Thursday, July 30, 2020

NO PSA NUMBER TODAY AND AT LAST A WELCOME REPRIEVE FROM OUR HOT MUGGY WEATHER

A BEAUTIFUL BAYFIELD MORNING ALONG THE SHORES OF LAKE HURON
Knowing I would have to remain close to our land line phone until my London Oncologist called I had to conduct my day accordingly.  Short Jeep ride to Bayfield and back then puttered around outside in our carport with the  house extension phone in my shirt pocket.  
BIGGEST WATERMELON SLICE I'VE EVER SEEN ON A BOAT
"THINK WE SHOULD GO FISHIN BILL"??..... "NAW, I'D RATHER GO HOME AND WORK ON MY QUILT"
Have made a lot of progress sifting through all our RV stuff and am at the point now where I can begin adding things back into our Winnebago Itasca.  Coming across pamphlets and maps from New Mexico, Arizona, and California, I optimistically set them aside hoping maybe one day we just might have the opportunity to pass that way again.
BAYFIELD'S NEW BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION IS MOVING RIGHT ALONG
PROGRESS IS CONTINUING WITH THE GAS BAR CANOPY AT THE TIME HORTON SITE
BRICK WORK HAS BEGUN ON THE COFFEE SHOP AND CONVENIECE STORE BUILDING
GLAD TO SEE THEY HAVE CHOSEN A DIFFERENT STYLE AND COLOR BRICK FOR THIS LOCATION
As the morning wore away no phone call came and it was soon time for me to head back to Goderich's Maitland Valley Medical Center and return my blood pressure monitoring system.  Off to Goderich I went and I wasn't in that Medical Centre five minutes before they had that pressure monitor stuff off and kicked me out the side door.  I am sure glad to be rid of that thing and it's every half hour arm squeezing program.  It did wake me up a few times in the night when on the top of every hour it would beep and give me a good squeezin.  Said they would check the readings then give me a call with the results.
SOCIAL DISTANCING FROM THE FELLOW AT THE OTHER END OF THE WAITING ROOM
Doctor Mendez finally phoned at 1:35 but he didn't have a PSA number for me.  He had not received the report from Dynacare, the people who did my blood test on July 22nd.  He said it sometimes takes up to two weeks to get those PSA test results back.  I'm wondering if maybe medical labs are backed up due to Covid.  Anyway, he scheduled my next appointment for January sometime.  In the meantime I see my Urologist, Dr. Bukala in early November and that will require a PSA blood test at that time as well.
GROANER'S CORNER:((  Bumper Stickers::  
Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math.
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance.
A penny saved is ridiculous.
All that glitters has a high refractive index.
Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.
Anarchy is better than no government at all.
Any small object when dropped will hide under a larger object.
Death is life's way of telling you you've been fired.
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- What do you call a judge with no thumbs?
Justice Fingers.
In school, every period ends with a bell. Every sentence ends with a period. Every crime ends with a sentence.
if you tell a joke in the forest, but nobody laughs, was it really a joke?
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Wednesday, July 29, 2020

