So much, so little.

I am happy that Olive and her hubby asked us to come to their place for supper. Olive asked if we could do it Monday or Wednesday. I picked Wednesday.
This way there was more time to get hubby scrubbed up and presentable. 

For him, a shower is like running a marathon at high altitude. The effort leaves him exhausted and feeling breathless even while using his 02. He has the mobility to get in the tub and sit in the shower seat and get out.

But the rest of it has pretty much gone beyond his abilities. We've worked out a pretty good system in which I do most of the work. 

Face it as we get older, or our parents get older, this may be something we have to face. I can recall trying to get my MIL to take a shower or help her wash up and how she resisted. Think of a Donkey with their feet firmly planted and no matter what you do and how you ask, you cannot get that Donkey to step forward. You as the caregiver may as well be speaking a foreign language or gibberish. 

Not a thing in the world could convince my MIL that she needed to wash up. Eventually we solved that issue with a person from Helping Hands [a service for in home assistance]. For whatever the reason, it seemed that 'an official' -- not a family member, had more sway in these matters.

Now in the case of hubby, he puts it off and puts it off. He resists firmly in all ways that he can avoid the shower. 

Too tired.
Need a nap.
Too late in the day.
Too early in the day.
Tomorrow.
I don't like the clothes you picked out.
Too cold.
I just had one. [didn't...but that is a common one]

Last summer he had PT 3 times a week. He was motivated to clean up for the therapists and shower each week with my help so the girls saw a clean hubby.

One time I stripped the bed of everything and said there would be no sheets or bedding until he wanted a shower.
Don't laugh.
He went to bed in a flannel shirt, his jeans, but took off his shoes. He didn't care. That's what MDD does to a person and he also has damage from his stroke to his brain which also shows up as apathy.

His severe depression raises its hideous head each winter. I'm hopeful that the longer days and sunlight will help. This is the part of the year where he sits and stares at the floor or out the window at nothing.

This is what it feels like to observe him:

Where is he? What is he thinking? Where it the guy I used to know?

While visiting my mother in the nursing home for the last two years of her life, I noticed this was a a theme in so many of the rooms I passed. They didn't look like the above image, but the feeling of walking by people who sat staring off into space was uncomfortable. 
We as humans don't really know how to treat others that are in that space.

Is this what loss, despair, and depression look like? Not always, but it is tough to see.

Those who work in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living have to be angels and carry so much compassion.

And it raises the question regarding quality of life. 

If you cannot raise Hope then it feels as if all is lost.

I know that I have to keep my hope and positive disposition alive or I will easily fall into that place of darkness.
That may be a simple explanation as to why I take walks in pouring rain just to see water run over sticks in a ditch.
It gives me a sense of wonder and that gives me daily hope.

Our visit with Olive, her husband, and son went wonderfully.  I cannot recall the last time my husband went somewhere for a visit.

Three cheers for good neighbors!

Rain is not always awful.

The rain came down in buckets yesterday. As I drove home from CrossFit I noticed that the ditches were filling and running high.

Rich was awake and up when I came in the door. I'd stopped and had gotten some of his favorite food in town. Some Fried Chicken from Kwik Trip along with some tators. I set the food down in front of him and told him to dig in while I unloaded the groceries.

He didn't move a muscle. He sat and stared out the window with gloom and doom in his eyes.

I chatted about class and shopping while I unloaded things and set them on the kitchen floor. He didn't turn around or respond. 
Well, this is the new normal. He is angry, he hurts, and he feels poorly and everything around him should feel the same. Depression has come back with a big bang. I can't blame him at all. He feels that he is not really living, but just existing and in his words 'not worth a damn'. 

I'd really worked out hard at CrossFit and I still felt the afterglow of a good job well done. So I didn't let his foul mood get me down.

We sat down and ate together and I was ravenous. I ate with gusto and I saw something change in Rich's eyes. He finally smiled and asked where I got such and appetite. I replied it was from working out. He actually laughed and then said, "You should have done this years ago!" 

See. I live for those moments. They are good moments. A smile and a twinkle in the eyes even momentarily.
Rich went to lay down for his afternoon nap.

I went out into the gloom and rain. Why not?

I told Rich that I was going out to check the water. 
Hmmm...
and I did...
I went to the desk. The Study Hall. 
The creek was rising swiftly so I moved the Creek Bears to safety and then wiped off the seat of the desk and watched and listened to the water flow down over the rocks.

The dry run just opposite the desk started to flow with runoff from the ridges and cropland above our land.

I watched the water work its way around the boulders and tumble into the creek. I thought...If I only had more time, I'd go downstream and watch the water rise.

But I didn't, so I walked upstream instead.

The rain was more of a heavy mist at this point. I headed towards the neighbor's land where the creek actually started at the spring.

As I walked I noted the foam in the water. It leaves beautiful white streaks in the muddy run off. Ugly but beautiful. 

