Mt_Rider

Iowa on HOT SUMMER NIGHTS..... just when you want to play with the lightning bugs! And northern MINNESOTA Boundry Waters....and 10,000 lakes! Oye! Dont' think I could go back to that. This is the first summer I can remember seeing mosquitoes...and we have a big pond. I may even have a mosquito bite! Thot it was from my almost fall on the steps but it kinda itches and is swelled....not scraped. Hmm.... MtRider

Just to clarify, we were raining as hard as Jeeper's pic showed .....but not the area where the gutters were DUMPING that deluge onto poor jeep! (glad it started for you, Jeepers!) The problem for my friend was the HAIL that was pea size ....fortunately not marble size or bigger which we have frequently.... and was being thrown down hard by wind. There are always stories in CO summer where the hail is breaking windows in cars and even houses if wind is sideways. Plastic greenhouses here are really at risk. (ask me how I know) Tempered glass ones could be. Roofers make a mint some summers here. Today we're much cooler....70* at noon. (thermometer not in sun) I hope my horse ride tomorrow morning is clear.....or at least clear of lightning. Just rain I can handle but CO doesn't do that very often with bringing along thunder/lightning. Miki...did you sleep any better last nite? You're having it worse than me and for me, it's usually just getting to bed at an earlier hour. Have fun this weekend with family, Jeepers. Stay safe in heat, Miki...Annarchy......anyone else in the desperate heat of the south. Hopefully DH and I can hoist that A/C in Sat afternoon or evening. Bad news on the HEAT factor for any of us non-coastal but adjacent to (sorry Mother) or west of the Mississippi river. Here is a pic from AccuWeather for this coming week..... Take precautions for above average heat, friends! MtRider

Yeah, add pea-size hail and that what it looked like outside here today. Thankful for it! El Nino is usually good for CO rain but not elsewhere, I think. MtRider

Are you and MIL .....and your dh doing okay? Beastly weather you're having. Be ever so careful, friend! High in the Rockies....we're reaching the 90's. I can't even imagine that hot and HUMID! Do you ever go outside? We don't have the A/C in yet. Our schedules aren't matching now that DH is working 2 clients MWF. I was gone to another appt. today but took the senior service to let him stay home and rest for a change. However, just after I arrived for appt, the rain began - combined with ice chips. I was on the second floor and you could hear it plainly. Then it began to serious throw down pea sized hail. That got noisy. While I was waiting in lobby for my ride, the secretary upstairs came down to go home. Still raining hard and employee parking lot is down an outside long flight of stairs. I offered her a plastic bag for some protection but she said she wouldn't melt. Unfortunately, just after she would have only gotten a short way, larger pea hail began slamming down with strong wind. OW! Bet she would have liked to hold the plastic bag up to protect from that onslaught! CO Rockies.....gotta be tough out here. She sure wasn't wearing jeans and a hoodie tho...dressed for office and no coat. We drove out of the storm cell and tho it had rained hard, our place was sunny and cooler when I got there. End of the day isn't a good time for this type of project involving moving furniture inside and hoisting that heavy thing into the window. Glad your Indy folks can move up to a good home to raise a small family, Jeepers. Your D-ex can be a dear, can't he? We do need to support our families in these harsh economy days. And support private schools if possible. My Grsons went/are going to private school. Just not possible for all tho. Aw....too bad about your vehicle, Becca Anne! Just in the wrong place! Storms are wild right now! Ambergris...can you put up a puppy barrier that the cats will just leap over? Fun times till she gets the OUTSIDE thing going! MtRider .... yeah, bed sounds good!

We'll win them all over to the prepping sooner or later! Oh.....y'know. I have JUST WHAT YOU NEED! Aren't you glad I was prepared! MtRider

Another hot day here....tho there were some clouds. It helped but then the sun would come out again. I got a big package of bacon...thick slices, out of the freezer. With a knife warmed up with hot water, I separated out 6 long slices. But the rest back in freezer. We've got some ripe tomatoes and some lettuce. BLTs! Cooking the bacon slowly in my huge cast iron skillet wasn't too hot. I usually bake the bacon....all of it at once. Not this month. So when DH finally got home from 2 jobs today, we'd have BLTs with no work. That was Walmart bacon and it was NOT the quality I expected. Couldn't even taste it. It wasn't gone bad.....just wasn't tasty. Rats! What will we do with the rest of that package? Add it to something that has strong flavor? Rats! But it was still supper. With DH working another client MWF, I need to be able to have supper for us. I'm so much better now.....but ....I hope I stay that way. I haven't been the main cook in quite a while. But....I was the only cook for decades so I'll come up with something.....even if I DON'T want to turn on the oven. Wow, Jeepers. That was unexpected news. Will little mister adorable still have the same school? Have fun this weekend with family! for Annarchy driving in dangerous heat. Hope you're hauling several gallons of water, friend. If you had to stop for any reason... you could at least pour it over you - clothes and all. Save you from hyperthermia. Mmmmm..... Miki's muffins look good ...wait. You're baking in THIS heat? Must be southern born! Little Sister, glad your storm didn't do damage...especially your wonderful producing garden! MtRider ....to bed, of course.

