Test Results

My grandson definitely has Charcot-Marie-Tooth
Disease.  After a careful examination, the
neurologist said his particular case was worse,
more progressive than other children.  He was
discussing his ability to run and how that would
be affected first.  I explained that he had NEVER
been able to run.  He then attempted to get my
grandson to stand on one foot which he was
unable to do.  That is when he told us that his
disease had progressed much farther than
was usual.  He also said, in response to his
father's statement regarding how much
exercise his son got over the weekends, that
he needed to be careful to exercise because
it would be easy to cause bone fractures in
a child such as he.

His father after leaving stated he was not
giving up--that he felt it could be reversed
with enough exercise.  This was said to me
only.  I replied, "Do you ever listen?  This is
about (son's name), not you.  He is fragile.
Do you remember what you said when he was
two years old?  You told me that he was put
through all the genetic  testing and there was
nothing wrong with him and I replied back
that just because those tests were negative
didn't mean there was nothing wrong with
him and I knew (clinically speaking, as a
nurse, normal, he (grandson) wasn't
normal.

The first time he was taken to a developmental
pediatrician, He was diagnosed as Autistic,
Pervasive or Global Developmental
Delays and Hypotonia.  Later ADD and
then HDAD was added.  His initial
pediatrician was on the correct track
when she ordered genetic testing
especially for Muscular Dystrophy.
The Heman Genome project had not
been completed at that time;  all the
test results came back negative.

Last year my grandson did well in
school; he was behind but only by
6 months.  This year, in the second
grade, he has went backwards, only
able to read 3 letter words, and simple
ones at that.  The neurologist knew no
reason for this, and an appointment was
made for genetic counseling. That will
take place Jan. 28.  The next custody
hearing is on the 23rd..  This driving
him 46 miles one way to school is
insane and my daughter has been
trying to get a hearing since this summer.
Each month it has been postponed.
A special needs child's needs have
been overlooked. Ignored.  Plus,
his father does not try to understand
what is wrong with his son.  To quote
him, "Why bother finding out what is
wrong with him when there is nothing
that can be done?"  He just didn't want to know
that something was wrong--and it was traced
back to him, and to his mother.  His Dad
played football, very unlikely that his side
of the family contributed the one gene
necessary for this disease.  His mother's
sister had severe scoliosis the same as
grandson's father.

In my family tree, there was one case of
scoliosis in one aunt.  None of the children
had it or any type of leg weakness.  Two
members had psoriasis, and three members
had Raynaud' syndrome.  One uncle died
of heart disease.  Most family members
as they aged had hypertension.  One aunt
had history of strokes, and her youngest
daughter also had stokes.  That same daughter
also had severe life-threatening allergies--and
I alsohave a history of severe allergies.

My daughter inherited skin allergies from me
and flat feet from her father.  No problems
with heart or blood pressure.

I have a neice who has Durcum's disease,
which causes lipomas throughout her body.
I know I have 2 lipomas, mine are not
painful and not very large.  Hers are painful
and large.

Other than history of stroke, diabetes and
severe scoliosis, and now, the Charcot-Marie-
Tooth disease, Type 1A, that is only history
known from father's side of family.  They
tend to be closed off, not communicative
regarding family history.  Neither my
grandson or his father have reflexes in the
feet or legs.

All for now

Kate Thorn

Rain on Christmas

This morning it was foggy; tonight it has rained and
rained. We ate so much a lunch/dinner that we
were too full to do anything but lounge around.  My
daughter had to go work tonight.  My grandson had
to go to his Dad's,  so the house is quiet and
peaceful.  My partner, after cooking a wonderful
meal, went to watch a ballgame and fell asleep.





So now it's only Daisy and I holding down the
fort this rainy night.  I am listening to Pandora,
the folk Christmas music.  Soothing, peaceful.
Some of it is definitely more classical than folk.
I prefer that actually.





Tomorrow is the day we go to the neurologist
about my grandson.  I will be so relieved after
that appointment.  Then to get busy on my
book again. 





Frankie was back on the front porch eating
his dinner tonight.  She/he is so neat and tidy
regarding eating.  There is never a crumb left.




I was reading in one of my gardening books
regarding pennyroyal.  It deters fleas and
mosquitos.  I wasn't planting it due to the
poisonous warning.  I imagine outside creatures
already know this.  I lived in a huge house once--
there were plenty (too many) spiders in the basement,
I put one drop of pennyroyal in the corner
of each room.  I never was plagued with
spiders.




All for tonight





Kate Thorn

Winter Birds and Dizzy Daisy

A new bird was spotted yesterday afternoon.
It was either an Orchard Oriole or a Baltimore
Oriole.  I couldn't determine which in that short
time period.  There was a large woodpecker
spotted.  My partner said it was a pilieated
woodpecker, but I saw it today and was able
to use the binoculars--and I don't know what
kind it was.  I didn't see any red, as it was facing
me.  It was all gray breasted with a dark band
of black around his neck.




At the feeders today, the chickadees, and
nuthatches were so busy zooming in and out.
They were taking turns. Seriously.  One would
wait, perched in the tree, while another one
would feed.  The one waiting would fly in
as soon as the other left.  Daisy couldn't
even nap.  She was crackly meows and head
moving back and forth as the birds switched
places.  She was tuckered this evening.
Been doing nothing but sleeping.




Something is chasing away Frankie--
definitely not a cat--the dry cat food was
still there--only the egg salad was missing.




All for tonight



Kate Thorn

Daisy Gets a Christmas Card

Yes, Daisy got a Christmas card yesterday!
From my partner's Mom--

"Dear Daisy, Here are some playmates
until I return,  I shall bring goodies for
our snacks and 2nd breakfast.  Tell Kate
to take good care of you and love you
a lot.    Love, Granny Anne"


Daisy has never had a grandmother
before, and she loves it.  The joys of
a granny for Daisy include frequent
hand fed snacks.  If Anne eats, Daisy
eats.  After her last visit, Daisy is
absolutely insistant on having some
(only a little bit) lunch.

Daisy is so insistent on lunch that she
is not to be ignored.  I just can't scold
her for harassment--she has heart
disease--I can't fuss at her.  We
count each day she is with us as
a blessing. 

My niece has a dog that is as
personable as Daisy..  If you say
the "F" word, the dog takes off
and runs downstairs to the basement.
I am serious!  And this isn't the
cursing F but the casual F.  Bad
language isn't tolerated by her
dog.  Not at all.  Just as Daisy
complains that all bedclthothes
must be without wrinkles and I
am to lay very still or she will
get out of bed and stalk off.

My partner has been eating a
lot beans, and excreting noisy
gas.  He made the mistake
of doing such after picking up
Daisy who gave him a hard look
for such an offense.  Today he
picked her up, and she noise-
lessly returned the favor.  I've
been on the receiving end--
and seriously, I had to shower
and change clothes.  That bad.

All for now.

Kate Thorn

Frankie

Frankie is eating on the front porch now, since
the large possum ran her off.  Last night, my
daughter and grandson watched through the
window as Frankie ate.  It was the first time my
grandson had seen Frankie--especially close up. 
We watched as she meticulously cleaned her
plate, then she ever so politely left. 




Daisy, on the other hand, did not have a good
night last night.  I ended up giving a 1/4 of a
Lasix tab after I had given her Benazepril  3
hours earlier.  Her cardiomyopathy kicks up
about once a week, but even then, in the
mornings, she has designated bird
watching times.





I'm hungering for Spring--wanting to plant
flowers and veggies.  I really hate waiting.





Part of Christmas present was a new bathing
suit and a one-month Y membership.  I am
looking forward to going.  I am starting my
plan to try to improve my physical health early
this year. I found some Yoga and Tai Chi DVD's
on Amazon. I haven't decided which to get. 






And--You do know as long as believe in
Santa, he'll come to see you.  Bailey asked
about whether Santa was real or not.  I
dodged and told him about my daughter's
favorite Christmas.  Santa brought her a tree
that year.  He said,  "A tree?  Was it
decorated?"  I told him that Santa did things
right--of course it was decorated.  Then I
told him that she got a puppy and a train
set the same year, but her favorite
thing was the tree.  She truly believed
in Santa magic. 





