SAFARI IN KENYA, PART I

           Yesterday I mentioned our trip to Kenya in 2001. It’s been some time since I revisited that experience. Perhaps today (Thursday) having made dill pickles and frozen garlic, plus the fact we’ve had clouds and rain (yippee my garden is so happy), this would be a good time to look back.

              It seems like we had decided on Kenya before the end of 2000 because I got a great pair of binoculars for Christmas and I bought John a telescope (he could only see out of one eye) for Christmas. It was a trip of 16 participants including the couple who were the leaders…both zoo employees. It was sponsored by the travel agency with whom the zoo contracted and as such, we were able to both go for the cost of just one. Once all the zoo employees were on board, it was opened to volunteers, so it was a nice mix of staff and volunteers.

          Neither one of us had been on such a long plane ride before, but we managed, even John with his looooooong legs. The plane landed in Amsterdam where we transferred to another airplane bound for Nairobi. I can’t remember now if the guide, Anthony, and his staff met us or if they joined us at the Safari Park Hotel. It was a very nice English-style hotel and very comfortable.         

          Our first excursion was to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Mr. Sheldrick was no longer alive, but his wife continued his work of rescuing baby animals, i.e., rhinos, especially elephants and other animals that had been abandoned for one reason or another (poaching). There was also a school group in attendance and I was amazed to learn that these children were required to go to school, that most of them spoke three languages and that the uniform they were wearing was required. Later on, I learned that even in remote villages, children would bring gallon jugs of water with which to clean their school. 

          This trust was very educational when it came to elephants. There were a number of babies and some were even still nursing. Their keepers held bottles so they could drink. The keepers also stayed with and slept with them at night…more like a foster mom than a human/elephant. The keepers also held big umbrellas over the babies because the direct hot sun would burn their skin…I didn’t know that. The keepers also helped them take mud baths which also prevented sunburn. I still have the t-shirt I purchased in support of this place.

          There were three vehicles in our group with five or six people in each one, plus the driver/guide. The top guide, Anthony, spread himself around the three so we each received the pleasure of his knowledge and company. Following lunch at the Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi our caravan headed for The Mountain Lodge at an altitude of 7,200 feet. During the drive, we also noticed that Kenyans do not waste an inch of space. They grow corn and garden wherever there is space, i.e., the road medians and edges. Also, during trips down the various roads, there were always pitstops so we could use the bathroom and the native peoples could sell us stuff. I do have to say that the bathrooms were the absolute worst I’ve ever encountered. In fact, one person in our group was so appalled she wouldn’t go. Toward the end of the trip she was so constipated, a doctor was brought in and there was talk of flying her out to Nairobi, but everything did end up coming out okay…joke there, ha ha ha.

The Mountain Lodge was about four stories and each room had a balcony which overlooked the waterhole. When we went to bed, we were told we would be wakened when the animals came to the waterhole during the night. Sure enough, sleeping soundly, there’s a knock on the door. We got up and went to the balcony. From there, we saw Cape buffalo and waterbucks, but not much else. The next morning, we were taken on a nature walk through the forest surrounding The Mountain Lodge. We had a local guide who led and were followed by another guide who carried a fun…just in case. Again, not a lot of animals, but we did see particular lily (photo) which doesn’t grow anywhere else and cannot be cultivated.

The next day, we moved on and over the equator which is a big deal. Now, I’ve read that water really doesn’t swirl the other way on the other side of the equator, but our guides provided a demonstration and it does indeed swirl the opposite direction on the other side of the line. Trick??? I don’t know but I was impressed. We all had our pictures taken with one foot on the north and the other on the south side of the equator line. We also received a dated certificate that certified we had crossed the equator on 17 March 2001 at Nanyuki Kenya. Very Cool!!!

After that, our next stop was Samburu Serena Lodge. This is one of the places where the Survivor television program was filmed, not in the lodge, but the Samburu area…I missed that episode. Each of us had a little cottage in which we stayed. The food, as in all these places, was delightful and yummy. In particular I loved the way they served coffee, i.e., hot coffee and warm milk if you used milk. Something else I really loved was the way we were greeted. We were always met with warm or cold wet hand towels and glasses of juice…passionfruit was my favorite.

Checked in, we went on our first game drive that afternoon. We saw impalas, zebra, reticulated giraffe, dik-dik, bushbuck, Cape buffalo, gazelles and a leopard tortoise. We only saw the tortoise because there was a short cloudburst (really hard rain, but lasted about five minutes) and it was the water which brought him out. We also saw elephants, in particular a mother who stopped to nurse her baby. I also found out the elephants do hold tails, it’s not something from circus training. There was gerenuk, amazing how high they can reach on their hind legs and lions, even a lioness with cubs. These animals paid no attention to our vehicles, and we were able to take lots of photos.

