Saturday, July 27, 2013

Time Flies!

Another 10 days have slipped by since my last post.  We have been seeing our doctor and our pooches veterinarians for annual checkups.  Rosie was experiencing increased symptoms of Hyperthyroidism and the blood workup showed higher than normal thyroid levels.  Her medication dose has been adjusted and she is feeling better already.  I had a Cardioversion procedure for my A-Fib.  This procedure involves being knocked out for a few minutes and having an electrical shock applied to your heart to put it back in normal rhythm.  It was explained to me that this works 100% of the time; the question is “for how long”.  That answer can vary from a few minutes to a lifetime.  I am not sure if mine lasted for the last 2 days or not.  I have a follow up on August 8th and we shall see.  I am feeling, to use a medical term, “less crappy” than I was feeling.

We have also been out to eat with friends, visiting with friends, going to the Farmers Market for fresh produce and farm fresh eggs (what a treat they are), and various other contacts with local friends.   Some time ago, I decided to give up fishing.  I haven’t gone fishing for over a year and have simply lost interest in the sport.  So I have sold my Sea Eagle inflatable boat, an 8’ Fisherman’s Special, along with a lot of fishing tackle.  Still have a some tackle left.  Anything not sold will be donated to our church for their annual auction fundraiser in late August.

Rosie thought it would be nice if I would post some pictures of the “falls” of Idaho Falls, here they are:

 

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Love how the waterfowl stand on the edge of the falls.

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The white building in the background is the Idaho Falls Mormon Temple.

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Another view of the falls.

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This is a water feature sculpture in a traffic circle about a mile from the falls.

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A close-up of a Canadian goose on the edge of the falls.

The weather is cooling down.  We had a nice rain this afternoon.  Thanks for stopping by.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Idaho Heat!

Yes Martha it is hot in Idaho.  Even a little humid for this part of the country.  I really like the guy who invented air conditioning.

It has been about 10 days from my last writing.  My excuses are that we have been really busy and that I am getting a little lazy about my writing commitment.  After leaving Rapid City, we spent one night in Buffalo, WY and one night in Columbus, MT.  Rosie calls these overnights “One Night Stands” and says she does not like them.  We pulled into the Snake River RV Park in Idaho Falls on Wednesday afternoon and set up in our favorite site.  Our friends, Brian and Teresa Morris have been here for a week and greeted us warmly.

Thursday evening we went to our local social gathering at Drinking Liberally (yep, we are liberals) and re-connected with a lot of old friends.  Friday we both had appointments with our Ophthalmologist.   I learned the cataract in my left eye is not bad enough for Medicare to pay for the surgery.  We both got new prescriptions.  Rosie will get prescription reading glasses for the first time in her life at almost 73 years young.  I will get prescription sunglasses since my eyes haven’t changed much and my current glasses will be just fine.  In the evening, we were guests for dinner at Brian and Teresa’s campsite.  Saturday we picked up fresh veggies and fresh farm eggs at the local farmer’s market, then stopped by to visit with our old friends, Joe and Ann Hayes.   They have two new little pooches, a Dachshund and a Chihuahua, both adorable.  Sunday it was off to church (Unitarian Universalist).  It was good to see all of our fellow parishioners after almost a year.  Monday was blood work after 12 hours of fasting (I hate that).  My INR (blood thickness) was normal after being a little too thin on the last 2 tests.  Tuesday I was off to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a couple of inspections.  One of them was on a guest ranch that gets $13,500 for a week for 2 persons in a cabin with meals included, plus some guided hiking, trail rides and skeet shooting.  Wow!  Today Rosie went back to the Ophthalmologist to check on the improvement in one eye from excessive tearing (the moisture kind, not the ripping up kind).

It has been busy.  Nothing new to take pictures of so far.

Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, July 8, 2013

On The Move Again

My annual family reunion on Colome South Dakota ended yesterday, Sunday, and we have moved to Rapid City, South Dakota.  The reunion was wonderful, as it always is.  There were five generations at the reunion.  My Aunt Rita was there, as was her daughter, Connie; Connie’s daughter Sandy; Sandy’s daughter Sammie; and Sammie’s two daughter’s.  I wish I could have taken a picture, but I missed the opportunity.

Among all the other activities, we had a great fireworks show put together by Merle and Damon Pochup, along with other family members helping out.  One of my brothers showed up in a new (to him) motorhome he bought on the spur of the moment in Rapid City.  So there were three of us brothers on site, set up in two motor homes and us in our Alpenlite.  Here are some pictures from the weekend:

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Friday morning sunrise.

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Family names on banners on the barn.

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The little ones, and some older ones, had a great time on this.

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It is hard to get photos of fireworks.

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The RV’s of the three brothers.

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Me with my Aunt Rita, 91 years young and family matriarch.

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A pretty young girl with a cute pooch.

Sunday we pulled to the Teepee Campground in Rapid City, SD.  We got together for a nice shrimp dinner with my brothers Ron and Roger, and their wives at Ron’s home here in Rapid City.  Stopped at Safeway on the way home for food and fuel.  This morning we are headed out for Buffalo, WY, on our way to Idaho Falls, ID.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Campground Review–Chadron State Park

This is one of our favorite campgrounds.  We have been here 2 times in the past on the way to the family reunion.  This is a Nebraska State Park with large, level, paved sites and 30 amp electricity.  There is a dump station with a fresh water fill.  There is a good variety of trees in the hillsides and meadows.  The Park mows a wide swath through several areas of the tall grass to make hiking trails.  There are flush toilets and hot showers included in the rate of $18 a night plus a $5 per day entrance fee with the choice of a $25 annual fee.  So any stay over five nights costs $25 for an annual parks pass, which can be used in other Nebraska State Parks and/or Recreation Areas.  Here are some pictures:

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We arrived on Saturday and got all settled in.  Sunday was a Wal-Mart and Safeway run. Monday was a Laundromat visit and propane refill as well as topping off the diesel in the truck at $3.84 per gallon.  I have spent most of everyday writing reports from my insurance inspection work in Colorado.  I hope to polish off the last report tomorrow so I can rest and recuperate at the family reunion from Thursday to Sunday.

My health seems to be improving slightly every day.  My blood pressure is down to a good level and I am in A-Fib less and less.  The medications seem to be working better since my Primary Care Physician in Conifer Colorado adjusted my medications.  I seem to have a little more energy, but there are no marathons in my future.

Here are the numbers for June:

Camping – $808.00  ($26.93per night) (higher than I like)
Diesel Fuel when pulling – $115.00
Truck Service/Repairs – $893.76(Engine Repairs and Oil Change; includes one day car rental)
RV  Repairs/Service – $0.00
Generator Gas/Propane - $0.00

Metered Electricity – $0.00

Satellite TV/Radio – $81.65
Campground Pet Fees – $0.00
Laundry – $15.00

Total = $1,913.41

Thanks for stopping by!