Monday June 30 2008

Debbie is enjoying watching the wildlife

especially the little antelope babies.

We've had some thunder today, started out warm and cooled off with the cloud cover. Still very nice weather. The first person came out to see the art show, recommended by James, an artist from Tennessee. He had been taking a ten day art class from Scott Christensen over in Victor, but had been in Wyoming for 5 weeks now. He was interesting to talk to.

We're cleaning the furniture upholstery today, actually I didn't do much before pooping out, so Debbie is cleaning the upholstery I should say. I've found that anything similar to scrubbing I just can't do it for long now. So Joe's not going to be able to sit in his chair until it gets dry. Debbie got the barbecue grill out of the shed, somehow it got pretty bent up since going in for storage - as perhaps run into with a tractor, but nobody knows how it happened. Anyway we'll clean it up and barbecue one of these days.

Yesterday afternoon I spent still trying to get some of the files backed up so the computer will run a little better - this time the photo program wanted to back up about 3000 of the photos, and has been trying to do that for some months. I kept saying "later". I had to sit and click each photo whether I wanted to save or delete, and it took about four hours. Today Mike is working on the laptop in town and may or may not have it done in the next few days before he goes out of town for a couple of weeks. That's o.k., if it takes longer I won't need the laptop and if he can get this quirk out of it it will be worth it. He will have to go back to its beginning and start over. Thought Curtis already did that when I was in Vegas, but maybe it will work this time. I guess the warranty isn't up for 3 more months or so, and if this doesn't work we may have to see about getting a new one. Aren't they frustrating machines!! Yeah, I know, get a Mac.

Tomorrow afternoon we'll go into town and get the oil changed in the car, and me a haircut, a few other errands and go to another Fine Arts Center meeting.

Sunday June 29 2008

Pretty cool.
True color of the sun shining through the smoke of
hundreds of wildfires in California.
(Not here, we just got a bunch of haze.)
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF8/861.html
See more on http://spaceweather.com/
You can also find out about ISS fly by at dawn there.
http://spaceweather.com/flybys

Another beautiful day, could not be more perfect. We are relaxing a little more today, just doing ordinary daily routine - so far. While we were eating lunch remembered the Bondurant BBQ was today - way to late to go. Had thought earlier in the week that this was something for us to do, but guess not.

For the first time, I sat down with the cell phone and started on the directions. It's on the Verizon plan so anyone wants to call it's free, same way me to you - but if you are - you already know that. This is pretty neat. I'll have to be out on the road somewhere though to get any service. Maybe every so often I can drive down to where there's a signal and call everyone I know. The number is 307-286-4162. Guess you can leave voice mail, also new to me. Although I do have an answering machine at home.

I spent a few hours working on the photos I took in Snow Canyon and Southern Utah. And have all of them I took on the trip divided into folders by category - that helps a lot. We're going to fix some cornish hens with dressing for dinner. Other than that not much to talk about.

Here's another neat thing to look at. My friend from CO Judy has illustrated these books, and has also created the website. Great job, Judy. Both she and the author are doing special things for animals. Be sure to check out Judy's story, The Bumblebee Murder. And see the beautiful photos of her horses.

http://www.dnjbooks.com/

and - uh --ohhh - check this one out - I would be so embarrassed if I were this artist.

http://www.pinedaleonline.com/#coloradostamp

Saturday June 28 2008

Both the Dogs Got a Much Needed Bath

They love their bath.

GET WELL, GINA!!

She's got Rocky Mountain Tick Fever or something awful like that.

Don't know if it was the computer or the Internet, but every time I tried to blog earlier "it" wouldn't let me. Since the computer was running terribly slow, I did a restore on it and tried to do a few other things I thought would free up some space. I downloaded the almost 500 photos from the card I took on the trip into this computer and backed them up on the external hard drive so if anything is going wrong with this one, they will be saved. Thought I'd get at least a few pictures on the blog today but with the computer acting up I didn't. It seems to be o.k. now. So will hurry before it's tomorrow and get a note posted.

Debbie got the dry carpets back in the living room and hall this morning. She moved the living room furniture around a little bit. We're not sure if it will stay that way or not. Joe has been helping her when she needs to move things. Then she dusted all the high shelves and tops of furniture. While she did things I haven't been able to, I did things I could - more laundry and fixing our lunch. I made a butterscotch roll "thing", that turned out pretty good. Joe's been mowing the lawn a section at a time, and it's growing very fast. In a few days he starts all over again.

In the afternoon I bathed both dogs and then got them brushed. I think they enjoyed getting clean and brushed out. They are sure shedding right now. We went out to the barn and got the rest of the paintings up and straightened out all the spacing problems. It looks really nice. I have a reasonable amount of new pieces, but not much major (large) new things. I have a couple of large ones and maybe 6 small ones very close to finished. So I will try to commit to getting them done. Monday I'll get an ad for the art show in the paper.

Beverly called this evening. She and my sister Gloria are coming to visit and will be here about July 18 to 28. Can't wait - it will be great to have them here. Millie and Ned are coming to Wyoming and will be here in mid-July, but they have an RV so aren't staying with us. We'll just spend some time with them. Betty also called today - always enjoy her visits.

Have been getting feedback on my Art Center priority list and it looks like it's good to go. The weather today was gorgeous and I hope it stays that way for a while now. We had some tacos for dinner -YUM-E! Think I'm getting some of my appetite and taste back.

I'm saddened to hear that my friend Maxine who I mentioned went to Jackson with me several times is ill and will have surgery. I sure wish her all the best. My prayers go with her.

The Lander Trail Celebrates 150 Years - This is the portion of the Oregon Trail that passes right near our house. This link tells a little of the history.

http://www.sublette.com/examiner/v8n14/v8n14s4.htm

Friday June 27 2008

Can't believe the month is nearly gone already. The weather is sure perfect right now, but the mosquitoes are beginning to come out. This morning Debbie must have been feeling really ambitious again. She went through the list of things to be done and started on the living room and hall floors and carpets. Joe has been helping her with different things - he carried the rugs out to the garage where we will use the carpet cleaner on them - not the thing to do to clean them while they are on the hardwood floors. And they won't be dry enough to bring back in until tomorrow. So she's cleaned the floor, washed the "tree" and put a new string of white lights on it. Those lights sure don't last very long, but they look pretty and are a good night light in the living room so I don't fall over a dog in the dark. And she also hosed off all the big rug pads and they are drying on the clothes lines.

I finally got my suitcase unpacked from the trip, then got laundry going and made some peanut butter cookies. Have been going to help her, but what she is doing seems to be a one person job. I heated up some leftovers for our lunch.

This morning Debbie plugged in my new cell phone to charge it up. So I've got a new toy now. We'll take to town and discard the old phone batteries and chargers.

Been getting comments back from the Art Center priorities document and so far everyone says it's o.k. - that's great - maybe no more editing. There is another large meeting in the county commissioners room on Tuesday and I said I would go to it. I have to get my hair cut that day and the oil changed in the car and get it aligned. Forgot to call them for an appointment until it was too late so hope that works out.

