Tuesday January 6 2009

Old Beaver Slide

That's the Smith's Store with the Green Roof

A Ranch Going in to Jackson



Cardinals
by John L. Stanizzi
for Carol

I had seen them in the tree,
and heard they mate for life,
so I hung a bird feeder and waited.
By the third day,
sparrows and purple finches
hovered and jockeyed
like a swarm of bees
fighting over one flower.
So I hung another feeder,
but the squabbling continued
and the seed spilled
like a shower
of tiny meteors
onto the ground
where starlings
had congregated,
and blue jays,
annoyed at the world,
disrupted everyone
except the mourning doves,
who ambled around
like plump old women
poking for the firmest head of lettuce.

Then early one evening
they came,
the only ones— she stood
on the periphery
of the small galaxy of seed;
he hopped among the nuggets,
calmly chose
one seed at a time,
carried it to her,
placed it in her beak;
she, head tilted, accepted it.
Then they fluffed,
hopped together,
did it all over again.

And filled with love,
I phoned to tell you,
over and over,
about each time
he celebrated
being there,
all alone,with her.

Monday January 5 2008

Scenery Near Jackson

Farewell

by Emily Dickinson

Tie the strings to my life, my Lord,

Then I am ready to go!

Just a look at the horses—

Rapid! That will do!

Put me in on the firmest side,

So I shall never fall;

For we must ride to the Judgment,

And it's partly down hill.

But never I mind the bridges,

And never I mind the sea;

Held fast in everlasting race

By my own choice and thee.

Good-by to the life I used to live,

And the world I used to know;

And kiss the hills for me, just once;

Now I am ready to go!

Sunday January 4 2009

Snagged off Sally's Blog - HA!

(It's Actually from the Bondurant Webcam)

Joe Snowmaching at the Ranch

Today was a nice day but very cold. It was somewhere in between minus 20 and minus 40 for the low here last night - and about 8 for a high. Depending on where you are and the weather, it can be a different temperature than someplace 20 miles away. The wind didn't blow and it was sunny. The house sure groaned and creaked and something gave loud bangs from the cold. I've been trying to get used to all the new sounds here. The ice maker on the fridge twitters like a bird.

Yesterday the subdivision road plow came and cleared our roads. And it was beginning to need it. We get a couple of drifts that could get bad, but so far everyone just drives through them. There are lots of trucks, SUVs and 4WDs etc. up here. I didn't notice it had been done until today. He probably did it while I was taking that nap.

This morning I got quite a bit of housework and the laundry done. Craig, Bonnie and Cheyenne stopped by this morning when they were in town for church. Cheyenne said he would hook up the printer, but needed a USB cable and of course I didn't have an extra one. So he will stop by on his way from work tomorrow and bring one and set up the printer. Craig and Joe went out and checked the garage door. Craig said that the lasers can get knocked off their "view" by something just touching them - like the dog brushing by them or sweeping the snow etc. So now we know to watch for that. Thank goodness the door isn't going bad. Had enough of that. Every day without a problem or something breaking down is good.

Later I took the dogs for a short walk up the road in the direction of the lake. We may have gone about 1/2 a mile or so. They really enjoyed it. Raven would leap in and out of the deep snowdrifts, and Sparky stood on the road and watched her - he certainly wasn't going there. He just barked a lot. You can see about half the mountains from that hill, as compared to from the other end of our road toward town you get a magnificent view. The house is in the lowest part of this little valley and can't see the mountains.

Tomorrow morning Bonnie is going to pick me up about 9 a.m. to make the trip to Jackson. Am taking my shopping list. We have lots of options for interesting things to do. I've about got my suitcase packed for staying overnight, and the things together that I'll need to take. I'm taking the bag with all the picc line flushing stuff in it so they will know how much more to add to it for the next three weeks. And will take all the prescriptions to show to the doctor. So send me your good thoughts and prayers that all goes well with the little surgery. I'll let you know soon how everything goes.

Joe says he's going out to the ranch tomorrow, and I told him he better not get stuck because no one will know it. I'll call him in the afternoon to see if he got home o.k. So looking through the back files of photos I found this picture of him snowmachining at the ranch. If he goes that's about what it will look like. Debbie called this evening and they had been out in the Mojave desert with their trailer and ATVs over New Year's - out Razor Road near Baker/Barstow. Tayler is still home and she went too. They just got home this afternoon.

