Any day is a good day...

....to try fishing....

 

It was hot and humid but the guys hung out for a long time on the dock they were at. Finally we decided to go get something eat where we could sit down ... and get a wheelchair into. Oddly enough, one doesn't realize how hard a wheelchair is get in and out of places.

I thought I knew it...but until we experienced the difficulties, it wasn't obvious.

I spotted his stuffed fish and purchased it when I paid for the meal. I couldn't resist giving it to Rich to tell him that he could NOW say he caught a keeper.

The ol' coots just howled with laughter...

...and then hubby decided to wear it in his pocket for the rest of the day.

Steve took us the scenic route back home and I enjoyed just sitting in the back seat and watching out the window at the scenery and the clouds.

Storms were developing by the time we got home and Steve took off.

I hurried around the place and got the chores done and rearranged the porch so that nothing would blow around in the predicted winds.

Then I set up the cell phone on a tripod and thought I'd try a time lapse of the incoming storm.

I knew it was going to be bad storm by the way the mules reacted [which you can't see in the video]. They ran bucking to a corner of the pasture and huddled with their butts to the winds.

And that was the end of our very warm, muggy, and eventful day.

Looking back through my files and years of photos, I have more photos of my husband fishing than I have of him doing anything else.

I get by with a little help...

 my friends....

Wednesday was multiple errands day. Jason the Geologist showed up Tuesday afternoon with his fluff balls Piper and Felix. While Rich napped, I took the fluff balls, Charlie, and Jason for a walk down to the creek.

Jason immediately started to look for cool rocks and started giving me a lesson on geology and held up different rocks that he named. 

He has a Masters in Geology . He did teach for a while until politics of Governor Walker introduced Act 10 which removed significant rights for state and local government employees in 2011 by removing their ability for collective bargaining. Jason is an activist and protested at the capitol. 

He seriously believes in people's rights and has gone to bat for veteran's rights and other rights. 

Jason was chatting on and on when I walked up to him and told him to be quiet. He blinked, he looked at me and then I said:

Shut UP!

Stop Talking

 Shut your eyes...

Hear the Quiet!

.....and

he did just that...

I watched my friend who 

suffers from anxiety

suddenly sigh with his eyes closed.

We stood for a bit and then just before we turned back to go up the hill, we were serenaded by Barred Owls calling in the valley. Their calls echoed through the hillsides.

You'd think with 3 dogs in the house it would be chaos. However, it wasn't. 

Jason cooked supper [a vegetarian supper] and cleaned it up too. Rich chose to eat pizza. We chatted a bit and it was time for bed.

I was able to run several errands on Wednesday without worrying about Rich being alone. He didn't have to transfer to the bed from his wheelchair without someone close by. His abilities are better than the first few days home from the hospital. 

Jason's photo of my foot, Charlie, and Piper who was snuggling me on the couch.

 Wednesday afternoon while Rich napped we took another walk with the dogs to burn off their energies.

We had mud puppy tumbleweed dogs who were thoroughly happy. Felix and Piper both wore jackets so we could see them clearly in the areas that were colored just like them.

The weather was beautiful and we spent another quiet afternoon with Rich. Chatting until he needed another nap. 

I had a second meal of Kale chips [yum] and a vegetarian bratwurst. I can say without harming anyone's feelings, that I'd go for the real deal from the grill any day. Something about that juicy and slightly burnt brat makes my mouth water a bit more.

Thursday was the Home Health Aide visit. Rich enjoyed seeing Allie. She really knows how to make an old fart smile as she gives him a bath in his wheel chair.

I finally received the updated reports through MyChart on Rich's ER visit and his stay in the hospital along with his blood tests.

I'll probably update that on The Long Road later.  I can say this. Hospice was really the only choice and the best choice.

Jason's photo of Felix on the porch,
Charlie on Jason's lap, 
and Piper in out there blending
in with the brown grass.

I can't say enough about my good friends and neighbors. 

Our Pack

What -10 F looks like mid morning after the girls have had their breakfast. They take turns taking naps sheltered from the wind and in the full glory of the sun.