The next day, we went to the Samburu Native Village. Again, a learning experience. The Chief and other important males met with us under the Parliament Tree (where they make important decisions that affects the tribe), and the Chief was given $20 per person for our visit. They did not wear western attire, but the native Kanga. Their village is surrounded by a boma which is a fence of spiney wood which keeps the wild animals outside and the people and their cattle safe inside. The shelters are made of a variety of stuff and covered with dried animal dung. We were provided with an example of how to make fire and a couple of our group gave it a try…at least one of them was successful.

We were entertained by the schoolchildren, and invited to go inside one of the shelters. It was extremely dark and so hot inside, and the animal hide on which we sat very stiff. I didn’t realize until I took a photo using the flash that there was a mother and child inside the shelter with us. I probably blinded them. The shelters are very primitive and a pillow is a piece of wood shaped like a slingshot, you know the “Y” shape and you put your head into the center…not very comfortable I’d say. The shelters also include a cooking fire and in this one, the cooking utensils were suspended from the ceiling. Not someplace I’d want to live ever.

Back outside, the women performed a native dance. We had all been instructed prior to leaving the US that we absolutely could not talk about or bring up female circumcision. That didn’t keep the Samburu from doing so. We were told that women with silver bracelets on their arms had been circumcised. Again, they wore the native Kangas.

It was hot…sooooooooo HOT. All I wanted by then was to go back to the van and drink a bottle of water. But, to do that, we had to run a gauntlet of women who were selling items they had made. I don’t remember if I bought anything other than a baby rattle, I figured I’d give to my grandchild when it was born in the fall. That never happened. It was a dried gourd and suspended from the gourd were strings of beads. At the end of each string was this shiny circle of metal. Yes, it looked familiar, but it wasn’t until my son Thor identified those pieces of metal as the ends from “D” batteries that I recognized them. Needless to say, the rattle may be in Haley’s saved stuff box, but she never got to rattle or chew on it.

Back at the lodge, only one other person joined me in the swimming pool. It felt absolutely decadent, but so cool and WET. After that and lunch (I still cannot imagine going to the Samburu village in the afternoon in that heat.), we went on another game drive. This time we saw a leopard in a tree. And, funny story here. I had given the kids the old Pentax camera when I bought a new one for the trip. John wanted it back. He was going to use it even though he had no idea how to do an F-stop or whatever. Out of 27 rolls of film, and using a camera he didn’t have a clue about, John took the very best photo of the leopard in the tree. In fact, I framed it and it hangs on the living room wall. Good job, John. (Unfortunately I cannot share that photo with you because it won't scan in the frame.)  

We moved on and saw more Cape buffalo, lions, Thompson’s gazelles and Impala. In one place we stopped on the side of a wide, but low water river, on the other side of which were some very nervous zebra. Anthony explained what was happening. There were three female lions, probably sisters. One of them got up and disappeared. We couldn’t see where she went. In a bit, the other two moved into two separate gullies on the riverbank. The zebra became more nervous. Suddenly, the lioness that left is loping across the river on a diagonal toward the zebra which suddenly disappear up the bank and into the foliage. The other two lions get up and begin loping across the river. Anthony said they’d eat well that night. I’m just glad we didn’t get to see the lions take the zebra down. 

Well, that’s enough for today…I’ll continue my Kenya memories tomorrow.

YELLOW DAHLIA, SPIDER TREATMENT, BREAST CANCER

         

The color for today is yellow. I love these dahlias that are shaped like a firework. I also have some in pink and white, but they haven’t bloomed yet. Supposedly it calls for rain today (Thursday) and I know my garden is hoping for a thorough soaking. For some reason, my watering just doesn’t do as good a job as Mother Nature.

Today (Wednesday) had been a busy hot day. I went to the Yakima Valley Fruit Market and bought cucumbers and dill so I can make dill pickles tomorrow, probably the least amount I’ve made in decades. Not many people to give them away to any longer.

          Following that, I went on line to search for something I can do to make whatever it is that’s biting me go away. That led to a search for essential lemon oil, or Eucalyptus oil…I prefer lemon. I had to drive to Lynnwood to get some and then stop for a new spray bottle. Back home, I took every single thing off the bed and ran the pad, sheets, duvet through the washer on HOT water and the dryer on HOT. I think the fitted sheet shrunk a bit because I could barely get it back on the mattress.

          While the washer/dryer were doing their business, I moved the mattress off the box springs and sprayed EVERYTHING with lemon oil water. I sprayed well, so I had to wait for the box spring to dry before I could put the mattress back, then wait for the mattress to dry before the cover, yada, yada, yada.

          When I wasn’t roasting and sweating, I began to dust everything in my room, every nook and cranny and ran my Swiffer vacuum over the floor. I moved the bed, moved the other furniture and cleaned every single place I could possibly reach. Did I see one spider??? NOPE!!! And did I see any evidence of spiders as in webs??? NOPE!!!