I won't be blogging Monday or Tuesday, but will catch up after that. I'll put a few pictures on ahead of time though.

Saturday January 3 2009

It's kind of hard to remember to write the date 2009. Today is sunny and breezy enough to drift the snow some more. Joe went to coffee again and has gotten the new inch or so of snow shoveled off the back deck. Scott came and cleared the driveway - didn't even know he had been here. The auto garage door isn't working very well. It doesn't want to close, as if the laser sensor thinks something is in the way. I hope it doesn't break down and emprision the vehicles.

Been trying for a while to get an appointment for a pedicure from the senior center person who does it for such a reasonable a price, but she hasn't been working over the holidays. Thinking of going into surgery with such long toenails finally prompted me to go ahead and do it myself, as I always have. Toenails were launched to every corner of the bedroom and Raven's eyes were wide with wonder at the flying missiles. While I tried to call several of the friends, I sat on the shower stool and soaked my feet in a hot bath. Yesterday I had used the sandpaper file on the calluses and the soaking got the rest of the job done. I even got polish on. Slathered the feet in heavy cream and put socks on. Did my hands too. Much much better. Glad it's done.

I've been to the clinic to get the picc line flushed and asked Barb to give me the stomach shot since I was there. I'll do it myself again tonight and both the flushing and shots tomorrow. The roads were pretty icy after all the thawing yesterday then refreezing.

So that's about the extent of all the excitement here. I'll try to do some artwork, I have a pastel close to finished, and get my easel set up for oil painting today.

Friday January 2 2009

This is the PICC line. Some people answered

yes, they wanted to see it. If you dont, just

scroll past it quickly. The fluids go into the blue

thingy on the bottom left, which is a connection

for the syringes. The purple line goes

into my arm at the bottom of the white pad,

The white adhesive pad holds it in place

with "wings"that clamp it there. It's covered

with a clear adhesive square. Over it all I

wear a soft knit elastic "sleeve" which keeps

it all in place. It's not uncomfortable.

Melita made me this hat for a gift. And I

just love it, especially the tweedy color.

It has a spiral twisted design. Hank made

the pom pom!

Two blooms on the Amaryllis now.

Morning coffee - Nanny says it is a woman
Artfully dressed in a One Shoulder Gown
and hat over her forehead.
YESSSS!! I do see her.

But she's gone now -

I drank the whole thing.

Joe went to his coffee klatch this morning. I've been down to the clinic this morning to learn how to give myself the Lovenox shots, and figure I can do it. Everyone that I talked to who knew or had done it themselves said the needle was very little, but it was bigger than I imagined. Wish I didn't have to do it. It didn't really hurt though, so if I have the nerve to stick it all the way in to my stomach fat, I'll do fine. It's one of those "just do it" things. My cost of the Lovenox was $250. I'm not quite sure whether medicare and insurance paid part of it or not.

After going to the clinic I drove over to Melita's to visit her and her family was still there. Leslie's family and Karen's son were going to White Pine skiing. So Karen, Melita and I had a cup of tea. Leslie's little girl is 3 but sure seems older than her age. Dillon is 14 now and getting really tall, a nice boy. It was fun to see Karen again, and Melita too. She knitted me a wool hat, and I was short on warm hats. My head gets cold with the thin hair now. Thank you very much Dear Melita.

I went to the P.O. and then checked out the new Obo's meat market - bought some sausage and hamburger which I don't have in the freezer. It looks like a very nice selection of meat and the other things they have - cheeses, lunch meats, seasonings, a little dairy selection and some produce. And then to Ridley's for groceries. It was warming up so much that the streets are thawing. I had 35 degrees on my car thermometer.

This afternoon I took a little nap then went back to get the picc line flushed. That went quickly. Barb took the photo for me. I wanted to take boxes to recycling but it was closed. Then took a loop down Lake Road to see if there was wildlife and I bet I saw a hundred deer in there. Took a few pictures of quite a herd going down one of the streets and eating the landscaping in some of the yards. I'll put those on tomorrow.

It was sunny when I laid down for the nap, but within an hour it had clouded up and was lightly snowing. The temperature on the car thermometer was 35, and clearing snow off some of the roads into puddles, a real January thaw. When I got back home I shoveled the four inches of new snow off the back deck. As soon as I got back in the house it started to snow harder, then for a while it was so thick you could hardly see across the street ..... and windier. Not sure what tonight will bring since we're under the winter storm watch. It's supposed to get quite a bit colder by morning.