Christmas is nearly here.  I need to start
making cookies and caskes.  Focus on
the positive side of life--the many things
I have to feel grateful about.





Merry Christmas!




Blessings to all!




Kate Thorn
 

Frankie---and Jonnie and new pictures

Interesting turn of events--we have been feeding two Possums.
The bigger one that eats so much I named Jonnie.  Franlie, my
friendly possum, showed up on our porch after some catfood
I put out.  I wanted to see if the two possums were only one;
my partner assured me they were two, not one.  My Frankie,
the little possum who grins at me and seems to know his name
was the only one on the front page.  I guess from now on,
Frankie gets his meal at the edge of the porch.





The Christmas tree was put up last night.  Pictures of the tree
and fall and winter scenes to follow.

Xmas tree 2012

In case you can't read this --it is bird reading a book on people watching

Part of the drive my daughter was court ordered to make --46 miles one way--what was that judge thinking?

Daisy before she became a one eyed cat

Serious Times

Divorce and child custody.  No, you can't get any
more serious than that.  Husband was taken on
Domestic Violence charges. Ten days later at the
hearing, the court was still in session at 6:00 pm. 
The judge convinced my daughter that it would be
in her best interest to drop the charge to a civil one. 
He assured us everything would exactly the same,
but the wording.  One, that was totally false.  He
wouldn't be able to go for custody if convicted of
Domestic Violence.  Two, legally speaking, the
judge was breaking the law by advising her.  I
didn't know that; neither did my daughter.




My grandson needed surgery, minor, but he doesn't
tolerate anesthesia well, so my daughter consulted with her
lawyer regarding letting the father come to out patient
site so as to be near their son.  The lawyer thought
that would a good thing--showing her to be a
reasonable and caring parent.  More about that
later.





The house she was trying to live in was in need of
so many repairs (jointly owned property), that she
could no longer keep up with all the repairs.  We
paid for many of them, and she later paid us back.
When I bought this house, she and my grandson
moved into one end of it.  This was a temporary
measure, until property settlement could be
reached.  We were told that the property
settlement must be settled in a years time.
Maybe that is true is some counties where
law is practiced as it should be.  Not in
this county.





The judge told him to start paying child support
in November of last year.  He started paying
at the end of January, after my daughter went
to the the 4D child support enforcement agency.
My grandson is special needs--in behavior,
in maturity, physically, healthwise, and mentally. 
He is sick a great deal.  He requires a great deal
of therapy--social skills for autistic
children that is available  in this county, but not
the other county.  She is spending money, lots
of it.  Some her insurance covers to a degree.
There is a 1700.00 out of pocket expense and
that is met for  the year.  These expenses do not
cover summer camp programs or the autistic
programs.  In fact, any therapy ordered for autism
is not covered by her insurance.





They went to mediation for a while--then
he went for full custody.  This, my dauther,
didn't see coming.  The same judge who
advised  her to drop the domestic violence
wording, rules against her in the sense that
he gave the Dad part legal custody, in that
he was allowed to go to all the Dr.s
appointments, and therapies and sit in the
same room with my daughter.  My
grandson's behavior started to worsen.
He also lost weight; his eating was fine here,
but Dad told the doctor he wanted
medications changes made as his son wasn't
eating at his house. 





My daughter had picked a church with
her son in mind.  He loved the church.
There were no kids in his Sunday
School other than him at his Dad's church. 
He was required to stay through preaching
which hurt his ears.  If he started his
stemmingautistic behavior, his Dad would
pinch him on the leg.  Never enough to leave
a mark.  He learned about leaving a
mark (a hand sized bruise) when he was
a baby.  Who that cares about their
child that would strike a child that hard
when they're a baby?




The church gave him more time with
his father; grandson was forced to
spend all day Sunday with him, as
well as Friday form 3:00 to Sunday
at 5:00. 






That's the minor stuff.  He ruled that
this special needs child, who was
already enrolled to go to school in
this community--4 miles from the
house--be enrolled in the same
school for the upcoming school
year and that my daughter was to
transport him to said school each
day.  That school was 1 hour and
15 minutes and 46 miles away.
Due to drive back and forth to take
son to school, this ruling by
this judge cost her 600.00 a
month in addition to all the medical
bills her son had.  She has 17.00
left over out of the child support
check to go towards her son.  This
was not justice; this was a mockery.





I am personally so stressed I want
to leave this house that I so love
and move to Seattle--as far away
as I get from that family, and that
county's, toxicity.  Never would I
believed that any judge could be so
cruel and thoughtless, but corruption
is the norm in that county.





Women, like me, who speak their
minds, are not welcome.  The women
are supposed to subservient to the
almighty males--and this, form her
lawyer, who doesn't even want me
in the county the day of the trial.





This county is such a joke that
they put a metal detector in the
courthouse this past year--if you
have a purse or briefcase, you
hand that to the deputy, walk on
through and he hands you back
your purse/briefcase.  At no time
do they look inside of either.  I
couldn't believe it when I first saw
the way they handled things.




All for now.




Kate Thorn

Daisy and Frankie

My cat Daisy is jealous--always has been jealous--but now she's
jealous of Frankie--the Reluctant to be Seen Marsupial.  Each
evening, after dark, usually around 9 PM, I take a paper plate
full of kinds of leftovers from the day.  We take turns preparing
the meal--but the plate is topped with fresh fruit and syrup. 
Yeah, he is one extremely spoiled possum. 




Daisy lurks around the door.  She knows there is no cat
smell, so she don't understand what it is that we're feeding,
but she lets her opinion be known--she is wholly against
our feeding anything but and the birds.  If we didn't feed the
birds, her free entertainment would be gone. 




Frankie lives somewhere in our yard.  Not sure where yet,
but he'll come shuffling through the leaves, if we call him
after we take the food out to the feeder, which is almost
too little for his head.  He pulls the entire plate out and has
himself a fine feast.  He does leave the plate under the shelter
of the feeder when its raining, and still manages to lick his
plate clean.




Daisy is OCD  and a clean freak.  I'm a lackadaisical house-
keeper.  She insists on a neat, wrinkle free bed.  There have
times that the top covers were wrinkled and she wouldn't
allow me to go to sleep unless I straightened the entire bed.
Changing the linens, she jumps in the middle of the bed and
purrs up a storm.   She walked so carefully on my desk, that
I swore I wouldn't let her on, that I cleaned 90% of my things
off it and set them in floor beside me.  This is a "working" desk
with dictionaries, rough drafts of my book, Christmas cards,
and other related things on it.  But she gets her way every
time.  How can you say No to a one-eyed cat with end
stage cardiomyopathy?  She rules the house--no doubt
about it.




All for today




Kate Thorn

Frankie Update

My partner and I have had debates about whether Frankie, the
Friendly Marsupial, is male or female.  The last time we got a good
look at him was when he trapped himself in the cat trap--since
then, it has been only shadowy outlines.  Late last night, I got a
really good look at him, and he has really grown.  The bird
feeder that sits on the ground is where we put his food--I don't
think he could get inside of it--it is a covered one--that is why
we never see anything but his face.  But last night he was eating
from the front; he is definitely far larger than the feeder, which is
a large feeder.  He is taller than the feeder--and his fur has changed.
It was kind of shaggy--now it has evened out, and it is a lovely
shade of silver.  It made me feel good to see him  flourishing.
It's obvious that he is not the little scrawny possum we first
started feeding.

All for tonight.

Kate Thorn

Chilly Temperatures and Hungry Critters

The temperature has dropped down to the 20's.  Not good weather
for possums, birds, or squirrels.  My snake plants accidentally were
left on the front porch, and I know I'll lose parts of them; I am hoping
I am able to save the majority of the plants.

It was so cold Frankie didn't come out to eat one night.  And he is
mighty fond on his "meals on wheels", so to speak.  He likes his/her
delivery service.

