September: back to school

 The kids are settling in to school. It is a poignant time of year for me. I used to have nightmares the night before, then ones where I cannot find my classroom, or my day book! 

I put out the garbage Monday morning. 

Joe brought back the cans. That was the exciting beginning to our September!

Jordan and Aster had a last kick at the can before school.

I had a great chat with Aster! She showed me the book cover she made with a kit from Lee Valley. She's been doing carving, as well.

She used her etching tool.

When they visited last month, Grampa gifted her his wedding shirt. It doesn't fit him anymore.

Jordan has settled in to his new room. He shares a bathroom with another student. This is a good plan, I think. 

He's posted his decorations! He made the quilt from old t-shirts. The afghan, Aster made for him! 

Queen's students seemed to have a lot of fun. 

In British Columbia, there were sweet phone calls to wish the young 'uns a good school year. They've had a wonderful summer of berry picking and ice cream!

They celebrated back to school, as well!

And the school year begins! 

We're still alive!

I've written of ADLs, activities of daily living. It is the difference between a senior successfully managing life at home, or not. I was proud of myself. We NEVER put out garbage out the night before garbage day. I had to. I couldn't face the stress of doing that Monday morning with my fatigue and coughing. Out it went in the secure can. You just can't put kitchen garbage out with bears, raccoons, and coyotes. I had to this once.

All was well. No mess. WHEW!

 

It is wonderful being outside, at least. 

The wild Oregano is full of insects. If I had more energy (I was up coughing twice last night) I'd figure out this first one. The second is obvious.

Look what Merlin told me was out back: a Black-billed Cuckoo! 

COVID UPDATE: Sunday night I actually slept through the night. JB not so much. It is interesting that it attacks my weakest part, my lungs. Joe's is his nose, and his faucet continues to leak. It seems to me that COVID is attacking us in our weak spots. I have always gotten bronchitis when I had a bad cold. Joe's nasal passages, hay fever and such, is his weak point.

Monday was the last day for my Paxlovid pills. Also the last day of Joe's Lyme Disease meds, Doxycycline. I'm drinking a ton of water. It really helps. He was supposed to be checked by the doctor this morning, but that ain't happening.

Poor JB is having two naps a day. Monday, after dinner, I could not stop the coughing. Hawking up cloudy phlegm over the back deck railing – so as not to freak out Joe. I'd clear it, then sit back down. Three times. At this point I figured I best be seen by someone. Is this bronchitis or what? 

I dialled 9-1-1. The dispatcher was kind and demonstrated caring.

The female paramedic, an experienced one, was wonderful and took a full history, as well as the meds I was on. In hindsight that spared them in the ER. They were slammed. She handed in my health card, and all I had to do at that point was wait.

In the ambulance my paramedic explained the Paxlovid doesn't cure COVID, it ameliorates symptoms.  The ambulance crew set me up in the hallway. Both in masks – as I am Typhoid Mary. Hospital staff had to clear a room for me. By 9 p.m. I had a room, away from the old with oxygen masks, a poor screaming preschooler, and other vulnerable people. What a job.

The irony is that this is the room I was in for 6 hours when I had chest pains after Joe's cancer surgery. I had driven myself in as I didn't think it was a heart attack. I read a book that time. It was high blood pressure from stress. 

Anyway, back to Monday night. The one nurse wanted to know what I wanted from them. To be able to breathe? At this point, the terrible coughing spells stopped. This whackadoodle old white woman just wanted someone to listen to her lungs to rule all this out. I know they were busy. I know COVID is old hat now, but I felt diminished. 

I'd brought a book, and when I passed another couple of people on beds in the hallway, they were reading. 

Eventually I could feel an anxiety attack coming on. I'd phoned Joe twice, first letting him know I had a chest Xray. The woman that took me to that was cheerful, sweet, and kind. No one else was checking in on me. 

I'd phoned Joe at 9:15, 10:00 and 11. First to tell him I was in a room and the ambulance team had left, total professionals. Next I phoned to say I'd had the X-ray. He said he was still awake. He might still be up when I was done, but I could take a taxi. Panic. I don't know if we have taxis in Perth at 11 p.m! 

By then the anxiety kicked in. By 11:00, I opened my cell door, and most of the other patients were gone. I couldn't take it any more. I asked him to pick me up outside the ER entrance. ANXIETY was rearing its head. Worried about Joe looking after his COVID bout, and letting him get rest. This morning, we had coffee, and he went back to bed for a nap.

I called to another nurse to tell her I had to leave. I'm sure the doctors were finishing up paperwork and all, but I was falling asleep. Joe, pretty ill, needed to get to bed. A neighbour offered any help, but you can't call people to take a COVID patient home.

We arrived home at 23:24 hours. Joe went right to bed. I lay down to read more of my book (an excellent  Canadian thriller, by the way), but thought I should try sleep. In 10 minutes I was coughing. I got up, coughed up what I could, had some water, and went back to bed. I was up twice in the night coughing, but got back to sleep. 

 

I've an appointment with my GP this morning at 11. He'll interpret the X-ray for me. I am deeply suspicious that nothing else can be done for me. I loathe going into the office with COVID. I just don't know what else to do.

I am processing all this. I am very emotional, crying at the drop of a hat, and feeling guilty for taking up healthcare system time. In hindsight, I deserve it, as much as anyone. I am putting it all into perspective. 

In foresight, the news cycle has changed. With Kamala Harris' nomination, the continent, if not the world seems lighter and brighter. We had rain, and now the sun is out.