          This morning when I got up, my underarm not only itched, but it hurt as well. And, the red marks aren’t all shaped like round bites. Some of them are big and funny shaped, as if I’d scratched the area with my fingernails. I’m doing everything possible not to scratch and haven’t a single time today. Since the problem seems to be around my left breast and I’ve had breast cancer in the right one, I found myself wondering if this could be some form of cancer. But I’ve never heard of cancer appearing in this fashion. If I have more evidence tomorrow, then it cannot be my bed so I’ll call the doctor and see if I can go in.

          The very thought of having breast cancer again gives me chills; well, it actually scares the shit out of me. This time I wouldn’t have John here to hold my hand, take me to the appointments and chemotherapy and look after me when things got a little tough. He really was a good husband when it came to the “in sickness” part.

          I remember calling for my mammogram appointment only to find out I couldn’t be seen in March…it would have to be April. Okay, fine, no big deal. Got a call after the mammogram asking if I could come back for an ultrasound. Sure, no problem, it had happened before. At the ultrasound, they asked if I would mind if they did a biopsy…they just weren’t sure what they were seeing. Well, okay, now it’s a tiny bit scary, never done this before. So, they did the biopsy and would call me in a day or two with the results.

          Instead, I got the call the very next day…infiltrating ductal carcinoma. I barely heard another word the nurse said, but did understand I had an appointment with the surgeon for the next day and the surgery would be the following Tuesday. Whoa, this cannot be good, cannot be good at all.

          I left work early and cried all the way home. I sat in John’s lap, barely able to talk, scaring the crap out of him and Thor. I finally got the information out and John was very supportive. I would be fine. We’d get through this, not to worry.

          John went with me to the surgeon the next morning. He was there for the discussion and decision about what to do. He went back with me the following Tuesday and waited during the surgery. It wasn’t clear if they were going to take lymph nodes or not. I kept asking and was right outside the operating room when the surgeon finally arrived. No, no lymph nodes he said. Yes, I insisted, so instead of a local anesthetic, they had to put me out. Later I was glad I insisted.

          We were told the excised tissue had clean edges and the lymph nodes appeared clear, but the material would be sent to the University of Washington for further examination. Then, it was on to an appointment with the oncologist. At that meeting, we were told that the test results showed a very aggressive cancer with more than one-third of the cells replicating at any one time. If, somehow, they missed a single cell…well, I definitely wouldn’t want that.

          So, there would be six rounds of chemotherapy, each one three weeks apart, followed by 30+ radiation treatments and five years of the drug Tamoxifen. So, basically the journey I began in April with the mammogram wouldn’t be complete until the following January, or, five years from that January if I included the drug I’d have to take. Nothing like having your life changed in a very big way.

          I was very fortunate, however, because chemotherapy did not make me sick. In fact, I gained 20 pounds during that time and was told later by the oncologist that isn’t unusual…why wasn’t it mentioned before I indulged myself so much!!! I had chemo on Friday mornings. The first time I came home and got into bed with a bucket beside me. Two hours later, I was starving and that was it for being in bed. Subsequent trips, I would be awake until like 4:00 am Saturday morning, sleep for a few hours, get up have a normal Saturday and Saturday night, then at the crack of noon Sunday, I’d fade into sleep that would last until Tuesday morning when I got up to go to work. That was my routine until November of 2000. And, John went to every single appointment and chemo treatment on the schedule. Even when I told him he didn’t need to because I wasn’t getting sick, he said I wasn’t going to do it all by  myself.

          Once all the treatments were done, it was time to decide what we would do to celebrate. I came up with three options:  1) We could go on safari in Kenya in late March with a travel group from the zoo; 2) we could go to China with my zoo boss in April; or 3) we could rent a luxurious car and travel the United States for a month. We decided on Kenya.

          Still, the cancer process wasn’t done with me. The initial photos in Kenya, my face is normal, but by the end, I have a fat face. Back home, everyone has jet lag which is what I thought I had as well, but it didn’t end. Checked in with the doctor only to find out my thyroid died while I was in Kenya. The nurse who called me couldn’t believe I wasn’t in bed my reading was so low. That was followed by months of fooling around with the medication to get the dosage correct. During that time, I managed to injure myself which led to a month of going to work mornings and going to a health company for occupational and physical therapy in the afternoons.

          Every so often I would go on line to see if there was any information about the breast cancer drugs I was given. Were there any side-affects? It took a few years, but finally there were reports that Cytoxan can cause peripheral neuropathy. No wonder my feet burned and hurt and caused a lot of pain. Thankfully there was a drug that would help…Cymbalta. Later on, CBD cream also helped with this problem.

