AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. . . STARTING OVER, DAZED AND CONFUSED, AND OTHER RAMBLINGS!!

I know that I have been derelict in posting.  If I had any followers to begin with, I am sure they have all gone to greener pastures, warmer climates, or where ever blog readers migrate to. Life has been just a bit chaotic these days, but then I know you will say: "THAT IS NO EXCUSE!" So no excuses, I am finding the time to blog!?

THEN THERE WERE NONE:

I have blogged before about my chickens.  They consume our scraps, leftovers, and most kitchen waste. We haven't named them, but we consider them our pets.  They give us a few eggs, which we give most of them away. So it was horrifying when Ernie went out to collect eggs and there were 10 chickens slaughtered.  There was one small hole under the fence line.  Too small for a coyote or dog, but about right for a possum!  Trap was set, but the next night he avoided the trap and killed the last 2 chickens.  Our neighbor wasn't spared either. . . . Don't worry, I am sure it won't be long till we catch the furry little murderer.
STARTING OVER: The chicken yard is going to get remodeled into a critter proof fortress.  And we are starting over with a new batch of cute little babies.

DAZED AND CONFUSED: 

"AGING SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY AVAILABLE WAY
 TO LIVE A LONG LIFE"

I wrote a blog before about parenting my parent:

 http://intheeventofanon-traditionallanding.blogspot.com/2012/01/i-dont-remember-what-it-was-like-when-i.html

Again, over this last month, this role has been stressful and challenging.  My mom fractured her femur.  No, she wasn't doing somersaults, or dancing on a table.  She is old and osteoporatic, etc, and managed to do this climbing a couple steps. So we are back to the cycle of hospitalization, nursing home, infections, harassing the nursing home to provide adequate care, confusion, physical therapy, learning to walk again, STUFF!! I am my mother's voice now, and her advocate for healing and compassionate care. Fortunately, she is improving and her fortitude reminds me of the energizer bunny!  I don't know where it comes from, but she just keeps going and going over one hurdle after the next.The golden years for her are so tarnished and unfair. The gravity of her situation doesn't sink in, cause she is "dazed and confused" so maybe that's not so bad after all.

RAMBLINGS: 

 

My son Kevin stared in a short film for the Sacramento Film Festival 10x10.  He did a fantastic job and if the festival kept up their web site, I could give you a link to watch it. So take my word, it was fun and creative. 

KEVIN & KAITLYN AT THE FINISH LINE

Maybe some of you have heard of the "Color Run". It is a "crazy, colorful" 5k run. Each km of the event has a designated color. As the runners/walkers reach the Kilometer COLOR RUN Zones, they are blitzed by with COLOR.  Kev says he will make it an annual event. I might join in next year, too. 

 

“I try to take one day at a time,

 but sometimes several days attack me at once.”

"HAPPY FEET!!"

FUNNY THAT A PEDICURE CAN MAKE US FEEL 

SO GOOD IN OUR HEADS--

AT THE EXTREME OPPOSITE END OF OUR BODIES!

I just got back from the nail salon where I met up with my friends for some much needed "SELF CARE". Not only do we get special treatment for our feet, but we also get a little soul therapy hanging out with each other. We leave the salon with our feet feeling better,and our spirits are uplifted as well. Maybe we haven't solved all the worlds problems, but we are there for each other to give support through the everyday ups and downs of our journeys. . .which for most of us have been more like a roller-coaster.

Now come to think of it. . . a pair of shoes can make us feel pretty good, too!!

My niece in her high-heeled sneakers!

 

I CAN FLY. . . I CAN TOUCH THE SKY!

EAGLETS ARE BOTH FLYING!!
 

I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar

Hey if I just spread my wings
I can fly
I can fly

"NO NEED TO TEACH AN EAGLE TO FLY" ----GREEK PROVERB---

 

Since March, I have been watching an eagle nest located on a bluff overlooking Boundary Bay, British Columbia by "live cam". The eggs were laid March 13 & 16 and hatched April 19 and 21. The owner of the property has named the 2 chicks Echo and Foxtrot.

This has been so amazing to watch. . .

