Thanksgiving trip

 There was so many disappointments this year at Greenleaf state park cabins.  Cross-posted from FB...

Got there to be told that they have been cutting down trees. It was awful news to us...
Most of our favorite tree friends around the cabins are either gone, or about to be. No birds. No squirrels. No deer, anywhere near the cabins.
These were oaks, hundreds of years old, killed by the awful summers we have had the past two years.

We got to our cabin, and they had JUST finished cutting down the trees that stood right outside. My heart hurt.
There was also mud and sawdust on the walk way that we had to use to move all of our gear, etc., and fresh hydraulic fluid all over our parking spot from the leaking “cherry picker.”

We noticed that only a few of the cabins were occupied...it was like they told people that the tree cutting was going on, and gave them refunds? It was weird, because the cabins are usually pretty much full.

When we called on Tuesday to confirm that we could buy firewood at the park upon arrival Wednesday, they said yes.
However, they neglected to tell us that the little store was CLOSED this week!

They told us that when we got there, too.

When we told the girl that we needed them for firewood, she said "They're on a cruise.....But there's cut wood all over the park, you can take as much as you want."

This free firewood was all giant limbs and logs, and we had enough to do to not have to go find, and cut, fire wood! Besides, we didn't bring an axe or a chain saw!!

So, Dave had to go back to town to buy firewood.

It was wet, and would not burn.

They replaced the heater in the cabin with a mini-split system heat pump. It was wonderfully quiet, but it was also incapable of creating any actual heat in the cabin. It's better suited to cool the cabin in the summer.
They DID provide a space heater, but it was small, and did not do much.

SO, no fire + no actual heating unit + crappy space heater + 35 degrees at night = very cold in the cabin.

Thursday was the Thanksgiving holiday, and that morning, the light went out in the toilet/shower area. Of course, the office was closed, because it was Thanksgiving.
We had to use the shower and toilet by flashlight until Friday morning, when we were able to contact the office and tell them.

Starting at about 11 am on Thanksgiving, the residence that is near the cabins, where the family that runs the little store lives, became the site of a big party.
So, who was at the house, if they were supposed to be on a cruise?
There were loud voices, music blasting, cars coming and going.... this has NEVER happened before, in 12 years of going to this park.

It was like the parents went away and left the teenagers to their own devices. Except that these people were adults. The noise from the party didn't stop until well after dark. So there was no sitting outside in the warm sun to read. There was no wildlife around. It was extremely irritating.

Friday, we had workmen coming into the cabin, four different times, and they were unable to fix the bathroom light. They left us a camping lantern, which was much better than our flashlight stuck into a roll of toilet paper. But still.

Then, the tree crews showed up, with their chainsaws, and their loud equipment.

So, we escaped for a while, and went into Muskogee to visit the Five "Civilized" Tribes Museum. They always have such beautiful art on their top floor, and we had not gone for a few years.

Came back, and the "cherry picker" and work men had moved to a different part of the park. We could still hear the chainsaws, but they were further away.

The chainsaws were back Saturday morning, so we left before we had to.

We have had issues before, but this was, by far, our worst experience to date.

Traffic going and coming was fine, though, and there WERE good parts to our stay.

I cooked us a wonderful feast, and we had a GREAT fire on Friday, so I was finally able to burn all of that wood that we purchased, and the cabin was finally warm for our last night there.

The weather was grand, and there were so few people in the park that the walks we took were uninterrupted by others.

We are looking at a different park for next year, without the super cool cabins that are made of native stone, but hopefully with MUCH better management.

The park we are considering has cabins, but they are modern, and have no character at all. Hopefully, though, the overall experience will be so much better, that we won't miss the cabins we love so much at Greenleaf.

Hoping that everyone who reads this has a good week next week!

November

 We have had such a good November, with taking that trip to Kansas City for a concert, and then our annual Crane Spotting, and now getting ready for Thanksgiving!

This has been a good year for us, mostly.  

I mean, despite the fact that I had to return to chemo, the upheaval with my care team, and the long, dry, hot summer that only just ended in OCTOBER.

We got to go home to meet my great niece.  

We got to take an impromptu, short trip to Santa Fe.

We got to take a staycation at the end of October.

Yeah.

There is lots to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!

Speaking of...

I saw my interim oncologist this past week, and learned that my doctor has been seated at the new facility since October, but that he is still not fully credentialed, so he still can't treat patients.

His presence there, however, allowed the interim doctor to compare the tests he ordered with the last ones my doc ordered this past summer!  

They compared the reports, and the news was good!