          Then, my skin began to do funny things as in I kept developing white patches. Welcome vitiligo, another auto-immune disease possibly caused by cancer treatment. The final (I sincerely hope) crappy result from that treatment came when my doctor told me after my annual physical that I was Type II diabetic. How could that be when I went to the gym every morning and didn’t eat a lot of junk? Well, now research is showing there may be a correlation between breast cancer treatment and diabetes. I know someone else that was diagnosed about eight years following treatment which was pretty much the same time for me.

          Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to be alive. I’m happy they had the necessary tools to eradicate the cancer and keep me alive. Even if I’d known what was coming, I would still have elected treatment. Still, I certainly don’t want to repeat the process for the left breast. So, I’m hoping really hot water, essential lemon oil and everything clean and dust free in my room keeps any new spots from appearing tomorrow (today), because if not, I’ll have to call the doctor and get checked out. And if she tells me it’s bug bites, will I be embarrassed…nope, just relieved and pondering my choice of bedrooms.

WHITE LILIES AND BLAH, BLAH, HELP!!!!

         

These huge white lilies must be related to Stargazers because they smell heavenly. Besides these, I only have some tiger lilies blooming and once they are done, my lilies for the year are finished. It’s also about this time I’m ready to call it a summer and wrap things up. My garden is at the point where I can see everything that’s wrong with it and in need of fixing, i.e., transplanting, weeding, etc.

              After I wrote that first paragraph, I went out into the back garden and half-filled my tote with a whole bunch of stuff. I cut back the white and red bleeding hearts and am going to have to move the red bleeding heart in the fall because it’s a volunteer and growing right in the middle of my huckleberry bushes. Of course, I’ve never gotten a single huckleberry off these bushes. The ones at the house down the street are prolific when it comes to producing berries. Mine have blossoms, but no berries. I thought maybe Mabel was eating them, but, nope, she’s gone and still no berries.

I also decided to cut back the Jerusalem Sage so there won’t be any seeds for the birds this winter. They’ve gone without before, so it’s probably just fine. Pulled a bunch of weeds and grass and am making notes as to what I need to move or eliminate once we get to September/October.

Today’s been kinda a sad and lonely day. When I was out watering the front this morning, I found myself wishing I had someone. Someone with whom I could have a conversation without worrying about getting or giving COVID. Someone who might pay me some compliments about my tasty dinners or how nice whatever I’ve done looks. But I’m just going to have to continue to rely on me, myself and I.

It’s not like I couldn't have someone because I keep getting these emails from something called “Silver Singles.” I told the kids and they just howled, probably because they can’t imagine really old people actually going on line to find a date.  I did explain it’s a site that is apparently for people over 50 and I certainly qualify. Still, whether I qualify or not, I can’t imagine finding some older man with whom I might have something in common. Ah well, even if I were to become totally desperate and decide to do something more than just delete those emails, now would definitely not be a good time to go trolling…that’s what they call it, right???

Anyway, I’m feeling better now, having worked in the garden. I’ve also found a way to make myself the perfect hot pastrami sandwich which is what I had for lunch. Cooking and eating stuff that I really like also goes a long way toward making me feel more positive.

And, today is Angie’s unbirthday and I’ll be taking her gift out to her after dinnertime. I can’t wait to see her face when she gets it open. Maybe I’ll post a photo with tomorrow’s post so y’all can see it as well. Once I pop into her house, I have a couple of errands to run on the way home. Marshalls for doggie poop bags and Safeway for bagels. It will be late in the day, so I’m hoping Safeway has those Everything Bagels I really like. If they don’t, I’ll have to make another trip early one morning which is when they usually have them.

Finally, I’m having a problem with which perhaps one of you readers can assist me. Something is eating me alive, only just in one area. It’s the left side of my cheek, neck, and the upper left portion of my torso and underarm. Nothing on the right, nothing on the legs, just all in the upper left quadrant. Now, I’ve taken my bed apart and found nothing living in the bedding, mattress or beneath the bed. I’ve washed and dried my pillow. I sleep on my tummy with my right arm around my pillow, the left side of my face on the pillow and my left arm down by my side. How is it possible something is getting to the part of me that isn’t exposed? And that's the area that's apparently a feast for something. Sunday morning, I had a line of little dots across the top of my left breast, as though whatever it is managed to either bite me as it moved or left footprints as it moved. And, what makes it even worse is that new bites make the old ones itch just as though they were made at the same time. I use an anti-itch cream, but I really want to take a new wire brush to the left side of my face, neck and chest.

Any ideas about what could be doing this to me would be most welcome. I am at a complete loss as to what it could be and why only in this one area. Surely if that part is sweet and juicy, the rest of me should be as well. If I can’t come up with some kind of answer, I may have to change bedrooms to see if that makes a difference. So, thanks for any ideas…much appreciated.

COSMOS AND I'M RICH!!!

