Friday June 8 2007

Mules Ears

It has stayed overcast but no rain today. Mundane stuff. Worked on emails. Cleaned house. Got sheets changed and laundry done, paid the bills online. I decided to wait until this bad spell of weather gets better to plant the flowers so they don't get all torn up and too much water on them (wind/rain). Must clean the studio, piles and stacks of stuff are everywhere. I had a rare nap, just kind of zonked out and it felt good. Have about a week to finish the portrait and should be able to get that accomplished by then.

After breakfast Joe got that wagon out of the garage and into the shed by hooking it to the tractor. Then he went to Pinedale for his eye doctor checkup and had lunch there. He had his truck full of stuff for the dump, but still didn't take the old studio window that's been sitting in the yard for about a year now. It will sit there longer until he goes the next time.

We're going to have to change our diet a little to a more heart healthy one. I've been trying that for a long time for low cholesterol with quite a bit of resistance, so I think Joe is ready to try to go without bad fats and salt, etc. He has done very well giving up desserts. He really skimps on the fruit, veggies and whole grain things filling up mainly on breads and wants everything fried, but we'll try it again. Dr. Blank especially said no salt. I introduced him to a couple of salt free seasonings and he willingly tried those tonight.

Thursday June 7 2007

Today we woke up to wind, between 4 and 6 inches of heavy wet snow and still coming down. It wasn't warm enough for it to stick for long, so no telling how much had fallen. Both the TV dish and my computer internet dish needed to be swept off before they would have any reception. Something must have zapped the receiver while we were gone so I had to unplug it which resets it. Until I figured that out, I downloaded my photo card and picked out a few pictures for the blog. When I downloaded my email I had 160 to go through. Arg! By this afternoon the snow has mostly melted off but the hills still have a good dusting. I bet a lot fell in the mountains. This is the best moisture we've had this spring and will be so good for the country. We need this. It's stayed overcast all day and started raining again this afternoon. It sure cleaned the car off.

Joe had a haircut appointment before noon, but decided it would be best not to drive into town through the storm so had me cancel it and got him another one in about a week. He's worked a little in the garage getting things put away and the snow machines moved. I hope I go out there and find a really neat place. When he came in he's taken his blood pressure with his new b.p. cuff about a dozen times so far. The Dr. said to take and record it a couple of times a day and call him with the results in a week. This will show him how to keep adjusting the medication to keep Joe's heart from being so irregular and hopefully help his dizziness. We're supposed to go back and see him again in six months.

Both of us and both of the dogs are having a pretty easy day. Tomorrow Joe has a followup visit with the eye doctor for his cataract surgery, so he will have to drive in for that one. And he will take all the stuff he cleaned out of the garage to the dump that he wants to get rid of.

Wednesday June 6, 2007

Idaho Falls

Sights Along the River Walk at The Falls of the Snake River

Photos from Tuesday Afternoon

I was disappointed that despite sleeping better lately, I didn't sleep well at the hotel and we had a very long day ahead of us until we got home. And as usual Joe was up at the crack of dawn wanting to go eat. Neither one of us had any interest in going to the hotel restaurant, even for coffee. Walked the dogs in the rain along the canal. After our showers, we drove across Broadway just by the bridge to Smitty's for breakfast, another good meal with great doggie leftovers.

We weren't far from a new Walmart so there was time to go there and check to see if they had the bedding flowers I wanted for my pots. Happily they had lots and I got those and some potting soil. I splurged on a pot of perennials - were they verbena? I'll check. They had the most exuberant old farmer guy as a greeter/cart person there - we got a kick out of him. He was drying off all the handles on the carts for everyone and had me drive to the door and loaded all the plants for me.

After the flowers were loaded into the back of the SUV we went back and checked out of the hotel, where I asked the clerk to let me talk to the manager. We had a "firm discussion", and they gave me the room for half price. I just cannot imagine them asking the price they did, which they admitted was the same rate for all the rooms old or new. And they also didn't have breakfast with it, which most places do any more. Their apologies meant nothing. I told them it was not a nice thing to do to anyone. We will never stay there again.

We decided just to go find the doctor's office. To get more familiar with the town, I wanted to try to go there on Sunnyside which was the closest main street to that area, but found it was blocked off for repairs and had turn around to go back to 17th St.