The most exciting thing, for me, is that the words "your heart is normal" were spoken!

Then, he explained that the lesions of cancer in my liver are reduced in size to about the size of a lentil, or tiny bean/pea.  So the chemo continues to be effective, even at the reduced dose that has allowed my heart to recover.

There was nothing else found in the CT scans.

He didn't have bone scan results from 9 years ago, though, but said nothing scary, or doom-ridden, about the bone scan.

He just said that I would continue on the same treatment regime, which combines the chemo, and the drug for the bones.

SO--we feel a HUGE amount of relief, and shall fight on, with confidence that all treatments are working!!

Oh, and I got to hug my doc, who came out to the waiting area, and his medical assistant was the one who took my vitals!  I got a big hug from her, too.

That was REALLY nice.... made the place feel less cold and impersonal. 

Latest update is that my doc should be my doc again in January, rather than December.

Had my treatment on Wednesday, and they forgot the bone med, so I spoke up.  

We had to wait an extra 45 minutes to get it released to the pharmacy, prepared, and brought to my IV pole.  That was a bit aggravating.

Because of that delay, all of the staff was gone by the time I was released, so I was not able to talk to anyone about the time of my next treatment appointment.  I will just have to take a half day off for that one.

Other than that, the only issue I had with the last treatment itself was related to the steroids.  

I felt weird and agitated while the med was going into my IV, and then, that night, I had really intense cold sweats... I soaked the sheets, my pajamas, and my hair.

It was quite strange, and very uncomfortable!  

But the cool thing is, this huge, new facility and network has an online patient portal, and I was able to message the nurse about this.  

I asked if the steroid used at my first treatment with them was different (because, you may recall, my records had not come across yet).  

I had noticed that the medication in that bag was cloudy, and that the one this past week was clear.....and I had definitely experienced fewer steroid side effects that first time.  

So, naturally, I wondered if the interim doc had prescribed something different from what my regular medication had been, and that, with my doc being there, they had switched back to the old medication this time.

She said no, the same drug was used the first time, and this time.  

Hmmm..... then why did it look different (cloudy in Oct., clear in Nov.)?  Why did I feel so weird during the most recent infusion, and why was my face still hot and red 36 hours later?

I didn't ask those questions, but I DID say, in my reply, that my doc had previously reduced the steroid dosage by half, and asked if it was possible for the docs to review my previous records. I would like them to verify that I am will be sure to get the lowered dosage in the future.

The reply to that was yes, SO... hopefully, before my next treatment, that will all be looked at in detail.  I will be sure to discuss it with the interim doc, as well, at my next pre-treatment visit in December. 

In other news, we are finally getting some rain, and a little thunder, right now.  It's lovely!  The drought has been deepening all through the state, and this is much needed.

Next week, while we are at our cabin retreat, there is supposedly going to be a big winter storm up in Kansas.... we are really hoping that our forecast remains as it is, for clear weather, and moderate temperatures in the 50s/ 30s at night.  

We have never been at the cabins when there was ice or snow, and we really don't want to experience that!

Have a lovely week, gentle readers, and if you celebrate American Thanksgiving, may your tables be full (even if you are celebrating alone), and your hearts be grateful. 

Crane Spotting 2023

 We are in Jet, OK this morning, having arrived on Friday afternoon.

The weather has been pretty good, for the most part, for our trip out to see the flocks of cranes. Friday was nice, Saturday was chilly, drizzly, and windy, but this morning, though it was cold, the skies were clear.

We also got to see Whooping Cranes mixed in with the 20 thousand or so Sandhills.... that was such a blessing!   I have wanted to see one in the wild for as long as I can remember, and we got to see one on Friday, one on Saturday, and TWO this morning.

 The refuge and adjoining lake are much healthier this year.  Last year, the water levels were drastically low, and the whole area smelled of dead, rotting fish.

Everything is full of water this year, so it has been a much better year for the wildlife, and for the human visitors.

We were able to stay at my friend's mobile home at the edge of the state park again.  We greatly appreciate the free lodging!!

They said no one has been here for months, though, so it was kind of creepy, with dead (and living) spiders in the sinks and bathtub...and the hot water smells weird.... but everything works, and Dave was my hero and cleaned out the webs and spiders.

We will head home here in a little bit, after doing the dishes.

Next week, I have three appointments.... My "well woman" visit is Monday afternoon, my oncologist and labs are Tuesday, and my next treatment is Wednesday.

Office day next week is Thursday, as we are having a "staff appreciation" luncheon.

Have a good week!