         

          Cosmos…I love these plants. You drop some seeds and they grow and grow and grow. And, then a big plus, they reseed themselves so you don’t have to. This fall I plan to put this mulch mixture on to the remainder of my flowerbeds…some already have it. I’m going to look for some Cosmos seed packets and sprinkle them all over the place. We’ll see how they do come next spring.

          I mentioned a couple of posts ago that I’d completed a HUGE project. Yep, totally done, including the trip to the bank. I’m sure you’ve heard there’s a coin shortage. Well, if there’s a penny shortage, I took care of that today. And, I must say, it was a lot of effort for a small return. I think if I were being paid to do it, I would have made like a buck an hour, if that.

          Eons ago, I brought home a big five-gallon blue glass water bottle. Once before this it was full of pennies which John rolled to help pay for the &*&*^)#%# boat he absolutely had to buy. Not only that, he conned his friends into helping him because he got to choose what they did for work night at his house. You host, you choose the project. Usually that meant they hung out in the garage, got high and told lots of lies about a huge variety of subjects. Well, until those pennies hit the bank, they actually had to work rolling those coins in those little paper sleeves. If memory serves, John harvested about $250.00.

          Over time, John continued to put pennies in this now empty jar. When he died, it had been full for quite some time, and I mean full as in clear up to the very top…another penny would have fallen on the floor. I don’t know if John’s memory of the previous rolling project, laziness, lack of need or whatever, but he had no intention of rolling those pennies…EVER!!!

          So, once again a John project became my project. People did suggest I take them to Coinstar, but do you have any idea how heavy pennies actually are if you want to take them someplace? I would have had to make multiple trips and only received maybe $20 or $30 each time, if that. I wasn’t even sure how I was going to get the pennies out of the jar without breaking the jar.

          Haley and AJ solved the empty the jar problem. They were able to slowly and carefully tip it on its side. Then Haley took a table knife and by plunging it into the jar repeatedly got the pennies to come out. What a tedious process. Haley didn’t do the entire jar. I took out the huge yellow Tupperware bowl I got in 1966 (haven’t we all had one of those?) and would get out enough pennies to fill it half way, and then, it was almost too heavy to pick up and carry. Once I did get the jar more than half empty, Haley did pick it up and shake out the remainder, or at least I think that’s what she did, but I wasn’t with her when she did it. And, Haley got a bonus…the empty glass jar.

          I don’t know how many days and evenings I spent watching TV and rolling those damn pennies. I did have this little plastic cylinder into which you put the pennies. Some times they’d go in crooked and then you’d have to shake the cylinder or tap it in the bowl to get the pennies to fall out. When full, you shake it and any pennies amounting to more than 50 cents would come out this little slot. Then, empty the holder, open a paper sleeve and input the 50 pennies and fold over the ends so they don’t fall out. There are penny sleeves that are already bent on one end so the shape is round. Those work splendidly because you slide them into the plastic cylinder, turn it upside down and the pennies slide into the holder. Unfortunately, Office Max only had one package of those. Another woman told me they were cheaper at the dollar store. I tried there, but you got all denominations, not just penny ones.

          There must have been at least five trips to the various banks to ask for penny wrappers, as many as you’ll give me is what I said each time. You’d think the folks working in a bank would have some idea of how many pennies a five-gallon jar would hold. I do have to admit on the last trip, I received more than enough and now have a surplus. But guess what, I don’t plan to ever ever ever save another penny the remainder of my life.    

          Because of the weight, I wasn’t able to put all the rolled pennies in one box. I had five boxes and a couple of those were almost too heavy for me to lift…my left bicep is sore. I did manage to get them into the back of my Rav4, plus the hand truck so I could cart them into the bank in one trip. Now, I have a credit card with Bank of America, but I have to have an account into which the pennies can be deposited. I’m with BECU, and you have to find a BECU branch that has tellers…a little journey to Everett.

          So, I’ve jaunted to Everett and back. Oh my goodness, what a busy place the BECU bank was. They had two entrances. I parked by the first one, not knowing about the other entrance, loaded the hand truck with the boxes and went toward the door. An employee stopped me and asked what I wanted to do. I was told I had to go around the corner of the building and get in the teller line. So, I did. I’m sure I looked a sight pulling/pushing this hand truck with boxes of pennies.

          When I finally got to a teller, I asked her if she was really strong. I was able to slide three of the boxes through the little window. A young man came to help and he put one of the larger ones over the top and carried the other one too big for the window around and to the teller. I had counted and put a post-it in each box with the number, but she had to count them herself. I should have looked at the clock to see how long it took.

          Only one of the boxes had the rolls laying down. The other boxes, I stood them upright. Those were easier for her to count and she used a sharpie to mark each roll so she didn’t get confused and have to begin again. When she was all done, I had a total of $264.00 to go into my savings account. Like I said above, I probably worked for $1.00/hour, or less, rolling those damn pennies.