Not great shots since I shot them through the doorway...but 15 [her name] is doing the dragon breath thing. Of course the two red headed sisters snooze together. One mule always stands guard and alert while the rest sleep.

They are not cold. They have extremely thick and heavy winter coats which are a total pain starting in March through June with all the shedding they do.  But when one sticks their hands into their fur, they find the skin underneath warm and toasty.

Heated water [pricey, but worth it] lots of hay, and places to get out of the winds are how these girls rock. 

Charlie has taken this weather well also. His out door visits are quick unless we are doing chores, then he is on the hunt for voles or mice. When he needs to warm up, he sits on his rug on the porch in the sun and observes until it is time to go in. If one is curious, he has a thick hound dog/Pekinese coat. It is hard to describe. It is thick and water repellent which I imagine keeps him pretty warm. 

If he wears a coat in any sort of snow over 3 inches, he scoops the snow right through the neck of the coat and ends up filling his jacket with icy snow. 

He does love winter as much as I do. He believes he is a snow plow...

However, with the negative temps, he does spend less time outdoors. Why not? We all do!

I did spend a good part of the morning on the phone yesterday making arrangements for different pieces of business I still need to get done. 

I also began to feel better, I coughed a lot in the morning [masked] but by afternoon I no longer had a cough. I wasn't tired anymore and I was more fidgety than anything else. Fidgety must mean better, right?

As I said I would yesterday, I put seed in the feeder and watched some birds and read some poetry.

Then I got a message through Messenger. "Hey, have you got time to meet me at the Co-op for a cup of coffee or soup tomorrow?"
Indeed I did as I had to go to town on Wednesday to return library books or they'd be overdue. And I had to sign paperwork for my change in Property/Auto/Farm insurance.

I said "How about 10?"

I wore my mask for my errands and into the Co-op. I sat down in the common area and sipped some delicious coffee. In the door came two of the ladies I work out with in our Legends Class. These two gals and I are about the same age and have taken to each other. We don't exactly fit with the younger gym crowd [though we are always welcome], but we have hit on something special in our more Mature Class.

We had coffee and talked about stuff. Not important stuff. Just Stuff Stuff. Grandkids, barns, farms, gardening, food, food I cannot make, our fun at the gym, and ... "let's do this again". The place is convenient for a quick meet up after the gym class and a cup of soup or coffee.

Not to knock the younger gals we workout with, but sometimes they are all about how much they lift, what competition they want to do, what tights to buy, or...what are the coolest shoes.

We Legends are about Stuff. You know. Stuff that is just good to know. Life Stuff. Because dang it, we've been living life a damned long time.

Everyone needs a 'Wolf Pack' [my words]. I think I may have found mine. So this week may have been quite awful in a few ways, but it is working out to be something quite wonderful. 

Sometimes things just happen, don't they?

Music and Moods...

So sometimes things get a bit heavy in the mind and I look for a way out. I had a wonderful workout with the Legends group this morning. One lady, Julie had an announcement. She had an appointment with her oncology team for a follow up after a day of tests. She said she was apprehensive and a bit concerned as two PA's the oncologist doc, and other members of her cancer team crowded into the exam room.

Her voice and face lit up as she announced that the latest test results showed up with no cancer cells. Our small group cheered and she cried tears of joy. She was so happy to share the news with us. Her workout buddies.

I actually cried with her!

I decided right at that moment to send any negative thoughts and those black mental clouds to another universe. What was the fastest way to do that?

Music.

Joyful music.

I listen to Pandora and turned to the station called 'Happy Radio' on my way home from work. I found the black thought clouds being chased by songs. 

Pharrell Williams with Happy was the first song to hit.
Roy Orbison: Pretty Woman...
James Brown: I Feel Good
Manfred Mann: Do Wha Diddy...

and it only kept getting better. 

Once I unlocked some cheering music I found myself smiling for no reason. The sun was brighter, the air was fresher, and my steps were lighter. 

I was energized. When I got home I played some more happy music. I wore headphones so I wouldn't wake up hubby while I was hand pulling chicken breasts and making BBQ Chicken. I couldn't help myself but do a little dancing when 

The Contours came on with Do You Love Me?

