed north, but they seem to like my sunflower seeds. The siskins are still here, too. Then there's the usual crew (chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch, tufted titmice, mourning dove, downy woodpecker, red-bellied
woodpecker, dark-eyed junco, and a host (horde?) of goldfinches.
I can hear redwings down the hill near the farm ponds and reeds but they haven't come to the feeders. The robins are also busy establishing dominance and territory although few have visited the lawn. Not that I blame them. The lawn is pretty much still frozen and any earthworm would need tunneling drills to emerge.
Still hear the occasional owl on the hill after dark, but I'm still waiting for my first woodcock flight at twilight.
There have been a few turkey vultures come soaring by and the ravens are still dancing in the wind--when they can get away from the nests.
I need to get out and do some birding! Unfortunately, all the lakes are still frozen as are the marshes. They are the main attractants around here until the warblers show up.
Hopefully they are just as wrong about tomorrow's forecast (heavy rain and snow? Seriously?).
******
I had my first session of physical therapy (henceforth known as PT for "pain and torture") on Monday afternoon. Spent half the time being evaluated by the head torturer before I was given two stretching exercises to do at home and a third to do while I was still on the slab. Needless to say I felt the stretch afterwards. Sorta like being on the rack but it only affected the buttocks and the hamstrings. They were tight!
I added those two stretching exercises to the repertoire the visiting therapist gave me a couple of weeks ago and have been doing them twice a day as ordered. Only good thing about those two new exercises is that I can do them laying down.
Bright and early tomorrow morning I go back to Elite for my second session of PT. Wonder what they'll have me doing next?
******
I supplemented my at home PT with a little yard work the past two days. Did a little walking across the yard to and from the burn barrel on Tuesday when the winds were calm. Our garbage mail, boxes and miscellaneous paper had been building up for a good long time and had to go. I figured the extra CO2 wouldn't hurt either since we here at the Aerie are in the cold zone of the globe. Hell, we've been colder than Anchorage all winter.
Today, I tried to make amends to Terry for throwing so many stones into her flower beds next to the driveway. Holy mother Mary! Were there a lot of stones! It's surprising that I "only" broke two shear pins on the snow thrower way back when. I cleared about four square feet and could have filled a 5-gallon bucket. Then my fingers got cold and my back and knees cried, "Uncle!"
While clearing stones I had to be careful not to step on the small, green spears of the day lilies that were just poking their noses above ground. There was some green showing on a few other plants as well even as snow remained heaped on the edge of the driveway a mere foot away.
******
Yesterday and today, every time I went outside for more than five minutes I was sure to hear the honking of geese or swans high over head. Yesterday I could watch them head north at a leisurely pace. Today, with the winds out of the south at 20-30 mph with a few gusts higher, they went sailing along like a 20-meter vessel in the America's Cup. If I blinked, they were out of sight.
The feeder birds are still with us. I thought the redpolls had caught on and headed north, but they seem to like my sunflower seeds. The siskins are still here, too. Then there's the usual crew (chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch, tufted titmice, mourning dove, downy woodpecker, red-bellied
woodpecker, dark-eyed junco, and a host (horde?) of goldfinches.
I can hear redwings down the hill near the farm ponds and reeds but they haven't come to the feeders. The robins are also busy establishing dominance and territory although few have visited the lawn. Not that I blame them. The lawn is pretty much still frozen and any earthworm would need tunneling drills to emerge.
Still hear the occasional owl on the hill after dark, but I'm still waiting for my first woodcock flight at twilight.
There have been a few turkey vultures come soaring by and the ravens are still dancing in the wind--when they can get away from the nests.
I need to get out and do some birding! Unfortunately, all the lakes are still frozen as are the marshes. They are the main attractants around here until the warblers show up.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Eight Weeks
Thursday marked the eighth week since my back surgery. I didn't post anything that day because I had reported on my Tuesday visit to the surgeon in my previous post: Progress! Needless to say, I've made some. Progress that is.
******
The Seavey clan is making a habit of winning the Iditarod. Dallas and his father, Mitch have one the last four races. This year, Dallas finished first with a time of 8 days, 18 hours, 13 minutes and 6 seconds. Mitch came into Nome second some 4 hours later. Dallas has now won in 2012, 2014 and 2015. Mitch won in 2004 and 2013. (See all the past winners here.)