Yes, Ivermectin turned my DH's case around in a couple days. And then he got the ALL-over-the-body-rash. Fortunately, I also had a stash of antihistamines for itches. Since I don't drive all the way to town, he didn't have to in his red polka-dotted state. MtRider ....good one, Jayceef! Preppers rule!

Ach..Miki, it's too bad your dh couldn't travel right now. It helps to gather with the whole family at these times. Can he "be there" on zoom? Is his health is doing better? Sheeesh, Becca Anne! I hope you're compensated for your double duty! Glad you can work from home....or Oregon! C0v!D did move remote-working into the 'normal' category. Yeah, that would have been an idea, Jeepers. But electric is all done....and just in time for running the ceiling fan in this heat. So today DH had to travel an hour to the surgeon's office to get last of stitches removed. It went well and he's glad to be done! Driving hurts his back too tho. But we didn't want to have him straining those stitches with heavy lifting or maneuvering. I was feeling pretty good today so before the heat climbed over the ridge too far, I went to the basement [which is accessed by the outside stairs ] and ....ahem, burrowed my way into where we store the A/C box during winter. Not bad, really. Also rearranged some things. A/C unit is in a big, awkward, heavy box. BUT.....years ago I grabbed a couple of light 2-wheeled dollys after suitcases began coming out with their own wheels. Those things are The Best for those of us who don't necessarily wait for someone bigger/stronger to get something accomplished! Hmph! Or when it's a toss up - who's in better physical shape today?? Right? Well I huffed and puffed and got the box onto the dolly and wheeled it right out. There are 15 open steps up to porch. Fortunately, the only window that would work with the air conditioner is on the porch. Better than ground level! 'Course I had to clear out stuff on porch from my reorganizing earlier this summer....things still sit there that would go to the dump if it didn't cost and arm and leg! Don't get me started. No...I did not attempt the stairs myself. After DH was home, ate, relaxed his back, we went down to pull that up the stairs. I'd grabbed a couple of my leather belts, hooked them together so that DH could use that to help lift from the bottom without bending over. I was on the top...definitely bending over, but one by one we rather easily [and safely] got it up the stairs. We didn't get any further. Both kinda spent and ...it's HOT. But clouds were coming in. I could see us with the awkward thing half in the window and the thunder starts to rolllllllllll.... We live way too high to chance lightning. We'll probably finish on Thurs. cuz DH is taking extra hours for a while. Won't be home til late tomorrow. It does take some maneuvering from outside and inside. Gotta move my big heavy chair outta the way....{and the stuff I stash behind it} But with the cloud cover, evening has been much better. Still had to take a shower after being TOWED like I was on water skis....down the road behind several feet of the strong ribbon of the retractable leash. Dog isn't getting out enough with heat so she's been speeding down the road....with me as anchor. Cardio indeed! Last night, with the same scenario there was a problem. As I took dog retractable leash handle and ski pole [aka: hiking stick] in my right hand....and following "orders" to not take the stairs without hanging on [see previous unfortunate collision of my eye socket with aforementioned stairs] my left hand was on the railing. Dog was up ahead on leash, on the porch already. Two steps from the top, I misjudged lifting foot and tripped. I have ALWAYS tripped going UP stairs! Well, yes. The left hand did hang on and all I got was a barely skinned R knee and elbow. Did not fly off the edge. One drop of blood. Cool in house now. Sleep soon! MtRider

