The process of cancer treatment – PART CVIII

We had to go into the city for JB's quarterly treatment. The other 3 treatments are done here in Perth, a happy effect of COVID protocols. 

It poured all morning, then the clouds moved away. Happily.

 We left the house at 12:45

, arriving at the kid's house in an hour. I'd bought a tap, which had the handle on the wrong side. JL took it home to undo the nut for me. They'd left it for us, and the deed was done! It added to the trip, but was worth it. Both of us got out of the car and stretched a bit. 

From there we motored on to the Ottawa General Hospital. Man, I've not forgotten city driving, I did fairly well. I learned to drive in downtown Toronto, where I lived. You have to be so assertive in the city.  (I did vent about a driver doing exactly 6 km and hour UNDER the speed limit.) People were frantically passing them. 

I dropped JB off at the hospital at 2:15, he grabbed his mask, and needle. I returned to the park where I waited. There are several people who do this, I've noticed. Why go in the hospital, when I can sit in the fresh air? 

The first thing I tried was a selfie, to let Caitlin know we'd arrived. You can see the puddles that remained. It was cold and windy, but lovely in the car in the sun. I began fooling around with the phone. I accidentally began sending an SOS. Whoopsie!

There were dog walkers to watch. That was fun.

I tried a panoramic image, which failed. I did manage a video of the doggies. You can see my thumb. It is a learning curve. Old dog new tricks! 🦮

         

dog walkers from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I amused myself listening to the radio. Then decided to play with my phone some more. I managed to capture an eagle and a plane. The blue skies were wonderful. Archive photo for fun! I should have brought the zoom lens. I've often found birds here.

Time passed. By 3:30 p.m. I was getting worried. They've been faster (and slower) in the past, these appointments.

Eventually he returned. They didn't realize that he'd brought his needle for the injection, as has been the case, and after reports being taken by the intern, they found a nurse to jab him. The doctor said that he could continue to have his needles with our GP in Perth, and then do a Zoom interview once a year. He has, they estimated, another 5 years when the Lupron will continue to work. 

I set Gillian GPS for our stop, the restaurant, and then for home.

We stopped at Swan on the Rideau for an early dinner, 4:00. Only 6 men at the bar. We were tired and hungry. We couldn't sit in our usual sun room off the bar, as they were expecting poets at 6 p.m. We were anxious to eat and get home. 

The woman who sat us ignored us for 5 minutes. I could see her chatting to the new staff as the shift was changing. She happily served the men at the bar, but she didn't even come over for our drink order. JB checked his watch, and said to give her 5 minutes. She came in the nick of time. I would have been happy to toodle on to Smiths Falls for fast food.

We ordered hamburgers, a safe bet. JB said no cheese for him. I asserted no dairy. She returned, and had forgotten our order. She was reminded and, she said, no cheese. Our water and wine arrived, placed on the table a new server. Our order came, delivered by said server. His hamburger had brie on the hamburger. She took it back. He ate his salad, I dug in. It came back shortly.

Service was less than stellar. We won't go back. It's not as if they didn't expect people. There were reservations at 5 of the tables, for large groups. There were 4 servers behind the bar area.

This is the bridge which took us towards home. By now it was 4:51. I was having stomach cramps. Not good. They lasted 24 hours.

The marina:

I'd had a glass of wine with dinner. JB was able to drive us home from here, a good halfway point. Long, straight roads, where speedy people can pass. Driving through North Gower, you could see sprouts growing in the fields.

Our world is changing for the better. JB noticed a board at the hospital explaining pronoun protocols. I checked the hospital website, and staff wear badges that state theirs. You need not guess, and you can have your pronouns respected. It's a good read: A few words make a big difference: A guide to personal pronouns. 

I had some great conversations with our gr. 8 and 10 granddaughters on the weekend. People are more likely to be accepted for who they are. Some students are identifying as they/them, with the self-esteem to correct staff.  'Gay' is no longer a slur at their school, as it was when my kids were in school, when I was a teacher. That takes self-advocacy, and I am really impressed with their generation. Yes, there are pockets of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, but there have been improvements.

Happy doggie in Smiths Falls:

We arrived home at 6:45, and rested. I was watching the temperature, and it kept falling. By 5˚ C. I brought in my baskets. They are doing really well, all things considered. I popped them out in the morning warmth.

We were so happy to be home. The next meeting will be online. The next injection in 3 months in Perth.

Thursday morning I was awake at 6:15, for no reason at all. JB slept in until 8:30, but went back for a nap at 10:30. It really is draining, these marathons. 

I was glad I'd brought the planters in! 

Crumbly Acres

There were frost warnings, again. I covered the ivy, but left the rest of the plants, like the eaten pansies! Last night I brought the baskets in and covered the larger planters. They predicted a low of 6 C., I watched as the outdoor temperature kept getting lower and lower. Yep, out in housecoat and jammies to cover them up!