The squirrels are eating bark off of trees.  So we put out bread and
seed for them also.  They were happy to get it--the blue jay was
ready to fight them over it.  He got a half of a slice of bread and
flew off with it. 

The chickadees, wrens, and tufted titmice are eating hearty. They
tease Daisycat mercilessly.   They know she can't get to them.
They fly up to window where she sits and I believe I heard one
saying "Neener, neener, neener--you can't get me!"  and Daisy's
response was crackly meows combined with circular tail motions
that reminds one of a helicopter about to take off.

I think of how warm we are--and worry about the critters out in
the cold.  If Frankie was even more friendly, he'd probably have
a place in the garage to sleep.  But his issues with the being
fattenened and the pot.  The more we feed him, the more he worries.
I try to reassure him, but his Mama drilled it into him well--there is
no such thing as free food.  I haven't been able to convince of
otherwise.

All for tonight

Kate Thorn

Frankie and Thanksgiving

Frankie's Thanksgiving feast was interrupted by a feral cat.  Even though
the cat took off, Frankie did not return that evening.  But the plate was
clean this morning, so I guess he did finish it off.  It's foolish in a way to
care about a possum, but he sort of goes with the house, along with the
birds.

The birds have a new and different kind of feeder--It has a round bar
through the middle and hold fresh fruit--right now only apples and
oranges.  I haven't seen them eat at it yet, but that doesn't mean they
haven't found it.  Orioles in particular love oranges.  There is a nectar
feeder colored orange especially for orioles.  It's on my list of things to
buy before spring comes.

Thanksgiving was well, just another day here.  My grandson had a cold
and an ear infection.  Temperatures dropped and my Raynaud's flared
making me quite uncomfortable.  On the bright side, one of my beading
friends was released from the hospital, so that was very good.  I think
all holidays are blown out of proportion so there is always a feeling of
let down.  Of course, this is the first year ever that we have had others
living in the house with us, and that difference is huge--especially for
people who don't seek out others for interaction.

I bought a few Christmas platters for the Christmases to come--and I
bought a bathing suit.  I am planning to go to the Y and swim--as soon
as this latest Raynaud's attack is over.  I was doing well on the treadmill
until today.  I think I will use it tomorrow regardless of the mood my
feet are in.

Daisy, on the other hand, enjoyed Thanksgiving very well and went back
for seconds and thirds on the turkey!

All for tonight.

Frankie, Brownies, And Turkey Day Preparations

Last night Frankie was served a heaping plate of food.  My partner told me
this morning that Frankie was out doing a dance with his sombrero on.  I
looked confused--who wouldn't?  He further explained that "Frankie had
nachos, and he put on his sombrero and was dancing around,  It was
Mexican night and all you could eat, and he was one fat happy possum." 
I started laughing; I can never tell when he is embellishing until he gets
to the end.  He then said that he heard Frankie say, "Lord have mercy, I am
plumb fattened up.  And tomorrow's Thanksgiving.  It's the pot for me for sure."

Later he said that he didn't know who ate the brownies.  I asked, "What
brownies?"  He replied, "the lonesome ones no one wanted.  I froze them
but finally put them out for whomever wanted them--and they're gone.  If
Frankie ate them, he's really worried now."

Preparing for Thanksgiving is difficult here.  My daughter is a strict vegetarian.
My grandson is autistic and has severe eating issues.  I am ambivalent about
turkey--I eat one small serving a year--and that is it.  Just not a turkey fan--
rather have fried chicken!  I don't even know what we'll be having.  I am
sure some of the meal will be a surprise.

All for now.

Quiet

Finally.  The house is quiet.  Grandson is asleep.  Partner is asleep.  Only
Daisycat and I remain awake.  I think both of us crave the quiet.  I know
my partner craves the quiet also.  It isn't as though we do not enjoy one
another's company; we both have very busy minds.  I pursue my interests,
and he, his.  Speaking of his:  he has received all the worms-200 red
wigglers and 500 Europeans--and has them all set up in their new homes.
Compost and worm tea here we come!

Speaking of changes, all the walking he has done has really paid off.  He
has lost weight and his blood pressure is 114/72.  He power walks 3 miles
5 days out of 7.  This has made an amazing difference.  It's my turn now.
The treadmill is set up and ready to go.  I may start tonight--if not, first thing
in the morning. 

Frankie and the birds are doing well.  The back has had its late fall clean-up.
We only have the front yard to go. 

I have a bonsai ficus tree that I may have killed.  I really hope not.  It was dying
back at the end of the fall when I brought it in.  Apparently, I haven't watered it
enough.  I have been watching it.  Tomorrow I turn it over to my partner--
he is a genius with green growing things.

All for tonight. 

Mail for Seniors and Frankie

Frankie did not come to eat last night.  Nor did any cats, which was good for
Frankie.  When I saw his food still completely untouched, I was worried, so
I went in search of him.  I am so attached to the possum that if he was hurt, I
would take him to the vet!  I like most all critters and watch out for them as
much as possible.  This evening when I stepped out onto the porch to see
if Frankie was about, I heard the familiar crashing through the leaves as
Frankie made his way though the yard and away from the porch.  He knows
my voice, but runs anyway.  My partner states that it because his Mama
taught him that anyone who fed and fattened him was planning to "cook
and eat him."   The way he talks about Frankie's upbringing and culture,
you'd think he was a possum expert. He has me laughing with his tales of
Frankie, all fabricated,  "But if you're at the bottom of the food chain,
then you gotta be a little suspicious of someone trying to fatten you up!"

A discussion ensued regarding prehensile tails of possums.  The possums
can hang by their tails from tree limbs and sleep.  I knew that.  I didn't
know they used their tails to grasp objects, food.  For a possum, having
an extra hand, so to speak, is a great advantage.  No wonder he was able
climb down the tree face first so rapidly.

Tonight Frankie wiped his plate clean--and we, the worriers about a
possum, feel relieved.

Seniors get different mail.  I am sure I am on every mailing list in the country.

Today, along with at least 3 catalogs and 1 magazine, I got the following
cards to order more info.  Here is my list of cards to entice:  Windbells,
OK--I'll send off for that one.  "get the complete 12 coin set!"--No,
thank you, I'll pass.  "Finger Fit"--no to that one.  Incandescent Rope
Light"--OK, I'll bite.  Sunsetter Awnings--Only have one window
that would be needed--and that is only for an 1-2 hours--I'll pass.
A do-it-self yourself metal building--oh yeah, I keep a list of things
for my partner to do.  Doesn't every woman? 

Speaking of, he is going into the worm business--we're expecting the
worms to arrive tomorrow or the next day.  He'll raise 2 types for fishing,
the European and the Africans.  And 1 (the red wigglers) to keep the
garden healthy--and all 3 kinds for their compost and "worm tea".  Sounds
yummy--right?  Only if you are a gardener or a garden.  It is very "green", very
recycled, and packed with nutritious microbes that keep a garden
flourishing.

And my Birds and Blooms magazine had a ticket in it where you could
renew your subscription for only 14.98 AND give a gift subscription
to a friend for only 10.00.  And I know just the person to give that
gift--she loves to garden!

All for tonight.

Late at Night

Late at night when the house is rocked by sleep, I am awake, thinking and
sometimes doing.  I woke up at 0100 and decided to cut my hair.  I couldn't
locate my sissors, so I used my kitchen shears.  Before you think I'm nuts--
I end up going to get it cut twice.  I have very fine and extremely thick hair.
One cutting is just getting started.  I thought I would save myself about 25.00.
I left it shaggy, uneven--but one could tell I was desperate for a cut.  So when
I told what I had done, getting worked into her schedule was easy.  So now it
is precisely the length I wished it to be.

Last night, Daisy paid me back for disturbing her sleep.  She woke me at 0330.
I had slept just long enough to feel rested, thirsty, so I got up with the cat, who
promptly curled up in her bed under the desk and went back to sleep.  I was
wide awake.