Thursday June 26 2008

Vic Cooks

Kay

Justine and Dee

Looking NE

This is the view I chose for my 1st painting

Looking West

Looking East - The Bulls

successfully integrated with the cows.

Ruth

Jo and Vic's Cabin

Still no time to work on the photos. And the way summer always gets so busy, it might be a while yet. But eventually I'll get it done. Answering email is in the same situation - sorry but I'll get to that when I can. Have had everything since I was gone on the trip to Vegas come into the Outlook Express three times now - don't know why - its a mess. But it happens every time I use the Hughes.net home page for my email while I'm gone somewhere.

Today we got up early and I decided to try to shower with the port anyway and it worked fine. We were in to the clinic by 8:15 to get the chemo pump off. The reason they couldn't do it yesterday was they had a father and two children in the emergency room all afternoon, and they were life flighted to the hospital. They had been in an ATV accident. Sounded awful.

Then we zipped up to Jo and Vic's place in Bondurant for a Mixed Media painting meeting. What a delightful day. We loved their log home there in the beautiful setting on Jack Creek. So much to see - Jo's artwork and collections of her favorite things. During the morning light we all got busy doing plein air paintings. I worked with my pastels and got a scene of the Sawtooths with a cabin and pond. Except for being a terribly hazy day with smoke from the California wildfires, it was perfect weather, a little breezy sometimes. Sparky and Raven got to go and behaved pretty well. Jo was concerned about her Blue cat attacking them, she's very territorial Jo said, so she locked her in the bedroom. Poor cat. She had another house cat too.

They fixed us hamburgers of their grass fed beef. Kay made the potato salad, and then there were brownies with ice cream and strawberries for lunch. In the midst of the day's activities, their son and his wife brought their bulls up and put them in the pasture with the cows, with some discussion about whether they would cooperate or not.

After lunch we had a meeting on the artists' priorities for the new Fine Art and Convention Center which is taking off running now. We all got another painting started before we left to go to a small meeting back in Pinedale to present our priorities to Sandy. It was decided I'd take our thoughts and edit and incorporate them as a rough draft into an older document I'd authored, which I did last night after we got home and got it sent to all the members for comments.

Bid goodbye to all the friends - so great to see them all again and spend some time together - and thanked Jo and Vic for a wonderful experience at their ranch. Made the beautiful drive back through the Hoback and over the Rim to Pinedale for the meeting which went well. Then Debbie and I had dinner at the Chinese Gourmet. It was nice so we didn't to have to fix something at home. It was a great day. Filled up with gas..... gas-tly experience. We also stopped on the way back at Ruth's frame shop to drop off a package of drawings I'd done when I was in grade school to be shrink wrapped to protect them for storage. I had sent them to my older sister instead of letters when I was a kid - she was older and married - and lived in Chicago then.

There were lots of Search and Rescue vehicles running all over our country, planes flying and helicopters, as we got toward home. They are searching for a missing young man, son of our neighbors, see pinedaleonline to know more. Such an awful situation for everyone. He's been gone about a week now.

Wednesday June 25 2008

Old Friends -

me with my book collection in the

Museum of the Mountain Man.

All the books shown are mine.

That's the chemo pack on my waist, about the size of a

small purse. A line goes from it to the port in my chest.

Today we went to Pinedale in time to have some lunch. Debbie thought of going to Lakeside Lodge and so we did that. We were going to sit outside on the deck but just as we got there it started to sprinkle, so stayed inside. It was so nice and the food was superb. We even shared a crepes filled with amaretto ice cream and strawberries flambe, whipped cream and toasted almonds. Yum. Good to see a few friends there. The view was peaceful and lovely while we ate. We're thinking of renting a boat to cruise the lake and fish when Curtis comes up. That would be fun.

Other errands were took the Nordic Trak back to Bonnie (she wasn't home so we left it by the back door - the dog would have let us take anything if we'd wanted to), did the recycling, cancelled the old cell phone plan at Union Cellular, got whitening gel for my tooth trays at the dentist office, shopped for groceries again, took my laptop to Mike at the phone company to work on in his spare time - it doesen't let me register the Office program - says the registration numbers are wrong!!. So I have no software that will work in it - i.e. can't write anything. Walked the dogs twice. The first time there was thunder and Sparky just wanted right back in the car so we had to do it again later. There was a nice rain shower and they had puddles in the street - probably rained there good last night. We had only a sprinkle here.

We went to the clinic twice to get the pump taken off but they were having three people in the emergency room and the ones who know how to work my port were busy there, so I have to go back at 8:15 in the morning. And I can't shower until I get it off. Then we went out to Ruth's at the frame shop to pick up the two pastels I'd left there to be framed before my trip. They will go out into the art show, in fact I think Debbie took them right out and hung them up. I haven't had a chance to really look at them yet.

In between there somewhere we stopped at the Museum of the Mountain Man and asked to see my book collection on the new shelves. They had nice oak shelves made to put them on. Took a few pictures and will put them on the blog when I get time to work on the photos. They are still sorting and inventorying them. It was like visiting old friends. Remember Debbie helped Laurie pack them all up last November.

Debbie drove me all around today. The ride in and back was beautiful, and there are so many of the pink shooting stars in the fields now - whole sections of fields are brilliant lavender pink.

We took frozen pizza home for dinner so that was easy with a salad. Then Sheral and Dick came over about 7:00 and we had a nice visit. They have been here at their ranch while I've been gone and are going home to Layton for about a week tomorrow, so it was a good chance to get to see them.

Tomorrow is an all day Mixed Media painting meeting at Jo's in Bondurant. Then at 5 p.m. we all will go to another meeting in Pinedale to give our input again for the new Fine Arts and Community Center which is really taking off now. Maybe I will get to see it finished - that would be wonderful. So looking forward to a good day tomorrow.

See a friend's new blog. She has some absolutely beautiful wildlife photos, and is also a very talented artist. Duene is blogging nearly every day too. Check it out, you will enjoy it. I've put the link over on my sidebar, so you can go there anytime to connect.

http://www.duene-myplace.blogspot.com/

Tuesday June 24 2008

Debbie has been a busy bee all day. Although Joe had the house really clean, which was very appreciated, the bathroom needed to be cleaned and she did that first thing. Then she got all the paintings hauled to the barn and hung up for the Art Show in the Barn. I couldn't believe she did it all in a day. I will get an ad in the papers right away and we'll have the whole summer for people to come to the show. She also fixed a BBQ rib dinner that was great while I was taking a nap. Then she did some laundry and I don't even know what else. I've made a list of things to be done, two pages!!

Had slept only about two hours during the night so I finally just had to give up and lay down and sleep this afternoon. Had the usual groggy day after chemo. Not feeling too bad though, but have a pill for everything so take them for a few days - nausea, benedryl, etc. My eyes are terribly irritated again this time. Chemo went well yesterday. I don't know anything more until they call me, probably for another CT scan and a visit with the Huntsman doctor Dr. Ward. My potassium was a little high because I had been taking a diuretic while I was traveling - I have a problem with my legs and feet swelling up then. It will be o.k. if I eat a few more bananas and have quit the water pill now. Will only use that when necessary.