The Idaho Heart Institute is about a block from the hospital where I was a month ago, and was easy to find. We were just in time for me to walk the dogs in a large vacant lot behind the building (getting feet and pant legs soaked), then for Joe to fill out his paperwork, and be called in for his echo cardiogram. I went in too to take notes, which there wasn't much to take, but got to watch the test being done. It took about 40 minutes. Of course Jacob the technician wouldn't tell Joe a thing about how it turned out. It was one of the same tests I had when I went to the hospital last month.

There was plenty of time to go down to Garcia's a few blocks away, so we had a nice Mexican lunch. Then back to his appointment with heart specialist Dr. Blank at 1 p.m. The nurses got his "vitals". Then we had a long wait in the exam room before the doctor finally came in. Don't you wish they wouldn't do that! However the doctor spent most of an hour talking with Joe, and we had a very good discussion with him about Joe's heart and medication. I did get notes about that, in fact more info than I could get recorded I'm sure. Now I need to write that up on the computer. He told us to get an automatic blood pressure cuff and how to use it.

While we were so near the hospital I went in there to ask for copies of all the tests I had while I was there. Not sure how they do that, but it didn't even take five minutes to give me all my records, and they were free too. I went to accounting to see how much I owed them, and the balance is zero, so Medicare and my insurance have paid everything. That must be the only good thing about getting old. Still raining and windy we went to find a blood pressure cuff. The first pharmacy the doctor recommended that was close by had just sold their last one. So next place was Albertson's pharmacy where they did have one. They also had Joe's favorite cake doughnuts and milk for the journey home. We stopped for gas and filled up, leaving town about 4 p.m.

The temperature went up and down between about 46 at Idaho Falls and 36 by the time we got home. At about Palisades I told Joe it looked like smoke in one place in the forest and not mist on the hills, and yes, there was a quite large fire in one of the gorges. Not sure if someone's house was on fire, or they were deliberately burning something big. Don't think it would have been a forest fire with all that rain.

It rained steady until we got to Alpine Junction and the Hoback River. There it had rained earlier, and it seemed like we had driven out of the storm. But pretty soon started to sprinkle again and then was snowing before we got to The Rim, and had a good blizzard as we came over the top for a while. Cora and Pinedale were dry, and it was dry the rest of the way home. But we no sooner pulled into the yard and got our little bit of stuff unloaded than a regular blizzard began. We got the horse and cats fed It was about 8 p.m. so we made good time coming home. I crashed on the couch and Joe had cereal for dinner. We were all glad to be back snug in the house. I am so glad I didn't have to drive home yesterday in this kind of snow storm.

(See Tuesday just added below.)

Tuesday June 5 2007

Be Well, Amigo

I picture him bounding happily down a Wyoming dirt road,

ears flying.

Today we got ready, fed horse and cats, left about 9 a.m. and drove over to Idaho Falls to be there for Joe's echo cardiogram on Wednesday. Remember we had the back of the SUV full of stuff from cleaning out the garage yesterday. So on the way we stopped at the Museum of the Mountain Man to drop off some old things there. Joe walked the dogs while Millie and I got the museum donations unloaded. And then left the rest at the Food Basket second hand store. There was also a couple of bags of plastic to go to the recycling center. We went to Falers for rest room stop and got some cinnamon rolls and coffee for the trip.

The drive over was quite nice, overcast, beautiful through the Hoback and Snake River Canyon. At Alpine we had lunch at the Alpine Inn's Berthoven's restaurant - real hot roast turkey sandwich and mashed potatoes - then past Pallisades Reservoir and through Swan Valley. We got to our motel, The Red Lion, about 2:20 p.m. Irritatingly, sadly, it was the room from hell. Dirty bathroom, stained rug, table ready to fall down, curtain hanging off the wall unable to cover the door/window, remote control didn't work. It made you feel like you didn't even want to sit down or lay on the bed. The water was turned off for renovating they were doing so we couldn't clean up or even wash our hands. It was supposed to come on at 5 p.m. So we waited.