Staycation

 This has been a good week.

Other than having to be at the imaging center for three and a half hours last Monday for the CT scans, bone scan, and heart ultrasound, the rest of the week was pretty comfortable and relaxed.

I had been scheduled to be there from 9 am until 4 pm, but they were able to re-arrange things a bit, and I got my heart ultrasound while we waited the 2 hours for the injection for the bone scan to move through my body.

Also, they did the CT RIGHT at 9 am, instead of at 10, which was the time it was scheduled, so that helped, too.  They, apparently, don't use the barium cocktail, which has to be drunk 45 minutes to an hour before the scan.

So, I still have no idea why they told me to be there an hour before the CT, but it all worked out to my advantage!

They let me go get something to eat after the CT and heart ultrasound, since I had been told to fast. Thank goodness.

No one ever called with any news about any of the scans, but then, as bad as the communication is at the new cancer center, I am not at all surprised.

I can look the reports up if I want to, on my patient portal, but I really don't want to.  I'm sticking with the "no news is good news" angle.  If things had gotten worse, someone would have called.

Maybe.

Halloween was disappointing this year.  

The weather was so cold, and there were only two houses on our block with decorations up, and lights on, for trick or treat time..... and we only had 8 kids come to the door.

I could see that there were a lot more kids in the block to the west of us, but they didn't bother to come over to our block.  I wonder why.... 

We usually have 50 or 60 kids.  

Sigh.

Hopefully, next year will be better.

On Thursday, Dave went outside, and picked Sammie (mama cat) up just like it was normal, and dropped her into a carrier!  She didn't fuss or fight at all!

Off they went to the Humane Society's spay/neuter center!  He got in line, and got her registered as a TNR surgery, and they only charged $30 to do her surgery, her rabies shot, and her ear clip!!   The website had said $60!

Dave picked her up around 5, and she was fully recovered from the anesthesia, and ready to eat!  Her kittens all greeted her, and she didn't seem scared, and didn't "bolt" like so many of our TNR cats have done.

SO, now that we know about this awesome discount for TNR, we will take the kittens next time.  They are all three quite tame and comfortable with us at this point, so they should be easy to capture, too.

I just WISH we could get someone to come adopt them!  I hate to see them growing up on the street... well, in our back yard, but still...

Then, on Friday, we headed up to Kansas City for a concert.  We had a really nice hotel to stay in this time, with a restaurant downstairs, located within walking distance of the concert venue.

It worked out REALLY well, and we had a great time.  It was expensive, of course, but how often do we do this?

Then, next weekend, our offices are closed on Friday for Veteran's day, so I have scheduled our Crane Spotting trip for next weekend.  

I have the great good fortune of having a friend at work whose family owns a trailer house very near the national wildlife refuge.  They let us stay there for free, as long as we take out the trash, and wash the dishes, etc.

I like to leave them food, too, to sort of help pay for the electricity and water we use, etc.  

Usually, I take up some canned soups from Aldi (if you haven't tried Deutsche Kuche soups, you're missing out!), or some boxes of mac and cheese, or something frozen, like a family size lasagna.

Anyway, I also checked ahead of time this time to make sure there's no deer cull at the refuge on the weekend that we want to go!  

That was SO disappointing last year.  We had never heard of such a thing before, and we have been going up there for YEARS.   To get all the way up there and find it CLOSED was SUCH a bummer!

So, we are excited to be going, and I just have to plan our menu, and get the groceries, before we go! 

I hope we have good weather, and that there are lots of cranes this year.  

Right now, the refuge is posting on their Facebook page that there are 20 Whooping cranes there, too, among the 25K Sandhills! 

I would LOVE to see Whooping cranes in the wild.... what a gift that would be!  I've only ever seen them at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI.

So, back to the office tomorrow.  Next visit to the interim doctor, and next treatment, are the week after next.

Then, hopefully, MY doctor will be on board for the next one after that.

Went to a new "Renaissance" festival this morning.  Lots of vendors, and some musical acts, but mostly, it was people selling stuff, and food trailers.  It was okay.... I bought myself a floppy hat that looks like a fly agaric mushroom, mainly because I forgot to take a hat, and it is a VERY clear, sunny day.

We also got some ale horns!  I have been wanting a pair of those for my medieval Yule feast for a long time... so now we have them!

Have a good week! 

Moving along....

 Met the interim oncologist last Tuesday.  

He seems nice. He said that my records didn't come across well, though. Some kind of incompatibility between software programs.

Great.

I don't like the impersonal nature of the new clinic, or the doc's nurse.  