Tomorrw we'll go into Pinedale to get the chemo pump taken off, and do some errands. Maybe have lunch there.

The telephone guys finally did come and put in the rest of the new equipment to update our phone. They said they would be right back last fall. So hopefully that will work fine.

That reminds me that Debbie and Curtis put me on their Verizon family cell phone plan. $50 for the cell phone and $10 a month just about equals the bill I've had for my old phone. I've had a big ol' box for a long time now with Union Telephone and it cost $11 a month plus about $! per minute. Union has phased out the kind of plan and phone that I have. I never used it much except safety for traveling and notifying people then, calling Joe etc. We don't get any cell phone reception here at the house, but now I'll have a phone like everyone else when I'm traveling or can drive a little ways to use it since calling any other Verizon user is free minutes. Guess you know that. I'll give you the number when we get it set up. We just have to charge it etc.

I'm only just getting around to looking at email, and will try to get that answered ASAP.

Monday June 23 2008

Home

This morning I am blogging at St. John's in the Oncology room and able to connect to their wireless, so just published yesterday's journal. My appointment was at 8:30. They have the chemo dripping in me now. This is the last of four scheduled treatments of the Full Fury, so I'll find out later what is next. Debbie's gone to get the car washed and maybe she is shopping around town or gone to The Bunnery for breakfast. I ordered oatmeal here and that hit the spot. Barb from Pinedale is here for chemo too. Later we will get a few groceries, fresh vegetables - or Debbie may be doing that now too - and drive home. We have to stop in Pinedale to get one of my prescriptions filled there. I'm going to download my photo card and see if I can find some photos to post for the last few days.

It's a beautiful day out, in the 70's here today. I found out that it snowed again about a week ago.

Later: we got home and glad to be back. We were able to put nearly everything away this evening after Debbie unloaded the car. Joe was eating bacon and eggs when we got here. We snacked later. Food doesn't sounds so good for a while so had a grilled cheese sandwich for a midnight snack. Had a really hard time sleeping.

Sunday June 22 2008

Mary Caroline and Her Family

IN MEMORY OF MARY CAROLINE JORGENSEN

When I checked my email I had a message from Carol that Mary Carolyn has passed away, and am very saddened to hear it. My sincere sympathies are with all her family at this time. Carol said their small family remembrance service would be Saturday or Sunday, so we've missed being able to send flowers. They have asked if they can bring her ashes to the ranch and place them with her mom, our Aunt Ruth. They will do that later this summer, so we will look forward to seeing anyone who can come then.

This morning we got going much better than the last couple of days. We are going on to Jackson and tomorrow we will be there for my next treatment. I called Joe and he said that was o.k. with him -not to come home first, then go back to Jackson. He sounded a little better today. So about 10 I called Judy even though it is Sunday (and got her on an out of town trip) and asked if we could change my chemo from Tuesday to Monday, then we lost the signal. Paige called me back and said they would rearrange a few of their patients and I could come at 8:30. So we made the plan to go to Jackson, and called the Hitching Post - a motel owned by St. Johns Hospital for patients and employees which costs $40 a night - and made a reservation. There is no way you would find a room available in Jackson, and if you did it wold be $200 or more.

Ate some of the continental breakfast here at our hotel, better than most. The place was full of Japanese people, and one lady asked if she could share our table. We got to visiting and they are all on a pilgrimage to the Minidoka Japanese Internment Camp of Word War II. Her daughter was with her and she was an employee of the National Park Service and one of the leaders of the pilgrimage. All the old camps are National Historic Sites now. There were 10,000 Japanese people interred there, and they did a lot of farming, opening new land at that place. She said there are 15,000 descendants now from that camp, and there were a lot of camps - maybe she said eleven? I told her about Ann Noble's CDROM about Heart Mountain, the camp at Cody, and she was going to Google Ann to check it out. During WWII I was a young child and so was she. I told her even as a child I knew the Japanese people in California were all taken away to the camps and all their assets and property were permanently confiscated, and that I thought it was very wrong of the government to do that. Terrible. And I apologized to her for it. What memories that must have been for her, for them all.

We looked at all our options of a scenic drive to the waterfalls on the Snake River and Haggerman Springs (I've seen those all but Debbie hasn't), anything else in range, and decided just to start driving directly toward home. But first when we got to Idaho Falls we had to shop at Walmart. I'm beginning to seriously look for a new camera. Of all they had there I picked the one I wanted and then found that they didn't have any, and none at the other Walmart in Idaho Falls either. I'm pretty certain I've never gone into a Walmart and not bought anything. So that was about an hour wasted. We had some lunch at Olive Garden (with a hovering, loud, talkative waiter) then tried to see "The World of the Pharaohs" at the museum there. It wasn't open today. We headed out of town and went over Teton Pass to Jackson.

We still had most of the afternoon left, so took a loop drive around Teton Park. It is very beautiful right now, with the wildflowers as lush and bright as I've ever seen. The weather is perfect here, cool and spring-like. We saw almost no animals - one elk, maybe two antelope so far away it was hard to tell. Then just after passing Jenny Lake Lodge we saw a very large black bear disappearing into the fir trees. Only a glimpse but it got us excited. It was in super condition with a luxurious black coat. Nearly every time I've ever seen a bear it's been the same thing, a tenth of a second sighting, and I've seen more bears than most people - even Joe (but not Gina!). There were people everywhere and I've never seen more cars up there. Gas prices don't seem to be bothering people too much. So ..... even when we could have stopped and had a restful afternoon, we drove all day long.

Back in Jackson, and it was a total ZOO with the crowds!! People seemed to even be hanging off the buildings - well, covering decks, streets packed with pedestrians and shoppers and such. A month ago at my last chemo treatment it was still quiet here, so there is a hugh difference since then. We ate dinner at Pizza Hut and it wasn't hectic at all there - everyone is downtown. Good pizza.

At Flat Creek on Snow King Drive, there were a bunch of photographers with their huge telephoto lenses watching for something down in the creek. I'm very curious exactly what it is, because it must be something special and different; some kind of rare bird or maybe otters? (Found out Monday they are foxes - a mom with six babies.)

Now we're snug in the motel. It's a little old and rustic, but pleasant, clean, inexpensive, and very quiet. Debbie thought it was like staying at "the lodge". I've gotten the blog written, but there is no connection. It tried to connect me to Snow King Resort or Bud's East Side Liquor, but they must be too far away.

Saturday June 21 2008

PHOTOS WILL BE POSTED IN A FEW DAYS.

I was awake by 6 or so, and soon we were up and getting ready for the day. How the day got away from us the way it did I don't know. but here's the story. Today the plan was to go into the Jarbidge Wilderness. I've known about it since I was a kid as being Nevada's premier wilderness and always have wanted to go there. This was to have been the time.