Yeah. Get this I'm doing little funky dance moves in the kitchen with handfuls of chicken I'm shredding and turn to see my husband staring at me with a smirk on his face.

His comment? 

"I was wondering if you were just having a seizure or do you call that dancing?"

Of course I'll never forget seeing this for the first time by Boston Dynamics. Their Robot dancing to 

Do You Love Me?

It sure changed my whole outlook on things. 

I'm so glad I have the Happy Radio bookmarked on my Smartphone.

Do you have a way to brighten your moods???

Do share!

I'm doing it again.

3 years ago to celebrate turning 65, I did this awesome long hike. I took Charlie with me and it was a hot hot day.

I ended up carrying him for half of the hike. That would make it about 4 miles, give or take. Charlie is 6 now and very sensitive to hot days, so this year I am not including him. I just want to walk or hike at a leisurely pace.

Map of that hike at Kickapoo Valley Reserve.

I mentioned that I was going to do this hike again while at CrossFit the other day. The nurse who was hanging on the rig next to me said: "Count me IN! I want details!" I informed her that I intended to do a Joy Hike. 
Not running, not for time, but for the simple joy of being alive.

Yes, the map shows the hike to be about 9 miles, give or take the accuracy of the MapMyHike program I used.

But if you are not in a hurry and are just out for the enjoyments of it--really, it is doable if you are mobile.

So I posted the plan on our private group of gym folks. 

No hurry. Things needed:

Water. Lots of water.
Snacks.
Good shoes.
Bug Spray.
Happy Attitude.

A refresher for those who may not have followed me 3 years ago. The Hike.

I love hiking almost more than anything else. The equipment needed:
feet, backpack of stuff, and a good attitude. 

[Maps and compasses do help]

I know not everyone can do this, but I've had folks ask me a few times to take them along hiking. Most of the trips I've done with other brave souls are 2, 3, and 4 mile hikes. 9 may seem like a lot, but it isn't if you take it at your own pace.

We'll see if I go solo or with some friends.

Recently I offered to go walking with a friend of mine. We've known each other for years. She said that she wasn't up to my speed. I answered "But I can match your speed!" Sometimes the hike is not about how hard it is or long. It is about walking and friendship in nature.

You keep me safe, I'll keep you wild.

Move the body, still the mind.

Road Trip

 I did it ... I did it!

I asked for help and I got it!
I get to get off the farm and get
some me time for a mini
adventure!

The last time I actually had a 'day' off from being a Caregiver was in July 2021. But hey, who is counting, right?

692 days. But who is counting? 

Charlie and I are going to make this into mini road trip. I plan on stopping at a couple of SNA or State Natural Areas to do some exploring. The last time I was at Paradise Springs, it was April of 2017, just days before Rich's stroke.

Morris and I explored together and took a 'selfie' in the doorway of the Spring house. 👇

I think I want a do over with Charlie. I'm packing a lunch for Charlie and I to have on our drive. In reality, the drive across the state is not that terribly long.

But, I'll make it longer by taking a route for us to stop at a couple of places.

Morris and I used to do road trips often...he just loved riding in a car more than anything else in the world.

I'd often just take him in my old Jeep to a closed back road and let him 'hang out' the window while I idled down the road at about 5 mph. He thought he was king.

Charlie can't hang out the window and I made him a 'car seat' so he could at sort of see where we are going.

I've since added a sheet to the seat of the car as Charlie is often full of dirt and sand on his belly when we get back from hikes. This contraption  ended his motion sickness.

Now when I jingle the keys and ask if he wants to go for a ride, he runs to the passenger side of the Subaru and waits for me.

He is a pretty good travel companion but he whines a LOT more than any other dog I've ever had. He also has to comment each time I use a turn signal. 

Charlie will be meeting my son and his wife's new pup, Twila and the cats. If nothing else, it will be a fun animal fest.

This little trip and weekend is such a great birthday gift from my son and his wife as hosts and my friends who are going to care for hubby in my absence.

To say I am thankful is an understatement.

