Goings On

Rich hasn't felt well enough to go visit his mother. It isn't a very long drive and we could do a short stay.
However he still fights for oxygen saturation. If he walks across the floor...say 10 feet across the house, even with 02 flowing, ... his 02 drops into the 80's and takes a few minutes to come back to a low acceptable saturation.

Talking exhausts him. Quiet conversation between us is halting with a little grunt or look from him. Like clockwork now he gets up about 9AM. I get his coffee, help him with getting his breakfast and meds. By 10:30 he is ready to lay down.
If we are lucky, I fill him in on what I have to do on the 'farm' and errands I may have to run by then.

Today I used his 'nap' time to run to the feed store and get mineral salt for the mules and sweet feed for Mica who needs more calories than she is getting. She is a hard keeper and has been since she arrived her 17 years ago. 
I was able to fit in a CrossFit class and I'm glad I did. It felt good and I met some different folks.
All ... very nice.

Burpees, Box Jumping [I jumped on and off a stack of 45 lbs weights], jump ropes, ... that was our WOD at AMRAP. WOD...work out of the day. AMRAP...as many repetitions as possible in a given time. This was after 3 sets of 500 meter rows combined with bar lifts and shoulder touches. No worries, this was all foreign language to me a while ago. But the end result is that I felt good afterwards. I felt relaxed and ready to take on the rest of the day.

I grabbed 50lbs of feed and a salt block and headed home in time to wake Rich up and feed him a later lunch. All was good.

During his afternoon nap, I moved Mica to a separate paddock next to Little Richard, filled the large stock tanks and filled Mica and Lil' Richard's water buckets.

Charlie and I spent the rest of time tidying up some loose end on a few items that needed a quick fix. Like the place where a deer had broken a wire.

I gathered my fertilizer [the kind that melts ice] sand, and old hay chaff together. This combination is my secret weapon for ice.

We are supposed to get some snow tonight that will turn into rain. On frozen gravel roads and driveways that causes the road to become an instant ice rink.
If we get the heavy rain we will have creeks and rivers rising from the quick run off.

Yesterday was a 'free' day. I did chores and not much else. I did put Charlie's Christmas sweater on and took him to see my MIL. I took some shots of her with Charlie and sent them to a few relatives.

Funny. My MIL has always said she didn't like dogs. She likes Charlie.

Charlie also met another resident who asked if he could pet him. I said yes. The resident gave Charlie a ride in his wheelchair.

Charlie made the day for some of the folks at the elder apartment building.



Yup. I think I'm set up for the winter storm. I wonder if it will track this way or go north?

A Gift

It is fairly rare for us to get a visit from my youngest son who lives near Wausau Wisconsin. I won't explain any of that here, but let's just say, it was wonderful that they could come to visit this year and the weather cooperated too!

I used to drive to their place each year to see them just before Christmas until Rich had his stroke. He wasn't comfortable being home alone even though I had chore volunteers and neighbors who would check on him.

I chose to take the 'kids' and parents on a hike to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve where the trail I'd chosen had enough of a variety to interest a 4 and 5 year old and a safe trail that would allow them to run off energy. Lily who had just turned 14 came along also. The Grands chose to ride in Grandma's Subaru.

I think the deciding factor was Charlie.
Elena or Nonnie as her brother calls her offered to hold Charlie so he wouldn't get car sick.

How perfect is that? Charlie gets to sit on Elena's lap in her carseat and...navigate!

Sterling fell asleep on the ride to KVR.

Once out though, the fun began. I don't think it was so much the adventure outdoors that attracted everyone, as it was ... who would be in charge of Charlie's Leash...

Not a fantastic photo, but here is Sterling aka 'Buddy' totally delighted to have Charlie's leash.
Now at the Reserve, you don't have to have your dog leashed when the birds are not nesting, however, everyone wanted a bit of Charlie.
And Charlie didn't mind at all.

Lily. What can I say about her? Just that she is heartfelt and true. I managed to get a quick shot of her. She watched over her little siblings.