Last night was our first frost.  The begonias died.  I am going to get more
next spring, but in large pots that can come in in the winter--and plant them
in full sun.  I will find some colorful shade plant to plant in the planters on
the front porch.  I was walking in the front yard with my daughter, talking
about the hemlock trees at the edge of my front yard.  She told me that
they had  woolly adelgid.  (This killed 80% of the hemlocks in the
Shenandoah National Forest after its arrival in the 1980's.)  The woolly
adelgid takes only 5 years to completely kill a full grown hemlock.

From Wikipedia is the following:

Hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae), commonly abbreviated as HWA, is a true bug native to East Asia that feeds by sucking sap from hemlock trees (Tsuga spp.). In eastern North America, it is a destructive pest that poses a major threat to the eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and the Carolina hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana). The range of Eastern Hemlock extends north of the current range of the adelgid, but there are fears that the adelgid could spread to infect to these northern areas too. Accidentally introduced to North America from Asia in 1924, HWA was first found in the eastern United States some decades later. In Pennsylvania, for example, the earliest record is from 1967.^[1] The pest has now been established in eleven eastern states from Georgia^[2] to Massachusetts, causing widespread mortality of hemlock trees. As of 2007, 50% of the geographic range of eastern hemlock has been impacted by HWA.^[3]
The presence of HWA can be identified by its egg sacs, which resemble small tufts of cotton clinging to the underside of hemlock branches. Hemlocks stricken by HWA frequently shift to a grayish-green appearance rather than the dark green of healthy hemlocks. In North America, the hemlock woolly adelgid reproduces asexually and can have two generations per year. (In its native habitat in Asia, there is a third winged generation called Sexupera; this generation requires a species of spruce not found in the Eastern United States to reproduce, so it does not survive here.) Between 100 and 300 eggs are laid in the woolly egg sacs beneath the branches. Larvae emerge in spring and can spread on their own or with the assistance of wind, birds and/or mammals. In the nymph stage, the adelgid is immobile and settles on a single tree. ^[1][4]
The hemlock woolly adelgid feeds on the phloem sap of tender hemlock shoots. It may also inject a toxin while feeding. The resulting desiccation causes the tree to lose needles and not produce new growth. In the northern portion of the hemlock's range, death typically occurs four to ten years after infestation. Trees that survive the direct effects of the infection are usually weakened and may die from secondary causes.<sup>[5]

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For now, I wait.  Even trimming off dead branches needs to wait until early spring.

All for tonight.

Possum Adventures

Frankie, our friendly marsupial, was startled a few nights previous.  My
partner was taking his dinner to Frankie--scared Frankie and he took
of, forgetting the fence between him/her and the road.  He ran into that
fence 3 times before my partner could get back inside.

Tonight, 10 minutes after he put Frankie's dinner out, a large cat came
and ran Frankie up a tree.  Apparently, possums are better climbers
than cats.  He was clean to the top of that tree when my partner
checked on him and ran the cat off.  We watched Frankie climb down
that tree, going down face first, and moving rapidly for a possum in the
dark.

We stayed on the front porch while Frankie ate; my partner thinks
he doesn't know we're here.  I know he does; he is familiar with
my voice.  I talk to him all the time--he doesn't run from me.  I am
the first one to feed and the one that let him out of the cage intended
for the feral cat.

And Daisy is having trouble napping.  Too many birds to watch.
They flit by the windows, even lighting on the screen, watching me
on the computer--and Daisy can't get to them.  When they light on
the windows in front of her, her tail goes from twitching back and
forth to moving in a circular motion.  I've never seen anything like
it.  She definitely loves this house; she was so bored before that
she had started watching TV.  And I am serious.  She didn't like
any violent programming however.

All for tonight.

Temptations

I bragged too much on Daisy's self control.  Two days later she the lunged
at the feeder with its whirlwind activity from chickadees, titmouses, and
nuthatches.  And, once again, slid to the floor.  After that, she confined
herself to watching and twitching her tail incessantly.

My partner cleaned out the remains of the old garden.  It was really a mess.
The garden had not been tended for over a year when we purchased the
house.  This spring it will become a garden again.

The weather continues to be perfectly lovely.  Gorgeous blue sky days.
The time changed last nite; my body does not change so easily.  So I
was awake and moving at 0500--but the clock insisted the time was 0400.

I purchased this great garden book from Thiftbooks.com.  The title is
Terrific Garden Tonics by Jerry Baker.  Here is the recipe to ward off
aphids--1 small onion, finely chopped--2 medium cloves of garlic, finely
chopped, 1 tablespoon of baby shampoo, and 2 cups of water.  You place
these ingredients in an OLD blender and blend on high.  (You can find an
old blender at a thrift store or yard sale--need a designated only for garden
tonics blender.)  Let the mixture set overnight, and then strain it through a
coffee filter.  Pour the liquid into a hand held spray bottle and apply
liberally at the first sign of pest problems.

There are 100s of such recipes.  I love this book.  I know it is going to make
a huge difference.  The recipes are cheaper to make than to buy
commercially prepared products--and they make sense.

All for today.

New Feeder, New Birds, and Daisy

I purchased a new feeder--one, that with the aid of suction cups, attaches
itself to the outside of the window.  For three days the birds seemed not
to be aware.  Since there is a feeder on the deck, not far from that window,
I thought that perhaps this feeder was too much.  I was mistaken, as usual.

On day four of the new feeder's existence, it had 4 visitors.  Two nuthatches
and two tufted titmouse came to feed.  And right in front of Daisy.  I was
proud of her--she didn't launch herself through the air as before.  But her
entire body quivered with the desire to do so.  The 4 birds spent about an
hour flying from feeder to tree, eating.  The tufted titmouse was the first to
visit.  I stayed quiet in my chair so as not to alarm them.  They put on a show;
I am looking forward to see if they re-appear today.

Weatherwise, Sandy did give us 3 nights of cold--down in the 30's.  The
succulents I had brought inside did not fare well.  The jade plant and one
other one died, so I apparently did not bring them inside early enough.
The others fared well outside.

I went to Park Seed and planned my shade garden for the front of the
house.  There is partial to full shade in the  front yard--making the
planning of a flower garden difficult to say the least.  My partner nixed
the buying of flower seed this soon--I wouldn't be planting until Spring.
but saving 10.00 seemed an incentive.  So I printed off my Shopping
Cart, so I could return later and buy the seed.  My plan is to buy 3-4
packs of seed a month.  About 10.00 worth.  By Spring I will have it
all.  I can see the whole front yard where the trees are ablaze with
blooms and a riot of color.  And the blooming will last from early Spring
until Fall.  I can see Spring inside my head--and it's not yet Winter.

I did wander to to some other sites and picked up a pair of winter/fall
boots for a total of 19.30--which included the shipping.  I found them
on BradsDeals--a great site for penny pinching deals.  The boots are
Mukluks and they are at Kohl's.  I next went to Boscow's, and found
cozy comfy bedroom shoes. 

I spent the rest of the day unpacking boxes and bags of shoes and clothing--
that project is still not completed.  I have clothes destined to be do-overs,
or up-cycled  clothing.  When I finally find my sewing machine!  (I have 3!)
Two were intentional purchases--the sewing machine and the serger.  Both
are still in storage.  The third was a result of being ill--and wandering to
ebay--I found the cutest blue 3/4 size Singer sewing machine.  Being of
unsound mind and body, I bought it.  I was still a travel nurse at the time,
so the last thing I needed was a sewing machine.  I already had a mountain
of jewelry supplies and no place to put them.

It's good to have a house, a home finally, and unpack treasures and find places
for them to finally rest.

All for today

HURRICANE! Sandy

This is the largest hurricane I have experienced by far.  We are all
blessed that she is a Cat 1, albeit a very tight and intense storm,
but not with 100 plus mile per hour winds.  Being so far in the
mountains and listening to the winds howl around the house, well,
I am very glad she is a Cat 1. I have been in one Cat 4--and that's
enough for me.