Later...tators.

I'm unplugging for the weekend!

Motivation

Sunday was cold and windy. I had so much to get done in the morning which included electric fence repairs. 

My Grand Plan was to head out early to the Reserve and see if I could spot red wing black birds and maybe check out the ponds to see if any geese or swans had arrived.

All that went ka-put. After lunch I had to call my elder friend in Alabama. She was having a bad day so we talked for an hour. She is in her mid 80's and was telling me that she had not gone out to do anything in weeks. She forgets to eat, she is isolated she says, and depressed. She used to be a librarian, so I asked her where the nearest library was. Her answer was 3 blocks. I asked her if she'd go to the library and just go find a book and sit at a table and read. 
Why? She asked me. I told her...so she could be around other humans. 

I asked her to visit her meal site once this week and text me what she had to eat. I gave her two assignments or as I called them: Challenges for Motivation. 

I had to agree to let her set a Challenge for me too. She wanted me to send her a photo of me in Mobility Class. 

So today I was at CF and did Mobility Class afterwards. My coach Angie took these photos for me.
Mobility Class:

Shoulder Rotations

After class. 

One of my little pals, 
coach's daughter.

Am I going to be successful in helping someone a long distance away get Motivated? I sure don't know, but I like my Alabama friend. It is unfortunate that she has no immediate relatives to help her look out for herself. She is also fiercely independent so it is hard for her to ask for help.

This is the woman who was Captain of an Oil Rig in the Gulf when she was in her 30's. Mind you, that was over 50 years ago!

So. After my motivational talk. I packed my camera bag and headed out the door in the late afternoon to get myself moving.

I knocked off another section of the KVR Trail Challenge and enjoyed fresh cold air. I took what I think is a boring trail. It was so far from boring!

I will let these photos speak for themselves. This is along what is called the Old Harrison Trail. It leaves the Visitor Center and heads down towards the valley. It was a road once upon a time. On one side, it is marshy and wet, on the other side there are rocks and trees.
The huge surprise was the icicles on the rocks.

With the recent alternating snows and rains water has been seeping from the rocks around pines clinging to the rocks...

I found two pairs of Canada Geese:

I saw red dogwood, the pussy willows are starting to blossom, and there were some other trees budding that I couldn't ID.

I even took a photo of myself next to the Kickapoo River and sent it to my friend to make her day a little happier?

I do wonder how I can help my friend and motivate her to go to the meal site and interact with others. 

I know motivation has to come from within and cannot be forced. 

Sigh.

I am a curious person who likes to explore and be social too. I cannot imagine losing something so precious as motivation. It would crush my life.

Social Butterfly!

 Somehow this week, I became a Social Butterfly.

A few weeks ago, an old acquaintance of mine texted and asked if we could meet for supper in Mid March. She was one of my 4H students from years ago. I think we met when she moved into the area and I rode my horse past her house.

I stopped to say hello and she went nutso over my horse. She joined 4H and I worked with her in the Horseless Horse Program. We worked with my grade gelding as my mare was still pretty green. She was in High School and a great student. She went on to place in the upper 10 slots at State for Horseless Horse walk trot. A lot of other folks helped us do fancy things like doing the mane and tail and they provided her with a show saddle.

We've remained friends through the years. Now her older daughter is in her first year of college, the youngest will be 15 soon. They live near Racine so we don't get to see each other a lot.

We met for supper in Spring Green as that was about half way for the both of us. She was doing a travelling set up for the company she works for and ended up in Baraboo, WI. 

We spent a couple of hours at Culvers getting caught up on each others' lives. It was great to have just myself and her at the table without her kids or hubby interrupting. 

There we are. Not a great shot of us but who cares? We did the math and ... geeze, we've been friends for over 30 years! Yikes!

Hint. I'm not the blonde one. I'm the one in the old sweatshirt and baseball cap.

I drove home in the dark. Hmmm. Now a year ago, I wouldn't have done that at all. BUT!
I could see! I could see even with normal headlights. Things were clear as a bell unless someone with those new fancy LED headlights had their brights on and didn't dim them. I had no visual problems.