We must be wearing down because we were slow getting out of the room. I asked Debbie if she cared if I blogged for 15 minutes and she said no, so I published Thursday's text which I had already written, and stuck the photos in. There has been no Internet connection to post that one, and with all we are doing I kept getting a day or two behind.

There was no continental breakfast at our hotel, but they gave each of us a $5 coupon for a full breakfast at a restaurant across the street. We thought it was a good idea to use it. First we went to a gun and archery sporting goods store next to the hotel for Jarbidge information and maps. Lucky we did because forest service and BLM offices are closed on the weekend - go figure. That took 20 minutes to visit with those guys about the roads etc. They knew a lot about the country, and told us that going in from this side - the south, the pass to the small town of Jarbidge (pop. 14) was still snowed in. So lucky we didn't just take off like we did yesterday and have to come back out of there. They also said this was a two-track road and there were no signs. I said "You mean a dirt road" and he said "No, I mean two-track four wheel drive dirt road". But showed us instead on our new-just-bought-from-them-$23 book of Nevada maps how to go into Idaho through Jackpot and back down to Jarbidge. Half or more of route that is paved. This was the way I expected we would come out after the drive, and presumed that it was all do-able because these roads ARE shown on a road map. So we left the sporting goods store expecting we would do the northern end and be happy with that, although disappointed not to see the whole thing. The guys there said that the Elko/southern side was really the prettiest but that you shouldn't go in there until July. There were some very nice full mounts and artwork in the sporting goods store.

We're heard in several places that this week is a huge motorcyclers gathering in this area, and we've seen them everywhere we've gone. The businesses have been saying that this is their busy week. When we got to the restaurant, people were waiting outside for tables. We decided to go for it rather than search for another place and loose the ten bucks. I waited in line and Debbie went across the street to fill up with gas. It took 25 minutes to get the table. The food took forever to come after we finally got waited on. Then we must have waited 15 minutes for the check. It was after 11 when we left town.

We headed east to Wells on I-80 to catch 93 north. I sat with the laptop on my knees and wrote the report for yesterday, something I had not tried yet. It worked great, except I'm not good with the pad mouse. The scenery was beautiful again, if you like desolation. At Wells we got off I-80 and went through town to check for a visitor center for any more information we could get. The town is quite small. In the historic district we noticed some damaged buildings. And I said to Debbie, "Let's go around the block and look at this." The very old part of town (which dates from 1868) with it's historic old buildings was all damaged - whether deliberately being demolished or what we didn't know. An entire block of buildings was all enclosed with a 10 food high chain link fence. Then Debbie remembered that several months back there had been an earthquake here. She heard on the news that had done a lot of damage in the town. We got quite a few pictures of it and talked to two groups of residents. Yes, there had been a terrible earthquake there and aftershocks ever since. It happened in February, in the middle of winter. Bricks and signs and rubble and most all the windows were laying on the ground, parts of walls and roofs were gone. People lived and had businesses there but now it was abandoned, including the visitor center. The high school also had a lot of damage. An older lady and her family had moved there from California and bought three of the old buildings to restore, to get away from earthquakes she said. Now she owned three destroyed buildings.

We headed north on Highway 93. Lots of traffic there, one of the main routes in and out of Southern Idaho, and watching every road sign for some mention of Jarbidge. We stopped at a small station after another 20 miles or so driving, topped off the tank again just to be safe and got some snacks. Then drove on with me checking the new Idaho map book Debbie bought there. Come to find out that station, Roberson, was where our turn was, accurately described by the guys in the sports store, but no road sign ever saying "Jarbidge" or highway 229. Of interest is that there's a big reservoir there and Salmon Falls Creek is what fills it. It is the first river heading north we have come across - and all of them we encounter will go to the Columbia River now.

The weather was turning stormy. The sky was looking very threatening, the wind was coming up and dust storms were blowing. I said "Let's just go to Twin Falls and get our room early". It took a lot of going back and forth on whether to turn around and make the Jarbidge drive, but all the signs seemed to be saying that we'd had enough for a while. It was already almost 4 p.m. mountain time, so we would have been very late getting back from the drive and in to Twin Falls to our motel. We gave up our plan.

We didn't have a reservation today, so came to a Best Western and went in. They had no more rooms with two beds available, ..... but wait ..... she had a room that had a kitchen and she gave me $30 off on it. I said yes we'd take it. It has three rooms, a sitting room with a second TV, and a nearly full kitchen, even a dishwasher - none of which we'll use. We got our stuff into the room and soon the TV went out, and there was no wireless. The wind had taken them both out. We went to a steak house a few miles away and had a nice dinner. It was that or pizza. Now as I write after dinner there is a thunder and lightning storm with lots of wind and black, dusty looking air. Debbie went back to the SUV to get a couple of flashlights in case the power goes out. That was our day. Tomorrow we may go home..... or head for Jackson where I could get my treatment on Monday, then home. More decisions to make.

And curious if I'll ever be able to see the Jarbidge.

Friday June 20 2008

Very long report of our day. Pictures of Ely Train Museum, Ruby Mountains, and Lamoille will be posted after we get home.

Breakfast was from a continental breakfast without much choices, so we took a few things for the ice chest but ended up going to the Silver State café for a big breakfast. We drove around the town just a little and came across two interesting things – The Northern Nevada Railroad – East Ely Railroad Depot Museum and also discovered that the town has more than 18 large, and very good, murals painted on building walls on two of the main streets.

We were only going to take a quick look at the railroad museum. We found we had just missed a train ride to the Ruth Copper Pit and mill about 50 miles away – used to be the largest open pit copper mine in the word. We could still hear the whistle in the distance. Not another ride until 4:30. For some reason we regretted not taking the train ride. Then we started talking to the clerk there in the gift shop, an old guy in a railroad cap, and the more he told us the history and what they had, he talked us into taking the self-tour into the machine shop. There are four acres of railroad shops and yard that encompasses this museum. The buildings are all preserved as they were, and some of the very best I’ve ever seen. Volunteers, even the engineers and conductors, come from around the country to keep the trains running and the museum buildings preserved. The train was built to transport the ore from the mine in the early 1900’s. They had records in the depot, along with complete office materials from 1905.

One interesting thing I’d never realized was that the copper used for electrical wire from Ely was instrumental in lighting the nation at the time electric power was in its beginning stages. Also they separated gold and silver and stored the bullion in a safe in the basement. We got to see the safe which was encased in cement and rebar and is three stories or levels used for different purposes.

The whole depot building is in excellent shape. It was used as offices, associated with the transportation of the ore from the Ruth copper pit mine. The mill was at McGill about 10 miles north of Ely, but 50 miles. In those days the mine employed 1400 people. It was owned by Kennecott Copper and they sold out a Canadian company which ships the refined copper ore to China – can you imagine. The gold and silver is left in the ore but they take out the molybdenum and keep it here, it is worth so much. Now because of improved technology, the mine employs about 400 people. It was totally fascinating for both of us. We parked up near the shop and walked into another era.