No birds at the feeders. I haven't seen any birds at all.  I guess the
wind is too much for them.  We are continuing to put food out for
Frankie the Friendly Marsupial.  The house is quite tight, warm,
and cozy.  We have lost power three times, but only for a minute
or two.

There is a 70% chance of snow/rain tonight and tomorrow.  School
has already been called off--so he gets a break from that long trip
to and from school.

The wind is whistling around the corners of the house. My sister
and one neice are in the Washington DC area.  I hope they
don't lose power and, most of all, that they stay safe.  Hurricanes
are dangerous and tricky. 

All for tonight

Early Morning Full Moon

The time  was 0530; I had been awake since 0400 as I went to bed at 1100
last night.  I had been perusing gardening books at Thrift Books (good site).
This was prompted by an ad from Rodale for a book on Composting that
was priced at 31.95.  Outrageous price, especially when you consider that
most "hobby" type books are eventually discarded and some never used.
I did a search under the heading of discount books and then went under the
heading of gardening.  I know I cannot purchase all I have chosen, but their
are very pocketbook friendly with free shipping.

While I was looking at gardening books, I glanced out the window of the
sunroom and got a surreal view of a full moon in the early morning mountian
mist.  I stepped out onto the deck for a better view and felt the first winds of
winter wrap around me.  The wind was blowing.  The air was cold.  I did not
stay long on the deck before re-turning to the warmth of the sunroom.

Yesterday was quite warm.  We went to the curb market, and then to Saluda
for lunch.  After lunch at the Purple Onion, we went to some of the little shops
nearby.  I wish I could recall the name of even one of them.  I bought only two
things--2 bars of soap.  The price was 6.00 per bar which is the same price my
co-op charges--but these were bigger bars.  I was hoping to be making my own
soap by now, but I did not allow for 5 months of a drug reaction that made doing
doing anything nearly impossible.  When I get caught up, I will resume making
soap for myself at least.  I love my soap. 

After leaving Saluda, we went to Flat Rock to Rainbow Row, and I wandered
through the artsy little shops.  I saw "frilly scarves" in both Saluda and Flat Rock.
"Frilly Scarves" has been a recent topic of discussion in yahoo bead group,
beadsandmore, about the making of these scarves, so I looked these over with
interest.  One of the members of  my group has a store called Jamestown Soapworks,
she sells these scarves,  her hand made soaps, and, of course, jewelry.  Her prices
are low--she depends largely on tourist sales, so this is a shameless plug for her
business. Check the site out--the prices are amazing!  That soap was my only
purchase; I did note that the price of the same exact soap was 2.00 higher in
Flat Rock as opposed to the 6.00 price in Saluda.  We stopped at a few other
places; by the end of the day, I was exhausted.  I wasn't accustomed to "going"
that much in one day.  No shortness of breath though, just plain fatigue from
being inside for too long.

I did some reading (fiction) after returning  home--and just lounged.  Felt really
good.

I started a group on yahoo called BlessingsAndAffirmations--it is a continuation
of my positive thoughts blog that I have on my computer.  It is written for myself,
started after my injury, but others may benefit, so I made it into a group format,
so that others could benefit also--should they wish to read.  Everyone copes with
Life in different ways.  I write.

All for today. 

The Chickadee and the Cat

I have all kinds of small birds visiting the bird feeder on the back porch. 
Some, I have still to identify, but the chickadee is present and was easy
to identify.  He flies back and forth to the feeder, then to the tree.  He's
quite fast and moves about the tree so fast that a picture has been
impossible.  He is well aware of Daisy, the cat.  I guess the chickadee
felt like playing.  So the bird flew onto the tiny ledge between the two
halves of the window.  First Daisy froze, then she launched all 14 lbs.
through the air only to hit the window, and slide down behind the desk
in a most undignified fashion.  She crawled out from behind the desk
with a "I planned that" attitude, which only made me laugh harder.
For the next hour the chickdee taunted Daisy.  Daisy wanted that bird,
but didn't launch herself at anymore windows.  The Chickadee was
joined by another smallish bird, also very fast in flight and movements.
I know it is yellow-green in color, but in size and color it could fit a
member of the finch or warbler family.

I have had no other hummingbirds, and did not expect any, but someone
has been drinking nectar as it is nearly gone.  I will continue to keep
nectar out, at least the one feeder, until no bird seems interested in it.

Still planning my garden of flowers and lettuces.  The lettuce in the
planter on the front porch is doing fabulous.  Nearly ready to pick.
The Shrub at the very sunny corner of the house, the one I plan to
remove--well I know its claim to fame now.   In the autumn the
leaves turn a brilliant red.  So I may break it up and transfer it to
some other place.  But it isn't going to continue keeping all that
wonderul sunshine for its own.  I want flowers planted there--and
maybe some tomatoes.  But definitely some flowers of all colors.

So many leaves have fallen that the houses around us  are now visible.
The autumn foliage peaked last week--and the yard is filled with
gold, crimson, and rust colored leaves.  The mountains have the same
colors marching to their summits. 

Today I am going to the Curb Market and the library--beyond that,
I have no plans.  I did buy 3 solar lights at Harbor Freight--they
were on sale for 10.00--a hummingbird, a butterfly, and a dragonfly.
I also bought a small very cool digital scale for beads and such.
I am gearing up to sell beads and/or jewelry!

Living without shortness of breath is wonderful.  Since it started
gradually, around the time I was injured, I blamed all on the
injury and the Raynauds.  I feel so positive about life now.  Such
a difference.

All for today

Hummer OK

It made it through the night and was gone when my partner went outside
and carefully checked the ground and the bush.  So it flew on to where
ever its destination was to be.  The level in the feeder was lower this
morning, so I think keeping the light on was a good idea.

Tomorrow I must work on bringing some of the plants inside.  Daisy
loves to destroy plants.  Personally, I think she is jealous of anything
that draws my attention away from her.  I think I can hang a few of
these plants.  The large ones must go downstairs--or I could wait
to see how cold it's going to be and only bring them into the living room
at night and lock Daisy in the bedroom.  Then the snake plants that,
per family legend, are to bring one good luck when placed on the
front porch--then the snake plants could continue generating some
of that good luck.

I receive a lot of email.  As I was looking through it, I found one for
Gardening Supplies--a lovely catalog with wonderful things for birds
and plants and the yard.  So fun to look and dream about the distant
Spring.

All for tonight

Hummer at the Window

About 9:30 PM,  I heard a noise at my window--it was a hummingbird
attempting to get in.  It's chilly outside and due to get much colder.  I walked
towards the window and it flew feebly towards the window again.  Then it
slid down.  There is a huge bush right below the window, so I feel that its fall
was broken.  I have learned they are much tougher than they appear.  But I
was still worried, so I put on my shoes and a coat; picked up cat's softsided
carrier and a LCD flashlight, and out I go.  Did I mention I am really night
blind--have been all my life--and the flashlight was tiny, tiny one?  My
partner was sleeping, so it was up to me to find the hummer.  I couldn't find
the little one.  I went back inside and moved the feeder on the front porch
to the back porch and turned the back porch light on.  If it finds the nectar,
it will be able to feed frequently and keep its body temperature up.  That is
all I know to do.  But I will worry about it just the same.

Last night I was gathering old cornbread and catfood for Frankie the Friendly
Marsupial.  It looked to be a bleak meal, so I topped it with a bit of whipped
cream.  He seemed to enjoy the meal--there was not even a crumb left this
morning!

The mountains have reached their color peak,  absolutely gorgeous.  Most of
the larger trees in our yard are nearly leafless now.  Winter is not far away.
I will get to see and get to know the winter birds.  I saw one today that I
have not identified yet.  When I find it, I will post a picture.

All for tonight.

Autumn Rains

I have been absent for a while due to being ill, I thought. But now I believe
that after years of being on the same cardiac meds, I am  the victim of an
undiagnosed drug reaction.  It was time for a refill, and after that was taken
care of, it occurred to me that I had not checked what the side effects are
for my cardiac meds.  I am posting this here because I think it is very important.
Just because you initially tolerate a drug well does not mean you always
will tolerate it.  Keep a list of side effects in your pocketbook.

