Chance Reports on Far Side

Far Side had her other eye surgery yesterday, no big problems just a few little ones..she needs to have several naps.today.  She is having a real hard time reading.  She never had that problem  before..so she is in a fairly bad mood. She has been to the Doctor this morning, I had to wait a really long time in the car, but now we are home safe and sound:)

Wistful Wednesday: 1954

Cousins photo op in 1954.  That would be me on the left.  My cousins Geraldine and Hilda are in the matching dresses, and  their brother Danny in the front with the doll.  I think this was probably taken at my Aunt and Uncles home, I just do not recognize this floor or those cupboards.  We must have been visiting!   Since my Mother and Father came from very large families we went visiting all the time especially in the winter and we had visitors at our home often.  It is what we did to make the long winter evenings more enjoyable.  Hilda and I were born in the same year, she was born in the spring and I was born in the fall.  She may look innocent in this  photo..but she and I used to fight..I was a biter..and I think she was too.  Imagine two little girls biting each other and screaming.  I can't remember biting Danny or Geraldine..just Hilda.

Yesterday was a cousins get together, we met for lunch.  It was a good turn out, and we had a good visit.  Geraldine stopped by and picked me up for lunch.  Hilda and her Mom joined us as did Chuckie, Evelyn, Kathy, Diana, Aunt Anna and Wilma.  It is good  to get together.  We met at one of those health food restaurants..so I had a sandwich with lots of good stuff on it..sprouts and lettuce and tomato..and my very favorite pie..Sour Cream and Raisin..a real calorie laden piece of pie.  None of my cousins share my appreciation for it. I did learn that my  Paternal Grandmother loved it and often baked it for her family. I should have taken a photo of it..simply described it was like heaven on a fork:)

Winter Planting

Sometimes we have to strew a few seeds in the winter in order to have some summer flowers.  Some seeds benefit from the extreme cold found in a snowbank, in the spring they will be watered by the snow as it melts  and hopefully they will grow! I took this photo last summer, can you tell what it is?

Far Guy had collected some of this plants seed heads last fall, he put them in a paper bag. One evening he got his collection out and began to clean seeds..it is putzy work..but he enjoys it. He separates the seeds from the chaff. I think he just likes the feel of the seeds falling out of the flower heads onto his collection paper..and watching his seed bag fill up!

He had a plan, he wanted to strew some seeds out in the snowbanks between snowfalls. He would like the whole area near the sauna and my garage filled with wildflowers. He gave me a spiel about a quaint little split rock walkway meandering out to the sauna..with wildflowers growing on both sides. He painted a pretty picture.

Here it is blooming, it is a Grey Headed Coneflower or Ratibida pinnata. It is a prairie flower and grows in dry woods and prairies. It likes the sun, and usually grows about four feet tall and the deer don't eat it! It is not fussy about soil or moisture. The only thing I dislike about it is that it is hard to photograph on windy days...because the plants are so tall they sway in the breeze. It is a plant native to Minnesota:)

Chance: Disgruntled Model

I really should get union scale for as much time as her camera is focused on me.  I finally decided to go on strike.  I hid behind a huge mountain of snow.  I knew she wouldn't climb the snow mountain..

 Rats..it must be that zoom lens..there is no escape.

 Here is my "Wolf " look..take that!! Watch out who you are messing with lady..

 I can frown, she doesn't care..she says a frown is just an smile upside down. She is one tough cookie. No matter what feeling I come up with..she declares it brilliant.  

 I guess I might need an agent, you know a go between. Between Me and Far Side..I think I should demand a cut.  Then I heard she just takes these photos for fun.. foiled again, for fun she says..who does that sort of thing, is she nuts?  ..do you suppose I should ask for homemade treats..she has the recipe hung on the fridge..it has been there a long time. It would be a stretch of everyone's imagination to think that she would bake. 

 I know, I will just keep my eyes almost closed:)  

Turkeys Everywhere

We are getting snow, the fine powdery kind.  We are  all snuggled in for a snowy couple of days. Yesterday we went looking for the Turkeys.  We found them everywhere.

 In the road...

 In the corn field..

 In the trees..

This was quite a large rafter of Meleagris gallopavo or Wild Turkeys.  They can fly if they are not too fat, and roost in the trees at night.  They eat acorns, seeds, small insects none available at the moment in Minnesota and berries..I think all the berries are history too.  The small corn field that they are in is a wildlife planting..more to attract deer during the deer hunting season..but the turkeys seem to be enjoying the abundance of food and protection found there. 

Chance was able to keep his vocalizations to a low growl while I took photos..then Far Guy rolled down Chances window. We keep the windows on "lock" ..cause he has been known to roll down his own window!   When the turkeys were out of sight..we told him he could bark.. poor dog.