Ditch diving

Saturday Morning 

Yes, it is time for clean up. Prior to mosquito season, after the ditch snow has evaporated is ideal. I took off around 10:30 and returned at 12:10. I ought to book a massage this week! We'd rain coming Monday, and I thought it prudent to go out now.

Lots of birds, 3 song sparrows, crows, a pair of ducks, geese, Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, and the kestrel screaming as it flies overhead.

Several people waved, one honked his horn, one couple yelled encouraging words. Then there was the woman, in a small car, holding up her pink iPhone photographing me down in the ditch! Most cars and trucks pull away from the line, to give me space. One large camper went by, having come from a nearby road, turned onto the highway and gunned the engine. Motorcycles, singles, doubles, and couples, as well as groups. One dude had his radio blaring. What is with that?!

I came up with a new strategy. Leaving the wagon near my starting position, I walked in the ditch and threw stuff into my yellow bags. The ditch is wet in spots, but mostly mucky and bumpy. As I walked, I tossed the beer cans up onto the shoulder of the highway. Then, I walked back to fetch the wagon, and picked the beer cans up as I moved along to my next spot. It was a better strategy, as I didn't have to sort what I collected. Only one beer can drifted back into the ditch.

There was the roaring of traffic, but I could hear the wood frogs in the swamp, as well. 

Sunday

I went out for another hour and a half. Starting at 10, this time. There was more traffic as the time wore on. People passing, noisy motorcycles... 

I did see a couple biking. The dude was in front, he said "Hi!" The woman following actually said, "Thank you!" I thanked her back, sort of a You Too moment! ! 

One dude on a bike didn't even see me. I said, "Morning!" and nothing. He was 10' away from me! I don't think he was focusing on his environment, except for the cars! Perhaps.

I keep my wheelbarrow on the shoulder of the road. It's a bit of a marker for my presence. Not that it stopped the truck, second in front, from passing the white car right near me. You can hear them gun the engine, and pass. I plug my ears.

Rather than showing you the garbage, how about seeing a clean ditch?! You can see how steep the ditches are.

 

Three bags full, and two containers of mostly beer cans. I think I sunburned my shoulders! I cleaned out 815 metres on both sides of the highway – over the two days. 

Monday

I heard a barred owl sing at 6:30 a.m. Just the long call, not "Who-cooks-for-you!" Up I popped, getting dressed. It was garbage day, here is my haul. We pay if we put out more than two bags of garbage. Tim Horton donate the bags, that are free for us to put out. 

This is a selfie with the new phone. It was only 12 C. Monday morning. I am glad I was out in the warm sun on the weekend.

Richard Deer, and other tails

 It's been a tough few days for many. We are doing well, though. We miss our usual Christmas with the kids, but we are warm and dry and have power. Jesse tried to do a Facetime with me on my birthday, Dec. 26, but they lost power and his cell phone was crackly. Whoopsie. It's the thought that counts, plus we had a good chat on Christmas day. There is lots of wind in Vancouver, causing power outages. He texted later and said they had power back. Whew! 

☏ I remember trying to phone long distance to my parents in Muskoka on Christmas morning every year. Often the lines would be busy and we couldn't get through. You'd either wait, or hang up and redial that rotary phone! 

♪ Funny story, when we chatted with Caitlin and the girls Christmas Day, they told me the girls set an alarm for 7:30 a.m., and regaled them with a Silent Night duet to wake them up. Isabelle played her clarinet, and Josephine sung it in German! I was impressed. 

🐾 Monday morning I put the garbage out a bit late, having forgot, but someone reminded me. It was cold. I should have used the snow blower on the driveway. There is a layer of ice from our rainfall, but the drifts made it difficult to drag the cans. There is slush at the end of the driveway, as well. 

Can you spot the cat tracks in the snow? It has to be Oregano. Our cats haven't left the deck. He avoided all trailcams!

I was about to put the garbage out, and spotted my friends. I fed the deer after doing my chore.

morning crew from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

🦌 We've buck triplets, and one big buck, as has been the way. We had King Henry visited in January, 2022. Big Jake, in 2018. Big Daddy in 2015. There was Tigger and his brother, back in 2013. 

The coffee was ready when I got back in the house. This was our view out the kitchen window. I've removed the screen, and washed the inside of the window. That helps! I posted the photo on the family stream, and Caitlin named him for me: Richard Gere Deer – a handsome fellow. 

There is much action. Richard simply looks at them and they bolt! Alpha male. The fawns seem to tease him. 

In the afternoon, I got myself dressed, and used the snow blower on the driveway. (Yes, I put the garbage out in jammies!) It was a bit icy underneath, with drifts on one side, but I got it done. 

I spilled some bird seed on the deck. There are lots of little mouse and bird tracks. 

I'd given up putting the trailcams down in the forest. With the load of rain and snow, within 24 hours, I knew they wouldn't show me much. They get ice and snow covered, and fog up. This was fun.

deck birds from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

mice friends from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I put a trailcam on the bird feeder for night action. We have triplet bucks. This is one of them. It is the correct time, but the wrong date! Dec. 26th

young buck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

cats on deck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Our Christmas Dinner was a very respectable turkey TV dinner. JB did well getting them for us. He tucked away a frozen lasagna for me for my birthday, also very respectable. I supplemented it with pickled asparagus as hors d'oeuvres.  

More snow is on the way, but not as much. We shall see what the week brings.