          Given my receipt, I rolled my empty hand truck back to the car and came home where I had lunch and finished this post. And, oh my goodness, but I feel so wealthy now…however am I going to spend that $264.00??? Or, whatever am I going to do when I watch TV now???

ASTRANTIA AND THE '57 CAME HOME FOR A VISIT

         

          Since I couldn’t remember the name of this plant, I decided to use the plant app, Plantnet, on my phone. According to that, this is Astrantia in the family of Apiaceae. Its common name is great masterwort. Based on my research, it’s probably Astrantia major “Star of Beauty.”  Why I never save those little plastic identifiers that come with plants I have no idea. I purchased a start a number of years ago at Sorticulture in Everett and it’s done very well in the location where I planted. It’s probably three or four times the size of the original plant and looks very nice on the edge of my water feature. 

          Today, Sunday, I got to experience a real treat. AJ and Haley came down in the ’57 Chevy pickup. It’s been many a year since this truck left my driveway and went to live at AJ’s house. I believe I’ve posted before how it became AJ’s when he turned 16, but that it took 30+ years before he actually sat behind the wheel and drove it on the street.

          There it came, cruising up the street as I was in front watering the flowerbed. AJ gave me a couple toots on the horn, went to the end of the street, came back and parked. I called John’s best friend Dave to tell him the ’57 was home. Of course, Dave had to come down, safely masked, to look it over and talk to AJ about what he and Haley had done in the way of restoration to date. Dave has restored a number of Cougars, so he speaks the lingo.

          John bought the ’57 the year we got married, so that would have been 1966. I believe it was blue when he bought it, but he had it painted the rust color it’s been since then. John drove it to and from work and I got to drive the “good” cars, i.e., 1965 Mustang, 1967 Chevy Malibu, and finally the 1971 VW Superbeetle, although John never liked the VW. One of these days I should try listing all the vehicles we owned in all our years of marriage. I do know in his later years, John deeply regretted not keeping the Mustang, Malibu and possible a couple of others. I certainly didn’t because our driveway was only so big and there was never a chance we’d end up on some farm where John could have kept everything he ever owned.

         

After the confab about the ’57, AJ and Haley did a couple of things for me and then AJ asked me if I wanted to go for a ride. Hell yes!!!! So, off we went, down the street and followed part of the route I usually walk. AJ went beyond, and then turned back. It was definitely fun to sit up high and watch the world go by. It was also fairly noisy.

         

I think the last time I rode in the ’57 was when John and I drove it to California because his good friend had left town without paying John for the four tires on his vehicle. John was just a tad pissed about that and was determined to go get either the tires or his money. Woohoo, a road trip.

          John’s mom came to stay with AJ, so it had to have been 45+ years ago when we did this. The truck had a new engine with practically no miles on it, so John expected a smooth trip. Well, it didn’t work quite like that. We got to around Olympia and the truck quit running. John went under the hood, messed about and then tried starting it. Woopee, it was back running. In this manner, we hiccoughed our way down I-5 to some town in northern California.

          John had tried a number of things to figure out the problem, but the truck would run for only so long and then it would stop. Wait a while and it would start up again. I can’t remember now if John talked to someone or just went in and bought a new fuel filter. If memory serves, the fuel filter had rust chips in it. As we drove, the rust chips slowly covered the exit from the fuel filter…no fuel, no go. Stop long enough for the rust to fall back down to the bottom of the fuel filter and we could mosey on down the road. A new fuel filter solved the recurring problem.

          Once in southern California, John was able to find his friend. It was late at night and I waited in the truck while John went inside the apartment building. He and his friend came back and began removing the tires from his friend’s vehicle. Suddenly, a police car showed up. John rather nonchalantly walked over to my window, handed me a gun and said, “Put this under the seat.” I almost fell over. I had no idea he was carrying.

          The two of them talked to the policeman who then left, and once the four tires were in the back of the ’57, we left. I immediately gave John a ration of shit for having the gun, especially since I didn’t know he did. I asked him, “What were you going to do if your friend didn’t return the tires or give you your money, shoot him?” John’s reply was a smile and “Maybe.”

          That was our last trip in the ’57. Even though it misbehaved for half the way down, we had a great time. This was at the height of our marijuana and speed use. There were so many things that were funny that might not have been if we had been straight. We also did some things that we probably would not have done if we hadn’t been high and moving fast. Still, I’ve some great memories from that trip and I wish I could share them here, but they're pretty private...hysterical, but private.

          Once we were back home, I’m not sure if the ’57 left the driveway again until it went to live at AJ’s. It may have, but nothing in particular comes to mind. I do have to admit though, that it was great to see it chugging along on the street and even better to be in the cab behind the engine that was doing the chugging. AJ doesn’t plan on doing a lot more to the ’57, but perhaps if I squirrel away some money designated just for that truck, once I’m gone, he can get it painted and fully restored. I would like that…John would LOVE that.

