Friday stuff

 It's Friday and I have my Friday nights back since our summer music gig at Trinity has ended.  Don't get the wrong idea because I really do love playing music and the venue at Trinity is one of the best around.  I'm happy it's done, but I'm going to miss it.    

While Jon is recovering from his bout of severe bronchitis I have been lucky enough to play some music with friends here at our place both on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon.  It is a welcome relief to the stress of the last week or so.  Plus, it is so wonderful to just spend some time with friends. 

One of the songs my friends, Kristine and Ellie,  have been rehearsing with me  is, Kathy's Song.   The lyrics are beautiful.  They say that music heals the heart and touches the soul.  I recommend listening to it while you read the rest of my post.

Last night at around 11:00 p.m. our power went out.  There was no wind so the outage was a strange one.  I received a text message from Avista after the power was restored that said there was a tree on the line.  I guess there was a tree out there in the forest that just gave up.  Too much stress and drought. 

 I love trees and hate to see one go.   The same goes for my friend, Ellie who posted on Facebook about one of her favorite trees in her yard.  It was a Butternut Tree that was dying from old age.  The last year before they cut it down it had Chicken-of-the-Woods mushrooms growing on it. 

Things are slowly working their way back to normal around here.  Today's projects include making some peach jam, maybe peach-jalapeno?  Then there are all those ripe tomatoes that need to be made into salsa and they are just sitting there on the counter staring at me all the time. Waiting to be turned into delicious salsa.

A really nice thing about Fridays in September are that I can watch football and make salsa and jam at the same time.  We enjoyed watching the first NFL game last night.  I am actually not a fan of either team, since I'm a Seahawks fan, but I had to cheer for Dallas in this one.  They gave it their all, but just couldn't quite pull it off.  You can't give Brady more than a minute to get down the field.

The football pool so far is a draw since everyone chose Tampa to win.  Things will change on Saturday morning with the first college games.  

The weather forecast called for a lot of rain tonight, but so far I just don't see it on the radar.  I hope that my microchip is still working and that my weather predictions are right.  We need some rain to clear all of the smoke out of here.  It's not good for someone who has bronchitis.  

Soon Retired Mountain Man will be back out there in his favorite place, his woods.   Maggie will be right there along with him to make sure that he doesn't screw up.

Happy Friday and Go Hawks!

Topsy-Turvy Day

 Yesterday was one of those days.  Upside down.  You wake up and think you are going to have a normal day.  Nope.

Retired Mountain Man had been taking medication for a serious nerve pain for two weeks.  The medication side effects caused serious fatigue and drowsiness and after two weeks he was able to discontinue it.  The problem was that his side effect symptoms didn't improve.  He also had developed a cough while he was on the medication.  I won't go into more detail but to make a long story short - yesterday we headed to Sandpoint for an appointment his doctor who then sent us to the emergency room at Bonner General. 

Time: 1:15 p.m.

We had just read that morning that all of the hospitals in northern Idaho had gone into a Crisis Standard of Care mode due to so many being hospitalized with Covid 19 so we had no idea what to expect when we arrived at the ER.  

It was 2:10 p.m.

We drove up to the entrance where there was an intercom button to push on the wall by the door.  After speaking to someone on the intercom, a tall gentleman named Doug met us at the door.  He explained what we needed to do and that I could not come into the ER with Jon because there was a possibility that he might have Covid-19.  He asked if Jon had a cell phone.

Jon has a cell phone, but he didn't bring it with him.  Jon is new to the cell phone use.  He has one basically because his new hearing aids are controlled using his phone.  Other than that, he really doesn't like using it which meant, he didn't think to bring it with him to his doctor appointment.

Communication.  It's important.  

If I couldn't be with him while he was in the ER, I wouldn't know what was happening and Jon has a very difficult time communicating with his hearing loss while everyone is wearing a mask.  He can't read lips while you are talking to him.  

There was only one thing to do.  Drive back home (driving time 45 min.) to get his cell phone.   Doug said that would be fine since it would be at least a couple of hours for them to do all of the tests that Dr. Crane had ordered. 

On the drive home I started to plan ahead.  If his test results required that he be admitted to the hospital, what would he need?  Most definitely his hearing aid recharger and probably his tablet and charger.  All kinds of thoughts start rolling around in your head.  What could be wrong?  Could he really have Covid-19?  didn't seem likely, but...? 

I also needed to contact the family to let them know what was happening. Say what you will about texting and cell phone use, but in an emergency it sure did help to be able to text. 

Time: 3:45 p.m.

I returned to Sandpoint, dropped off his cell phone and found a place to park near the hospital, in the shade.   It wasn't 5 minutes later and Jon called me to let me know what had happened.   He had four separate blood draws for exam, a Covid-19 test, a chest x-ray and an EKG.  We were now waiting the results.