Chance loves these little adventures..I do too..these four walls are getting a little old.  Perhaps I have a "spot" of cabin fever. I do have enough things to keep me occupied indoors.. it is just nice to get out with my camera and look at something different.  I figure we still have another nine or ten weeks of snow, no matter what the ground hog said last week:) 

Wood Pile

When you heat your home and your hot water with wood you occasionally have to cut wood or buy some. The woods that surround our house are mainly Burr Oak. We only cut  the dead, down or hazard trees. Far Guy will probably order a semi-load of wood that will be a mixture of oak and pine..it gets stacked next to the road and Far Guy cuts it into lengths and hauls it into the wood shed.

 This week a load of slabs was delivered, they are pine slabs from a sawmill that saws lumber. They will eventually be stacked in the woodshed.

 In the meantime, a squirrel or a chipmunk will move in. Chance will guard this stack of slabs valiantly, it will occupy him for many afternoons. He is all about the watch and wait, although occasionally he will be victorious and chase something up a tree. The really dumb chipmunks will be dealt with but we won't talk about that. It is his territory after all, the truck delivers the slabs, he is sent to the house because he prefers to be inside when the earth shakes..but after that..the slab pile is his.

 We used to use the wood-stove to heat the largest greenhouse. You could practically stand outside and shove wood in the stove all night long.

 My sore shoulder has gotten me out of heaving heavy pieces of wood in the wood-stove this winter. Far Guy adds wood to the wood-stove once a day, the house is kept a very comfortable 74 degrees. I can wear shorts in the winter..and I do!

Having an outdoor stove has advantages. The wood mess is kept out of doors. The fire hazard is out doors also..although an occasional chimney fire sometimes just happens.

This one was real pretty. it wasn't dramatic enough to be a problem.  Far Guy just watched it..this was last November.  It is just the creosote burning off the walls of the chimney.  In the spring if it is dry we will shut down the wood stove, although there is a certain amount of safety living in the oaks..a small fire in the oaks doesn't travel like a small fire in the pines.  I sometimes worry about a bug or disease coming through and wiping out all the deep shade that the oaks give us in the summer..this spring we will plant a few pines. Not a forest full, not in rows that can be a fire trail ..just here and there throughout the woods:) 

Stuck in the Headlights

The other day we were going "through the woods." It was fairly icy, Far Guy said "Well this was dumb, I should have gone the other way." I like the road through the woods, it is one I have travelled ever since I can remember. Sometimes we see turkeys or deer..that day we saw a herd of deer. How many are in a herd anyway..more than two..? All photos were taken through the windshield.

There are four of them, Far Guy slowed down on top of a hill. Chance is a good look out, he was poised to bark. I told him to "be still"..he was except for his body that began to quiver with excitement. He began to invade my space..putting his feet on my leg..plastering his nose against the windshield. Sometimes he tries to hog my space. Far Guy lets him ride in front when I am not along..of course I do the same thing.

I wonder if Chance remembers the time in Indiana, some where very near Paoli..a deer came out of the woods and ran right down the road towards us. That deer was really hoofing it too, I wondered if he had a death wish. We must have had our deer stuck in the headlights look that day.  Eventually he veered off of the road. Far Guy and I were greatly relieved, we have never seen anything like it ever again. Minnesota deer usually just go across roads..hardly ever using them for travel. Perhaps they are smarter than Indiana deer.

These deer must have caught Chances scent, they stomped their feet at us. 

One by one they jumped off of the road onto a deer trail. They looked to be in pretty good shape. From what I have seen, we have an over abundance of deer in the woods. Just my opinion.


One of the widower silver hairs down on the lake, who shall remain nameless, but he is short and has a sinister looking moustache and is cavorting with a lonely widow..feeds the deer all winter..then in the spring when they eat all his flowers he complains. I saw him the other day..he likes to kiss all the women..he thinks he is a real ladies man, a Casanova. YUCK..I avoid him at all costs..but this time he had me trapped between a wall and a very large potted plant ( imagine a deer stuck in the headlights look), I extended my left hand..and wouldn't you know it he grabbed it, but slugged me in the right shoulder..I nearly passed out..and he still tried to kiss me..luckily I turned my head really fast and his kiss landed on my cheek...YEWWW.. I wanted to immediately disinfect my entire face.


I have never felt the need to accept kisses from anyone other than my husband and Chance, oh and of course from my children and grands when they were little.


What do you do when a strange man or woman attempts to kiss you? Besides just having a deer stuck in the headlights look on your face?:)  

Making a Difference

Some days I wonder, is all this drivel I write worth the effort? Who really cares anyway? What difference will it make, will my Grandchildren ever read it? Will their Mothers ever allow them to read what I have left behind? Today it doesn't matter.. cause I made a difference. No not a big earth shattering difference, a little difference..sometimes little itty bitty differences go a long way in the middle of a Minnesota winter.

I heard from a long time friend, Judy..she and her husband love dogs as much as Far Guy and I do. They have two wonderful dogs Jake and Molly.  She sent me this email after she read Ringo's Story.