The stark temperature difference between the snow and ice in the valley and the air above made for some exotic looking fog.

I watched the fog undulate and move, it felt alive and mysterious.
Such is nature.

So many people look outside at the rain the melting snow...and the fog and think...ICK! I look at it and think 'Wow!' 
I guess I've been odd that way.

I found the spring but it was under water from the run off.

Still, it was pretty cool. 

I turned and headed to the dry run that runs parallel to our fence-line.

I could stand on about 6 inches of ice and watch the water flow over the ice.

The day was not awful, it was amazing. 
I returned home renewed and content, a trip to the creek does that for me.

Even in the rain.

Not Sad, let's smile today.

I have some long time fellow bloggers out there.

Lori Skoog is one of them and this is for her.
No sadness in this post Lori!

It is safe to read without a Kleenex at your side.

These are some shots from the amazing run off from the 20th.

The last 3 shots are from what we call 'dry runs' in our area. These areas are deep crevasses in the landscape. They are filled with mossy boulders and are normally dry. During heavy rains the water rushes down from the ridge top above and creates a Run of Water that empties into the creek below.
The sound is thunderous as the water navigates over the boulders. The leaves from the fall, sticks, rocks, broken branches, all move with the water. By early spring the Dry Runs are clean again and ready to explore.

It is indeed awe inspiring to watch from a safe distance.

While it is raining or sleeting, I retreat to "The Creative Room" and mess around with some Still Life.

My Granddaughter Ariel gave me a few trolls on her last visit. I used to collect them when I was a girl.

Here are some marbles on an old table cloth along with a carnation. I used some Christmas lights behind marbles in the back round to create the 'bokeh'.

Driftwood and Pearls...
I added the cracks afterwards. It just seemed fun to do. The driftwood came from an adventure with my friends from the Kenosha area last year. I think we visited Lion's Den along Lake Michigan. I found this and brought it home. It was part of my flower garden last summer. This winter, it made for an interesting back drop.

For this shot I used some old black material and draped it on top of a plastic container. I put a painted branch I'd kept from my winter decorations on the material. I added some flat marbles to reflect the little lights and stuck my favorite blue cup in the middle.

I rarely get these things right the first time and I have to constantly rearrange the items. But it is good to practice and enjoy the challenges of something completely different.

Here is what everything looked like before the shot.

The magic ends up being what you don't see and what the camera allows you to see.

And last but not least. Hank and Stella.
This is their out door pen. It faces south. Hank gets to learn about hot wires and runs circles around mom.

...and now to go off and start my day....

Have a wonderful weekend.

Dells of Eau Claire

I woke up at 5:30 am. Motel rooms aren't the best places to get a lot of sleep. I suppose some folks can sleep in but I can't.

I had to be at work at midnight and I had a four hour drive home yet. I read the weather report and noted the time of sunrise.
Then I decided to see how far away the Dells of Eau Claire were from where I was staying.

I'd have to drive 30 minutes north east to get there. I sat for a moment and then went for a coffee in the motel lounge. The gentleman at the check in desk and I talked for a few moments. He told me that his son's Boy Scout group work on the Yellow Trail each summer. He said I should go to the 'Dells'.

Off I went. It is fairly rare for me to go somewhere like the Dells, so I thought, why not?

I was not disappointed.

And this sign is not kidding.

I found a place to park. I was the only person in the area. I thought I'd best stay with the well traveled areas as no one knew where I'd gone.
I followed the worn trail through the snow...

And... was wowed.
These shots were taken with my cheap little cell phone camera.
I felt like I'd hit the mother lode of coolness and ice.
Indeed and I was there all alone to enjoy it.

I'd been here this past August and it had been so crowded with people that I really didn't get a good shot of the Eau Claire River. However, at dawn with the temperatures hovering about 19 degrees above the water, there was not another soul to be found.

A note here. Rivers and Ice are dangerous. Wandering around on ice that has fast running water under it is not a smart thing to do. I stuck to safe areas only. If I fell in, no one would be there to rescue me or call for help.

I had a hard time deciding which lens to use. I wanted to get the full scope of the place, yet wanted to get the fantastic details of the ice formations also.

I was so delighted with what I was seeing that I wanted to jump up and down and do a little dance.
I found myself holding my breath and enjoying the pounding noise of the river.

Okay.
I did do a Happy Dance.
And no one saw it.

Then the sun came through the clouds and hit the water on the other side of the bridge.

Stunning.

It was magic.
And yes there was another little Happy Dance.

I was not going to regret any loss of sleep or extra travel time.

I decided to cross the bridge and take a quick look at the other side.

I was not disappointed at all. However I knew that I was running out of time and had to head towards the south west pretty soon.
I really did not want to leave.
I wanted to see what the day would bring here.