I HAVE A SQUEEZY THING ON MY ARM

I didn't hear any rain in the night but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.  A welcome cloud cover this morning held down Old Sol from heating up our sticky moist air.  The slight humidity reprieve was certainly appreciated.
ONE OF TWO BALERS IN A FIELD
AN OLDER HAY RAKE
A change of routine this morning as Pheebs and I climbed aboard our Itasca Spirit and drove the short distance over to Richards place.  He had offered to install the back-up cam so we were both soon going over things like camera and monitor placements.  Of course for a couple old yakky-doodle guys like ourselves with always lots of things to talk about we were in no rush to get the cam up and running.  Kelly came over later to drive Pheebs and I back home as Richard soldiered on with the install.  
Twenty minutes after that I was on my way to Goderich's Maitland Valley Medical Clinic to have a 24 hour blood pressure device hooked up to my arm.  That done I headed home.
PHEEBS AND I ON OUR WAY OVER TO RICHARDS AROUND 9 THIS MORNING
Not as hot and sticky today and that was a big plus.  With the blood pressure thingy on my arm squeezing me every half hour I didn't feel much like doing anything outside.  The monitor is programmed to take my blood pressure every hour through the night so I'm hoping that doesn't mean I'll be squeezed awake every 60 minutes.  I return to the Maitland Valley Medical Center Thursday to have the device removed.  
THE MONITOR
THE SQUEEZY ARM THING
Also tomorrow I have to hang around the house all day (except from 12:30 to 1 when I'll be at the Medical Centre) waiting for a phone call from Doctor Mendez my Oncologist in London.  I'm hoping he will have my PSA number from last Wednesday's blood test.  It was a year ago right now I was put on an emergency list to have a large kidney stone removed and we were also waiting for London's Cancer Clinic to call with an appointment to see an Oncologist regarding my recently diagnosed Prostate Cancer.  That later appointment resulted in me going for radiation treatments which when completed were successful in dropping my high 15.4 PSA     number down to .45.  Hopefully tomorrow I will find out if that .45 number has changed.
SAW THIS NICE OUTDOOR FLORAL ARRANGEMENT ON MY WAY TO GODERICH THIS MORNING
GROANER'S CORNER:(( A
 true story of the late Irish author Brendan Behan who one night collapsed in a diabetic coma in a Dublin street. It was at a time when he was at the height of his drunken notoriety and passes-by naturally thought he was dead drunk. They took him to the nearby surgery of one of Dublin's most fashionable and respected doctors. The doctor decided to take a cardiograph and, somewhat nervous of his patient, thought to humor him. He explained the workings of the cardiograph needle as it registered the faint heartbeats of the very sick and semiconscious Brendan.
"That needle there is writing down your pulses, Mr. Behan, and I suppose, in its own way, it is probably the most important thing you have ever written."  To which Behan replied: "Aye, and it's straight from me heart, too."
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You’ve really gotta hand it to short people...
Because they usually can’t reach it for themselves.
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Three old ladies met on the street on a very stormy day. The wind was so strong and loud that they had difficulty in hearing each other.
"It's windy," said one.
"No, it's Thursday," said the next.
"So am I," said the third. "Let's go and have a drink!"
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Tuesday, July 28, 2020

HAD TO SCRAP MY FIRST POST TODAY AND START OVER

Well, the post I originally wrote for today turned out way too gloomy and I had to scrap it and start anew.  Events south of the border and their repercussions for we Canadian RV'ers sometimes get me down and that along with a few other related things can occasionally bring on a mild temporary depression for me.  The warning signs had set in late Monday morning and I shouldn't have began Tuesday's post Monday afternoon.  
Now, on with today and our continuing miserable heat and humidity.  It was off to Goderich for Pheebs and I to pick up a few groceries and have us a drive down around the harbor with a stop at Rotary Cove's beach.  Rather than more pictures of water and rocks I simply stood there listening to the rhythm of the waves as they rolled in and slowly splashed themselves out along the rocky shoreline.
PEOPLE OUT ENJOYING THE BEACH THIS MORNING IN GODERICH
Home again I decided to concentrate my energy in the cooler car-port deciding on what necessary RV stuff will go into our Itasca Spirit and what unnecessary stuff will not.  With far less storage space in our current 24' Class C than our previous 37' Class A its quite a challenge but we're looking forward to traveling lighter.  We generally always had way too much stuff along with us anyway.
GETTING THINGS SORTED OUT
Our back-up camera came today so we're hoping to have that up and running shortly.  I may have gone a little overboard in getting one with a large 7" monitor but with my aging eyes I generally like to have things larger so I can see them.
Wednesday at noon I have to be at the Maitland Valley Medical Centre whereupon they are going to wire me up with a blood pressure monitoring system.  I will have to wear this thing for 24 hours returning to the Medical Center Thursday at noon to have it removed.  For a fellow who has had 'perfect' blood pressure for most of his life this is a little discouraging.  However, it is what it is and they may suspect something could be off a wee bit somewhere.
GROANER'S CORNER:((  A man takes his place in the theater, but his seat is too far from the stage. He whispers to the usher, "This is a mystery, and I have to watch a mystery close up. Get me a better seat, and I'll give you a handsome tip."  The usher moves him into the second row, and the man hands the usher a quarter. Yep. 25 cents.  The usher looks at the quarter in his hand, leans over and whispers, "The wife did it."
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Howard County Police officers still write their reports by hand, and the data is entered later by a computer tech into their database. One theft report stated that a farmer had lost 2,025 pigs. Thinking that to be an error, the tech called the farmer directly.
"Is it true Mr. (Smith) that you lost 2,025 pigs?" she asked.
"Yeth." lisped the farmer.
Being a Howard County girl herself, the tech entered: "Subject lost 2 sows and 25 pigs.
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Monday, July 27, 2020