There were about four mechanics or machinists working in there, repairing and refurbishing steam engines and old diesel engines. They all talked to us about what they were doing. One guys who was from Ely, was a mechanic who started there as an apprentice in his 20’s and now is a little younger than me. He travels all over the country to repair the "undercarriage" (for lack of knowing the right word) of old trains and steam engines. He is an expert at it, and surely one of the few doing that kind of work now. He was repairing two steam engines there that had cracked axles, but it involved more than the axles. He has to machine new parts on lathes and presses there, or have parts made in distant machine shops and then he puts the train back together. He had every wheel on the engine off, with it blocked up over a pit. His undertaking was very impressive. He was going to Atlanta next, and they wanted him back here again to repair a second steam locomotive with cracked axles. A young man said he was working with his dad maintaining the old diesel engines they are using for the tours. He seemed very happy with his job. His dad might have been in his 70s and still working there as a mechanic.

When we’d seen all we could in that very large room, we went into the next part of the building. There were stored two more steam locomotives, and all kinds of old types of cars and a few diesel engines. There was a very old coal fired rotary snow blower for clearing the tracks, and many other kinds of track maintenance equipment. There were also a few of the old equipment they used in the mining operations. There was also an old locker room of long ago, very interesting. We both got about a million pictures of all that as well as the machine room. We were thoroughly happy to have spent the time to see the train museum.

The whole thing is run by the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs Division of Museums and History. http://www.nnry.com/ and http://www.nevadaculture.com/ .

We wanted to check out the murals and did that next, just by driving up and back down the street. The responsible group was called the East Ely Renaissance Society. Apparently this society puts on some kind of a pageant every year. But artists from locally and around the US have painted the different murals of local historical scenes. http://www.elymurals.com/

By now it was about 1:30 and we hadn’t even left Ely yet. We decided to snack on what we had in the ice chest for lunch and not stop again, but set out on 93 north for sightseeing in the Ruby Mountains. It’s about 140 miles from Ely to Elko, without any side trips, where we figured our best bet was to stay tonight. The way was through a vast long unpopulated valley with hills and mountains on each side. At one place we could see 7 dust devils at once out across the vast expanse. We were not well prepared with information or good maps; the best map we had was a Nevada road map from the 1970’s that Debbie had brought along. This is poor planning and leads to indecision on my part about whether we should proceed or not. At about 100 miles up the road we turned off to Ruby Valley and drove south. We were on a good gravel road, perhaps with a mag surface like at home. The fields and landscape are very green right now, although we heard later this is a good water year. It’s not usually this green the rancher said, so he was happily irrigating and celebrating in the bar and grill where we had dinner. The Ruby Mountains rose up to the west. They are absolutely magnificent, although not nearly as massive as the Wind Rivers. The highest peak is over 13,000, about as high as ours. The rest of them were 10 or 11,000 so plenty high and still with enough snow to make a beautiful picture. People with canoes and looking like vacationers were going our way too. Without knowing exactly where we were heading and trying not to take a wrong road and end up in trouble, we stopped and asked a rancher by the side of the road on his ATV if the road was good ahead and where our turn over Harrison Pass took off. He gave us good directions and on we went. At first the pass road was rough and seemed about like going up Irish Canyon, but later was fine again and over the top and down the other side it turned into pavement again.

On the other side we turned north again. We found a gravel loop road that took us in along the Humbolt River and through an Indian reservation and drove toward Lee, one of those almost non-existent dots on a map. Very pretty, green fields and lots of cottonwoods. We came on one place where the fields were covered with wild Iris with the backdrop of the snow covered peaks. Besides regular ranches we also saw some historic buildings and the Lee schoolhouse which someone had converted into their home. We got off on our turns and started heading steadily south - the wrong direction, so went back to talk to a young man in his yard. He told us we could get to our destination Lamoille by taking a dirt road we had passed, which we backtracked to and drove for a few miles. It was rough and unmaintained and then turned into a definite two track. I told Debbie I didn’t want to go ahead on this for 15 more miles not knowing what was ahead, although she was in an adventurous mood. We backtracked out to the highway and continued to the Lamoille highway. I can’t describe the beauty of the peaks we were seeing. Sure hope if you ever get a chance to see this that you will go there.

By late afternoon we reached the lovely but tiny town of Lamoille. We tried to get a room at their very small hotel, and didn’t take the available room because it had an admitedly uncomfortable hideabed. While we were there Debbie called for a room reservation in Elko and directions. We decided to have some dinner at one of the two restaurants, one was a good steak house and the other like a bar and grill. They ignored us too long at the steak house, so walked over to get a burger at the other place. Then we drove up into the Lamoille Canyon as the sun was setting – maybe 15 miles in to the end of the road. I’ve never been in a more spectacular place. Very high canyon walls and waterfalls cascading down from the snowfields and glaciers. We must have seen 15 ? very tall, high? I’m having trouble explaining the height of them. We got alpenglow on the peaks. We stopped many times for pictures. It was glorious. Up at the end of the road was a perfect alpine meadow, with the perfect still pond in the perfect spot reflecting the peaks. We only had to step out of the car to get the pictures. Debbie really enjoyed the drive and said she was glad we didn’t miss it.

By the time we drove back down it was dark and we had another thirty minutes drive into Elko. We found our way across town in the dark according to the directions Debbie had gotten just fine. The clerk at the Oak Tree Inn told us it was lucky Debbie called when she did because there were no more rooms. It was nearly 10 p.m. again by the time we got moved into the room, and I was very tired but a happy camper. It seemed like the day was filled to the brim with things to do. There were also frustrating times while we waited too long, or went back tracking wasting time, but we just have to consider that being part of doing something like this in unfamiliar territory

Note for Friday Morning June 20 2008

Friday we drove from Ely to Elko maybe 120 miles if we'd gone the straight way. It took us all day with the sightseeing we did - a hugh steam engine museum in Ely and then the Ruby mountains and Lamoille Canyon - spectacular 20X. We are having a wonderful time and special days spent with Debbie. We're trying to pack too much into each day and leaving lots we don't see. The days have been long. Saturday, as I write in the motel, we are going to the Jarbidge Wilderness Area in No. Nevada and will probably end up in Twin Falls but who knows? So stay tuned.

Thursday June 19 3008

Apricot Trees in Santa Clara,

A town in southern Utah with lots of orchards.

Got up before 6 a.m. showered, dressed for the drive and washed my sheets. Got all my “stuff” in a pile to be loaded in when Debbie arrived. She got there a little before 8 and loaded my bags for me while I finished getting myself ready. We left Beverly’s house about 8 a.m. just as planned. Decided it might be a while until lunch, so stopped for sausage McMuffin. Debbie took me on back roads through more beautiful new neighborhoods to the 215 and then onto I-15 heading north.