He told me that Doug had stayed with him in the room the entire time.  It had been at least two hours and it would be at least another thirty minutes before we knew anything.  They were looking for some kind of infection, bacterial or viral.  It seemed to me that they had performed a lot of tests in a short amount of time.  

5:45 p.m.

On the next call he told me that they were taking him for a CT scan of his lungs due to a spot they noticed on the chest x-ray, They were checking for a blood clot or cancer.  I can tell you that my alarm bells went off big time on that call.  

I decided it was time to go for a walk and the Healing Garden was not far from where I had parked.  It was a beautiful Fall day, with sunshine and no haze - for once.  

It had been quite some time since I walked through the garden and it really is quite beautiful.  A very peaceful place at that time of day.  I think it was about 6:00 p.m.  There were several areas with picnic tables and several places throughout the garden where you could sit and take in it's beauty.  I didn't sit down because I had spent most of the day sitting in my car.  Enough of that.

Finally, my last phone call came through.  I was allowed to come into the ER and Doug would meet me at the door.  The CT scan showed no clot or tumor.  He had severe bronchitis.  Probably from all of the smoke from the wildfires this year.  We have two air purifiers and have had them running almost constantly this summer, but it wasn't enough.   

Important point: He did not have Covid-19.  He had been vaccinated.

Doug went through all of the dismissal information and we left the ER around 7:30 p.m. headed to Sandpoint Super Drug to fill his prescriptions.  It was very busy there but they said they could fill it just before closing time at 8:00 p.m.  Finally we were on the drive home.  

This morning I had questions regarding one of his prescriptions and had to call Super Drug.  I talked to Scott Porter and he knew immediately what the prescription dosage should be.  Thank you Scott.  

I know that Crisis Standards of Care is a very serious situation, but I couldn't say more how what good care Jon had at our ER and the same goes for the pharmacy.  

We shouldn't have put our healthcare community in this kind of situation.  It's time to start using your common sense.  If you aren't vaccinated, get the shot. 

Those of us who have been vaccinated can tell you that there's really nothing to it.  

Yesterday was challenging enough and we are both vaccinated.  The outcome could have been very different if we were not.  The reality is that people who have chosen not to take the vaccine are affecting the lives of the rest of us.  You are making everything more difficult, from healthcare, to jobs, the economy, education and schools, and you are affecting the well-being of our children.  

Stop now!  Start thinking about your family, your friends and your community.  

I will say that my microchip is working well so far and that I've been able to predict the weather every day since Feb. 12th 2021.  You should be so lucky.

Today it is going to be party sunny with a lot of haze.  Beware.

 

Season Changes

We've switched from watching hummingbirds to chickadees and we are enjoying our new bird feeder.

It's Labor Day.  For many an added day to the weekend to enjoy a camping trip or some kind of getaway - from wherever you live.  Back in my working days it was the final day of rest before the first day of school.  That first day was always exciting.  Students and teachers, bus drivers, food service workers and office personnel anticipating the beginning of a new school year.  

I worked in the school office and the first couple of hours on that day were always controlled chaos.  The office would be flooded with parents and students, some who were just enrolling, many who wanted schedule changes, and those who just had questions about the first day.   The hallways were full of students looking for their classroom and seeing if their friends were in that class with them.  Let's just say there was a lot of exciting crowd noise with the sound of phones ringing in the background.  When the first bell rang signaling time to go to class, the hallways emptied and  everything became quiet.  The year had begun.  

These days Labor Day and the day after are pretty much the same.  There is no controlled chaos, just a leisurely cup of coffee or two to start the day.  We have had a gorgeous weekend weather-wise with sunshine and near perfect temperatures.  There's still a bit of haze blowing in from the wildfires in California and Oregon, but it's not quite as bad as earlier in the summer.

Yesterday I canned eight jars of peach salsa.  It sounded like it would taste good and it does, but I'm a little disappointed in how it looks.  It seemed like it should have a "peachy" color, but it does not.  Hopefully, someone will eat it.

My onions are drying and papering up.  I will store them in the basement soon and will have onions all winter long for homemade soup.  

I am happy that the garden is getting down to the final crops to harvest.  The pumpkins and squash look good.  Plus, it's nice weather to begin taking out the cornstalks and tearing down the green bean poles.  

We have been watching a little football and are ready for the season to begin.  Jon and I are in a football pool, which we have been playing in for as long as I can remember.  Years ago it was all on paper, but nowadays it's all done online.  Each week we make our picks for both NFL and college game winners.  The competition is fierce with the ultimate goal of having the most "wins" over the entire season.   It is officially Fall when the football season begins.

We had new window glass installed a week ago by Selkirk glass.  All of the windows are the original ones from 41 years ago and each of them had slowly lost their seals.  It was time to do something about it.  The installers from Selkirk, Jim Webb and Tyrell, were very good at their job. Jim was one of Jon's students years ago and they had a great time chatting about that.  