My youngest son here is holding Elena and they are looking down the bluff towards the Kickapoo River.

Onward we went...

Down the 'magic' stairs into the wondrous Kickapoo River Valley...ok. My words, but why not? It is a pretty magical place.

We walked along the trails and through the covered bridge. Everyone found sticks to poke at ice. Here is the moment when I think I realize that indeed...Elena could be a Wood Princess with her Stick Scepter! That look!

Lily captures Sam and I in fur hats. Yes I am the Stinker. I loaned my fox hat to Sam so she wouldn't get cold.

I'd handed Lily one of my pocket cameras and told her to fire away. Now I know what she was doing when she was hanging back!

The trails were very icy and instead of instilling fear in the kids, the ice seemed to be just a challenge and something fun despite warnings from the parents.

We got up towards the old dam site...there is a long and very bitter history that surrounds this area, but this isn't the time to go into that. The result is that there is now a great hiking trail that is a snow shoe/cross country ski trail in the winter and bicycle, horse, hiking trail in the summer.
Let's leave it at that.

The kids had a great idea once they got on top of the dam.

The real fun was finding ice puddles and smashing them with sticks.

The fresh air and hiking wore everyone out. And the drive back home was nearly silent.

That evening Sterling and Elena entertained Rich with their antics and toys. All that laughter wore Rich out.

But it was worth it.

It was one of the best gifts we could have had. A nice short visit. Laughter, yelling, shouting, quiet moments, and kids.

And ...
Charlie was sad to see them leave.

Thank you for the gift Jeremie and Sam.

Neighbors

A lot of things happened over the weekend and I'll try and get into some of that later.

Hay.
My one source of hay for the winter miscalculated her inventory of round bales and at first I left it to Rich to do the 'hay' search. He has always been the negotiator and hay purchaser.
Over many years though, I've watched, listened and learned.

I called a gent we bought from last year. I figured he'd be out of hay too or it would be beyond my price range. I left a message and when Darrel called back we had a nice chat. I explained what was going on and that Rich had a major setback in his health.
In the end, I settled on some large square bales.
Darrel called me this morning.

He worked out a plan, he'd deliver and if it was okay, ...he'd use our skid steer to stack the hay in the shed.
[Rich has always taken the hay off from Darrell's trailer and stacked it.]
He'd even would deliver our neighbor's hay and stack it in our shed since they didn't have a good spot to put out of the weather.
I did remind Darrel that I always paid cash, but it was Sunday and the bank was closed.
He laughed and said, "I know you guys, you are good people."
In country speak that means", "I trust you.

Darrel came down with his huge truck and trailer and I had the skidsteer warmed up for him.

Darrel came in a talked with Rich for a little bit and then went out to move hay.
I finally walked out, Darrell came back with the skidsteer. He couldn't get the bucket to detach. The bucket wouldn't come off.
We tried once solution after another. Rich even dragged himself out to try it. He had to be helped out of the skid steer and I got him back inside...

No go.
Hmmm.
Darrell thought perhaps the fuse or relay for the Hydralulic Attachment thingy wasn't working properly. [thingy is MY term]. We searched the skidsteer up and down looking for the fuse box...thingy. Both of us stood out in the wind and tried using our smart phones to look it up too...to no avail.

We finally settled on Darrell knocking the hay off the trailer with the bucket and my neighbor could place it in the shed with his little tractor.

With that sorted out, Darrell parked the skidsteer back in the shed and I said goodbye and I'd drop off the money after Christmas.
I went in the house and dug around.

Rich always has manuals on our machinery. I found the manual for the New Holland L220...

A bit of candy, an apple and some sticky note paper and I was suddenly...studying a machinery manual.

And there I found it. The relay and fuse box thingy that would perhaps give me a clue as to ... well, something, right?

I had told Darrell that I could have someone come out and service it after the Holidays.
He had wrinkled his nose at that.

My cell phone rang while I was doing chores.
It was Darrell.

