the twisty road

I was going to try to be more deliberate about being in this space.  That was before the road became more twisty.  Life is just chaotic.  Then add that my Dad is nearing the end of his life, and the road becomes more twisty.  I do try to walk every day.  I found a taste of autumn near my Dad's house this week.

I feel like I am not home much, which I am not really.  I try to see my Dad every two weeks.  This summer there were times that there were no doctors' appointments and we drove around Washington state.  We took one of his shotguns and one of his pistols to my mountain and shot.  Then, we drove through two different passes in the Cascades.  That was 450 miles of driving.  Two weeks later we drove 600 miles to and from The Palouse.  It is also an area of Washington.

He really seemed to enjoy it.  But he is not moving well.  He is very slowly and, more ,the balance is not there.  He is thinking about the next road trip.  Did I get any pictures?  No.  I did all the driving.  I would like to go back to The Palouse and take more time for pictures.  Down the road.

I took the boys with me one of the weeks I went to see my Dad.  We did a short road trip.  We went up to our mountain.  We took a tree out from across our road with hand saws.  We got it done.  Yes, there are chain saws there but I felt it would have taken me as long to get the chain saws out and working as it did for us to hand saw it.  The only casualty was my dress.  I put a hole in it with the last tooth of the hand saw.

My whole family went on a trip to Colorado.  We stayed first at Black Canyon in Gunnison National Park.  It was good but three days in we felt like we had done everything we wished to do.  The canyon is gorgeous but there are not a lot of hikes.  We like hiking.  

So we took a risk, broke down camp, and went to see if we could find another campground down the road.  If not, we would slowly head home, camping all the way.  We found a lovely National Forest campground outside Ouray, Colorado.  Angel Creek.  It was more us.  More trees.  More everything if that makes sense.  Ouray had a public mineral hot spring and the boys adored it.  

We also went on a hike to the Alpine Mine.  It is a defunct gold mine.  How do we always pick the hike that is challenging?  It was only about a 4 mile hike but it had 2000 feet of elevation change in that four miles.  It is listed as moderate but not after coming up from sea level less then a week before.  Or having COVID in the last three months.  But we made.  It was gorgeous.  The velociraptor had to be carried most of the way up but flew all the way down.  Always interesting.  We all felt that this is the campground we should have been at the whole time.  We also want to go back.  There is just a lot more to explore and hike in the region.  And we are hikers.  More like saunters but we get there!

We did not wish to leave.  The last day of the drive back, the velociraptor broke his right arm at a Safety Area playground.  The TxDOT personnel were wonderful.  We were near Quanah, Texas and the county hospital there was lovely.  We did have to go into Fort Worth and he had surgery on his arm to set it and Cook Children's Hospital.  Add excitement to a vacation!  We drove home the next day.  Blue was in a lot of pain.  He is now doing better but still in a cast with pins.  The x-rays show that bone was pretty shattered.  He is supposed to keep his feet on the ground.  I am just lucky if he is not running!  Another couple weeks and hopefully, cast and pins are gone.

I have changed my creating for all the travel.  Everything is by hand.  I have started to make my dresses by hand because it is so much  more portable.  It also slows the process down.  My making a dress on a sewing machine could be considered fast fashion.  I also had a handful of dresses shrink up.  Or I want a longer length.  I am not sure which currently.  I am sure I am enjoying longer.

But those dresses and the one that got eaten by the hand saw have all become linen slips.  I can always use more slips, especially since the one I have are on their last legs.  Some were even my Mom's.  Nylon and polyester does not work very well in the heat we have had this summer.

The twists in the road is this season of life.  An added twist this autumn will be the boys brick and mortar school.  The first week is gone and they seem to be enjoying it.  Logistics are everything!  Just managing the day to day has been a lot. 

I also find I do not like to write when the house is too loud.  It is always loud now.  I am trying to find quiet for myself.  When I travel, especially alone, I seek out libraries.  But traveling alone, other than to my Dad's, does not happen often.  Finding time to be creative is hard.  Finding time to be sane is hard.  Mostly, it is walking right now.  Even more, when I can walk alone.  Exhaustion is real.

brain musings

In early August, I got my second opinion about my eye.  Since then, I have been trying to figure out in my brain what to do next.  And take care of all the people in my life who I take care of.

The second opinion is that I will need a cornea transplant.  The ophthalmologist believes this would have happened with or without the injury from the ax.  The head trauma just made it happen now.  She believes that I have something called ICE syndrome.  What caused it?  Not sure.  It may be viral.  My arthritis may be a factor.  It will be a factor about how long the transplant would last.  It is possible I would need a cornea transplant every five years.

I am wondering if this is a way for my body to tell me to rest.  To take care of myself instead of others.  The surgery would also require a cataract surgery at the same time.  I would need to be flat on my back for three days (45 minutes out of every hour).  I am not sure how that would happen with my life.  My boys really like Alaska The Last Frontier and they say a lot "with this lifestyle, this is how this works."  That is how I feel about this surgery.  With my life, how would I make it work.