IT'S WAITING FOR YOU RIGHT ROUND THE CORNER

Under cloudy skies and muggy air Pheebs and I headed out for Clinton Ontario first thing this morning.  A Class B+ already at the dump station so we cruised around until they left.  Having added water to both the gray and black tanks aforehand I just wanted to do a dump and make sure everything was working properly.  It all came off without a hitch.  Better to know of any problems here with nobody around than to have a dump disaster with other people in close proximity.  And we've all had our share of dump disasters at one time or another.  If you haven't had a dump disaster yet, you probably will.  It's waiting for you just right round the corner and it will happen when you least expect it.  Good luck with that eh:))
THIS FARM COMBINE 'WHEAT HEAD' LOADED ON ITS TRANSPORTATION TRAILER IS READY TO BE HAULED OFF TO THE NEXT WHEAT FIELD TO BE HARVESTED
THESE LARGE TRUCK TRAILERS WAIT TO BE LOADED WITH WHEAT AS SOON AS THIS FIELD IS CUT
THESE RAKED UP ROWS OF STRAW AWAIT THE BALING MACHINE
AND HEY ITS NOT EVERY SUBURBANITE WHO HAS A SHINY RED AND YELLOW MASSEY HARRIS TRACTOR IN THEIR DRIVEWAY
From Clinton, Pheebs and I took the long way home through the little hamlet of Ben Miller.  Soooooo pleased with the way this little 24' Winnebago drives.  Lots of power and it's not sluggish in the hills.  Yes I know it's not towing anything and it's riding empty, but still I sense the power in it.  This would be a great little rig in the mountains.  Looking forward to future travels wherever they may be.
STILL SOME DOWNED TREES REMAIN TO BE CLEANED UP AFTER HIGH WINDS AND TORNADOS SWEPT THROUGH OUR AREA A WEEK AGO SUNDAY
AN OLD TREE STUMP ACTS A CORNER POST FOR WHAT LOOKS LIKE AN ELECTRIC FENCE
Home again the heat and humidity soon drove me inside where I spent most of the afternoon catching up on some R&R.  Reading and Reclining.  If it gets any more exciting around here I'm going to have to get myself a program director.
THERE'S 'CHIPPY' ON AN OLD WAGON WHEEL IN OUR FRONT YARD
GROANER'S CORNER:(( College Exam Plea::
O Lord, hear my anxious plea
Calculus is killing me
I know not of 'dx' or 'dy'
And probably won't until the day I die.
Please, Lord, help me in this hour
As I take my case to the highest power.
I care not for fame or loot
Just help me find one square root.
And Lord, please let me see
One passing mark in organic chemistry.
Oh such a thing I constantly dread
I'd just as soon join the Marines instead.
Lord, please give me a sign
That you've been listening all the time.
Please lead me out of this constant coma
And give me a shot at my diploma.
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Two years after my heart attack, I was teaching my college course when I felt discomfort in my chest. I paused the class to pop my medication and felt better quickly.
“Now, if I ever do have a heart attack,” I told my students, “I will give extra credit to whoever gives me CPR.”
One of them shouted out, ”How much extra credit?”
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Sunday, July 26, 2020