Looking out the windows - I can see clearly now.  (Sorry, couldn't help myself)

Along the same lines with home improvement we are contemplating changing our heating system from a wood furnace to another source, probably propane.  It turns out that all of the heating companies are swamped with work and so far we haven't even been able to get someone to stop by here to give us an estimate.  That seems to run par for the course with everything during a pandemic.  

Last spring with the vaccines happening it seemed like we would be getting out of the pandemic, but who knew so many people would refuse to get vaccinated.   The news about our hospitals and how many people are now ill with the virus is deeply sad. So much needless suffering is hard to understand.  Growing up with polio as a life-threatening disease, we were thrilled when the polio vaccine came along.  Especially in our family, since my dad had polio when I wasn't even a year old.  The vaccine was a miracle.

Which brings me back to the first day of school tomorrow.  I am sure that the students are so excited to be back in school with their friends, with teachers and staff feeling the same.  In the era of Covid-19 I am hoping that our school officials and those making the tough decisions about how to keep our kids safe will make good choices.  It was a tough year last year and it doesn't look any easier this year.  Our community is depending on you.  I would like to thank all of the teachers, school staff, and school board members for everything that you do.  You are appreciated.

Labor Day

The chores for today include mowing the lawn.  I'm sure there are others that will crop up from the list.  

Happy Labor Day!

It feels like an early Fall is here.

I admit that I've had a reluctance to post on my blog.  You can tell that by looking at my blog post dates.   It not as if nothing has been happening here because it's been action packed.   

Our normal summer routines are happening as usual.  The garden bounty is hard to keep up with.  So many blueberries and plums.   My Friday night gigs are still happening with our last one coming up this Friday night.  

After months of heat we welcomed the rain whenever it came.  We had our concerns about the Trestle Creek fire and just how far it would spread.   

We hosted our first out-of-town guests since January 2020, when Jon's sister, Linda, and her husband, Malcom, arrived from Oklahoma.   We celebrated both of their birthdays with this volcanic birthday cake.  I took a photo of the inner workings.  It spewed smoke and there were sparklers in place of candles.  Yes, the lava was chocolate rice crispies.  

During their visit their grandson, Tanner, who is a Marine, was deployed to Kabul.  We all spent the entire time from Aug. 14th to Aug. 31st worrying about his safety, but also proud of what he was doing.  I can report that he left Kabul around 5:00 p.m. on Aug. 30th.  We will be happy when he returns to the U.S.

The little fellow in the photo above scared the heck out of me since the plant he was in was at the top of my steps on the porch.  I came walking up the steps and there he was.  We were kind of face-to-face, which was too much for me.

I'm working on my harvest and the carrots were ready to pull way before I was ready to do it.   Yesterday I pulled my onions and they are drying on the porch.  Next week it will be the beets and time to get out the canner.  The harvest dates seem to be at least a couple of weeks early, but that makes sense considering how many hot days we had this year.

The grape arbor is very lush this year and my pear tree actually had pears on it this year.  The first time.  There are two varieties and I have now picked both of them.

I will admit to being a plum pusher.  

Our tree was overloaded this year and I had to pull plums off before they ripened so that the branches of the tree didn't break.  Unfortunately, one of them did even though I had them propped up with boards for support. 

  People started running away from me whenever I approached them with a bag of plums in hand.

There were so many that I was forced into making plum jelly.  Twenty-one jars.  

Our hummingbird feeders (3) were busy all summer long. There were dozens of hummingbirds here.   In fact we have one straggler left.  I hope he decides to leave soon.  It's time.  

We had an issue with bald faced hornets attacking the birds at the feeders.  Jon's eagle eye happened to spot the nest.  It was hanging in a tree near where we park our car.   Extermination time.

We were happy to see the days when the smoke and haze left us, but the haze did make for some nice color on my photos.

Our youngest grandson, Ben, just turned 12 and today he got his first Covid-19 shot.  He was a happy and brave kid as he's been waiting to be old enough to get his shot.  He wants Covid-19 gone.  

His grandparents are happy too.  Everyone in the family has now been vaccinated except for our 4 year-old great-grandson.   We are back to wearing masks again to protect those kids who can't be vaccinated.  

It's looking like we will have nice weather for our upcoming Labor Day weekend.  I love the cool fall days and the time of the year to finish the harvest and put the garden to bed.   I hope you do too.  Enjoy.

The Zucchini Fairy has returned

 We survived the first heat dome and are headed for the second one this weekend.  My garden loves it, especially the warmer than usual night-time temperatures. 

And so it begins:   The Zucchini Fairy will be flying soon.

The lilies are popping with color.

Retired Mountain Man's pumpkin patch.  It doesn't look very big in the photo, but the plants are impressive.

My Candy Corn is way past "knee high by the 4th of July".

One of my favorite things is to wake up in the morning to the sound of the hummingbirds flying into the feeders.  Usually we have two feeders and it's enough, but not this year.  We have three going full bore every day.  There are dozens of babies.  

  

Happy Friday!