My doc informed me that I have to get the tetanus shot [or probably the whole D-tap] from a pharmacy. She isn't allowed to give those. Turf Wars? Still praying Miki! Glad you're not in pain! HOT today. I was actually wearing a chilled gel pack under my baseball cap, ice packs moving around my torso, Chilly Towel strips around my neck and wrists......while DH drove me in for Cognitive Therapy. Soooooo DH and I decided I need to curtail expeditions until fall. Our car's A/C just isn't strong enough. L understood since he actually poured water and squeezed out my Chilly Towel strips so I'd be comfortable during our hour. Said he has a shirt of that hydrophilic material for bike rides. So he gave me the cognitive test again and I scored 27 out of 30... Previously it was 23 or something. All these appointments = Improvement cognitively and certainly physically - walking my tenths of mile daily. Since heat drains me so badly, I didn't think I would be cognitively great but ... I didn't remember the 5 words tho. I've scheduled the next appts in Sept. And I've got homework. And I'll have my hearing aids next week. So I'll be used to them by that time. He warned me not to get frustrated and give up on them. Give the brain time to adjust to hearing/processing the high tones again. Hmm....this should be fun. With DH's back so bad and working and driving too much, I hate to even try to get our window A/C unit in......carried up the stairs from basement. But...we're gonna die here without it. House is not even cool tonite....and just heats up from there in the mornings. DH leaves the back door open at night.....{lions and coyotes and bears....OH MY!} Dog would alert tho....hopefully. She is not Koa. She did alert me that someone was bringing a package today. Right outta the shower with no nuthin' on So I jumped into a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt only. Gracefully accepted package and went back in house. Sheeesh! 'Course I coulda been IN the shower.... MtRider ....ya all take care in the weather ...

I'm surviving our heat. Wearing a Chilly Towel (damp, hydrophylic cloth ) around my neck. And shower/wash hair. Left hair wet - put in a bun and it will be a curly MESS that I'll deal with tomorrow. DH isn't really able to get the A/C window unit up the stairs and into the front window this year. Back hurting from long ago injury and more recent re-injury. Also, he hasn't gotten his stitches out from his surgery on back yet. So....I'm working around this heat. Like an idiot, I baked scalloped potatoes and used the last of the ham two days ago. Add to the heat in the house?? Sheeesh! We did switch very quickly from being on the nicely chilly side to Way Too Hot For Me! But I've learned ways to beat it here. And once the sun dips below the ridge west of us, we're good. Cools down and fans keep going to draw it into the house. Going into town tomorrow tho...... My cognitive appt for which I've spent several interesting hours on 'homework'. Our vehicle does not have strong A/C...... so I'll be bringing the large and small ice/gel packs. And I really can't go with DH to his In-Town surgeon follow up appt on Tues. It's too far with low functioning A/C. He gets the final stitches out tho. The long drive is bad on his back. for Miki and GS to get thru this painful stone issue. Haven't experienced it. Is there a way that you don't get a repeat? I'm envious of Kappy/CSMary and Becca Anne and Little Sister for the fresh garden eating they can enjoy. Jeepers..... I'll just pray everything for you. Health. Banking. House ...both of them. Just ready to call it DONE in Ohio.....just a little longer..... Glad you were able to have some fun in Amishland tho. MtRider

Good to hear from Kappy/C.S. Mary. So sorry you had to do the back surgery TWICE! I'm sure rehab was just as "fun" the 2nd time around. Hope your hand can be rehab-ed too. Total envy of your own garden produce, of course. Chickens in the bathtubs..... Yeah, we had them in the basement but ...they are messy cute critters! A puppy, Ambergris? You're settling in, aren't you? Glad you'll have a dog then. Yay for the new freezer, Annarchy. Especially in this so called "Heat Dome". Can't imagine what it's like to walk outside for even a minute in your heat. Dry heat or not! for Jeepers' house repairs/maintenance.....and for just the right people to absolutely LOVE their new home! Soon! for GS and Miki ......to be relieved soon! So glad, LittleSister, that you could normalize your relationship with your GS!! that he never goes back to the drugs that warp his mind/emotions!!! I 'bout had a heart attack when Doggie Dear was barking on the porch this morning...at the lone duck on the pond quacking her head off. WHERE is everyone else down there? We've had a couple indications there might be a predator but.... I'd just staggered out of bed so had to change clothes and get some shoes on...and grab phone [cuz w/o DH home, I really should never go without it...even with life alert device] Had to go way over to see the near end of the pond and .... The rest of the crew was there on the bank sunning and preening. Loud Mouth had joined them by then and all was well. So starts the day with critters! Have been trying to do my Cognitive assignments but kept getting interrupted. I did walk dog. And keep whacking off the flower heads of the gigantic thistles growing along the road. When we first moved in....long long ago, DH and I uprooted SO many of those from the berm and ditch and around everywhere. Took years to get rid of them. Digging them out by hand. So while they have a lovely purple flower, the spikes on those things are nasty. My old horse used to chomp off the flower and eat it. Welcome to it. Then I didn't have to lop off their heads with my aluminum walking stick [aka: old ski pole] . So yeah, the walk was cardio too. Have primary doc appt tomorrow. 'Bout every 3 months check-in since I'm now actively doing things regarding M. S. Sheeeesh. It consumes so much time...and sometimes co-pay. $$ But.....I'm in much better shape than 3 months ago!!! MtRider