THAT CAN SOMETIMES BE A BIT OF TRICKY BUSINESS

A CONFUSING HURON COUNTY HORSE CLUSTER ON ORCHARD LINE
Another really hot one but Pheebs and I rolled out early enough to take advantage of morning's slightly cooler temperature.  We headed straightaway north to Goderich's Rotary Cove beach where I knew there would be a nice cooling breeze coming in off the lake.  And there was.  Not many week-enders there yet so we were able to spend a little quiet time by the water before cars began rolling in.
'THE ROCK' ALWAYS PUTS A LITTLE SMILE ON MY FACE NOW
SUNDAY MORNING PADDLE ON THE CALM WATERS OF LAKE HURON
LOOKS LIKE ART'S LANDSCAPING IS DOING A RIGHT GOOD BANG UP JOB WITH THE NEW BOARDWALK BETWEEN ST. CHRISTOPHER'S BEACH AND ROTARY COVE
I THINK THIS BOARDWALK IS BEING BUILT MUCH STRONGER THAN THE ORIGINAL ONE
NOTICE HOW CONCRETE, CRUSHED STONE, AND DRAINAGE PIPE, ARE BEING INCORPORATED INTO THE STURDY CONSTRUCTION
NICE TO SEE BENCHES ALONG THE WAY FOR FOLKS TO SIT
We took the scenic countryside route home snapping a few pics along the way.  A beautiful looking summer's morn with very little traffic anywhere.  A couple hay wagons and that was about it.
FARMER'S ARE ON THE MOVE WITH THE LOCAL WHEAT HARVEST
STRAW BALES
HAY-STRAW BALER ON THE LEFT WITH A HAY-STRAW RAKE ON RIGHT....THE RAKE RAKE'S THE ROWS OF STRAW UP AND THE BALER COMES ALONG NEXT AND TURNS THE LOOSE STRAW INTO BALES
AND THESE WAGONS ARE WHAT THE WHEAT KEARNELS ARE LOADED INTO
Home by 10 Kelly was busy inside the rig trying out different curtains and stuff.  The curtains you see in the pics below may not be the one's staying in the coach.  Despite the building heat I decided to check out a few system things on the rig.  Hooked up to shore power and that worked fine except for a few of the usual small ker-fuffles.  It's a manual water fill on this rig so I added some water to the fresh water tank.  The rig's water pump works perfectly.  Generator fires up with just a touch of the on-switch.  Tomorrow we'll check out the propane system and see how it goes.  That can sometimes be a tricky bit of business getting things to work if it hasn't been used for awhile.  
HERE THE CURTAINS ARE OPEN
HERE THEY ARE CLOSED.....BY CLOSING THEM AT NIGHT THEY KEEP EITHER WARMTH OR COOLNESS IN THE CENTER PART OF THE COACH.....NO NEED TO HEAT THE BIG SPACE OVER THE CAB AND YES THE CURTAINS HAVE TO BE HEMMED IF THEY ARE STAYING
THIS CURTAIN BLOCKS OFF THE BIG BED IN THE CORNER
WELL I GUESS YOU KNOW WHO'S GOT FIRST DIBS ON MY CHAIR
I think Pheebs and I might head over to Clinton with the rig in the morning.  There is a free dump station near the new police station and I want to check out the gray and black dump valves to make sure everything is copasetic in that department.  We might pick up some propane along the way as well just to make sure there are no surprises in that department either.  Seems to be some recent confusion as to what tanks can be filled and what tanks can't.  We'll see.
GROANER'S CORNER:((  Oh Those McNallys::
McNally was taking his first plane ride, flying over the Rocky Mountains. The stewardess handed him a piece of chewing gum. "It's to keep your ears from popping at high altitudes," she explains.  When the plane landed McNally rushed up to her. "Miss," he said,  "I'm meetin' me wife right away. How do I get the gum out of me ears?"
Just a week before that McNally was standing in front of Cohan's Tavern when he saw a driverless car rolling slowly down the street. He ran to the car, jumped in, and pulled on the emergency brake with a jerk.
Kelly got out and very proudly said to the man approaching him, "I stopped it!"
"I know, you idiot!" said the man. "I was pushing it!"  
And just a month before that, McNally's daughter knelt in the confessional and said, "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned."  "What is it, child?"
"Father, I have committed the sin of vanity. Twice a day I gaze at myself in the mirror and tell myself how beautiful I am."
The priest turned, took a good look at the girl, and said, "My dear, I have good news. That isn't a sin - it's only a mistake."
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