I answered with a bit of pride in my voice, "I found the fuse box, I found the manual!"
He asked if the fuse box was located by the left side near where the driver's calf would be.
"Yes!"
Then there was a pause and he said, "My goodness you are just like me. Got a problem and you just have to see if you can solve it..." he paused. "I got home myself and had to look it up."

We talked a bit and then Darrel said, "I'm probably going to take a drive tomorrow and stop by to check it out."
My turn to pause, "Darrel, it is Christmas Eve. It is a holiday."
"Huh. Well I'd like to see what I can do. I'm sure it is just a relay or fuse. It's probably very simple and I can learn something. Besides," he said, "you are a good neighbor and neighbors help neighbors, there just isn't enough of that going around these days. Besides, I don't want you to have to pay for a service call if it is an easy fix."

I told Rich about the phone call when I got in. I got a smile with a thumbs up.

I spent the rest of the afternoon actually reading the manual.

Yuck. I have never liked machinery, but I learned something today also.

Last point though. I wonder if neighbors are also those who live 10 miles away.

Well, back to the manual...

Look at that, I will be able to find the air filter!
Score one for me!
That is after I find the fuse thingy.

Poetry

Mary Oliver 
Excerpt from Leaves and Blossoms Along the Way

All important ideas must include the trees,
the mountains, and the rivers.
.

To understand many things you mus reach out
of your own condition.
.

For how many years did I wander slowly
through the forest. What wonder and
glory would I have missed had I ever been
in a hurry!
.

Beauty can both shout and whisper, and still
it explains nothing.
.

The point is, you're you, and that's for keeps.

And those are some thoughts from Mary Oliver on of my favorite poets to read for today.
Just some art made from some photos to finish things off....

My youngest son made it with his family late last night. It was quite the adventure for the to get here. My son left his wallet in a way side and a State Trooper found it and they got it back with nothing stolen.

It is sure to be an interesting few days....

Enjoy, all is very quiet here this morning.

Distractions

When stuck inside on a crummy day what on earth do you do?

I could do something worth while, but I've already cleaned the house, made supper, did the chores, and...now it is quiet time so someone can rest.

So I got out a some things and decided to do a Christmas themed Still Life. Who knows, perhaps these will become next year's Christmas Cards.
Note the ornament that was hand carved!
It came from Far Side of Fifty!

Isn't it cool?

So after doing several different shots on this particular day, I decided to have some fun too.

Dinosaurs like Kisses....

Tough Guys like Kisses Too!

Uh Oh...little soldiers...look behind you!

Some more lay Flat Still Life:

This has potential as a card for next year!

And then some messing around....

I'll have to practice with the paper more or figure out how to use another backround.

Then we had some awkward moments on the Christmas Chair.

Nor and Rune meet up with the Dinosaur Garden Statue and there is a moment of disbelief.

The Elf on the Shelf finds himself sitting awkwardly between a Zombie Doll and a Zombie Santa Doll. [This fun for those who love Halloween and Krampus]

And of course, there is Charlie. Not awkward at all, but he decides that he needs to be in on all of the action.

I think I like him just fine as a part of the decorations.

Today I hope to go for a hike.
If Rich is having a better day than yesterday, I will go.

Goofy distractions are things I do while stuck inside the house ... especially when I am trying to be quiet while someone rests.

This evening, my younger son and his family will arrive. It could be chaos, but I have some outdoor activities planned to wear the little ones out.

Have a good day.

AWOL well I was...

I really wasn't absent at all. Just had some things happen.

Rich spent 24 hrs in CCU and then 4 days on the Cardio Pulmonary unit in a hospital. We had quite a scare. 
Acute Pulmonary Emboli. Note the 'i' on the end of Pulmonary. He had multiple blood clots in both lungs.

Well suffice to say that it was dangerous for him and extremely painful.

I spent 5 days sitting in one hospital room or another. I cannot believe how tiring it is to sit there and wait for a doctor's update.

He is back home now and can move about with Oxygen. He is on blood thinners. He may be on them for just 3 months, and the oxygen depends on how his lungs recover or how much damage the lungs received from the clots.