Here is a link showing where an avalanche came down on Teton Pass and the WYDOT is clearing it away today. It says it was 50 feet deep on the road and the bulldozers were on top of that.

http://www.pinedaleonline.com/news/2009/01/WYDOTtacklesTetonPas.htm

All the Words to Auld Lang Syne

.

AULD LANG SYNE

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old times since ?

.

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

.
And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!
And surely I’ll buy mine!
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

.
We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

.
We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

,
And there’s a hand my trusty friend!
And give us a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

.
For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

.

Thursday January 1 2009

Charm's road

.

DEAR FRIENDS AND FAMILY,

I WISH YOU MANY BLESSINGS,

GOOD HEALTH,

AND MUCH HAPPINESS

IN THE COMING MONTHS.

.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

TO ONE AND ALL
.

Oscar Wilde said,

"Good resolutions are simply checks

that men draw on a bank

where they have no account."

.

Charm's Deck

These are a couple of photos that Charm took

of that last snow over Christmas -

I think on the morning they took out their vehicles.

I hope she doesn't mind that I'm using them for today,

because they are so beautiful I thought you would enjoy them.

Well, Here it is New Year's Day. Surely there will be football on TV all day. Am missing the Rose Bowl Parade by writing on the blog instead. About midnight it started to lightly snow - tiny little flakes but by afternoon was coming down harder. Perhaps more than an inch has fallen and so far there is no wind. Yesterday the radio was saying that we were on a storm watch, so we will see what that amounts to. And it's supposed to snow for the next week!

Did I say that Joe and I hadn't been out celebrating New Year's Eve in at least 40 years? Last night we went to dinner with Charm, Bob and Gina, and Megan and Dave at the Stockmans. Jim sprained his ankle snowmaching (something about riding off into a ravine??) and he stayed home. We missed you Jim. Our reservation was at 7:30. But the torchlight parade must have gotten over with sooner than they thought it would and they all stopped by here about 6:30. I was on the verge of changing but wasn't dressed yet. Charm changed out of her ski suit and I got myself dressed. Joe had been ready for a while - he was smarter than me. We drove downtown, had great company and a fine meal. Was disappointed that the prime rib was already all gone. But Joe and I had the fillets and they were very good. I just can't do justice to a good meal any more but enjoy the heck out of it anyway. And the boys love the leftovers. We said lots of "Happy New Years" and got home about 9:30. It was enjoyable and fun.

Be sure to check Gina's blog for her great pictures of the torchlight parade and a couple of all of us at dinner. The link to her blog is up there on my sidebar - on the top right.

I said I would tell you what's next with the health issues. Today I take the last dose of coumadin before the small surgery to take out the port next Tuesday. Tomorrow morning I have to go to the clinic to learn how to give myself Lovenox shots in the stomach. I will do that twice a day for a week. Somehow it helps to keep the blood from clotting while not using coumadin, but also reduces the chances of bleeding in the surgery. The drug flyer says: "This medicine is used to prevent and treat deep vein thrombosis (blood clots); complications of unstable angina; and certain cyocardial infarctions (heart attacks) in patients taking aspirin). There should be no bothersome side effects. etc." Will also keep going to the clinic for the picc line flushes, or do that myself when they are closed. (Today I'll do it myself.)

Then next Monday Bonnie is going with me to Jackson. I have an appointment with Dr. Menolascino in the afternoon. We will probably be able to do some touristy things up there, go to a few galleries, eat in restaurants, maybe shop. We will stay overnight at the Hospital's motel, The Hitching Post.

Tuesday morning I have to be at oncology at 8 a.m. They'll get me ready for the surgery to remove the port. It is supposed to be quite minor. It will be in the operating room with anesthetic. At first they were saying it would just be in a room with no anesthetic, but they changed their minds. They probably didn't want to listen to my commentary while they are working. I have a little bit of nerves about it, considering how putting it in went. But I'll be very glad to get rid of it. After the surgery I'll get my chemo treatment and we'll come home - and pray I don't end up having to stay in the hospital. Seems like they slap me in the hospital every time for one reason or another. I will very much appreciate Bonnie being with me during this time. BTW I've had none of that awful pain this time since they didn't use the port.

Neat story from Sandra:(hope the link works - I had trouble copying/pasting it).

http://www.trib.com/articles/2009/01/01/news/wyoming/7a7b6eb3950119a887257530007a1507.txt