Wow. I was so happy and stunned at the same time. I turned up the volume on my Pandora Station and enjoyed the drive. This will be another positive I can report to my eye doctor next week when I see him.

Tuesday evening I did CrossFit, Wednesday I hiked at KVR in the morning and went out to meet my pal in the evening. This morning, I was at another great CrossFit workout and got my errands done before the rains started.

Friday my ex neighbor Teri is going to pick me up and we are going to dinner together! 

Whew!

Charlie leading the way
on Wintergreen Trail
[photo taken in IRChrome]

Ice Falls melting on
Wintergreen Trail
[IRChrome]

March may be kind of mucky, snowy, rainy, and icky. But this week I'm enjoying it. 

Hired Help?

 

You can't see her. But there is my 'hired' part time farm hand. Her name is Molly and she has spent the last 3 years working and training in show barns along with a second job. She has partially completed her Equine Management Degree and I am going to push her to finish it. 

I taught her to ride in 2018 and she IS a natural. 

[She has a tough backround which I won't go into. But she has a natural ability with animals. She has worked and been on her own for 3 years.  The price of renting an apartment got to be too expensive so she moved back home to get on her feet. LUCKY for me!]

With the extra care it takes me right now to help out hubby, I have not been able to keep up with grooming and working with my fabulous mules. 

Molly has extensive knowledge of each mule and the horse we have. I offered her a part time job-ish to come out and groom them, clean the goat pen, help fence, exercise Sunshine and Siera along with other jobs like worming and clipping. All things I can do, but easier with a second hand to get it done.

She also will work with Sundance to see if we can't finish her off with getting steady under saddle. This she wants to do on her own. She also sees the horse as a good challenge to test her training skills. I'm all good with that.

A real upside to this?

Hubby sits right up and becomes sociable when Molly arrives. Yesterday HE came outside and did some work with the skid steer while Molly helped me with a fencing job. BONUS! 

We put up a temporary paddock. I do this one each summer to lessen the mowing. It generally takes me all day to unravel the wire and set things up. It took less than two hours with Molly. 

I've always felt like I wasn't doing my equine justice the last two years. Is it worth paying someone to help so I can garden, care for hubby, and reap the benefits? 

Is it worth it? Yes.

To see my husband perk up ... to see my animals groomed and slick? To see the equine given the attention they deserve? Oh, heck yes!

Oh yes. One more bonus. I have someone I can go riding with! 

When she gets her full time job, it will be less hours but right now, the extra hand IS fantabulous.

Molly on Siera Monday night. The two of them were getting reacquainted.

Will this be permanent? No. Molly will do as Molly does and she will move on again once she is back on top of her boots. 

It is working for right now and that what I can ask for and it is a good thing.

Friends

The best friends 
you can 
have 
are Honest
Friends.

The internet can be a funny place. A few years ago I was able to reconnect with a childhood pal via the dreaded FB. We hadn't really been in touch since Middle School and a bit of High School, but suddenly there we were, meeting up and enjoying each other's company.

I met another person through a horse group many years ago. I met up with her when I traveled to Virginia. We have remained distant friends and have kept in touch.

There are more stories like that in my life. One recent friendship though comes to the forefront.
I met this spring with another photographer/blogger. Neither one of us were an axe murder posing as something else, thank goodness. And we had a common ground.

The love of the forest and everything in it.

We decided to hook up for a fall hike. We waited until the temperatures had cooled a bit and the bugs were not so bad.

Let me say that getting around where I live is probably one of the most difficult things to do. GPS is not accurate, it doesn't show where I live. The GPS will show my vehicle going off into Never Never Land. Road signs can be non-existent. I know our road sign took nearly 20 yrs to be put up. They forgot to add: Dead End.

Phone reception in our hills and valleys are even worse. Depending  which valley I am in, my phone tells me that there is NO availability for voice. In fact if it is in my bedroom, in our creek bottom, in the back valley, or in places at KVR it goes DING and let's me know there is nothing...Nothing Out there! 

In the end, we did find each other and begin our Fall trek together. 