The following 3 drugs which I reviewed for side effects are below--the side
effects I listed are only those that I have experienced:

Azor 10 mg

side effects--dizziness, water retention, flushing, heart palpitations. itching, rash.
                    unusual hoarseness, change in the amount of urine produced, chest
                    pain, fainting, shortness of breath, sudden unexplained weight gain,
                    swelling of ankles and hands, tremors, weakness, insomnia, cough,
                    bronchitis, pharygitis, sinusitis, increased respiratory infections.

Imdur 60 mg

side effects--dizziness, headache, nausea, rash, itching, difficulty breathing, fainting,
                    sudden shortness of breath, vomiting, flushing, syncope.

Norvasc 40 mg

side effects--water retention, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, flushing, light headedness,
                   fainting, rapid weight gain, depression, anxiety, unexplained rash,
                    itching, wheezing, difficulty breathing, difficulty in swallowing, shakiness,
                    loss of appetite, vomiting, back pain, hot flashes, dry mouth,
                    insomnia, constipation, thirst.


I have been dealing with all of the above since the end of May.  I have seen 2 PA's,
talked with 2 more PA's over the phone in regards to my "Sinus Infection".  I have
taken 20 days (2 full scripts of Cefnid, one full script of Z-Pack,  & 7 days of
Keflex, 9 days of Biaxin--I did not take the final day of Biaxin as I developed a
suspicious rash that reminded me of drug reaction.

This reaction to my well-tolerated drugs could have killed me.  And I am not
exaggerating.  No one picked up on it.  And I didn't keep a list of side effects
handy.  So make that list--it could save your lie--seriously.

Back to Bird House channel--it is early in the morning; I woke up at 0400 to
the soothing sound of rain.  I caught another glimpse of the yellow/green birds,
but not enough of one to identify them.  Only one hummingbird  feeder is still
hanging.  The others have been brought in can carefully cleaned.  My wasp
traps came a few days ago.  They will be ready to catch yellow jackets next
year.  Hopefully, in the next couple of days, I will feel better and more like
cleaning all the bird feeders for winter.

If anyone is looking for a bat house, I found them at Amazon for a very reasonable
price.

All for today

Hummers Gone for Winter

This occurred on the 7th of October. They have definitely migrated now. 
I miss them already.

The air is cooler now--using heat instead of air conditioning.  Leaves are
coloring the palette of the mountains in golds, reds, and burnt orange.

On a different note, we have 4 feral cats catching our ground squirrels,
so we put out a trap for them--baited with cat food.  And, of course,
the first night, we caught Frankie the Friendly Marsupial.  I woke up
early in the morning and saw him in the cage pacing back and forth.
I went outside and released him--and he's still coming to dine here,
but has kept his distance from the trap!  Who says possums aren't smart!

All for tonight

Addendum to Bee Problems

I checked out the Humzinger and two of the wasp traps listed on worldof
hummingbirds.com.  Here is the skinny on them.  Go to Amazon.com,
type in wasp traps.  I was particularly interested in the yellow one,
shaped somewhat like a hive, which was only slightly above 8.00 on
Amazon, which was much less expensive-- and the 6 pack of plastic
soda bottle converters, also costing slightly more than 8.00.  I ordered
both of them.  Amazon is a great price checking tool.  I maintain a prime
account which pays for itself easily, as the majority of items on Amazon
ship for free with a prime account.  I wanted to share this information with
readers before calling it done for tonight.

Bee Problems and Solutions

On  Thursday the 4th, I did not see any hummers until the afternoon.  I was
concerned and thought their migration time had finally come.  That afternoon,
as I was at my desk in the sunroom, a hummer flew and hovered at the window
in front of me, but did not go to the feeder.  I looked out and saw there was plenty
of nectar remaining.  The hummer flew around the feeder, but never lit to feed
as if she was trying to tell me something.  I went onto the deck to closely
inspect the feeder.  Then I spotted the yellow jacket. Even though I am afraid
of bees, I went after this yellow jacket. I managed to run it off once, but as I
stood guard, it came back.  I had read somewhere that the bees secrete a
toxin into the nectar that harms the hummingbirds.  I didn't locate that reference
this morning before writing this entry, but I did locate in world of hummingbirds.
com that yellow jackets have been known to sting hummers to their death.  All
I knew Thursday afternoon was that I was angrier than the yellow jacket.  I
actually ran it off several times. Then my partner joined me--and we were both
angry--he killed 4-5 yellow jackets in his endeavor to rid the feeder of yellow
jackets with no luck.  He then brought the feeder inside and thoroughly cleaned
it. but the minute he took it back outside, the bees were after the feeder again,
and he brought it back inside.

We checked the ones on the front porch, and they were free of bees, so we hung
that feeder on the front porch.  As we are rarely in the living room, we don't
get to observe them as often, and they don't fly up to window to commune with
us.

As I googled  hummingbirds and yellow jackets this morning, and went to
World of Hummingbirds .com, I learned some valuable information.  They
recommended a hummingbird feeder called HumZinger.  I haven't checked
it out out--but they have something called WASP TRAPS--it is a one way
entrance for yellow jackets.  I will purchase some next year.  This nectar
season is nearly over here.

So if you're having problems with your hummer feeders and yellow jackets,
the solutions can be found at world of hummingbirds.com.

That's all for today!

The Hair Post and More

For the past 2 years I have been letting my hair grow longer and longer.  I had
some hippie notion that I would love it hanging down my back.  Close to 2 feet
long, today I had it cut--short--and drastically thinned out.  Why?  Well,  my
hippie notion of having this long hair conflicted with reality.  I had no idea how
thick it was until I tried wearing it in a ponytail.  My hair was so heavy that I
had headaches.  And I won't even discuss the tangles.  It took 30 minutes to
comb the tangles out before going anywhere.  I ended up wearing it in ponytails,
one on each side of my head.  Not a great look.

After the great cut was completed, I looked at the beautician's floor.  Are you
familiar with Married With Children and the comments made about Peg's "Big
Hair"?  Honestly, there was enough hair on the floor to make 2 Peg wigs!  I
couldn't believe it. 

On leaving, I felt so much lighter, freer.  I'll keep it short.  I have definitely out-
grown hippie heydays--in more ways than one!

The hummingbirds are still here.  Feeding heavily.  I am amazed that they're still
here.  Everyday I expect to find them gone.

I am still halfway sick; I feel so much better until I try to be very active.  The fever
comes back and all I can do is sleep.  I am still working on getting the house
cleaned before my partner's mother and brother arrive this weekend.  And the
endless rain and fog is supposed to be gone by then.

All for today.

Busy Day and Much Left Undone

Today was one busy day.  Yesterday,  my partner made a deal on a generator,
but didn't pay for it until after talking to me.  It was a 1200.00 generator, 8,000
watts, for 350.00.  You bet I said Yes!  We already lost power once for about
6 hours plus, and we have no desire to lose power to the point where our
refrigerator is affected--or the heat or air conditioning.

My partner started the day with a walk after dropping me off at the curb market.
They were having some sort of festival.  In the Hendersonville, Asheville area,
a weekend is a good excuse to have a festival.  I only bought some field peas
from the woman my partner calls Grandma, and some coconut cream cheese
bars from the same person I bought them from a while back.  They are sheer
perfection.

When he came back from his walk, we headed to Asheville.  On the way, we
got behind someone who had issues with driving.  He was all over the road,
driving very slow, and at one point just stopped--and not a stop sign.  He got
horned for that one.  I would have done the same.  He moved forward and then
leaped out of his SUV and commenced screaming at us.  He called my partner
an "old man"--and he is seven years younger than myself.  He was not fit--had
too much weight on him--and made the colossal mistake of assuming we were
intimidated by him.  And he knew nothing about the art of fighting--he was
standing in front of the truck door.  My partner could have had him down in less
than 5 minutes.  But he showed restraint.  The man was yelling, "Do you know
who I am?  You really don't want to mess with me!"  It was all I could do to keep
from mouthing off something irreverent and sassy.  But I kept my mouth shut.
His wife was so distraught--he probably beat her up when he got home.  He
struck me as that type.  But the "Oh Yeah?  You and whose army?" was flying
through my head.