The race isn't finished yet, however. There are still 32 teams out there as I type. (One is between Safety and Nome and should be getting there any. Minute. Now.) Rookie Musher Cindy Abbott is the current Red Lantern (last place).
******
Just when you thought winter was over.... We got a snowfall of about two inches today. I had just gotten excited about seeing real grass and dirt again, too. Now everything is once again covered in white. It might not last long, however. Tomorrow it's supposed to be in the mid 40s with a slight chance of a rain shower. That should be enough to melt the new snow. If not, the sun will shine brightly on Sunday and even though the temps won't be as warm they should nudge above freezing.
******
The Seavey clan is making a habit of winning the Iditarod. Dallas and his father, Mitch have one the last four races. This year, Dallas finished first with a time of 8 days, 18 hours, 13 minutes and 6 seconds. Mitch came into Nome second some 4 hours later. Dallas has now won in 2012, 2014 and 2015. Mitch won in 2004 and 2013. (See all the past winners here.)
The race isn't finished yet, however. There are still 32 teams out there as I type. (One is between Safety and Nome and should be getting there any. Minute. Now.) Rookie Musher Cindy Abbott is the current Red Lantern (last place).
******
Just when you thought winter was over.... We got a snowfall of about two inches today. I had just gotten excited about seeing real grass and dirt again, too. Now everything is once again covered in white. It might not last long, however. Tomorrow it's supposed to be in the mid 40s with a slight chance of a rain shower. That should be enough to melt the new snow. If not, the sun will shine brightly on Sunday and even though the temps won't be as warm they should nudge above freezing.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Progress!
Went to see the surgeon today. I no longer need to wear the back brace and I can have my car keys back! Yahoo!
Also got a scrip for some PT which I will take down to Elite Therapy tomorrow so as to set up a schedule. The PT is mostly to regain the flexibility of back and legs that I have lost since the surgery.
Also got a scrip for some PT which I will take down to Elite Therapy tomorrow so as to set up a schedule. The PT is mostly to regain the flexibility of back and legs that I have lost since the surgery.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Seven Weeks
It's now seven weeks since my back surgery and I've made some progress. I'm still wearing the back brace as per doctor's orders but will, hopefully, be relieved of that burden when I see the surgeon on Tuesday. The left leg has completely recovered from the loss of feeling and is 100% in everything but flexibility and strength. The right, also lacking in flexibility and strength, is about 95% recovered in sensitivity. I found it possible to put both socks on this morning without the use of any tools for the first time so that's a plus. As everyone keeps saying, slow and steady.
I'm still doing the PT exercises the therapist left me with but I've added walking on the deck, climbing the stairs and a couple of stretching exercises I did after knee replacement to get both the strength and flexibility back.
******
I'll be on my own for a couple of days as Terry has an Embroiderers' Guild conference with all the region reps in Louisville that runs through Sunday. Her flight took off from the Corning-Elmira airport this morning at 6 AM. She promises/swears she will not volunteer for anything. With her absent, I may just sneak out and actually drive for the first time since January 21st. That is, IF I find I need to get anything from the store. (The surgeon says I shouldn't until I meet with him once more, but the heck with that.)
******
Other than that, things remain quiet at the Aerie. We've had a couple of really nice spring days this week that have caused quite a bit of melting. The driveway is nearly completely cleared and there are actual patches of lawn starting to appear. The day time temps have reached into the 50s while, on clear nights, the nights have been in the upper 20s. One cloudy, but still night it stayed in the mid 30s. Extended forecasts include only a slight chance of snow showers between now and the end of the month which is fine by me.
******
I've noticed a decided decrease in the number of birds at the feeders. I assume that's because many of the Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins have headed north. Only a few of those remain either having missed the memo or because they are too weak for the long flight and find the easy pickings at the feeders more to their liking. It may be wishful thinking, but I believe the Goldfinches are starting to shed their olive drab and take on some yellow.