LEAST FAVORITE DAHLIA, MORE BLAH, BLAH, BLAH

          This is probably my least favorite dahlia. It looks sort of like a daisy, but the blooms don’t last too long. It is prolific when it comes to blooms and it’s leaves and stems are a sort of purple color. Still, I like the bigger, brighter and showier dahlias best.

          Saturday morning, I was sitting here talking to AJ and looking out the window. Suddenly there was a huge number of different birds in my garden, including hummingbirds. That’s when my guilt rose to the surface. I hadn’t cleaned or filled any of the feeders for a few weeks. And, okay, there’s lots of stuff blooming right now, but more birds would come if I were to get off my bottom and provide. My son even told me that they’d just have to do what they’d always done before there were feeders and that’s live off the land. This is the same son that puts out hummer feeders and a water bowl for the crow…Croweeee…even names it.

          So, I stopped what I’d been doing when AJ called and gathered up all the feeders and brought them inside. I took them apart and washed inside and out and left them in the drainer to dry. I made sugar water and it’s cooling. I have some seed left, but am going to have to go to the grocery store, so I’ll pop next door and get some black sunflower seeds for the other feeders. By this evening there will be lots of bird food out in the garden again.

          AJ called to see if there was anything I needed done this weekend…such a good son. And, of course, I have a HUGE honey-do list, but he’s my son, not my honey, so I’m not giving him that list. He said he’d be over tomorrow to reclaim the ladder he brought over when we were cleaning out the garage attic. I told him if he could turn my hanging baskets, that would be terrific, but there’s really nothing else he needs to do here.

          Truth be told, I could probably put him and his brother to work every single weekend for a few months doing stuff that John never got to or didn’t want to do. That would not, however, be fair because both men have jobs and their own families to take care of and look after. If this damn pandemic ever ends, I could splurge and spend a bit of cash hiring someone to come and work on my honey-do list. Right now, I don’t want to hire someone I don’t know or even call the young man who worked for me last year and the year before. Don’t really want any strangers coming into my home.

          I just finished a HUGE project, but I’m not ready to talk about it. You’ll probably read about it this coming Tuesday. Meanwhile, I believe I’ll make dill pickles this coming week. One of the women I tutored last year made pickles on Saturday with her son and grandson. Another friend posted a garlic peeling tutorial for me on Facebook, but I no longer peel them by hand. I have some arthritis issues and while I love the way my hands smell after peeling 20 bunches, my hands would be miserable. Costco provides a nice-sized bag. What I don’t put into the dill pickles, I’ll chop and freeze in ice cube trays (note to self…need to get more trays) for soups and other dishes in the winter. I always freeze some whole as well and drop those in with potatoes I intend to mash. Of course, I won’t be making many mashed potatoes in the coming months, but I’m sure I’ll find a use for that garlic…I do so love garlic.

          AJ’s wife is not turning 50 on Tuesday. It’s such a shame that AJ, Haley and I cannot plan a huge surprise party for her unbirthday. Maybe next August we can do that and pretend she’s not turning 50 again. I’ve watched what Angie has done for Haley’s events and it would be such fun to go all out with all the 50^th birthday stuff we could find. I did have a very special present made for her, but I cannot tell you what it is in case she just happens to read this. I’ll take a photo and post about that later. That is if I can get out there Tuesday evening for a minute or so to deliver the present.

          Me, myself and I will be 75 this year…the diamond birthday or maybe that’s just anniversary. Oh well, diamonds are always good no matter the occasion. Unfortunately, John won’t be here to supply me with the diamonds I so justly deserve so I’ll just have to appreciate the ones he already provided…and I do, seriously. Last year five good friends helped me through that first birthday without John. Perhaps if I’m allowed to have people in, I could cook something I’d  really like to eat and invite them to celebrate at my house. That sounds like a great idea to me today. We’ll see how it turns out in a few months.

          I was going to do some additional work out in the garden today, but AJ’s phone call interrupted what I was doing and then I went on to other chores. It’s kind of like that joke about looking for your keys, deciding the junk drawer needs to be tamed, then doing about six other things before returning to looking for your keys. The sun is now out and I don’t work well in the sun…I’d never make it on a horticulture or landscape team. I can just hear the boss now when I say it’s too rainy, too cold, too sunny or whatever. I probably wouldn’t last a day…hell even an hour.

          So, I guess I’ll post this for tomorrow and get in the shower. I’ll go to the grocery store later today instead of early tomorrow and get myself something good for dinner. I’d better add birdseed to my list or I’ll end up coming home without it. Heck, I may even buy myself a new birdfeeder…I deserve it.

          Hope y’all are having a great weekend.