After that, the rest of the day was very pleasant.  We had a few things to pick up
from Walmarts and then on to pick up that generator, that is now living in the back
of his truck, encased in plastic, with a sheet of plywood on top for good measure
awaiting the arrival of his brother to assist in getting it down. It weighs about 300
lbs.  We went to Ingles; I needed yogurt if I am to take all the antibiotics.  There
was a list--and we didn't get home until 3:30 pm.  I was exhausted by then, and
decided we could start the rest of the chores--regarding the fleas--tomorrow.

I had a bunch of mail--Bird and Bloom magazine came.  I had to peruse it
before I napped.  I ate some Lime yogurt and looked at the pictures mostly.
There was one of a hummer trying to run off a hawk.  The hummer was very
unsuccessful.

And that is really all for today!

Joys of Owning Cats and Catching Up in General

My cat, as you may recall, is allergic to fleas, so you can imagine my
horror at seeing a flea jump from her to me on my bed!  Oh no--not
again.  Oh yes, again.  All the bed linens will be washed today, as well
as any other exposed clothing.  Daisy gets a bath and a trip to the vet
as well. (That is probably where she got them!)  All the dishes will go'
outside in boxes--as well as any boxed foodstuff.  Cans can stay indoors.
Yes, it is time to bomb again. 

And we are having company next weekend, so had planned to do some
cleaning, but not quite this much.  My partner's mother, brother and his
kids are coming to visit.  I am actually looking forward to that part--just
not to the flea intensive house cleaning.  Oh well, the price of owning a
cat.  I think she owns us really.  And she is such a well-behaved and
loving cat.  I am changing from Advantage 2 to Revolution for flea control.
I think it will give me, or rather Daisy, better coverage.

I did get sick again. I was sort of out of it for past 2 days; I'm feeling
better this morning despite little sleep.  Still bug-phobic. This time,
though the symptoms were nearly the same, antibiotic was changed.
This time I am on Keflex for 10 days.  My grandson became ill also,
with exactly the same set of symptoms.  We are both on 10 days of
antibiotics--which will get me through to my "real" doctor's appointment.

The hummingbirds are still here--more numbers than ever.  I have had to
clean and fill one of the three feeders already, and the other two are
getting low.  For such little birds, they are surely eating a great deal.

Speaking of eating well, Frankie the Friendly Marsupial is eating quite
well.  She/he especially enjoys left over pancakes with syrup.  Frankie
definitely has a sweet tooth!

Wish me loads of fun as I go through the deflea process again.

All for now.

Still Here

Yes, my tiny hummingbirds are still here despite the dips into the high 30's
and  low 40's during the night.  There are even more birds than before.  I
put out a third feeder and the other 2 feeders are getting quite low, plus,
they have put quite a dent in the amount left in the new feeder.  They are
still perching on the trees, preening and grooming and totally unconcerned
with date of the month and the approaching winter.

I am finally feeling better healthwise.  I'm not sure how long this will last
as I took my last antibiotic today.  I may or may not return to the Urgent
Care tomorrow.  My grandson is also sick.  He went to his pediatrician
today; he was diagnosed with a sinus infection and placed on antibiotics.
My partner is not feeling too well either. 

All for tonight.

Clear and Cold

No enveloping mist shrouds the mountains this morning.  It is clear--and cold.
I  arose from bed and changed clothes; a pink fuzzy sweatshirt and warm soft
grey pants are keeping me warm.  The temperature on the back deck, which is
covered, is 40.  One hummer is making frequent trips to the feeder so as to
keep her body temperature up.  There are no bugs out and about this morning.

I am continuing to fight this cold or whatever it is.  The antibiotics seem to be
working.  I have a voice instead of a labored whisper today. Yesterday, too
weak to do anything constructive, I perused my gardening books.  I was a
bit overwhelmed.  There is enough plants here, but not the kind of want.  I
want the entire property to be ablaze with flowers all summer and into the fall.
Trying to pick the right flowers and shrubs to achieve that is more difficult than
one might think.  I am starting with the area that is nearly in complete shade,
the area closest to the highway.  I plan to plant lilies of the valley and yellow
primroses there.  That will provide flowers, and an attractive ground cover.
I'll add circles of trilliums  and other flowering plants and some young white
dogwood to the understory.  That will not be much, but it will be a spring
start.  As for bulbs, I will probably wait until next fall to plant the fall bulbs.
Or plant them on one o the porches, so it is easy for me to control the weather
conditions for them, and mulch and cover them easily.  Any farther, except for
small trees that need to come down, that is it for fall endeavors.  One step at
a time.

I'm almost scared to check my lettuce though it can withstand cold temperatures
and is more hardy than most edible crops, I still should have covered it.  I was
just too sick to care.

Here are some more interesting hummingbird facts, again from The Hummingbird
Book by Donald and Lillian Stokes.

"A hummingbird's flight (or pectoral) muscles account for one quarter of its total
weight."  If you've been lucky enough to have one land on your finger to eat at a
feeder, then you know that it feels like the weight of a single feather. They feel
nearly weightless.

Hummingbirds bathe and groom daily.  They will fly through "sprinklers or spray
from a waterfall."  They will intentionally take advantage of a soft rain to bathe
and groom; they have no problem flying when wet that I have noted.  They will
also pick certain leaves and use those for a bathtub.  It takes only a quarter inch
of water for a hummer to bathe in.

Ruby throated hummingbirds fly 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico
on their migration.  Before they get to the Gulf, they will stop, sometimes for
a week or so, and re-fuel, depending on how far away they have came. This is
how I came to have "skinny" hummers--they are resting and re-fueling for a bigger
journey.

"Hummingbirds are fiercely aggressive and will attack much larger birds, suchas
jays, or even hawks."  A bird after my heart.  Fierce and unafraid.  Doesn't
say much about how wise this course of action is, but I admire their fierceness.

"Hummingbirds have no sense of smell, that we know of," and rely on sight to
find nectar.  Yes, red is their favored color, but they will just as easily eat at
white flowers as I have witnessed with the butterfly bush this summer.

"Humminbirds do suck nectar.  They have a long bill, and when drinking nectar,
the open their bills and extend their tongues and lick up the nectar at a rate of
13 licks per second."  Per second!  That is amazing to me.

I just read the part about ruby-throated hummingbirds migration patterns.  It would
seem the books do not agree.  This book has the northward migration as Late Feb.
to Mid-May and the southward  migration as Late July to Late October.  So I guess
the females are not so late after all.  Thus far, I have seen none but the Ruby-Throated
species, it is documented that in November of last year, Rufous hummingbirds were
seen at feeders in Hendersonville.

The first time I ever saw hummingbirds was at my Uncle Gordons.  There were so many.
I wanted to go and live there--on his mountain.  But I was there rarely.  At my cousin's
house, I was flogged by a turkey.  Fortunately, it was traumatic enough to be erased
from my memory and did not interfere with my love of birds at all.

The second time that hummingbirds were part of my life was in the high country of
Colorado.  The tiny apartment I lived in had a very long sprawling porch with hooks
for hummers about 4 feet apart.  The birds would light easily on your fingers as long
as you stood still.

All for today.

Cold Front Moving In and a Tribute

There is a cold front moving in and, unless they left at dusk, the hummingbirds
are still here.  They sure look like they weigh enough now to make the trip.
But I am not a bird.  So what do I know?  And if were one, I would more
resemble an injured or clumsy ostrich than a hummingbird.  Maybe that is
why I like them so much--they are so NOT earthbound, and I wish I could
be more free, but I can't.  Sometimes life is what it is, and one just has to
deal with it.