In about an hour we were driving into Logandale, near Overton and Lake Mead in the Moapa Valley. The Muddy River runs through the valley, and its not much bigger most of the time than Muddy Creek at home. We easily found Dick and Doreen’s house, although we hadn’t been there for many years now. The trees and shrubbery had grown gigantic in the intervening years, but the house was exactly the same. We all had big hugs, and it was just so wonderful to see them once more. Maggie their daughter Debbie’s age, came after we’d visited about an hour. We went over all the old memories of our friendship ever since we were freshmen in at Basic high school in Henderson. You’re not going to believe this in a million years, and neither could I, but I forgot to take in my camera and get pictures of us. I was so disappointed.

Soon it was time to be on the way and next stop was Mesquite. I called Betty and we planned to meet at the Mexican restaurant for some lunch. We visited over lunch and got caught up since we had talked on the phone a couple times a week while I was down in Vegas. Then over to her house where I had left my car. We unloaded everything out of Debbie’s car and into mine, and the whole back end is pretty well packed solid as higher than the windows. Debbie is leaving her car there at Betty’s right in my old parking spot. Curtis will come in their truck to Wyoming to get her in about 2 or so weeks – Beverly may come too. Then when they go back they will stop at Betty’s and take Debbie’s car home. It seemed that would be the best plan of any we could think of and we went over every possibility.

We went “over the hill” via Beaver Dam AZ to Ivins-Santa Clara-St. George and up to Snow Canyon, where we went in to the campground on their scenic drive and took photos there. Very beautiful black lava flows over white and red sandstone, and medium spectacular sandstone formations. Then to Gunlock-Veyo-Enterprise. It was quite amazing the miles of green ranch and hay fields we drove through in the Enterprise Valley. Amazing what you find that you didn't know about when you get off the beaten path. Also the temperature had been falling all afternoon and it was about 25 degrees cooler up there. It’s been maybe 30 years or more since I’ve been through there and then it was very primitive, even dirt roads back in there (western Utah up against the Nevada border). We drove some ways in the pinyon pine/cedar forests through the mountains.

I kind of thought we’d come out about Caliente. (Our problem on this trip has been that we aren't prepared with better maps.) But we got to Panaca and Caliente was 25 miles south + or – 10 miles depending on who you talked to, but in the wrong direction. We wanted to head north, so missed Caliente. Darn. As we got to Panaca there was a little country restaurant named Cindy-Sooz, all neat and clean with good food. And we found it was the only place to eat between there and Ely so had dinner. It was 6:30 by then. Debbie spent some time looking in the phone book for motels and any we called were already booked full. We finally found one in Ely that had a vacancy and she reserved a room - $90. So past 7:30 by the time we left Panaca, and more than 120 miles to Ely. We had been going to at least see Pioche again - a loop off the highway, but figured we’d better keep driving as the sun was heading down. The road is straight as an arrow through that long valley, but full of deer and then elk, so at dusk we had to be on our guard. There is about 20 miles or so on a curvy mountain road down into Ely. Debbie drove for about 85 miles and doesn’t like to drive after dark, so I drove the rest of the way over the mountain. She had driven all day until then.

It was about 9:15 and good and dark when got to Ely and found the motel; drove right to it. It’s nice and clean, so we’re snug in for the night. There is no wireless or internet connection, so will have to post the blog and a few pictures later.

Wednesday June 18 2008

Beverly and I had a slow morning, which was nice. About 11 Debbie came and got us and took us to Walmart to do a little shopping. It was probably best that Beverly doesn't try to get in her high truck and go driving on the freeway any sooner than she needs to. So Debbie had a few hours between her doctor appointments. She had two appointments today for pre-surgery tests including a stress test, one morning and one afternoon. She will have the surgery when she gets back from Wyoming in July.

We mainly needed to get some of the ingredients to make apricot freezer jam. Beverly's never made any jam or jelly before and needed jars too. There is a new kind of jar that is plastic, with screw on plastic lids. I had not seen them before, but they are pretty nice. Not sure that they would work for cooked jam though, because the directions say not to put hot food into them. Earlier I mentioned that Brent was getting buckets of apricots from a friend's tree. They have been just sitting and getting too ripe - jam is a good way to use them. Anyway Debbie took us shopping. I checked out the George Foreman grill again and again decided not to buy it. My problem with indecision. The grates on the cheap small one are not removable, and the big one costs $125 with changeable grates and waffle iron etc. but I have no place to store something that big.

When we got back we had a sandwich together here at Beverly's. Then this afternoon Beverly and I made three batches of jam. I've never made freezer jam before, just the cooked variety. It was fast and easy, and with the two of us working it didn't take long. She got eleven pints and it turned out so full of flavor.

Brent brought pizza and buffalo wings home for dinner. That was nice because both the cooks were pretty tired. Can you believe I've never had buffalo wings before? Tonight we're going to watch a movie.

Debbie and I are leaving for home at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Got my laundry done this afternoon and I'm all packed to go. Our first stop will be to see my dear friend Doreen in Logandale. Then back to Betty's to get my SUV. So I'll keep you posted as we go along.

Tuesday June 17 2008

Ned, Millie and Me at Mimi's

This morning Brent's mom Bobbi came and took Beverly to her doctor appointment at 11:15. He said she was doing fine. She got some other good information. The doctor told her not to do ANY housework for a year! I think she just laughed at him. I hope I'm there when she tells Brent.

Millie and Ned came to pick us up about 1 and back to Mimi's we went for lunch. Ned and Joe went to school together. They are great friends and so we've known them for a long time. Beverly went with us. We had a super visit and we're so glad to get to see them.

On the way back we had a bit of excitement. The power had gone off in spots about noonish. The signals closest to their house weren't working and although we had gotten out the gate, it was not working when we came and there were about 10 cars backed up trying to get through. Every body out of their cars on both sides, the in and the out, trying to figure out how to get it open. We got out of the line of cars and went for a short drive and when we got back the gate was working again. There is no other way in or out of their gated community. Beverly had called Brent to come home and let us in - she still can't find her house key - because then we would have to come in through the garage door which had no electricity either. In that case we would have waited until Brent got home in the 112 degree heat. It has been hot the last several days.

Monday June 16 2008

Linda and Lynn

Joan and Lynn This Morning

I've caught up both pictures and text entries back in the blog when I got behind when the laptop crashed. So if you go back you'll see the new photos now.

Today was such a special blessing and a pure pleasure; first to see Joan and Becky again this morning. They came and got me and took me to Mimi's for breakfast. We sat visited for a couple of hours. Then Linda arrived (we've known each other since high school) and everyone got acquainted with lots in common to talk about. Joan and Becky started back to L.A. about noon , and Linda and I stayed on through lunch. She had a salad and I thought I should try the decadent chocolate pecan pie a la mode as breakfast dessert. We got at least part way caught up talking non-stop on the past years we've missed. What fun. And thank you guys for making the extra effort to get together here and for treating me today. Thank you Joan for your thoughtful card and the gift. Hope we have many more such times!

Beverly's doing better, she slept in this morning, so I'm about ready to go home now. Debbie and I will leave Thursday morning and be on the road a couple of days doing some sightseeing. I slept good last night and woke up a little earlier, so got some of the "chores" done - dishes and laundry. It's going to be hot again today.