So that has been my past week. It is a real struggle to stay positive when you see your loved one seem to struggle with each effort, each breath, and each motion he takes.
Just a conversation at this point can wear him out. 

I see him losing interest in life in general. He does perk up a bit at the chance to have a visitor. 
My youngest son and his wife and kids are coming to visit this weekend. He is looking forward to that and at the same time he says he won't be good company.

I told him that we all understand that perfectly and have no problem with him going to lay down or not wanting to engage a lot with everyone.

I laid out a plan to keep everyone busy with out door activities to keep the craziness inside the house to a minimum.

This event was a major blow to his health and I keep hoping that he can have some better days instead of struggling each day.

As I was driving home one evening, this came on the radio from my playlist on my mp3 player...
and I had to pull over...and take a few deep breaths...

Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would make it okay

There's always some reason
To feel not good enough
And it's hard, at the end of the day

I need some distraction
Oh, beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins

And maybe empty
Oh, and weightless, and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

Angel ~ by Sarah Mclachlan

Morning sunrise on the ridge with

Eagles flying over

Why I like winter

A lot of folks dislike winter. And I understand that totally. Those folks are either unable to get out and enjoy the fresh cold air or ... well, simply don't understand how to dress for the cold foul weather.

There is a quote the Norwegians use that says:

There is no bad weather, only bad clothing.

And I have to agree with that saying. Most people who dislike cold weather don't layer themselves properly. It is easier to throw on a stylish coat and a pair of nice looking gloves to go outside.

However.
I've learned to 'layer' with the clothing I have at hand. I can't afford North Face, I wish I could, and I can't afford some of the clothing that is high tech either. However I did invest in some lower tier 'moisture' wicking undergarments, and then just went with what I had at hand.

That said, it was pretty warm yesterday when I tossed on my wool blend hiking socks, warm tights, and a pair of wind pants that I'd picked up on sale. I dressed comfortably as it was in the high teens and the sun was shining.

Why else do I like winter? My hair can be messy and hidden under a nice cap. There are NO bugs. I repeat. No bugs. When hiking in this area the leaves and undergrowth are gone so a person can see the land formations.

Which leads me to my hike yesterday. I went to seek out the Ice Caves. The KVR has a guided tour for people in February to the ice caves. I chose not to do a tour, but like to explore the reserve on my own.
During midweek, there are generally not a lot of people on the trails.

There are quite a few *Ice Formations* in the area, but I wanted to see some I'd heard about from a woman at CrossFit. She'd told me how to find them.
There is something to be said about 'networking'.

I found them fairly easily by following the tracks in the snow.

This is a 4 shot panorama done with my cell phone. It literally looks like there are islands of snow floating among the ice.
That is how it shows up while looking at it through a camera.
However there are layers of rocks with mounds of earth and trees growing on them.

I just stood for a long time and stared. As the winter season moves on, the ice formations get larger if we have the proper weather. Since we've had the wettest fall ever, I imagine the ice formations could be fantastic by February or March. That is... as long as we have good cold weather.
The sun doesn't melt these areas as the winter sun doesn't reach the face of the rock formations.

The area I live in is unique in its landscape.
What more fun can it be than to be a person that loves the cold weather and explore all of this?

I found the next 'cave' and spent a few quick minutes exploring it.

I really wish I hadn't told Rich that I would be back by 1PM at the latest.

There was more to explore for sure. And there was another location with at least 3 more 'ice caves'. I had wanted to check out the one on what I refer to as the Green Trail too.

But now I know about the huge ice caves.

I also am eager to go check out the two ice caves on my neighbor's land.

The weather today will be perfect. Snow/sleet mix with grey skies.
I already know what I will wear and I will be comfortable.

It is only a 3 mile round trip hike, but if I hustle I can do it in about two hours. There are a few hills and valleys to cross, but it may be worth it.

[This photo was from March 2018]

I do ... like winter...
It is cool...