ECH AND FOXY

One of the craziest moments, was when Mom brought home the "CATCH OF THE DAY". It was a stuffed toy. She tore into it and made a total mess of it. . . but alas, NO MEAT!

WHERE'S THE BEEF?

 The toy is still in the nest. So perhaps Ech and Foxy got attached to it and can't bare to part with it.

SLEEPING WITH TOY MAY 20

JUNE 16

 An eagle can take its first flight, some 10 to 13 weeks after hatching. Today they have been flapping onto the branch.  Both were sighted hanging out together on the branch.

"BRANCHING" JULY 8

Other watchers of this website, predict that they will fly in the next couple of days. The recovery of the bald eagle is a national success story. These eaglets have been a blast to watch grow up.  You can watch Foxy and Echo fly yourself on .http://www.hancockwildlife.org
Select "live cameras" and "White Rock".

"I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
Till I'm free"

WHOOPS!! I DID IT AGAIN!!

HAPPY FEET!?!?

I am up in the NORTH again. In that FOREIGN COUNTRY THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO BUY DRUGS FROM or so the media reminds me. (Wouldn't want to cut into the profits for our illustrious "big pharma"--but that is a whole nother blog.)

 I could probably just copy my blog from last year and it is pretty much a repeat this year.  RAIN,RAIN,RAIN, and more RAIN.  But everything is beautifully green and water-logged!. There have been flood warnings,shoreline disappearing, and "river rising". . . .But since I live in a  probably the biggest "River City" in California, I am sort of use to this. Just NOT at this time of year.

 I JUST DIDN'T EXPECT THIS ON MY VACATION!!!

So the sun did come out briefly and being that I was of on-sound mind by this point from the moisture,  I said to myself-"Self, let's climb the Pulpit!"  I think last year I felt I was a fool if I didn't climb it, but after climbing it, felt like I would be a fool to climb it again!!  Alas, my menopausal brain has not much short term or long term memory anymore, so I set out again to climb "THE PULPIT". Being the daughter of a preacher man, it just seemed like the right thing to do.

"LE VUE"

If you don't recall, THE PULPIT is a vertical climb of about 1 mile to the top, here in the Nelson BC vicinity. I can't seem to find out how it got the name, but basically, it is an out-cropping of rock that has a fantastic view of the city of Nelson.

As I started the ascent, I saw a couple of bear cubs in a meadow, so waited for another hiker with a dog, and began the climb.  And once again, after a rigorous hike. . . ."Le Vue" was "extraordinaire".  I probably sat around at the top for a couple hours. . . visiting with other hikers. . . meditating. . . just enjoying the moment!!  and the  

SUNSHINE!!

Life is only traveled once.

 Today's moment becomes tomorrow's memory.

 Enjoy every moment, good or bad. 

BROCHURES MAY BE DECEIVING!!

BROCHURE KITCHEN

My cuz Thom, in preparing for a major surgery in Canada-land, was perusing a lovely brochure from the University of British Columbia Okanagan for accommodations in Kalowna, BC. We all checked out the brochure and thought that the rooms looked just lovely and the "price was right". Alas, what we got, was NOT what we saw in the brochure.  I should have heeded my previous advice: BUYER, BEWARE!! As soon as I walked in to the "lovely fully equipped kitchens, private bathroom, with high-speed Internet access in the comfortable Monashee Suites" . . . . I was dismayed!! The location of the campus was on the far side of the world. . . 20 miles from the hospital destination in the middle of no where. And there was nothing sweet about the  Monashee Suite!!

"fully equipped kitchen"

The fully equipped kitchen was sparse.  There was a private bathroom . . . which needed some repair. Never got the internet to connect.  The view was of a truck parked almost under the window. No fresh air unless we turned on the noisy air-conditioner. 

Gina was a little "dismayed" as well!

And the bed. . . . you probably guessed.  Sagged all the way to the hardboard. I ended up on the floor.






We all tossed and turned and napped for a couple hours. Didn't need an alarm (which didn't work anyway) to get us up and out of there in the morning and we NEVER looked back!