Clayton went off to scout camp about 5 a.m. this morning. He is a counselor with the group, and not looking forward to going with a bunch of dorky younger kids. Hopefully when he gets there he will get in to the swing of things. Its high in the mountains at Thunder Ridge near Cedar Breaks Utah I think. I would have absolutely loved to be able to go on those kinds of outings when I was a kid.

Tonight we went to Red Lobster for dinner, so ate out all day long it seemed. I had clam chowder and they had salmon. After we drove up in the parking lot I realized its the same Red Lobster I used to go to as a treat for clam chowder, salad and a roll, and then would take myself to the movie when I lived near there years ago. Brent took us out to where they are building a new chapel and said their ward would probably split and they probably would go to this church, quite a bit closer to home than the one they go to now. He pointed out where his mom lives pretty close by there.

Pinedaleonline had the first pictures of newborn antelope kids - a set of twins. So cute. Charm told me how she saw newborn mule deer fawns right on the trail and thought you'd enjoy her story: "We just came in from a very lovely ride....almost 2/3 of the distance to hunting camp. Bailey and I were quite a ways behind Jim and Cat going up. Came upon a doe and twin fawns right in the middle of the trail. The fawns couldn't have been more than a day old; maybe even only hours old. As soon as they saw BB and me, one little fawn went about a foot off the trail and flattened behind a log. The other flattened right in the trail and I could see no way around it. The doe approached it and crouched down. The fawn got up and teetered just a few feet from the trail and flattened down, out in the open. Then the doe crossed the trail and slowly walked ahead and to one side of our path. As I came to where the fawns were "hiding", I could have reached out and touched them. (I didn't, of course!) BB was a quiet boy throughout and gradually we passed the doe so she felt safe about returning to her babies. I talked to her the whole time. I wonder how many people would ever experience or witness such a beautiful thing. Those little guys knew what they were supposed to do. They were not much bigger than jackrabbits. I just marvel at it."

Sunday June 15 2008

Becky Me Joan

This morning I pre-pre-pared things for father's day dinner. It was very easy, corn on the cob into a pot, potatoes wrapped in foil for baking, refreshed a great salad one of Bev's friends had brought for yesterday's dinner by adding more greens, and put a whole bunch of baby back ribs into a clay pot cooker, ready to slow roast with bbq sauce in the oven.

Clay had a friend stay overnight last night and Brent made us all pancakes before they went to church. Beverly's still having some discomfort and hopefully that will soon be about over with. I'm not sure how many friends dropped by today - Stephanie brought fruit and fresh cinnamon rolls - Beverly's boss and his wife came and she brought fresh rolls and strawberry freezer jam.

My old friend Joan and Becky got here about two, and we visited for several hours. I can't explain how good it was to see her again. We decided it wasn't as long as I thought since we last saw each other, about 2000 in Dubois at an art show there. She wants to come to Wyoming again next summer, and I promised to wait for her. She's sure spent a bunch of time researching cures for me and keeping me informed about what's happening with cancer and ways to get rid of it. Joan is a wonderful friend and I appreciate beyond words that they drove over here from California to see me. I hadn't met Becky before and like her a lot too. She says she's interested in cooking and catering parties.

Tomorrow morning we're going to breakfast, and they'll come and get me and go back to Mimi's where my family had breakfast last week. So we'll get to visit again for a while tomorrow. Joan, I and other friends took a raft trip on the Green River years ago (among many other adventures together) and she had begun to write up the story and left a copy with me. O the wonderful memories. Joan's lucky, because she was dumped out of the raft in the rapids not once, but three times I think. And she can't swim. It's a great story. And maybe it will inspire me to go ahead and get my version written too.

About five p.m. Brent's mom and brother Tyler came over for dinner, then Shane and Andrea, so there were eight of us here for dinner. It was pretty delicious. Now I'm ready to crash.

Saturday June 14 2008

The Robert's House

Looks like a nice morning out, all sunny and hot. The temperature is going up now, should be about 105 today. Brent and Clay are out doing their yardwork. Brent's yard is perfection at all times.

Last night, although I don't have a photo program back in to the laptop yet, I stuck my photo card in the slot and it downloaded my almost 300 new pictures into Windows photo viewer. So I might be able to stick a few pictures into the blog from there. There will be no editing them though. I'll give it a try.

Bobbi, Brent's mom, came over early this morning with a pan of hot cinnamon rolls, and they were pretty yummy. It was so quiet I didn't go out of my room until about 9 a.m. and found breakfast was being fixed - hame with scrambled eggs and hash browns.

Got a short email from Joan, she's driving up tomorrow I think, so we have to get a plan on how we're going to get together - me with no wheels. They are going to be at the Texas Resort, not too far from here. I'm getting eager to see her and meet Becky.

Awful bad news has been coming from http://www.pinedaleonline.com/ lately. The Rainbow Family is having a gathering in Big Sandy Openings. They have been in this area twice before and it was awful awful awful. There will be about 40,000 of them, unbelievable, but true. (Remember Sublette county has only about 5000 population total.) They are a bunch of shiftless hippie type people. Our place will be on their route in to Big Sandy and I am so hopeful that they DO NOT come anywhere near us expecting us to help them. There will be a terrible impact on our local infrastructure and facilities. Did I say it would be awful?

http://www.pinedaleonline.com/news/2008/06/PeaceandLove.htm .

Friday June 13 2008

Another Family Antique

Joe's Mother and probably his grandmother

used this treadle sewing machine.

When I got it, it was at Big Sandy Lodge

and I used it for all the mending there (no electricity),

whatever might need sewing including curtains for the cabins

and miles of patching the flannel sheets to make them last longer.

The turquoise thing is a kerosene iron from how early'

I don't know. I never tried to use it. They yellow can

goes with it to hold the kerosene for refilling the tank.

There's also a separate pump for it similar to what we used to

pump up gas lanterns.

Hmmm. Friday the 13th.

We've had a quiet day here at Beverly's. So not much of any interest to write about. That is not to say that it's boring. We're especially having some wonderful family time together right now. I'm grateful for that. Bev's had several nice bouquets delivered, they are really pretty. Sure hope that she gets to feeling better by tomorrow. She isn't feeling any too great yet and is still in a lot of pain but she is better than yesterday and last night. She's been resting better today. All I've done is make some homemade chicken vegetable soup for our lunch and start the dishwasher.

There is lots of food coming from family and friends though and I don't need to cook much. Clay's out playing at his friends' house. The kids dad (my-ex) and his wife came over this morning to visit Beverly. Debbie stopped by first thing with some muffins from Marie Calender's. She and Curtis are going out to a nice restaurant tonight with Tayler and Jeremy for a belated birthday dinner. My grandson Shane came over for dinner tonight and it was nice to see him. Andrea had to work until 9, so didn't see her but he said they would come back on Sunday. Betty called to check in. She had some good ideas about how to take the return trip to Wyoming from Mesquite without backtracking, so there are a few more options.