They made my appointment for treatment without consulting me about the day or time, and they made appointments for a full day of tests for tomorrow, again, without asking.

So, I had to take all of Wednesday afternoon off to go to treatment.  I am glad there was no long delay between my last treatment and this one, but I really am supposed to give my employer at least some notice when I need to take off work.

Oh well.   I didn't encounter any push back from my boss.

The treatment went fine, and the nurse that I had was able to access my port on the first try.

The "infusion center" is huge, with a rotating staff of nurses.  You get someone different every time, most likely. Not my favorite, given the weirdness of my port.

The only issue was that the bone medication was not given to me because my dentist has to sign off on it.  No one has ever asked my dentist to do that before, so, of course, that was not on file.  

They wanted me to come back for a THIRD TIME last week to get that i.v., after getting the dental release, and I said no.  

I had to skip that treatment a couple of times this past year, due to supply chain issues, and my doctor wasn't concerned, so that's what I told them.  I also said I had already spent two full afternoons at their clinic this week, and I have a job!  

The nurse I had seemed a bit miffed, but that's just too bad.  I was miffed, too, because we had sat there, waiting, for 2 hours wondering what was going on.

Anyway, I sure hope they got my chemo dosage correct.  (The doc asked ME if I knew what my chemo dose was when I was in his office!!)

When I left treatment, they had set up my next appointment-- again, without asking me about the day or time....but I was able to change the time to something more like what I am used to, so that was good.  Less time off work!  I only get so many paid hours off!

We have this coming week off for staycation, so I didn't have to take ALL DAY OFF tomorrow to go for one scan after another.  It kind of ruins our vacation Monday, but it's no big deal.

I just hope our insurance covers everything they're going to do, since I wasn't due for the CT until December.  I'm also having a bone scan, and my 3 month heart echo.

I will be there from 9 am to 4 pm...UGH!!  I am going to get up at 5 and eat something, because I need to be fasting for 4 hours when I arrive. Yuck.

At least that's what I assume....All the nurse said was "This is NPO for 4 hours."  Assuming that I know what NPO means.  She's very abrupt, and doesn't smile, and didn't really explain anything.  

Yuck.

I am glad I won't have to deal with her for very long.

This weekend has been very wet and chilly.  I haven't gotten all of my Halloween decorations up, and it looks like I am not even going to bother.

We are due for a freeze tonight, and the next two nights, and the weather on Halloween is supposed to be awful.... high of 45 and rainy.  

So sad! 

The weather today is freaking me out a little.  It's reminding me of the ice storm of 2020 very vividly..... the leaves are still all on the trees, and it's raining steadily, and only 2 degrees above freezing at the moment.  

Today is the anniversary of the car wreck we were in during the first few days after the power went out that year.... because we had gone somewhere that had power, in an effort to get warm.  Yeah, PTSD is real.

Other than my day long testing tomorrow, we are going to try to get the kittens and mamma fixed this coming week.  The kittens are old enough now to qualify for the free city program and they're tame enough now that Dave is pretty sure he will just be able to scoop them up and put them in carriers.

That's the plan, at least for now.

Then, on Friday, we are going to a concert.  

Hopefully, after tomorrow, the rest of the week will be somewhat fun and relaxing.

Spinning

 It's been a while since I've had a major flare up of vertigo.

For some reason ( I never really know why it happens, most of the time), it chose this weekend to show up.

I was fine yesterday morning.  Got all of my chores done, then lay down to take a nap.  The fatigue from the Covid shots we got on Friday hit us both pretty hard. 

When I got up from my nap, there it was. Full on vertigo.

UGH.

I pulled up some videos on how to clear it with lymphatic drainage massage, and techniques that I recall from my chiropractor back home, but needed a refresher on.

Did all of that, then lay down for a while on my side to let the bad ear "drain."  That did the trick, but then, this morning, it was back, and I have done all of the things, except lie down, and still have it.

Now that breakfast has been eaten, I will go back to bed, and hope that lying down will help.

We were supposed to go to the house of a friend of a friend yesterday.  We've agreed to pet sit for them while they are away next weekend.  My friend usually does it, but she's not available, so she asked us.

I'd like to see our network of local, pagan-friendly pet-friends expand a little, and this is a perfect opportunity.  
This friend of a friend used to be in the dance troupe I joined when I first came to Oklahoma, so I know her, but we aren't in touch or anything .

Maybe I'll make a new friend in this process, since we're already acquainted.