I heard a Robin for the first time last evening. I know they are said to stick around during the winter, but I seldom if ever see them at our elevation. With many of the pastures, hay fields and corn fields where the winds kept the snow thin being exposed now, I imagine there will soon be many, many more Robins out hunting for worms and other bugs.
I'm looking forward to seeing/hearing the Red-winged Blackbirds and Woodcock. Those will be reall harbingers of Spring!
I'm still doing the PT exercises the therapist left me with but I've added walking on the deck, climbing the stairs and a couple of stretching exercises I did after knee replacement to get both the strength and flexibility back.
******
I'll be on my own for a couple of days as Terry has an Embroiderers' Guild conference with all the region reps in Louisville that runs through Sunday. Her flight took off from the Corning-Elmira airport this morning at 6 AM. She promises/swears she will not volunteer for anything. With her absent, I may just sneak out and actually drive for the first time since January 21st. That is, IF I find I need to get anything from the store. (The surgeon says I shouldn't until I meet with him once more, but the heck with that.)
******
Other than that, things remain quiet at the Aerie. We've had a couple of really nice spring days this week that have caused quite a bit of melting. The driveway is nearly completely cleared and there are actual patches of lawn starting to appear. The day time temps have reached into the 50s while, on clear nights, the nights have been in the upper 20s. One cloudy, but still night it stayed in the mid 30s. Extended forecasts include only a slight chance of snow showers between now and the end of the month which is fine by me.
******
I've noticed a decided decrease in the number of birds at the feeders. I assume that's because many of the Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins have headed north. Only a few of those remain either having missed the memo or because they are too weak for the long flight and find the easy pickings at the feeders more to their liking. It may be wishful thinking, but I believe the Goldfinches are starting to shed their olive drab and take on some yellow.
I heard a Robin for the first time last evening. I know they are said to stick around during the winter, but I seldom if ever see them at our elevation. With many of the pastures, hay fields and corn fields where the winds kept the snow thin being exposed now, I imagine there will soon be many, many more Robins out hunting for worms and other bugs.
I'm looking forward to seeing/hearing the Red-winged Blackbirds and Woodcock. Those will be reall harbingers of Spring!
Thursday, March 05, 2015
Six Weeks
It's been six weeks since the back surgery and I guess I'm making progress. This was the first full week without a visit by home healthcare so I've had no one around to tell me if my progress is normal or not.
There's still a weakness in my legs but that seems to be improving. Not so the flexibility, however. I still can't bend my right leg enough to put a sock on so it's been necessary to use a "helper,"a short length of PVC cut in half lengthwise upon which the sock is pulled. You push your toes into the tube created by the sock and then pull the whole thing up. The sock ends up on your foot and around your heel so you only have to give it a tug to get into place. (Taking the sock off is easier as you don't have to reach down to the toes with both hands--something I can't do.)
And the right leg is still displaying some loss of feeling. That's something the surgeon said could go on for six months or even longer as the nerves that were stretched during surgery will take some time to adjust.
Meanwhile, I'm still confined to being a passenger (should we go anywhere) and to wearing my brace. I've two more weeks before my next doctor's appointment and I'm hoping he'll give me the okay to drive and to remove my turtle shell. I'm also hoping to learn if I'll get some after pictures (either x-rays or an MRI) of what has been done. Be nice to know.
I've been doing my exercises regularly and added cleaning the deck of snow. I don't have to lift the snow but rather merely push it or sweep it under the deck railing. Terry still does the driveway as the slope is a wee bit too slick for me to attempt. That and the snow she's been moving has been a bit heavy of late.
I haven't made any forays out into the rest of the world yet although I've been cleared to do so. I am starting to get a bit antsy about that. Even a walk around Wally World or Lowe's would be enjoyable. We talked about going over to Wellsboro, but our twice weekly snowfall interrupted those plans.
******
This latest snow storm, named Thor, is currently passing to our south and, with the winds out of the north-northwest, it looks like it will stay there. All we got was a little less than 1/2 an inch of very light fluff that required the deck but not the driveway to be cleaned. I used a broom to do the cleaning it was that light. Those north-northwest winds may be a blessing as far as the snow is concerned, but the air is cold. As of noon, it's only gotten up to 12 degrees and it feels much colder.