Thank you for sharing the story about Ringo. I told the folks at the Ottertail County Humane Society about it as they are dealing with a similar situation. Someone was fostering a springer spaniel in town. He escaped as a garage door was closing and they have not yet been able to catch him. There is a man who has been feeding him and it sounds like they are going to try a live trap. So, hopefully they will be successful like you were. This dog happens to be very fearful of humans.


Take care.
Judy

I wrote back: Hi Judy, Maybe Ringo's story had a purpose..let me know how it turns out..Thanks Judy:) Connie

Later I got this one!
Hi Connie -- I just got the word -- they have Smiley in the live trap and are going to pick him up now. They said now he will have to go into some "socialization rehab" for a while. I think that means he goes visiting to the board members homes. I don't know! Judy

Of course I wrote back!
Hi Judy, I would like to quote you in my blog tomorrow..is that OK or do you wish to remain anoymous? How ever you spell that word? Anymore news about Smiley? Connie

Hi Connie,
I would be honored to be quoted in your blog! I called and inquired about Smiley today. The worker said he is still very timid. A volunteer had sat in his kennel with him for a while today. I'm going to go see him tomorrow. So maybe I will be part of the socialization rehab!


The way I found out about him is that he is one of the dogs pictured on the Otter Tail County Humane Society web page. Then we noticed an ad in the local newspaper trying to locate him. after he ran away.


They call him Smiley because when he gets used to a person he will sometimes flash a pearly white smile their way.


Judy

Like I said last Saturday..Ringo's Story was written in my mind for a long time. I felt a need to share it..and Smiley must have been the reason. A timid dog was captured in time to be given another chance at a good life, I bet that Judy will make a difference in Smileys life too, Far Guy and I are betting that just maybe this is meant to be..and Jake and Molly are going to have a new brother.  At the very least Judy will be tempted.

Smiley's story is not a new one, he was found in a shed, hungry and abused..it will probably take a long time for him to trust again, but at least for today he is safe and warm:)
**All photos courtesy of Chance.

Wistful Wednesday: 1949

My Dad and I have been looking through some of the old photos that came from his Dad ( My Grandfather).

Me: "Who is this chick you are with Dad? "
Dad: "Let me see?"
Me: "Well I know for a fact that is not my Mother."
At which time my Mothers ears perk up, she comes over and looks.
Mom : "Well that is Violet Korpi and she really wanted your Dad, everyone knew it. "
My Dad just shakes his head.
Dad: "This was at Marie and Kenneth's Wedding..we were both in the wedding."
Mom: "Yup, she was really after your Dad."
Dad: " That was in 1949, that is her brother Hubert in the photo too."
Dad was pretty cool, not denying, not confirming, just stating the facts.

I wrote about Violet a few weeks ago, she ended up with her own business..she owned the beer joint in Snellman. Minnesota. I don't think she ever married..but I am not certain. Perhaps her heart was broken in 1950 when my parents were married. She was a beautiful young woman.

This photo was taken on September 16, 1949. Dad was the best man and brother of the bride and apparently Violet the sister of the groom was the maid of honor. I had the best time looking around in this photo, believe it or not that tie hung in my Dads closet for many years..it was very silky, brown, beige and yellow. On the table are tall candles, a plate of sandwiches, a cake, a whole plate of jelly rolls that I could nearly taste and a bowl of jello with bananas in it. My dad has a cup of coffee sitting in front of him, no doubt it was egg coffee too another of my favorites. No one makes egg coffee anymore...I bet it would be a big hit. My Dad was very handsome..but shy looking in this photo:)

Egg Coffee
Boil 9 cups of water in a coffee pot on top of the stove. In a bowl mix an entire egg, the shell and all it's contents into 3/4 cup of coffee grounds and 1/4 cup water. Drop the egg and coffee ground mixture into the pot and simmer for a few minutes then add a cup or so of cold water to settle the grounds. Let it set for a bit, use a coffee strainer to strain it into a cup..enjoy..
This is a traditional Scandinavian Lutheran Church Coffee.

Medical Updates

Seems like all we do for entertainment is sit in waiting rooms, lounging around waiting for our name to be called. What with my eyes and my shoulder..and then the regular appointments.

What more could you need in a local waiting room?  A clock, a cash machine and a computer. 


Far Guy has to see the Neurologist every three months...yesterday was the day. We really like Dr. P. he is genuine, or the real deal. For those of you that may not know Far Guy has Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia..a rare disorder that causes him pain on a daily basis. He was diagnosed on December 25, 2007.

A water feature in the Clinic ninety miles away. 