Debbie and I will probably go home Wednesday or Thursday now. And I won't take the second chemo treatment down here, but get it back in Jackson. We planned to take a little sightseeing trip instead of going up I-15, but I can't decide on which route to take, since my car is still up in Mesquite. Wanted to see some country in Northern Nevada I've never been to, but because it would be backtracking to get the car and go there, might go on east through Monument Valley instead or someplace like that. Chaco Canyon? Never been there. No telling where we'll end up.

Jackie emailed me some information on http://www.sirtex.com/ which I've been reading about liver cancer treatment that sounds very interesting. Comes from Australia. Her brother in law is having this treatment and I'll be eager to hear how his progress goes. Sure hoping for him to recover with this new technology. I will print it out when I get back home to the printer and ask about it at my next doctor checkup.

Thursday June 12 2008

They Don't Grow in Wyoming

Debbie went off early to get an x-ray and do errands. When she got back we packed up the majority of my "stuff" and loaded it into her car. I'll be at Beverly's for several days now, then Debbie will be driving back home with me. Deb and I went to the hospital about 10 a.m. to get Beverly checked out and drive her home. It was best to take her in the car, since their truck is very high and she would have had to strain to get in. We didn't have to wait too long before the nurse came and took out her IV, and took her down to the front door in a wheel chair.

It was a longer drive than I've been on via the belt loop 215 out to their house. That road is new within the last 5 years or less. It goes clear up on the west side of the valley now, so close to the mountains, that part of it winds through some of the hills and gets up kind of high. I saw where they are putting in another freeway going east and west close to where we were driving.

Well, Murphy's Law kicked in, and when we got to Bev's house, the door was locked and she didn't have any key - i.e. they have a key pad on the garage door which she used and then the back door was locked. She says they never lock that door. The hospital rule was that she didn't bring her purse and that's why she didn't have a key. She had to call Brent at work, who called his mom, who had a key, to come and let us in. We got her into bed and Debbie went back out to the store and got some lunch fixings. We hadn't had any breakfast yet, so it tasted pretty good.

Debbie had some chores at home and a meeting this evening to get ready for, so she left about 2 and we had a quiet afternoon. I slept in front of the TV for a couple of hours, but the phone kept ringing so I know Beverly didn't sleep much. Several friends have dropped by, and Beverly kept getting up too much I'm sure. Bev's also had more phone calls, when she should be trying to rest. We kept telling her to stay down.

Brent's mom had been here cleaning and the house and yard sure look nice, as usual. Friends and neighbors will be bringing meals for some days. I'm sure there will be more than we can eat, and that I won't have to cook much. Brent's mom brought a meal for tomorrow I think. Tonight a friend from church brought a penne pasta similar to lasagna with sausage, fresh bread, and a delicious salad and brownies for tonight's dinner. A friend of Brent's has been giving him buckets of apricots, so this afternoon I made an apricot cobbler with the ripest ones to have with ice cream. The desert apricots are the best. Another lady brought fresh cookies.

Tonight Beverly is having some pain, and wondering if she overdid, so now she is down with a heating pad and I rubbed some liniment on her shoulder. She says they put some gas in to do the surgery and she's had that before with her C sections, and it feels the same. Pretty painful. She probably should have had a softer diet today too, so tomorrow we're going to be more careful. She's supposed to go back to see the dr. for a checkup in a week.

I'm staying in Clay's room and feel bad about taking his space. But they won't hear it any other way. He is going to scout camp on Monday so lucky it's only putting him out for a few days. He's been at a cousins overnight and they went to the movies today.

An interesting thing which I haven't experienced before - at Debbie's they had wireless and I was hooked to the Internet up as soon as I turned on the computer there. But here they don't have that. However ...... I'm getting a wireless signal from somewhere outside and am able to be on the Internet. It's working fine, although it says the signal is very low. I'll try to post this now and see how it works, and then try to get my email. All this technology is amazing.

I miss having the dogs around. They lost their dogs here. You might remember that their two miniature dachshunds got old, so no pets here at the moment.

NOTE:

Finally have all the days I missed while the laptop was down filled in. If you want to go back for about the last week, you will find the new entries. The laptop is working good tonight. Thanks to Curtis.

Wednesday June 11 2008

This is Wednesday; about 2 p.m. It is still pretty pleasant weather, calm and not too hot. By mid-afternoon it was only 85 degrees. The air is very clear today. Put a load of laundry in to wash.

I'm typing at the hospital this afternoon. Curtis pretty much got the computer back together last night, but still has to do a little more on it. This morning I slept in until almost 9 a.m. and ate my breakfast out on the patio with Bella and Max – Bella ever at the ready to play with toys. Debbie took me to get the pump off at 11:15 and have the Avastin infused. All went well with that. Except that the nurse was supposed to give me Benadryl and Tylenol to take this morning and she forgot, so they gave it to me there and it took about 45 minutes longer than it needed to for that to kick in. Other patients are telling me that the Center and the people here are very good. That is good to know. There was a lady there waiting with us who has been having chemo for six years. Back in the chemo chairs some of the people looked very sick. It always makes me feel fortunate to feel as well as I do. After chemo Debbie and I went over to Chili’s for a very fast lunch.

This is Beverly’s surgery day so then we sped over to the hospital and dropped me off to wait with Brent so Debbie could make her pre-surgery tests appointment at 2:30. In about a month they are taking out half her thyroid glad which has a nodule that they don’t like the look of. She has had trouble with not feeling right for quite some time, and not sure this is the main problem.

I brought the laptop along to sit and work on the blog while I was waiting. But…..they don’t have wireless. I’m typing the blog in Word and will be able to copy and post it when I get a connection. If Beverly is alright later this afternoon. Debbie and I might go to see Indiana Jones and have pizza tonight. I haven’t had pizza yet on this trip.

Brent and I are at the hospital waiting room now. Beverly is in the recovery room after her hysterectomy. They haven’t told us how she is doing yet. So they will be coming to tell us she is in her room in maybe an hour or two. They have to discharge another patient before she has a bed, so they must be busy here. It’s a brand new hospital and very beautiful here in the Summerlin area – all of this area is new development maybe in the last 20 years.

I called Joe this morning and he said it was raining there. He’s still doing fine and the dogs are fine. He’s been going out irrigating, except doesn’t have to do it much with the wind and rain they've been having. Says he’s going to town tomorrow to see the hearing specialist because he’s been having an earache. Hope he gets that fixed o.k.

Later: The doctor came and told us Beverly's surgery went very well, and she was doing fine. Soon we went up in the elevator to the third floor and sat with her for several hours. She looked good, just still very sleepy and thirsty. Debbie got there soon too. And Beverly's friend Nancy was there to see her when she woke up. They have been friends since high school. Brent went and got Clayton at home and brought him over. When they got there, we soon left and did go to see the Indiana Jones movie. It was just great. I loved it. But we didn't go for the pizza. I got my load of laundry dried and folded and am seeing how much blogging I can get caught up on. Looks like if I get last weekend done, I'll have all the days recorded.