I have medical ground work to do and tall short person has school where I watch the boys twice a week.  My ophthalmologist is changing practices.  The surgery I would need is also not common so there is usually only a few surgeons in a city that can do it.  Whether Houston or Seattle, it will take doing.

During all this, I have been back and forth to my Dad's too.  More doctors appointments.  Shoe shopping that turned into a doctors appointment.  Potential of more surgery.  My sister found a companion for him so that is less of a worry.  He did fine by himself but he did not really wish to be alone in case something happened.  As he pointed out, health decline can happen fast and everyone else is a flight away.  I do not worry so much if I cannot get up there every other week.  And with doctor appointments, work, and family, sometimes it doe not work that well.

We planned a trip to Homer this fall.  That is where these pictures are coming from.  I really like picking a state, then a small town, and going.  I gave the boys the choice of Utah, the mountain, or Alaska.  They chose Alaska.  I then said Sitka, Homer, or Kodiak.  They said Homer because we had already done Sitka.  It was a long flight and a unexpectedly long drive to Homer.  The four hour drive turned more into six.  Would I do it again?  Yes.

Homer is a small town.  It was shoulder season so we missed some festivals.  The autumn colors were lovely.  The temperatures were wonderful.  We had much rain for a few days so I was glad the duplex we rented had a washer and dryer.

Was there a lot to do in Homer?  Not really.  The Pratt museum was good, especially with Blue who ran through it but thought all the skeletons of animals were great.  The Wildlife Refuge Center was also good, but again boys attention spans.  There was shopping but the main place we went was the hardware store.  There were a lot of places that were already closed for the season, especially on the spit. 

I did look up a lot of the easy hikes.  Blue does not really do distances yet.  I was trying to keep the hikes under 2 miles and they worked for him.  Both energy and attention span.  Bear grumbled about every hike until he was on it and then he would say it was the best time ever!  We went walked the beach, walked the Beluga Slough Trail, Alpine Meadows loop, and Calvin and Coyle Trail.  I could have walked more but all of these worked with ALL the boys.  

I would actually go back when we can saunter longer.  But I have a feeling that another small town will be fixed next.  Driving to Anchorage has also been talked about.  I also really liked that we had a duplex with our own kitchen and washer and dryer.  We ate much better because of it.  We ate once in Homer at Thai Cosmic Kitchen.  Highly recommend.  It is some of the best Thai food I have had.  I was told Thai food is very popular in Alaska.

Adventures are good.  

soul walking

I read the title of my last post and laughed.  The end of January and the beginning of February were more of the same.  My Dad caught COVID and then turned to me saying his legs were very swollen.  Congestive heart failure.

I have spent a lot of time at my Dad's.  He is actually doing well.  I took him to the doctor as soon as he mentioned his legs were swollen.  It was one of the symptoms my Mom had that all was not right.  I do not take that symptom lightly.  He was still coughing last week and tired but the swelling had gone way down.  The diuretic they put him on is also helping to break up the crud in his chest from COVID.  Hopefully, his heart will heal some.  I truly think COVID may have triggered the congestive heart failure.

I have been treating my eye.  During all the health concerns with my Dad, I saw my opthomaligist again.  I am now seeing a cornea specialist.  My eye was healing and now it is not.  It got worse.  They do not know if it is an allergic reaction, a bacterial infection, viral infection, or fungal.  Right now, I am being weaned of the sterioid drops before I see the cornea specialist again.

During all of this, I was reading a book about New Orleans.  I texted my Beloved and said I wanted to go visit again.  He said when?  And that was how hard it was to make it happen.  My soul needed the visit.

We stayed at the French Market Inn on Decatur.  Other then pricey parking, it was a really great location for all we wished to do.  We ate at the Gumbo Shop in the Quarter both nights because they were just that good.  Plus they had gluten free and vegan options.  We drove Uptown and at breakfast at Surrey's.  Another great experience.  Then we walked the neighborhoods.  Fifteen miles later.

I took pictures of houses because we are remodeling.  We are expanding the shop and remodeling the house.  The house needs tender loving care after all these years.  There are colors on houses in New Olreans.  We walked past House Floats.  Something that has happened in the city since COVID.  We eventually ended up back in the Quarter.

We walked and shopped a little bit in the Quarter.  Found some photography in the French Market we loved.  I splurged on myself and bought handcrafted hats from Fluer De Paris.  Since I am supposed to wear a hat every time I go outside, it was a practical indulgence even though it was very much an indulge.  I tried a dress on and, if I have a formal event to go to, I will either go shopping again there or make myself something similar.

It was a lovely time.  No worries about my Dad.  No children included.  We will go back soon with the boys.  We have a couple places we wish to go back too.  We will go camping first though.  That is if my life does not go sidewise again.  Then I will need another long walking day in the Crescent City.