I cannot stress enough that anyone with this disorder find a Neurologist that you can work with. Our Neurologist is kind, I cannot imagine that he would not return a phone call or leave us dangling and waiting for the phone to ring for days like previous so called medical professionals. He knows how to count pills..you need many meds if you have TN. Sometimes in different dosages. Through teamwork.. we are achieving a better quality of life for Far Guy. No it is not perfect..what would be perfect ? I am not sure. There are little things that we can do. The monster known as TN has a mind of it's own. Pills..take them on time..I am a real bitch about this..some days he forgets..one day he forgot his meds all day long. I saw red. I dropped the ball.  I need to be more vigilant. Head coverings..he has several but he leaves the house without them..so I usually grab them. The cold wind will bring on painful lightening bolt zaps. It is not an easy disorder to deal with..but we are doing the best we can. Chance is very much in tune with Far Guy and if Chance thinks he should lay down, he takes Far Guys hand in his mouth and leads him to the couch. Some evenings he turns down the bed..


If anyone out there ever wants to contact Far Guy his email is geneo532000(AT)yahoo(DOT) com he is more than happy to communicate with anyone that has this hideous forgotten orphan disease. Sometimes it helps to know that you are not alone, he has several TN friends that call him frequently.

Dr. P. knows by now that I will always ask "What is new? Is there anything new being studied or tried with TN ? " I have to ask..and the answer is always the same.."Nothing new." I think perhaps Dr. P. reads my blog, yesterday he said that Far Guy was a model patient and a joy to work with, and that all Neurologists should treat their patients with the utmost respect. He also shared that Neurology is the thing that gets him up everyday...because he loves his work. Far Guy and I are FINALLY at home and comfortable with a Neurologist. It has been a long journey.

My shoulder is much better, I am still doing exercises every day to improve my range of motion. I may have to get out the duct tape and tape my arm to my body at night. I injured it the other night, I did something in a sleep walking episode that locked it up..it might have involved a coffee table. I woke up on the floor and could not move my shoulder..it hurt..so I rubbed it and gently unlocked it with my other arm.. it is a little sore..but not bad. I don't bawl every time I put my coat on anymore.


My eye is doing great, Far Guy puts drops in it and I get rechecked on Friday. I will be glad when the other eye is done, my eyes still fight, the new improved eyeball is winning and takes over more and more. I wear a clear plastic eye patch at night so that I don't rub my eye. I am pretty cute with the eye patch, now if I duct tape my arm..I ought to be a real fashion statement in my thermal nightgown with my fuzzy red socks:)

Passed by again

Do you suppose that they sit at the courthouse and play darts? This time they were to the left and right of me, both my niece and my nephew were called to jury duty.  Passed up again..they really must read my blog.  Possibly they don't want anyone as opinionated as me sitting on a jury..I really would like to be called just one time.  Maybe they are saving me for a really difficult case, one that will take days, and the jury will have to be sequestered, and I will have the opportunity to be locked up with eleven lucky strangers for days or even weeks.  


Last spring when Far Guy was called, he didn't have to go..apparently both of the cases he was called for were settled out of court.  He was not disappointed, as he has served before.  


I heard my niece was not very excited, she works and has three small children..so I am sure it is a pain, we live 30 miles from the County Seat so it is a bit of a drive.  


As a kid I remember being in awe of the huge old courthouse.  The halls were all shiny with huge slabs of  granite on the walls and floors.. your shoes made clicking noises on the floor..it echoed.  You spoke in whispers, the lady behind the bars took the money for your property taxes.  Somewhere in the building was a Judge and Lawyers..people who I never wanted to meet up close and personal. 

Last summer Far Guy and I needed a building permit for the sauna..so we went to the courthouse. This box was on display there.. I found it very interesting.  I have never seem one like it before. Have you??  I asked Far Guy if I should tell someone about the excess dust in the area, I thought it was disgraceful.. he said " How about we just get you out of here." :) 

Chance: Getting the mail

I know the way to get the mail, we walk the long way around in the winter. Sometimes Far Side goes along, but usually it is a guy thing. Even though it was barely above zero she went along yesterday. She wears funny dark glasses outside, I think the snow and sunshine nearly blind her.

Sometimes she just needs to get out of the woods. I showed her the rabbit run and the rabbit hole. No one was home. Besides that she said "Leave the rabbits alone." I usually do leave them alone after a little run around in the woods.

I have to wait here, it is a rule. I am not allowed to actually get the mail..I am supposed to watch from here.

When soon to be Eagle eyes Far Side tells you to sit and wait..you do it as handsome as you can. She says I am almost as white and clean as the snow..in fact she called my white fur brilliant..guess that means I won't need a bath anytime soon!

View from the end of the driveway.

Far Guy was getting cold, so he took a short cut home. I could tell that Far Side wanted to walk with me on the road. Far Guy was insistent that she follow him, so she did, he apparently took really huge steps through the woods..he blazed a trail for her..unfortunately he forgot that she can't walk as good as him and her stride is much shorter..she was trying her best to keep up..then she just hung onto a tree and hollered "OH, go on without me, I didn't think it was a race, I have snow in my boots now" ..she also muttered some other stuff that just might have been some unladylike cuss words. She eventually made it to the house to warm up. She probably won't go to the mail box again for awhile :)

Ringo's Story

“If you love something let it go free. If it doesn't come back, you never had it. If it comes back, love it forever.” Doug Horton

This is a story that has been written in my mind for some time. Today is as good a day as any to excise it. Perhaps it is the below zero weather..or guilt..or Jen telling me that our Grand-dog Elvis hates a leash..