I found a lovely place, Siesta Suites, walking distance from the hospital and for a few dollars more, I have a comfortable bed, equipped kitchenette, indoor or outdoor pool/jacuzzi, exercise room, Starbucks across the street, and a short stroll to the Okanagan Lake beach. Whew! SWEET!

THE BEST PART IS THAT THE PATIENT, THOM, IS DOING FINE!!

(AND IT IS NOT COSTING HIM A PENNY!)

SIGHTING OF "LITTLEFOOT"!

So we went out in the woods today and we sure got a big surprise. This little fellow scampered across the road.  We were sure there would be the MOTHER guardian close by, but evidently Junior was foraging on his own. We didn't take any chances, kept the windows rolled up and unlike the crazy tourists you might find in Yellowstone --DID NOT FEED THE BEARS. 

 I was just thrilled with the wonder and beauty of this young animal.

"If you're a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing for six months.

 I could deal with that.
Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid.

 I could deal with that too.
If you're a bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while you're sleeping and wake to partially grown, but cuddly cubs.

 I could definitely deal with that.
If you're a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business.  You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. 
 If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too.

 I could deal with that.
If you're a bear, your mate expects you to wake up growling. He expects that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.
Yup, I wanna be a bear." 

Just another day in "Beautiful BC"!

"BUYER--BEWARE!!"

GENMAICHA TEA

I was at a local farmers market today, here in BC and a woman was selling some "Brown Rice Tea" I eagerly snapped up a bag, cause I enjoy the Japanese Genmaicha very much. "Genmaicha" is a variation of Japanese green tea that incorporates toasted brown rice into the steeping process. The tea's flavor is strong and distinctly nutty, and is just as delicious cold as it is hot.The term genmaicha collectively means "brown rice tea." Gen can be interpreted as "dark", so the tea generally looks dark, like a weak coffee.

YOUR BASIC TOASTED BROWN RICE-duh!

When I got "home", I opened the package and to my surprise found. . . . TOASTED BROWN RICE! But thinking that perhaps this still had some wonderful tea properties, proceeded to brew a cup. So here you can see I ended up with a glass of weak rice water and. . . .

FLUFFY BROWN RICE!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AT A VERY INFLATED PRICE, NO LESS!!

"WEATHER FOR TONIGHT: DARK. TURNING PARTLY LIGHT BY MORNING!"

 George Carlin was correct on that one!!  When you analyze what a weather forecaster is, it is merely "ONE WHO PREDICTS THE WEATHER".  Now, I would like a job where all I have to do is PREDICT!! Wouldn't you?  Who wouldn't?  The interesting thing about a weather forecaster is, it doesn't matter if they are right or totally wrong!  They still keep their job.  I spose that wouldn't work too well in the medical profession that I am in. . . making a wrong prediction that is.

SACRAMENTO FORECAST THIS MORNING

So what got me started on this subject?  I was doing my stint at the gym in Elk Grove, which is a mere 10 miles from my home.  As I was leaving, the sun was shining and it was just a beautiful day,as was predicted by the forecaster.  Proceeding home, I saw dark clouds and then lightening.  As I drove down my driveway, it was pouring and a good thunderstorm was in progress. Now this had been "PREDICTED" for Friday, which remained sunny and warm, but not for today. Never the less, my garden welcomed the rain and the sweet smell of the rain was delightful.

WILTON WEATHER IN "REAL"TIME

HERE'S A PROFOUND QUOTE!!!

 "The best thing one can do when it's raining---

is to let it rain."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

NOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA!!

I believe I shall!!

"WHILE I WAS SLEEPING!!"

The garden is coming along and I have been nursing my basil back from almost total annihilation by the slugs and sow bugs. Harvesting Arugala daily for my lunches. Yum. 

 But I just figured that the squash had a ways to go.  After all, wasn't it just yesterday that it was planted? Then Ernie mentioned today that I had some "baby" zucchinis and I had better take a look. YOW!!  There were already some "adults" waiting for harvest.  

 INVASION OF THE  ZUCCHINI MONSTERS.

 One day you have an innocent looking squash blossom, then seemingly, overnight it morphs into a 2 pound, foot long zucchini that you can barely carry to the kitchen.

Time to get out my recipe book:

 1000 WAYS TO FIX ZUCCHINI