As we climbed the first part of the steep trail, The Grand Old Oak welcomed us with morning light filtering through its branches.

I mean. I want to hug this tree. It seems to hug me every single time I walk by it.

I don't know how to explain it... I like the forest and I think it likes me back.

Aurora and I found our way with Charlie leading us. We arrived at the top of the bluff. 

Charlie trotted out to the edge and surveyed the forest below. Just like the Lion King would have done.

We sat down on one of the ledges and proceeded to just talk. After all meeting face to face is so much more than just writing to each other or talking on the phone.

And this happened:

Aurora found a bunch of milkweed seeds and held them up to blow them into the slight breeze. They floated over the edge and continued on their journey. Charlie was hilarious he turned towards the camera I'd set up. 
I suppose he could hear the almost inaudible clicks.

I have to admit, I love the deep forest trails so much.

We walked and chatted. I chatted in circular fashion. I started something and got sidetracked and then picked up sort of where I left off later on.

No sane mind can follow me so I will leave it at that.

The colors were beautiful and when the trail threw me for a loop I was happily surprised.

This photo edited to bring out the glorious colors of the meadow/prairie grasses we walked through while looking back at the forest we came out of.

The planted grass around us was beyond pretty. Aurora showed me that. Normally I wouldn't have given the grasses much of a glance.

But that is the fun of having another photographer along. One that can see what I'd normally overlook.

I liked the asters....I did like the grass but just took grassy looking shots. Nothing spectacular. I just soaked it all in.

We ran into other folks walking the trail which is unusual in the middle of the week. However, I suppose the incredible weather and colors brought out all sorts of folks.

Below. 

Sumac on the trail that I wanted to 'shoot' backlit using spot metering.

I like it.

We probably spent as much time chilling out with Charlie where we had parked our vehicles.

Aurora told me about a photographer who did a project called Wonderland. We talked about it at length.

I'd had an idea of something along these lines but not fantasy quite like this artist had done.

A story?

A tribute?

Something of a project?

Oh the mind whirls!

Friends are awesome. They continuously give me fantastic ideas.

In 2008, a Flickr friend Nikki told me to do a 'book' about the Forest. It was her wish. I took one year to do it. Nikki passed away and I did that book in her honor.

The Enchanted Forest.

I followed that up with another called The Sleeping Forest.

I like projects and have been mulling over a project of Bear and I.

Or something else.

Time will tell.

As well as encouragement from friends.

Never waste a good friend.

They are an extremely precious resource.

Hike with Distancing

Teri used to be my neighbor. When they moved in and had their little boy, I babysat for them on my time off from being a Security Guard. Teri and I made a community veggie garden together and they helped out while I was running Rich back and forth for cancer treatments.

Teri's door was always open and I leaned on her often. I used to take her children on hikes with me and we foraged for food in the woods together. Don't get me wrong,....I love the neighbors I have now too! How could I be so lucky to get 12 yrs of fantastic young neighbors!

Her daughter is now 16 and driving. Imagine my surprise at seeing her driving Teri's Subaru. Kids. Stop getting older...it makes me feel older.

 Spring Beauties

Wintergreen with leftover

berries

Pine Moss

or Club Moss

Hepatica

found just above 

one of the ice caves.

Powder Lichen

growing on Moss

We found 100's

of Skunk Cabbage!

And of course a superhero. I always carry tiny toys and when the kids said..."Oh this would be a great spot for some toys!" 

I whipped out some toys and tossed them to the kids. The toys ended up in skunk cabbage, in moss, in a tiny iced waterfall ... and other places.

Here is a sample of what happens when we get a touch of rain and then have warm days and very cold nights that are in the teens.

January....

We had a blast and climbed around in the ice caves which are pretty much melted, but the kids are explorers.  We were surprised at the amount of spring beauties we saw coming up through the leaves. 
Indeed this route was going to become explosive with colors in a few weeks.

Everyone was very good about keeping their distance. One of us would find something and point to it, then back off for the other party to look at it.

Our hike was successful! We all enjoyed a long afternoon in the cold fresh air and made plans to hike again. Hopefully. Teri's schedule is busy.