December 2006...The phone rang, it was Megan, a dog trainer that we had used with Chance. She had a friend who was in a pickle, she was fostering a Sheltie (Shetland Sheepdog)  and needed someone to take over for her because she was pregnant.  The dogs name was Ringo and he apparently was one of those Summer throw away dogs that the "summer people" get for their kids just for the summer and then leave behind. His Foster Mom said he was sweet and lovable, she had no problems with him, he got along with her other dogs quite well, she was sure that he would get along well with Chance. Two neutered males..no problem. I made arrangement to pick him up on January 02, 2007. Our initial meeting went well, he seemed to like me..so it was a go..I loaded him in the car and brought him home with me.

I brought him into the house, he and Chance hit it off quite well, tails wagging, and chase me games were played. Ringo ate some food and drank some water.   I went to take them outdoors, I had the leash in my hand..I like a dummy just opened the door..and let them outside. As soon as Ringo hit the outside world..he ran..and ran..then he took off down the driveway.... Far Guy and I tried to catch him, and I got within three feet of him..but he was too quick. We enlisted neighborhood help in looking for him.  Jen and Andy came and walked the woods at night, Jen even found another stray dog that eventually was reunited with his owner.  Chance and I and Far Guy walked the woods for days, there wasn't much snow that year...we tried to track him...eventually we discovered where he was and contacted the land owner for permission to walk his property. We found where he had been sleeping in a hole made in the ground by an uprooted tree, we saw him on several occasions..we found dog poop and pee..so I knew he was eating something and obviously getting enough water out of the snow. He was living on one section of land and feeding there on old deer carcasses. I had his previous Foster Mom come out one afternoon with her dogs in hopes that he would respond to her voice or his old friends being in the vicinity. No luck.. I was so upset by this turn of events, I did not know what I was going to do, beside eventually burying a starved dog..that I was responsible for. I cried buckets of tears over this dog, just the mention of his name would make me bawl. How could I have been such an idiot..first to say that I would take the dog and second that I would open the door and let him out without a leash..stupid ..just plain stupid.

Ringo ran out of deer meat or perhaps it was the fresh blood of a newly butchered hog that drove him to visit Jo (West Side of Straight) and her husbands farm. Hooch lives there too, Ringo was sighted mornings and evenings coming and going. We tried unsuccessfully to capture him..he was just too fast and too wild to be caught. Jo called me one day and she said "That dog is going to die, we have to do something ELSE." Then she called later and said "I borrowed a live trap, lets see if we can trap him." The first few days we baited with dog food and caught Hooch a couple of times.  Hooch kind of liked the live trap. We did not want to leave the live trap set over night..because it was so cold..way below zero. If we caught Ringo early in the night, he could be froze to death by morning. So we made arrangements to bait the trap at night, I finally used some venison sausage..we set it and would go back at 11o'clock to disarm it for the night.  When we went back Far Guy said "Why, I'll be ..we got him."  We loaded the live trap in the car and took him home trap and all..we carted the trap in the house and let him out. He was thin..I checked his paws and his ears..it was January 18, 2007. He had survived sixteen days out on his own. He had some sore paws..but they healed up nicely..he was hungry..very hungry. We only fed him a little at a time..but lots of feedings. He was only allowed outside on a leash, he and Chance became best friends.

This is the only photo that I can find..January 18, 2007 after we rescued him from the live trap.

Ringo settled in with us really nicely, he didn't like to ride in the car..so we worked on that. His kennel was under my desk..if the door was going to be opened he was put in the kennel. I hung a note on the door that said "DO NOT LET RINGO OUT"...everyone cooperated..Far Guy and I inadvertently let him out twice..both times my heart was in my throat..luckily I had taught him the sit command by then...he obeyed my command and he was scooped up with a huge sigh of relief. I was getting more attached to Ringo by the day, he cuddled with me on the couch..he was the lap dog that Chance was not. He laid at my feet when I was at the computer...he followed me everywhere. We tried to socialize him the best we could..he was skittish with other people..he was going to be a shy one person Sheltie. I talked with the Humane Society..he was after all technically still their dog..I was still just fostering. I thought maybe since I lost him once, they would want him back..but no they thought it was okay that I keep him until he was adopted. I thought that they might want to have him checked by a Vet after his 16 days in the wild..but they didn't.