ANNABELLE AND GRATEFULNESS

In last Sunday’s paper there was an article about hydrangeas. I purchased an Annabelle some time ago and planted it on the south side of my house. Every fall I cut it back to the ground and try to yank out spreading roots. Being a good gardener, I planted two of those starts in my back garden. I have also given starts to other people.

The article called these mophead hydrangeas and I can certainly understand why because the hydrangea heads are huge…the picture posted here is actually the size of a soccer ball and it’s not the only one on this, the smallest plant. I’ve a feeling if I’m not careful, this one type of hydrangea is going to take over my entire garden.

I do have others. Last year I rescued a hydrangea that was left out with a free sign. It didn’t look too happy, but I brought it home and planted it adjacent the Annabelle. It grew and appeared to be very happy in its new location. Well, I’m going to have to dig it up and move it to another location because between the Annabelle and the Japanese anemone, it’s not going to have a chance to get very big. I also purchased a couple of other hydrangeas a couple of years ago, plus I received three as memory gifts for John. They are all growing, although the mole managed to uproot one of those I bought…I’m not sure if I can save it. The others are doing well.

The last few days have been a bit of a problem. I’ve been having trouble staying afloat emotionally. I’d really just like to stay in bed and pull the covers over my head. Angie was here for lunch on Tuesday and Claudia on Wednesday, but once they left, I returned to feeling as though I was dogpaddling through life. I want to swim, damnit!!! Anyway, since I’m having trouble thinking of things to write about, I figured I’d remedy that by writing about all the things for which I’m thankful…maybe that will drag me up out of the emotional doldrums.

I’m extremely grateful to be healthy. Yes, I do have three auto-immune diseases, but none of them keep me from walking, talking, eating or doing anything I really want/need to do. Further, I’m grateful I’ve been able to remain healthy during this pandemic by taking all the necessary precautions.

I’m extremely grateful my house doesn’t have a mortgage. What it does have is property taxes for which I requested an exemption back in March. So far, King County hasn’t awarded me a lower tax or any kind of an exemption, but when I emailed them the end of June, they told me they were working on these requests and they’d get to mine eventually. Meanwhile, I paid the tax for April and will figure something out for the end of October if I haven’t heard by then. Makes me wonder how long you can go without paying property taxes before they toss you in the street.

I’m extremely grateful for all the years I held a job and earned money. It’s my social security that is paying the bills, putting food in my cupboard, and the investments made are there if needed in an emergency.

I’m extremely grateful for my family. No, I’m not seeing them on a regular basis because of the pandemic. In fact, I’ve only seen Arayli and Xander once since February 22^nd, and Thor only a few times. I was seeing Haley weekly before she went to work and AJ a couple of times a month…AJ does call pretty much on a weekly basis. But the fact is if something horrible were to happen, I know that my family would rally round as quickly as possible in support. That knowledge is a true blessing.

I’m extremely grateful for my extended family, i.e., sister, brother, cousins, aunts and uncles. So far, they have all remained healthy and it’s also a true blessing to know that.

I am extremely grateful for my friends whether they are the ones I get to see now and then or the ones I am in contact with via email, phone or Facebook. There again, it’s a blessing to know they are all healthy and taking measures to remain that way. And when it comes to Facebook postings, I’m especially grateful for the funny ones my friends share and always try to share with them the funny ones I find. I have to work to find laughter these days.

I am extremely grateful for my garden and deck. The colors, smells, growth, sun and shade provide pleasure each and every day. My peas are finished and I cut them back, removing the remainders I hadn’t picked…I’ll be having fresh peas in my salad tonight. My tomatoes are coming on and I’ve had a couple of salads with my own freshly picked fruit. In another couple of weeks, if the weather remains good, perhaps I’ll be able to share my bounty with family and friends. The squash and pumpkin need to work a little harder on their production.

I am extremely grateful for my doggies. Their eyes are filled with love and devotion as they look at me throughout the day. Kaizer loves to go out in front with me and I allow him because he doesn’t run away. His mother, Karma, is terribly jealous, but she would run far far away and someone would have to bring her back or I’d have to go get her. She’s naughty that way. Still, the warmth of their little bodies on me (except when it’s so hot) is extremely comforting.

There are lots of other things for which I am grateful but pretty much take for granted, i.e., electricity, washer, dryer, dishwasher, water, shower, car, gas, bed, television, computer, I-pad, phone, music, refrigerator, freezer, etc., etc., etc. I’m sure it would be way more difficult to shelter-in-place without any of those modern conveniences, plus I’m sure there are others that I’ve left off the list.

I don’t know how you feel after reading this, but while I don’t feel like I’m swiftly swimming, I no longer feel as though I want to stay in bed forever. In fact, I think I’m going to print this post out and put it on my bulletin board for future reference. I mean, let’s face it, there’s little I really need or want (aside from more socialization) and I’m living a fairly blessed life which I need to recognize and appreciate way more than I’ve been doing.