In the meantime I took the dogs for an outing on the Snake River Walk right across the road. Being next to the river walk was the reason I chose the Red Lion in the first place. Although heavily overcast it was lovely out, and we enjoyed all the smells, sights and sounds. The river was thundering and roaring over the falls, and you could even feel it in the ground. An interesting thing about the falls is they run up and down the river instead of across it. They use the river at this spot for a hydroelectric project for the city, but it is wonderfully done and very scenic. A 1/4 to 1/2 mile "wall" for lack of a better word, holds the water back and the water falls evenly from the wall to make electricity, then on through the natural rock falls. The city has a green belt with walking trails all along the river.

There was where I saw the highlight of the trip - at least a hundred young geese in a huge flotilla in the canal that runs beside the river. Couldn't even get them all in one photo. I wish you could have seen them. The most interesting thing was how the dozen? or so parents were herding and protecting the babies, almost like cowboys would herd horses or cattle. There were lookouts, sometimes on the bank or usually surrounding the young ones in the water. There was no mutiny or squabbling or misbehaving. If the parents in front said turn around they all turned around and the geese on the edges kept them in a bunch. Eventually they herded the whole flock under a bridge and to a lawn where they all began to eat, with lookouts surrounding them. The dogs were interested in every bit of the park and the nature walk, but especially entranced by the birds.

When I came back from the walk we still had no water, actually there was a small trickle. I called the front desk again, and we agreed that they would move us to another room, which she said was new (remodeled), but it was upstairs. I went and check it out and it was just about the same as as the last one but the water was on. We said o.k. we'd move, since I didn't look forward to searching out another available reservation at that late time. By then Joe was really unhappy and I was getting pretty mad.

There were several restaurants very close and we went across the parking lot to Chilis, the first time we'd eaten at a Chilis, and it was very good. Joe had bbq ribs and I had a rib steak, with plenty leftover for the dogs to have a treat. Another dog walk along the river and we went to bed. The dogs really slept good and didn't want out until morning. It began to rain about 3 a.m. or so, and continued to rain all day long. I knew it was forecast to rain so had brought the dog coats and they didn't get soaking wet anyway. I was also glad to have had my raincoat because it would have been miserable without it otherwise.

Monday June 4 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GLORIA!!

Well, Joe got in a purging mode and all afternoon we've been cleaning the garage out so Joe can park the big stocktruck in there. He's moving the wagon out of the garage and it will go into the shed. The wagon has been a catchall place for everything to be dumped (stored) over the years. Everything came out of the wagon and most of that is being trashed or given away. He's giving up all his old scuba diving equipment, etc. This will be better, when he has to get his haying equipment in and out of the other shed. I've been telling him that for years, but "what do I know"! I guess he thinks its his idea now and that's good. Maybe we can even park the vehicles side by side instead of one in front of the other and not have to take them both out so he can go in his truck or me go in the SUV.

He even FINALLY said that his neices and nephews could take their grandparents stuff that's been taking up storage room in the house. That will make me very happy as storage space is at a premium in our house. I wrote to Joslyn and told her to come and get it. The whole car is full of things for the second hand store, and a little for the museum that we can drop off tomorrow on our way, and if they don't take them I don't know what I'll do with them, maybe go to the dump. Some neat old things will go to the museum later too, the creamer and old things like that unless they don't want them. Joe's red truck is full for the dump too. He'll do that when we get back. I think the old wringer washer is going too. The garage work isn't finished, but I hope he will go ahead and find a place to put everything that over the years has been sitting on the floor in very nice lines. Instead of getting rid of it, I secretly stashed away a small inflatable raft, which long ago he told me we didn't have any more. I've always wanted to float down the Big Sandy!!

I also cleaned out my art storage shelves and burned up a bunch of painting/shipping/storage boxes and packing. This is very traumatic for artists to burn up their cardboard, ask any artist you know. For one thing it is a concession to the fact that I probably won't be shipping paintings off to shows much any more. I got filthy. I'm pooped. I got no painting done today. I'm afraid the portrait isn't going to be finished on time.

We had a thunderstorm this afternoon with some real cracking thunder and lightning and a little rain. Sparky got upset for a while, but as long as I don't make over him too much, he calms down a lot quicker.

We're going over to Idaho Falls tomorrow. I'll report on that when we get back.