Chance was like a big brother...they played tug games and ran around the house like chickens with their heads cut off..running circles..banking off of the couch.  I did what some people would call a big no no.  I felt so sorry for Ringo being on the leash all the time outdoors..I tethered him to Chance. Then I would take them both for a walk.  Chance outweighed Ringo by about 45 pounds..if I wanted them to stop I just hollered sit.  Trees were our biggest obstacle..one dog going one way around..and the other going a different way.  Chance loved his new job..Ringo loved a little freedom.  We also let him run around inside the Greenhouses..he was food driven..so a treat could be used to capture him.  He was afraid of loud noises, and all vehicles.  If a vehicle came down our driveway while I was walking him..he would refuse to go potty.   If a vehicle came into our yard..he freaked out. He didn't like men.. but he learned to love Far Guy.  Obviously this puppy had a bunch of issues.  I think he was about one year old.

I really didn't know what to do. Could I possibly manage another dog? Two dogs and a business that needed me sixteen hours a day from March to July. Then we got a phone call..our daughter was moving from Nebraska to Minnesota and needed a place to live for awhile, along with her husband, three daughters, two dogs and a cat. What was a quiet existence was in our past, we now had girls to get off to school, huge dinners to cook, and a zoo full of animals to care for. The girls loved Ringo..they helped me to keep an eye on him, no one opened the outside door with out standing there first hollering "Who has Ringo?"

I finally took some darling photographs of him  (they were lost in one of the computer crashes.)  I took the photos into the Humane Society and I made up some posters. He was adopted by one of our long time customers. We visited him during the summer..he still remembered Chance and the girls. It was very hard for me to give him up, I felt better that he was happy and loved in his new home, he was getting the attention that he needed to be a really good dog. I kept track of him. Then the months wore on..then a year..he was fine. I felt like a bad person calling to check up on him all the time. So I let it go.

Sometimes you can let go..but you still wonder. I wondered half the summer and I left a couple of messages..but my phone calls were never returned. Then in September2009  I ran into Ringo's Grandma..she saw me and immediately looked down after she smiled and gave me a hug..I knew he was gone. Somethings can be conveyed without words...she did confirm my worst thoughts..Emmy moved into a new house, Ringo was confused and ran into the road one day and was hit by a car. I was so sad. I am still sad. I wish I could have made the life of this little dog better for longer..if wishes were ..:)
“If wishes were fishes we'd all be throwing nets. If wishes were horses we'd all ride.” Doug Horton

Clear and Bright

I can see without glasses..it is a miracle!! I have worn glasses since I was about 9 years old. I got a bra, my first period and glasses all about the same time. Maybe that was too much information..

Yesterday when  young Doctor W pulled off all the tape and bandages and said..OK open your eye and blink a few times..I was nearly blinded by the light. I could see Far Guys face across the room..and I mean his ever so handsome face too.. I  did not have to go just by the shape of his head and the color of the clothing he was wearing. Things were crisp and clear..20/30 according to the Doctor..and healing well and my pressures are just fine. I have to go back in a week..Far Guy puts drops in my eyes four times a day.. a steroid and an antibiotic.

All the way home. I was like a kid in a candy shop..looking at all the colors..even from behind my huge sunglasses they look awesome. I can play the before and after game by closing different eyes..They removed the right lens from my glasses. But my eyes fight each other..they both want to be in charge.. The left says " Hey, you are supposed to be old and tired and filled up with a cataract..I am way better than you are, my cataracts are just troublesome not completely clouding over her eye, like you were" My new right eyes says "Hey, I am brand spanking new and I want to be in charge, ha!!  my cataracts are all gone..who is superior now?"  I had to take charge and lay down and close both of them for awhile..this is going to take some adjustment. Seeing without glasses is very hard work.

I can actually see myself in a mirror ..scary..without having my nose touch the mirror..very scary.

Now I have a deep seated problem..I feel like I am missing something when I don't wear my glasses..I can see pretty good..even with one bad eye. No, that is not the problem..I have deep indents in my nose from years of wearing glasses..and ridges that run from the corners of my eyes to my ears..all you people that wear glasses on a regular basis know all about these ridges. Please say you have them too..or maybe I am the only person in the entire free world with them??  Will they go away..or has fifty years of wearing glasses deformed my skull? I guess we will just have to wait and see. Then there is that scar, the one that hardly ever showed before..I had a mole removed right between my eyes years ago..it never showed before...oh goodness sakes you don't suppose I am going to have to wear make up. I have one more tiny problem..I need to have my eyebrows "done"..I have always done them myself..after all they were hidden by my glasses so they had no need to be beautifully shaped..but perhaps now they should have a little work done to them..I will have to find an expert plucker.  I suppose there is some special goop for your eyebrows too..rats.. I will have to go shopping :)

Cataracts Half Done

I survived the cataract Surgery!! It was a same day surgery and I was over in the hospital about three hours. Far Guy and my Parents accompanied me... Chance held down the fort at home.