Anyway, my vertigo was so intense yesterday that we had to reschedule the "meet the pets" session to today.... so hopefully, I will be well enough to follow through on that by this afternoon!

In other news, my first appointment at the new oncology clinic is Tuesday afternoon.  I won't get a treatment, but will just be entered into the system, and hopefully find out when my next treatment will be.

I will be seeing a different doctor, since my doctor isn't credentialed yet.

We also found out also that my nurse of 9 years will NOT be part of my care team anymore.  I am sure that Doc is just as upset about this as I am. 

She IS going to work for the same clinic, but they could not fit her in as Doc's nurse.  Apparently, they don't do that there... they have a team of nurses, and a nurse manager, and a nurse educator.

My former nurse has taken the position of the nurse educator.  SO...she will be there, but she won't have access to Doc's patients' charts, or be directly involved in our care anymore.

This is a great move for her career, but it is a sad thing for everyone she has worked with for all these years.

Anyway, today, Dave is going to mow the back yard at long last, and I am going to do a little laundry, and maybe take a look at some embroidery videos.  I will mostly be taking it easy, and drinking lots of water, in hopes that I can go to the office tomorrow.

After all, I can't drive if I have vertigo!

In the news for Kittenea Kittens, I was able to get two of them to play with me, using an interactive toy, yesterday!  

Mama played, too.

Jojo, the most tame of the kittens, was all about it.... no hesitation at all.

Scamper has been very shy, and has not come around the big humans much at all....but I got her to come close, and to play, and even to roll around at my feet (which is how I know she is a girl).  

It was WONDERFUL... but it was also REALLY DIFFICULT to remain almost totally still, and not giggle or express my joy vocally!  Any noise or movement of my feet, etc, caused her to shy away....so I had to be very still for her to feel safe. 

Stripe, also pretty tame, seemed afraid, and did not join in.

I will try again today!!

Have a great week!

Pressure cookin'

 There were some high winds this past week, and the cool of autumn finally arrived!  Looking ahead in the extended forecast, there are no more 90s, and no more 80s!!

This makes me very happy.

We still have a lot of mowing, and yard work, that will need to be done for a few more weeks.  Things don't start to turn color and die off here until November, usually.

The extended summer heat may have an impact on that this year.  We shall see.

Dave is making great progress with taming the surviving kittenea kittens!  He's actually able to pet two of them, and can pick up and cuddle one of them!

We've determined that two of them are girls, but aren't sure about the third one.  That one is still skittish...I call it Scamper, because it always scampers away.

In fact, Scamper is the one I wish we could keep.... grey tabby and white tuxedo, and ADORA BLE!

Hopefully, soon, Dave will be able to handle them all (including Mamma, who is very friendly, and loves to be petted), which will make getting them to the spay/neuter center something we can FINALLY do. 

They are thee months old now, and getting so big!

We have found NO help what so ever from rescue groups or shelters, so it's on us to pay for their surgery...we ABSOLUTELY have to get it done.

They have been living in our yard now for 6 weeks or so, and this bodes well for us being able to capture them and get that done, hopefully soon.

I was supposed to have a "stock making date" with my friend today, but she came up with COVID, so I am making my chicken stock at home, and will be able to get other things accomplished today too.

The pressure cooker is loaded up and going strong!

One thing I'd really like to do today is to start putting up Halloween decorations, and it's also time to drain, clean, and re-fill the hot tub.

Dave is going to mow (theoretically), and do some edging this afternoon. 

The back yard is REALLY tall....he hasn't touched it for weeks, and the last time any of it was mowed, I had given up hope of him doing it, and tried to do it myself. 

Unfortunately, the mower kept choking because the grass was too tall and wet, and then the battery died, and could not be re charged.

We now have a new battery, but the grass is even worse, so we will see if he even tries. 

We got our flu shots on Friday, with no ill effects other than a slightly sore spot where the injections went in, and that, only for a few hours on Friday night.  

We will probably schedule our Covid shots for this coming Friday.

My "intake appointment" with the new oncology center isn't until the 24th.  No idea when they will continue my treatments. Hey, it's only cancer. 

Just have to wait and see.

In other news, the house next door, that seemed to be abandoned, has been being renovated by the same family members who have lived there in the past.  

They've been cooking food outside since this morning, and have a sign in front of the house that says FOOD SALE in Spanish.  It smells SO GOOD!!

I am thinking it's probably illegal, but I'd go get a plate if I had some cash!  They have a cooler on the back patio, and two grills going.  

My guess is that they are about to have someone move in...probably more family members.

That's about it for today... have a good week!