It's raining again, I can hear it on the roof. And it's supposed to cool off and be rainy for our trip.

Sunday June 3 2007

Buttermilk Yeast Pancakes

It's a beautiful morning. I will be painting. Sheral and Dick are coming over to visit later today.

Joe has taken Nube off the hayfield and she is in the sagebrush pasture with the creek in it. She can still come into the corral from the back side to be with Bobbi. There is a lot of grass there for her. Joe's out irrigating with the dogs. When they come back he'll let them in to run through the house soaking wet.

Beverly called last night and we had a long visit, the next best thing to being there. They had birthdays for both Shane and Clay. They all went out for dinner with Andrea and Shane on Friday. She said Andrea's bank is asking her to relocate to Oklahoma. Shane likes to write and is writing a novel. Go Shane!! They had a barbecue birthday party yesterday for Clay. He got a soft pellet air BB gun. He turned into a teenager this year. I'm sorry I missed all the good times. Justin also recently had a birthday.

The tipi pastel painting is about finished. I'll try to get a picture of it on the blog in the next day or so. I'm finally kind of liking the feel of it. It's sure evolved from what it was in the beginning when I didn't like it at all.

Saturday June 2 2007

Crane - Sunset

It's a beautiful morning and supposed to get very warm today. I'm ready for that! .....By evening - that didn't happen. I wore a sweater all day. We got some thunder and a tiny sprinkle of rain with lots of darkness and black clouds. So dark that it seemed like the sun had gone down by six p.m.

Joe's cooked his own breakfast, watered the trees in back and gone to town to the parts place to get his brake drum. The dogs got to go along for the ride. I had a shower and have gotten most of the day's chores finished. Somehow I always enjoy burning the garbage. It's very theraputic. Nube seems to be fine and hope she stays that way.

The phone is still not working great........ It came back before 5 p.m. yesterday. Maybe the repairmen are still working on it though? It sounds o.k. on our end but someone on the other end can't hear anything or its cutting out a lot and they have to hang up. So I guess that's the same as not working, right?

The photos are from last night.

Muddy Ridge Evening

Friday June 1 2007

Llamas and Alpacas

Moved the Llamas from yesterday to today. I hope to get some better pictures of them sometime this summer. There are several places raising them. One of my friends got a couple of llamas to carry her camping things when she goes backpacking - but then it's not backpacking any more, is it. The llamas get right in the back of her van and kneel down to ride there. She got a new baby llama not long ago. It's all white and very beautiful. I guess when they are three they can begin to pack.

This morning first thing we trimmed Nube's back feet. I think she has a little tummy ache this morning, but things are moving fine so I will watch her closer for a few days. Certainly don't want her to founder too. Its a worry.

Our telephone has been out of order for several days and periodically its been giving us trouble for quite a while. Usually if we wait on the phone when its down, it just sort of comes on again, but this time it didn't so emailed a few friends, one who works for the phone company to report our phone being out. Lo and Behold.......a phone company repairman came driving in about noon. He said he didn't have any report about our phone, but that the entire IMM through-the-air phone system had crashed several days ago. They are waiting for parts. He looked kind of harried, and had driven out here to get the number off our equipment. I asked him if there was any problem with our equipment and he definitely said not. At noon we didn't know how long it would take to get repaired. But by 5 p.m. when I checked, it was alive again, and had a good dial tone. Charm was very good to keep getting back with me with info that she had called in, and she also called the parts place for Joe to see if his brake drum was in. Now we can call Vegas and see how one of our friends there is doing. Beverly wrote last night and said she was in the hospital, and it turned out to be bleeding ulcers.

It's mostly cloudy and was in the mid 60s today. The wind is still supposed to blow up to 10-15 mph every day the forecast mentions wind and every day sunny and getting warmer. It just has not been nice - so warmer is good. Slight chance of thunderstorms by Wednesday (that day only). Every day will either be partly sunny or partly cloudy. I wish I knew the difference. We can do without the wind too.

Today I will be painting and hope I don't have to do too much brake line bleeding, etc. At least this guy doesn't have so many pins and flags and patches on his shirt. It shouldn't be so time consuming on that. I finished my on line voting for new members applying to WAOW, and afraid I managed to goof part of it up. Learning more all the time.