The nurses were kind and sweet, they took all my info, had me dress in one of those glamorous gowns. They started an IV, she was really good at it..my hand is not sore at all. Everyone that came into the room marked my forehead. When Far Guy and my Dad came in to keep me company, they took one look at me and began to laugh. I had asked Far Guy before we left if he wanted to be in charge of my camera or leave it at home...he chose to leave it home..but at that moment when he was chuckling at me he said he wished he had the camera. When the Nurse came in to check on the progress of my extreme dilation.. Far Guy was freaked out and would not look at me..no matter what ploy I used to get him to look ..he wouldn't. (The nurse said I won the prize for the best dilated eye she had ever seen.) He did read to me, he knows how much I love being read too..so he read an article about Warren Buffett to me.. a fascinating man! Dr. B came in to say "Hi" and the Anesthetist came in to discuss my anesthesia..I asked him what he was using? He said "Propofal..the Michael Jackson drug." I asked him if he was going anyplace. He said "No, he would stay with me the entire time." I asked Far Guy if I should sign the consent form..he said "Yes" So I did.

The Anesthetist wheeled me off to the OR, where I met four Nurses..it was really cold in there. I knew one of the Nurses a long time ago..Mavis..it was her brother Jody that I had the snowmobile adventure on Bass Lake with back in the 1960's. Anyway the table is narrow but they have a special headrest for your head. They put a pillow under my knees, and strapped down my arms. Dr. B asked if everyone was all set.. I asked him how he felt and if he felt at all shaky..he put his hands up and said " I am calm and cool as a cucumber." Then I felt a burning in my arm..and a strange smell.. then there were beautiful lights..mainly pink ones..beautiful sparkly squiggles and very bright white lights.    The Nurses were talking..and the Doctor was talking about how he didn't like the lens..it kept folding back on itself..I asked if the Handsome Anesthetist was still there and he was.. ( He is my age, maybe a bit older and has a moustache and kind eyes. ) The nurses all laughed, and said "It is obvious that she couldn't see straight with that cataract." About that time I had some discomfort..a pressured poking feeling that I didn't like. I was about to say "I give" .. and then they removed all the drapes and put on a bunch of bandages. They had me sit up and I hopped over to a chair and they wheeled me back to recovery. Far Guy joined me there..and they brought me lunch..a diet soda, a banana and a turkey sandwich. The handsome anesthetist came by, I thanked him and said "Well I never went to sleep."  He said "Oh yes you did..for about four or five minutes."  You could have fooled me.. maybe that is why they call that drug "milk of amnesia." They monitored my vital signs, and Far Guy visited with the nurse who was a very attractive red head..anyone that knows Far Guy well..knows he has a thing for red heads...( I am a blonde/grey haired beauty) any way she was sure she had met him previously. He jokingly said " In jail or the newspaper?" It turns out she was from the Gulfport/Biloxi Mississippi area..now retired to Minnesota. They had a good time talking about that area of Mississippi as Far Guy spent a fair amount of time there during his Military Career. We all laughed at the coincidence. It turned out that they were in the same eating establishment one night back in the 1980's.
 ( You may say how is that possible that they both remember? The Governor of North Dakota was there that same evening.) After about an hour they let me go home..I got a ride to the vehicle in a wheel chair.

I got home and Chance was very happy to see me. I developed a humongous headache and headed for the ibuprofen and the couch. The pain worsened, it was like brain freeze only a hundred times worse..and moved around in my skull. I had something more to eat and an Oxycodone that belonged to Far Guy. I rested on the couch..until I was startled by some strange flashing lights...it was Far Guy playing Cameraman.

I will be really happy to have the bandages removed ( I have to wait until three o'clock..that is still over three hours away)..they are bugging the crap out of me.. every once in a while my eye itches.  I put my glasses back on right after the surgery..They kind of balance on the end of my nose and let me see something..enough to watch TV.  Most of the time I spend with both eyes closed..it is just easier that way..when one of your eyes has to work independently..it gets really tired.  In two weeks, my other eye will be done..one eye at a time hopefully my vision will improve:)

Wistful Wednesday : An Old Snowplow

Last week I was able to sit down with my Father and go through some of the photos in the box that used to belong to his Father ( My Grandfather).   Very few of these photographs are marked.

This is an old snowplow..it just happens to belong to one of my Mothers Uncles.  Years ago when it snowed, snow removal was hard work.   Young strong men had to break the hard packed snow in front of the V of the snow plow.  Dad says that this photograph was probably taken sometime in 1938 to 1942.  He also said that he is sure his Uncles, Bill, Joe and Levi are in the photo as are his brothers Jalmer, Ervin and Oscar.   Now that I have them scanned and I can enlarge them on the computer, I will have him look again to make positive identifications.  I believe that I can identify only one person..and that would be my Uncle Ervin. That is only one out of the twelve people in this photo..so much is lost from one generation to the next. ..we have to keep moving on this project!