This looks like it might be our last really cold night with a forecast of minus 4 degrees. Then things are supposed to be getting warmer with temps during the day getting to the upper 30s and even *gasp* 40s. With sun yet!
******
We're going through sunflower seed like crazy. There must be over 150 birds out there in the mixed flock of Common Redpolls, House FInches, Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-breasted Nuthatches, Tufted Titmice and American Goldfinches. In addition I've seen one or two Red-breasted Nuthatches, a dozen Mourning Doves, half a dozen Blue Jays, a pair of Northern Cardinals, a pair of Downy Woodpeckers and a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers. And, of course, there's the visiting Sharp-shinned Hawk that shows up to prey upon the seed eaters on occasion. And the Pileated Woodpecker that yaks it up from time to time between chiseling out either an ant colony or a nest hole in the trees. (If I had more suet to put out, even it might come closer to the house.) In short, we're feeding a heck of a lot of birds, but they are all the usual winter birds. It would be nice to see some different birds. Spring birds in particular would be welcome, but that would require a good deal of melting and little warming up.
There's still a weakness in my legs but that seems to be improving. Not so the flexibility, however. I still can't bend my right leg enough to put a sock on so it's been necessary to use a "helper,"a short length of PVC cut in half lengthwise upon which the sock is pulled. You push your toes into the tube created by the sock and then pull the whole thing up. The sock ends up on your foot and around your heel so you only have to give it a tug to get into place. (Taking the sock off is easier as you don't have to reach down to the toes with both hands--something I can't do.)
And the right leg is still displaying some loss of feeling. That's something the surgeon said could go on for six months or even longer as the nerves that were stretched during surgery will take some time to adjust.
Meanwhile, I'm still confined to being a passenger (should we go anywhere) and to wearing my brace. I've two more weeks before my next doctor's appointment and I'm hoping he'll give me the okay to drive and to remove my turtle shell. I'm also hoping to learn if I'll get some after pictures (either x-rays or an MRI) of what has been done. Be nice to know.
I've been doing my exercises regularly and added cleaning the deck of snow. I don't have to lift the snow but rather merely push it or sweep it under the deck railing. Terry still does the driveway as the slope is a wee bit too slick for me to attempt. That and the snow she's been moving has been a bit heavy of late.
I haven't made any forays out into the rest of the world yet although I've been cleared to do so. I am starting to get a bit antsy about that. Even a walk around Wally World or Lowe's would be enjoyable. We talked about going over to Wellsboro, but our twice weekly snowfall interrupted those plans.
******
This latest snow storm, named Thor, is currently passing to our south and, with the winds out of the north-northwest, it looks like it will stay there. All we got was a little less than 1/2 an inch of very light fluff that required the deck but not the driveway to be cleaned. I used a broom to do the cleaning it was that light. Those north-northwest winds may be a blessing as far as the snow is concerned, but the air is cold. As of noon, it's only gotten up to 12 degrees and it feels much colder.
This looks like it might be our last really cold night with a forecast of minus 4 degrees. Then things are supposed to be getting warmer with temps during the day getting to the upper 30s and even *gasp* 40s. With sun yet!
******
We're going through sunflower seed like crazy. There must be over 150 birds out there in the mixed flock of Common Redpolls, House FInches, Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-breasted Nuthatches, Tufted Titmice and American Goldfinches. In addition I've seen one or two Red-breasted Nuthatches, a dozen Mourning Doves, half a dozen Blue Jays, a pair of Northern Cardinals, a pair of Downy Woodpeckers and a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers. And, of course, there's the visiting Sharp-shinned Hawk that shows up to prey upon the seed eaters on occasion. And the Pileated Woodpecker that yaks it up from time to time between chiseling out either an ant colony or a nest hole in the trees. (If I had more suet to put out, even it might come closer to the house.) In short, we're feeding a heck of a lot of birds, but they are all the usual winter birds. It would be nice to see some different birds. Spring birds in particular would be welcome, but that would require a good deal of melting and little warming up.
Sunday, March 01, 2015
The Latest Fashion
Here's a brief video of my "turtle shell" brace. I've been wearing it since the surgery (January 22) and will continue to wear it until March 17th at least.
It's hard and it's not very comfortable.
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