Wheeler Peak

Before my last trip to my Dad's (he is healing very slowly, but healing), I got told my Beloved was asked to take a break from the shop.  He actually was not asked that nicely but I do not have the exact wording.  I call it being kicked out.  He needed a break.  

I have missed road trips and I knew I did not wish to stay in Texas.  My thought was the Georgia O'Keefe museum in Santa Fe, NM.  I found us a beautiful campsite with space and we went.  

Honestly, the first day we mostly we vegetables.  The second day we went into Santa Fe and walked past some galleries and went so some museums.  Mostly were vegetables.  The third day we went for a saunter.

The original hike was to Williams Lake in the Taos Ski Basin.  We had plenty of water and had gone back to the are for snacks and a shirt for me to use as a sun protector.  Easy hike.  "Lots" of people.  On the way to the hike I noticed that there was also a hike to Wheeler peak.  While we were enjoying the view and lake, we talked about going up the Wheeler Peak trail.

We started up that trail.  It was steeper and quieter.  About a quarter or a third of the way up my Beloved was ready to turn back.  Until I found out that Wheeler Peak was the highest point in NM (there was signal).  Then we had to get to the top.

On the way up there were big horn sheep and marmots.  Steep.  I was doing a lot of resting at each switch back change.  Also, take ten steps and rest.  The wind was blowing so hard that I could not get enough air.  I know part of it was the elevation because we did not wait long enough to acclimate before we decided to do the hike.  100 ft to 13189 in four days time.

But we made it.

It was probably the hardest thing I have ever done in one day.  I was actually thinking I was out of shape until my Beloved said it was hard.  He never says that.  I also talked to another friend who had done it.  She said it was very hard too and she is in really good shape. 

It was beautiful.  

I could have taken more pictures I guess but I did not.  The walk down was much easier.  I slipped a bit though.  My Beloved ordered me walking sticks when we got back because I am unsteady when my knees and hips get tired.  I still have a good bruise.

The next day I found a place that had mineral baths to soak in.  Ojo Spa was a lovely experience and I think it helped me walk better the next day.  Especially since we were driving home the next day.  

Our last partial day in New Mexico, we wandered around part of downtown.  We ate well at the Apothecary Resturant.  It was one of the best meals I had on the trip.  The other really good meal was in Amarillo during the drive home.  We ate dinner at Yellow City Street Food.  Those two meals are probably the best meals I have had out in a long time.  Unless it is a chef I know who is cooking.  Because of knives, we get spoiled.

We are going back to New Mexico with Koda Bear and Blue at the end of August and do the Williams Lake walk with them. We are going to rent a camper van to see if it we like it.  We are testing camping options so we can camp more through the year.  We no longer wish to tow and we have ideas on what we would like.  I suggested we rent so we can try different options before we buy.  Yes, it can be a pricey option but it is cheaper then realizing you do not wish something. 

I miss road trips.  I have been flying a lot for my Dad but I really like driving better.  I like seeing what I am traveling past and it slows life down.  Slowing down is a good thing. 

and back again

I am back again after being at my Dad's last week.  The doctor's anointment went better then we expected so that is good.  He still has more tests to do mid-November and I will be there for those.  Then, maybe surgery?

We got the walk behind tractor to the mountain.  It worked well but we already broke the front shielding off the brush hog.  But there are lots of blackberries cut down.  

And we actually have a field again!  This is very exciting.  The walk behind tractor is smaller then our large one.  We also do not have the brush hog for the big tractor.  The small one gets into places the big one cannot go.  It is almost too big me to run but I can run it for a couple hours and get more done in then I can in a whole day.  Though I still sleep very well at night!

The sun in the two previous pictures was much of the sun we got.  It sleeted once and snowed once on the mountain.  At my Dad's it rained.  I brought a piece of silk with me so I could play with ecoprinting.  I let it soak in a pot of dead tea leaves, and then a pot of Epsom salts.  I wondered around my Dad's yard and picked up leaves and berries.  I found a stick to wrap the bundle up.  I tied it all up with a piece of string and left it in a bush.  I will see what it looks like in February or March.

I may take a light colored dress up with me next and do the same.  I really do not wear light colors.  I have some wool dresses from when I worked corporate jobs that could use some darker colors.  One is in a dead tea pot with a scarf and silk skirt currently.  I treated myself to dye and blanks.  It could end up very interesting.  But it is making me feel creative.

I find when I spend all my time working for Serenity Knives or making face masks, I just stop feeling creative.  I need some making of my own.  I have a dress wandering around in my brain that I will make soon, even though I do not need a new dress.  But it will be the only way to get it out. 

Spinning helps.  Crocheting helps.  I am currently trying to decide on colors to make the shawl I started during quarantine larger.  I stared with skeins of yarn that I did not use for another project and the shawl is just not big enough.  I am looking at other skeins and leftovers and trying to decide what I do next.  It will be an interesting creating when it is done.