Look at how deep the snow is..that was lots of shoveling:)  

Cats

I like these kind of cats. This one happens to be Uncle Archies mouser. I took it last Summer before my vision started to become blurry.

I have Cataracts in both eyes. My right eye has become particularly fuzzy. I no longer drive at night, and if it is a sunny day I don't drive either. I drive on cloudy days only...Far Guy loves to be my chauffeur anyway. Christmas was pretty interesting the nighttime lights were awesome..when you have cataracts every little light at night takes on a starry appearance..and appears larger than normal, sometimes a half a dozen lights seem to appear...it is like your eyes have gone nuts with lights.  Shopping inside a store with overhead lights is almost painful, the light bounces around so much that I have to squint to see. It has been very frustrating for me not to see the television clearly...I have become a good listener..often times just "watching" TV whilst my eyes were closed. I know, I know, I should have been on top of this situation but I had to wait six weeks for an eye appointment, then I had to wait four weeks to see the specialist..then I have had to wait four weeks to be scheduled for the surgery, so from the time I said "I cannot take this anymore" ..three months have passed.  I am looking forward to tomorrow and the beginning of seeing properly again..hopefully. I have heard more positive reports about this Doctor than I have heard negatives..only one negative..it was a big bad negative in that the individual lost her eyesight totally in one eye. I guess that is why they only do one eye at a time.

Doncha just love this green foggy photo..I took it last June. My winter weary eyes search for green.

Am I scared..not really. I am a little freaked out that they are going to remove a part of me that I was born with and replace it all shiny and new.

I was curious what the risk factors were ..of course the first one is diabetes..nope. Family history..yup..both of my parents have had this same surgery, just so happens that this Doctor did their surgeries too.  Working in the sunshine, duh..the years in the greenhouse follow me everywhere. Smoking..yes I guess the free radicals that it creates helped to cause the cataracts, and just because I guit..it doesn't make a difference.   Age..now what can I do ABOUT THAT ONE? None of the other risk factors apply to me ..corticosteroids use..nope, previous eye injury or eye surgeries..nope. Exposure to ionizing radiation..I am not sure what that is..but I probably have not done it. I was first diagnosed with one cataract in 2004.  In 2008 I wrote about cataracts..in a blog post called OLE ( Old Lady Eyes).  

  This is about what I see..everything is blurry.  Good thing I don't drive anymore  ..eh??

The good news..half of you out there in blog land will be joining me by the time you are sixty-five. You probably don't consider that good news..oK OK..I will go first and l give you a full report. I understand that I should see better the day following the surgery.  In time I possibly won't need glasses..except for reading. I have never been able to see without glasses, I am blind as a bat.  They used to call my glasses coke bottles.  Plastic Lenses were such an improvement for me.  I sleep with my glasses on..I have done this for years..Glasses 24/7 ..so this could all be an adjustment for me. My surgery will take place sometime tomorrow..they haven't even called with a time yet.   I will catch you all on Thursday..Wistful Wednesday will go on as usual, thanks to the delayed posting options!  I am going to be just fine..:)  

Ice-cation 2010 Visitors

The quiet descends on the house once more.  All of Chances friends are gone.   He made fast friends with all of our house guests this past weekend.  He woke them up in the morning..his cold nose will do that to you.  He brought them his prized possession...a ball many, many times.  He was fed an abnormal amount of summer  sausage and cheese.  I don't have eyes in back of my head but I am sure that he was fed at least twice the amount that I witnessed.

My brother and sister in law invited two friends, Lou lives in Chicago they met him a long time ago when they were all in school in Tulsa, OK.  Lou is a bachelor..he cracked me up.. he said "The husband is the head of the household, but the wife controls the neck and can make the head go where ever she wants."  Lou is a marvelously sensitive gentleman, he was in the kitchen almost continually, doing dishes. preparing food, getting stuff for people..what a guy..he is the perfect house guest!   Warren is from Oregon..and a talker..he is also single..but I see his freedom slipping by the wayside..he is a huge Oregon Beavers Fan..my brother met him when my nephew Kirk was a kicker for the Beavers.   Neither of these gentlemen had ice fished before..it was one of those life experiences for both of them.  They are calling this long weekend Ice-cation 2010.  My sister in law and I were totally outnumbered in this testosterone city for the weekend.

One morning Lou got up before any of us..Chance showed him where his treat drawer was located.  Of course Lou gave him a treat.  My brother said "See it is possible for the dog to train new owners."  We borrowed Chance to Lou for the snow fort building at the neighborhood children's house...the dog came back home and slept for hours.

We talked and argued politics, played games( mainly Dominos) and ate.  They fished, went for snowmobile sled rides, built snow forts and watched the Vikings lose their bid for the Super Bowl ( I did get a nap..but woke up for overtime) , they also had a little fender bender when the ice became too slick and a tree got a little close to my parents vehicle but no one was hurt.  All in all I  think a good time was had by all..especially Chance:)