We went to the city for a marathon appointment, again. More on that tomorrow.

 The new aspen saplings (decimated by the LDD spongy moth caterpillars in June, 2021), have done well, and recovered with new leaves. They are twice as tall. The previous owners kept this as meadow, and kept mowing it. I stopped, loving the quaking aspen leaves.

On the deck, a couple of fireflies doing what fireflies do in spring. I keep forgetting to check for them at night. Ain't old age grand?!

These aren't our nighttime fireflies. 

Fred has been a challenge. I put Emily up on a stand. That worked well. 

He is staying away from the deck, lately. This was a few days ago.

Fred May 19 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

He hasn't been under the deck, grinding his teeth on the wood. I did discover he'd dug a den under the woodshed behind the wood, under the slats. The pile of dirt was a giveaway.

JB came home from shopping on Tuesday and saw a dead groundhog on the highway. He asked me to come help get the carcass off the highway. By the time we did so, it was gone. Our County crews are pretty good at this. We were worried it was Fred. It was bittersweet. I saw Fred that afternoon, and was quite relieved. 

April 15th I took this photo of the empty lot across the street. It must have been this one that was hit crossing the highway. 

I was looking to have a new cover made for my bench swing. The old one has a hole, and it leaks when it rains. I've been rethinking it, and maybe I just need a box in which to store the pillows out of the rain. I tried to waterproof it, but the material is flimsy. I was going to ask our local seamstress to make us a waterproof one, but she was terribly busy with weddings!

May, 2021

I was searching online and found some plastic/vinyl ones. The comments were tragic, with shoddy designs. Not only that, but they are sold out everywhere!

Someone wrote:

"This box is super flimsy… we will probably be replacing ours this summer and we’ve only used it one summer. "

The deer remain only on the trailcams out by the frogpond.

doe may 17 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Phoebe has two eggs left of 4, and one has hatched.

phoebe nest shed from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Bear was back, and still itchy. We haven't seen him, except on the trailcam. He's a good bear.

Bear 5 pm may 21 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Clean up in the forest

🔥Thank you, Australia and New Zealand. Sadly, we haven't heard too much about this. The Alberta premier deals in anger and denials. She loathes the feds, and didn't want Canadian soldiers to go help. She changed her mind, and that must have hurt!

     "I don't believe the UCP are conservative anymore," said one pundit. "They are conspiratorial, feeding anger. They are anti-science, anti-truth, anti-fact." Others are “echoing conspiracies that the federal government and a nebulous group of "elites" started the blazes to "destroy" Alberta.”

They did get some rain on the prairies. It is a terrible tragedy, however. There are still 10,000 people waiting to go home, evacuated due to the fires. Saskatchewan is facing similar issues with fires, and they hope for rain.

Thank you, Australia and New Zealand

 😼PEPPER cat: Monday night he visited at bedtime last night, howling through the Muskoka Room at Cinnamon. It wasn't exactly good sleep hygiene! I still don't know where he comes from. Cinnamon isn't a fighter, and he was petrified.

I'm still catching up on photos. They had a picnic in Vancouver on the weekend! 

🌲 I did some yard work in the meadow. The trees came down in April, and I kept forgetting about these two branches. Usually taking a photo reminds me. I neglected to take one. Out of sight out of mind.

📱JB was out walking at the arena. There was work to do. I texted Caitlin (home Monday from Vancouver), and trying to get back into work mode. She agreed to be my 'spotter' as I used the ladder. I fell off a ladder in 2005, it slid out from under me on the deck. Had a huge bruise, and JB didn't hear me, working indoors. I promised I wouldn't go up the ladder unless I told someone! I texted her when I was done! 

My issue was these two branches. I tried using the aerial saw last week, but it became lodged in the cut. The branches were covering a week evergreen, and I tried to work on it. The bugs are horrid this year, and I had to psyche myself up for it.

 This was not good. I worked at the upper branch, and gave up to work on the lower one. I didn't quite get the upper one down, but moved them off the path.

At least the wee evergreen can now get some sunshine. I threw all these branches off the meadow, in the trees, cutting a couple of dead elm branches that were trying to behead me when I used the tractor to cut grass in the meadow. 

 

Note To Self: You ought to put your equipment upwind of where you are using the reciprocal saw! My little box of goodies (iPhone, videocam, extra batteries for the saw, jacket, water bottle, extra hat, bug spray), was covered in sawdust. I used JB's cap I made for him in the woods. Two hankies are sewn to the brim. I sprayed bug spray all over the back, sides and top of the hat. It kept the bugs at bay. Sort of! I had to take off my sweater, scraped my arm, and got two bug bites. It was too hot, by this time.

🥀 My work done, I gathered up the trailcam cards (nada!) and decided to check out the pink lady slippers. We have 6 of them.

Done, I went indoors, put on my foot brace, and put my foot up with ice hubby happily fetched for me!

That was a good day. My shower was amazing afterwards.