I am ill--have a terrible cold.  The cough wakes me up and forces me out of
bed--so that I will eat cough drops and stop coughing.  It is feeling more
like pneumonia as each day passes.  I should know.  I have had pneumonia
multiple times--and three different kinds.  In 1986, I had mycoplasmic
pneumonia--it took nearly 6 months to recover from it.  I would be fine,
and then get sick again.  I have had bacterial pneumonia many times--the
most inconvenient--my first travel assignment.  I left Wilmington NC in
November of 97 and before I left Tennessee, I had to stop at the clinic
and was given the bad news.  Since I couldn't rest--had to drive at least
7 hours per day--it was a very long trip.  The last time I had it, the strain
was viral.  I was exposed to a patient that had a dry cough, and by the
next night, I knew I had Right Upper Lobe Pneumonia.  That was the worst.
Everyone that got near that patient became sick.  We nurses said it was
SARS--but no one would listen to us.  One girl nearly died, and she was
only in her 30's.  She developed lung abcesses.  So in comparison to her,
I did well.

I went to the doctor today--an Urgent Care--with another PA.  Who didn't
listen when I said I had an extensive history of pneumonia.  She diagnosed
me with sinusitis--which does not make one cough until they feel they are
not going to be able to draw the next breath.  She gave me Zithromax,
which will help as long as I am taking it.  Maybe I can get through until I
see my doctor, who knows me and he also knows when I show up, I
usually have my diagnosis in hand.  Only occasionally have I been incorrect.
OK--enough of sick talk.

My plans for cleaning the bird feeders this weekend are now on hold.  They
can wait another week I suppose.

Now I want to pay tribute to my Uncle Gordon.  He was 17 when he enlisted
to go fight in World War II.  I believe he was Marine, but am not certain.  He
ended up as a stretcher bearer at Iwo Jima.  What he saw haunted him until he
died.  I found out later that he was in the first wave at Guadacanal and he was
also at Okinawa and a few other other island battles.  He was a flame
thrower in the cave holdouts.  I learned these facts from my cousin.  The
stretcher bearer--that was his last duty before coming home.

He lived in the mountains of Virginia, and he was mountain tough.  But
could spin a yarn and have you in stitches from laughing so hard.  And such
it was about the time he lassoed a bear.  According to the tale, he had just
gotten off from work and was driving through town when he saw this drunk
lasso this bear.  So he stopped to help the poor man, who was no match
for a bear.  He got a lasso over the bear also, but the bear took off towards
him, so he ended up turning loose of the rope and started running.  Then a third
man got a lasso over the bear, and my uncle was able to get hold of his rope
and between the three men and three trees, they held the bear there until animal
control got there.  Dramatic and funny story--now for the real tale!  My
cousin Mike enlightened me as to the facts.  The bear had wandered off
from the circus.  It was tame and trained.  After they lassoed it with three
ropes, it was a bit perturbed by the situation--especially since it hadn't
bothered a soul.  So it broke all three ropes.  About then, his trainer
arrived and snapped a chain around his neck and led him back to the circus.

Both versions are good and funny.  I am telling this because my uncle Gordon
could have shot the bear, but he didn't.  Years and years later, he went out
to cut some wood in the cold of winter.  After he finished loading his trailer,
one log moved, threatening to fall, so he stopped and got off the tractor, went
back to adjust the log, and the tractor was not quite in gear and started
rolling backwards.  He was caught between a tree and the trailer.  The pain
was so intense he passed out.  His shoulder was crushed.  He couldn't
stand up to walk, so he crawled and dragged himself towards the road.
It was quite a distance and he would pass out from the pain.  When he woke
up, he knew he had to get to the road or he was going to freeze to death.
No one knew exactly where he was.  He owned 200 acres, so that is a
lot of land to cover.  He did make it to the road, and he was found and
taken to the hospital.  He lived through the ordeal, but lost the use of one
arm.

I still miss him all these years later.  I remember being at a Christmas gathering
and feeling so alone and lost.  He came and sat beside of me and talked to
and said things would get better; I didn't believe him then, but he was right.
Being a teenager can be rough--especially if you're keeping secrets--and I
was.

Now I have a house and yard I truly love.  Even if I don't live but a few more
years, this is a wonderful place to live.  I am so in touch with nature and the
cycle of life and that is a good thing.

Here's to you, Gordon!  Our loved ones never die as long as their memories
are cherished.

All for tonight

Late Night Meanderings

I awakened to my phone ringing.  This is not unusual for me; I know people
in all the time zones, and I don't mind being awakened.  I started coughing
as soon as we hung up--I could barely talk as it was.  This cold has taken
a distinct liking to my chest--curtailing my talking most definitely.  I have
been sick to some degree or another since before I moved here.  I tried
to see my physician once.  They were just going live with a computer
system--and I couldn't see him.  This Doc is one of the few I trust to treat
me.  If I think my knowledge level is better than the doctor's, I  switch.
I want someone smarter than myself because I come with complications.
Multiple allergies, serious ones, and strange and not so strange auto-immune
diseases.  I only show up when absolutely necessary.  I finally got to see
his PA--she fell in the category of not as smart as me.  I took 2 rounds of
antibiotics and finally felt better--for about 3 weeks--then the sinus infection
returned.  I had to go to my doctor today to pick up my prescription for
pain pills--and the person at the desk was worried that I had been sick on
and off since June, and managed to get me an Oct 5th appointment.  The
previous appointment was for November.  But I will have to weather another
Urgent Care to get whatever I got treated at least until this coughing stops.

The hummingbirds are still here.  The one that was so skinny--well, she is
very plump now.  Looks like a miniature football!  So I would say it isn't
going to be long now till the females leave.

I talked with my sister today and she asked where the pictures of the house
were.  I was a little confused as to what she meant until I thought about
it.  She wanted the outside shots of the house, and there is still a lot to do
outside, so I didn't take any outside pics--except of the crepe myrtle
removal and the front porch. 

I will try to get some pictures of the front of the house tomorrow, but
the back still needs a lot of TLC.  So it will be a while.  The downstairs
screened in porch, due to all the wet weather we have had, has an attack
of mold--that is just something I really don't think people would want to see! 
My partner's mother and his brother are supposed to be coming up after the
first of October.  So I imagine he'll have the back porch and a few other
things spiffied up by then.

I have had some learning experiences with my Rhododendron. Not good
ones either.  After they bloom, you prune them.  But if you wait until after
they have sprouted shoots with buds on the end, and then you prune, well
you can kiss those pretty flowers goodbye.  I pruned some back like that,
but not all.  They need serious pruning back, but it can wait.  I am actually
hoping I can get into the master gardener program that starts in January.
This will be my second time.  The first time I learned that I knew nothing.
And I didn't even want to learn the bug end of things.  Owning a house
makes a huge difference.  I want to learn the good bugs from the bad,
even though my natural inclination is to kill all bugs/insects/spiders.  I am
trying to be more karmic about it.  For me, even thinking this is huge.
I am reminded that all the bugs provide  a very diet for the hummers
and the rest of the birds.

Speaking of birds again, not far from house is someone who has purple
martin houses, so maybe attracting them will not be so difficult.  And we
will have bat houses too.  But the first thing we are getting (Besides a new
kitchen spigot--ours has a leak--in the hot water of course, so that comes
first--as in tomorrow!) are worms.  Part red wrigglers and part European
nightcrawlers--this is for a happy garden and compost pile.  I plan to find
us some good old fashioned horse manure.  People raise horses near here;
I am sure they wouldn't mind if we mucked out a stable or two.  I haven't
done that in a very long time.  (Truthfully, I can only supervise the mucking
process now.)  My partner is building the worms new homes.

I priced throw pillows the other day--and said, "That's it; I will make my
own."  The price for one single pillow is $14.00 and up.  I have looked
at pillow patterns,but now I want to quilt them, both sides.  I know they
will look better than the purchased ones--unless they are hand made--and
I prefer my hands to be the ones to make them.

That is all for tonight.