Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Road Trip to Heather's Wedding: Day 1

Hey!  We got an EARLY start today to head east for my grand-niece Heather's wedding to Ben in South Carolina!  Out of the house by 10:30 a.m.!  Usually we leave just before lunch!

However, about 15 miles out of town, I discovered that I left my camera at home.  Rather than go back for it, I decided to try to find an inexpensive (if possible) camera to buy.  Since we had to find a shirt and tie for Phil, we stopped at WalMart.  Found a surprisingly low-priced camera, and shirt and tie, and we headed out again.  I spent several miles trying to figure out how to set up and use the camera without a manual - because the manual was on a CD.

So, this was the first - and accidental - photo that I shot.  I'm keeping it.  It's kind of funny.  I even had the camera upside down when it went off! (see date, time stamp in upper right corner)


Then I discovered the rapid repeating option for shooting pictures.  I saved only one of them.


 I was trying to figure out how to zoom, but didn't get it figured out until we got to the hotel tonight and I could look at the manual on the CD. So, I cropped and edited this photo so that you could see what I had wanted you to see in the photo.


 I think the truck driver is going to get a little surprise, and maybe a laugh, when he goes to the back of the truck to open the doors!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get photos of the zillions of birds that we saw fluttering around about the trees near the North Platte River at about 6 p.m.  I mean there were multiples of zillions of little black birds swooping around in the trees.  Swarms of Birds.  Billows of Birds.

But, after over 500 miles today, we are finally at the hotel and I'm really tired... but wanted you to see this kind of artsy shot I took of Phil.  Probably couldn't repeat the coloring in it, but I kind of like it.  I will have to play with the lighting adjustments on the camera, I think.  The light here is pretty low...


Tomorrow should be interesting.  We are supposed to try to find a cemetery that has a grave stone shaped like a desk. 

Then try to figure out how we will get to one of our destinations for tomorrow - to a thrift shop to find a few things we need for our responsibilities at the wedding.  Turns out that the highway we need to take was washed out in this year's flooding on the Missouri River.

However, I did figure out how to do videos on the camera... so you never know what tomorrow will bring!

So, TTFN!  (ta-ta-for-now)

Needling the Cat

It's been six weeks since I started having acupuncture to help improve my kidney function.  I know.  Disgusting.  But, we took photos so that I could (1) document results - if there were any, as I had my doubts in the very beginning, and (2) so you could see what it's like.

My ankles were pretty swollen from the edema (I could hardly wear shoes this summer because they were so uncomfortable)... as well as from scar tissue due to ankle surgery on my left ankle when I missed a few stairs in 1996, as well as damage done when I had a severe sprain on my right ankle when I missed a few stairs in 2007.  Keep me away from stairs, I guess!

About the same time that I started the acupuncture, I also started taking some Chinese herbs because dandelion leaf tincture didn't work as well.  I also stopped eating any kind of animal protein (meat, milk, eggs, cheese... you get the picture).  So, it was really kind of crazy for a few weeks until I established a repertoire of new recipe ideas (my favorite website is 101cookbooks.com, and a few others that I don't go to nearly as often) and staples in the kitchen so that I would be prepared when I got hungry.  Or "hangry" as I learned from someone else on the internet - I don't know if it was a typo that she made, but it certainly is appropriate.  Anyway, this new eating plan has been kind of interesting, and fun, but another story.  I'm not bothered at all by not eating animal products - I like what I'm eating these days; but I still have to cook for someone who can eat whatever he wants, and another who is fairly picky.  OK.  Maybe very picky.

Anyway, I think this photo is the one we took to show the "before".  Week 1, Treatment 1.


The first needles were placed in my lower back, along the spine - I think a direct attack for the kidneys.


Then, arms, hands, legs and ankles... from my POV...



And from Phil's POV...


And this is what it looks like as the needles are going in...


Voodoo?  That's what it looks like, huh? 

When the needles are inserted, some of them sting quite a bit.  Some of them send strange nerve kind of sensations to other parts of the body... most of the needles stay in about 15 minutes or so... some of them come out right away because I can't stand it any longer! The needles in the scar on my left ankle hurt the most... and sometimes when the needles come out, there is blood... won't show you the photos - it's not a lot, just a few drops.

The results?

The creatinine levels in my blood test were too high before my first treatment and using the herbs.  But, after four weeks and four treatments, my creatinine levels decreased by 10%.  In another couple of weeks I'll have another blood test to see if there has been any more improvement.

For now, my ankles don't swell as quickly after treatments, which is nice.  In a few more weeks, I'll document progress on my ankles and blood tests again.  Watch for more updates!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

The Fox that Turned into a Raccoon

Boy!  What a surprise we had tonight!  Skippy "treed" a raccoon on our deck light!


At first we thought that the "fox" that has been stealing the fruit from the picnic table (that we put out for the house finches - and robins in the summer) was really this raccoon after all.  But, no... Both of us remembered that we HAVE seen the fox out there on the deck getting the fruit from the picnic table.  But this raccoon idea... this is something new.  

Skippy is such a good dog!  We had to bring him inside so that the raccoon might be able to get down and get away... but Skippy is looking at it through the deck door and isn't even barking or scratching at the door.  Gosh, he's such a good dog.  It isn't even 3 o'clock in the morning yet!  :-)

Too bad I didn't get a video of the raccoon getting down... I just missed getting my camera in time.  We were checking to see if he was still there - and he was, but just so you'll know... He somehow maneuvered down, wrapped his legs around the light pole and climbed down, running away down Skippy's handicapped dog ramp.

I wonder if he'll ever come back... there are still some plums on the table that we put out there today...