Morris on Adventures

Well I knew she was going to take me. She put on my little blue collar with the jingly tag on it.
She says it helps her keep track of me because it makes a soft jingle noise.

I prefer going nekked without a collar. But She is the boss when it comes to hiking and I will wear a collar if it pleases her highness. 

I guess she felt that it would be fun to climb down the side of a steep hill on an itty bitty skinny deer trail.
Well, I took to higher ground to survey things.

Then I jumped down and decided to guide her to the bottom where we went into what we call The Back Valley.  It is hard to get to, but always worth the visit.
So many things to smell and mark!

She was more impressed at what the wall of water did to the creek.

It made the creek brand new again. There were big expanses of water here and there, little water falls, and even a lot of sandy beaches.

However the sand revealed that many coyotes had been travelling through recently. I'm happy that She keeps an excellent eye on me.
If I smell coyotes, I hurry up and get near Her.

She got busy with Her camera and I got busy checking things out.  The water was cold and very deep in some spots. She kept calling to me any time She thought I was a bit too far from her.
Sigh. Doesn't she know I am smarter than She is? I'm just scouting around for her own safety.

We found a place where the waters flowed slowly and covered a large portion of the valley.

She found a rock pile in the middle of the waters and set up her camera. She did a lot of muttering to herself. I know She was pretty excited over the view.
To me it was just...cold water, but it felt nice after that very hot hike through all those nasty weeds.

She even got all excited about some little water running over some rocks.

Tsk, tsk.
I was busy checking the creek.

We soon headed back. She had some farm work to do. I could tell she was sad about that. If She'd had her own way I think we'd have spent hours exploring.

She told me, "Morris...blah blah blah...we'll be back." At least I think that is what she meant.

Had She said Cookie, well that I would have that gotten right away.

We headed back up the ridge and She shouldered her backpack. We headed straight for home with a slight detour through a corn field. It was meant to be a short cut, but only was sort of a short cut.
It was really hot in there.

And then when we got to the first valley I turned and headed up the other creek. 
I've been doing these hikes for years now and it is a good thing I am there to direct Her.

She stopped in the creek with a big "Hello! Look what I found!"

A stupid boot sole. She laughed and seemed quite pleased.

Apparently this boot sole has been appearing in different parts of the creek this year. Since She first found it a few years ago, it has traveled half a mile.

Nice.
But not important to me at all. It had no good smells and it was not a cookie.

I was tired when we got home and full of dirt and mud. I had to suffer a quick rinse off in the tub before I was able to curl up on Her sweatshirt and a blanket on the couch.

Oh, you think I shouldn't sleep on the couch? I like it. It is one of my favorite places to relax. I can keep an ear out for most things happening around here.

A bit of Fun with Toys

The world news and political news is so glum along with the flooding in our area, I've decided to go ahead and have some fun.

#TheDoeStory has been something of an evolving story that includes other kids who assist in making parts up.

The story doesn't really make much sense but is a small bit of fun with toys here and there. The stories are snippets of whims while hiking with a handful of small toys and a camera.

The last piece of this adventure was created with some kids who assisted in both the story and with the Dinosaurs, thank you Carson, Allie, and Logan. Doing the stories wouldn't be have the fun without you!

A week ago we found Dino who is one of Doe's Suitors, deciding to build a rock house in the Gully.

Fawn and Doe decide to go looking after him after a horrible heavy rain pours waters down the gullies in the form of flash floods!

They don't search long because the waters are running over all of the rocks in the Gully.

Fawn gets quite worried about Dino and decides later to go looking for him after the flood waters have receded.

He finds Dino who is just fine.

He explains that his rock house indeed was washed away and it was a "worrisome time when the waters swished his house away". However, he had some new friends that would help him build a new rock house.

Fawn meets Dino's new friends.

Dino explains that they were stuck in an ice cave all of these years and the last flood released them from ice! And now he had dinosaur friends also!

Dino assures Fawn that they won't eat him.

Fawn goes home to report to Doe.

Doe is not easily convinced so she decides to travel to the Gully to check on Dino.

Dino meets her at the Little Falls of Water. He says building in a Gully is very nice because he can just step into the falls to take a nice cold shower.

Fawn and Doe are taken to Dino's new house.

T Rex shows how strong the house is by standing on it. Dino is so proud that his once frozen pals have helped him build a house.

Fawn steps back and wonders if building in the Gully again was such a good idea.
What if it freezes into ice and traps Dino and friends?
What if it rains hard again and washes them away?

This sounds like something that Val-Barbie should come and see.

Val-Barbie looks things over and then sits on Dino's house and pets a yellow snake while she thinks things over.

It appears that she now has a bunch of Dinosaurs to look after too.
She sighs.

If she'd just stayed a regular Barbie she wouldn't have to worry like this.
She could have sat on a shelf and just worn pretty dresses.

However she smiles and pets the yellow snake. Things are nice in the Gully.