Hmph......I'd whine about how HOT it's been but I've seen the map. I KNOW the Annarchys are sweltering. La Hai Na = cruel sun {also the name of the town we lived in on Maui. } As was suggested by L - cognitive therapist, I picked up my 3-ring binder from 3 yrs of studying Hawaiian language on DuoLingo. I just started reading and pronouncing for a while. L said I hadn't lost it - not doing it for the past 2 yrs. It's still there, he said. Yeah, when I try to think of something in Hawaiian, nada! Blank. I mean aloha and mahalo and stuff I actually used on Maui. But ....nothing else. And YET....it's familiar when I'm reading all my notes. And believe me, I recorded all the vocab and sentences and my notes in that binder. I don't even have to get on line yet. I'll just review at my own speed. Languages are a great way for exercising cognitive - which was why I was doing it! That...and I just enjoy languages. I have a friend who is helping to translate the New Testament into a South American people group's native language... that hasn't ever been translated. People from her church have lived down there a long time and the folks would like the Bible in their own language, and not just reading in Spanish. So while she doesn't know the language, she can pick out nouns and verbs to be translated with the dictionary. Sentence by sentence. Her friends have been there for years and do know the language. Soon she'll learn how to conjugate the verbs. She does speak some French and Norwegian. That's my entertainment for this hot day.....but if we can get enough outside air INSIDE, we'll be fine. Gotta love the mountains for that factor! MtRider ....G'night all

Wow, Miki. Hope yours moves along quickly and quietly. Yeah, L's enthusiasm for my brain reclamation is contagious. I'm usually: Let me see it first. Prove it. But...I'm getting hopeful. Jeepers! I found an article that while it may not apply to you, it will give you some satisfaction. https://abcnews.go.com/Business/bank-america-ordered-pay-100-million-double-charging/story?id=101088255 MtRider ....heading to the back rooms - getting hot up in the south-facing rooms!

Wow....all you gals are so ambitious. Praying that GS will pass that thing and get well again. Ow! Adding Miki to that list as well! Interesting what you said, Becca Anne, about the probably cause of being more prevalent in the summer.....dehydration. I took another drink of water just then. I'm trying to keep hydrated! Today I went to the last P.T. at 2pm and stayed around for the cognitive at 4pm. I didn't get all of the BIG stack of memory homework done but I did about half. L was quite impressed cuz I think a lot of his cognitive clients are less motivated. Perhaps older and more impaired in body as well as brain? While he was looking thru the first pages of homework....where I'd written "hopeless" and "I couldn't have done this 25 yrs ago!" ....he was trying to figure out some encouragement. Then I pulled out the later ones and showed him I changed up how I was trying to remember the data at the top to answer the questions pertaining to that data on the bottom of each sheet. Like TV programing or ads for 3 theaters ....and you have to remember who's showing what/their address/phone/ other stray data cuz you don't know what questions will be asked. I kinda slid back into college era studying and improved a lot. The ones that are nearly all numbers {channels, times, etc} ....I just have never done numbers. Not too worried about losing something I've never had and have lots of work-arounds already. Anyway, he got all excited about my switch in approach. He has noted that I'm quite detailed and creative. Uh, yeah. THEN he asks about the five random words he had me try to remember ...weeks ago. A HA! I knew he'd do that so I kept remembering the 3 that I got home with from that appointment. But never did recall the other two but he told me. Then of course he gave me the new 5 words. Then immediately - before I could play memory games with those words, he set me to count backwards by 7s from 100. Since he already knows I've never been able to do numbers in the air, he gave me pen/paper. I can do that but I'm counting on my fingers (or rather with domino dots on the side) While I was doing that, he engaged DH in conversation to see if I could hold focus. LOL I actually got down to the last 7.....and it was correct! Kinda surprised me. Yay, domino dots... to count it down! THEN he immediately asked for the new 5 words..... Uff tah! Blank! Zero! Brain Search but NADA! Then as he gave me the clue of category { a type of fabric } "velvet" came to my mind. I DID NOT REMEMBER that was the correct word! But I threw it out there and to my shock, it was correct. A flower ...."daisy"....was also correct. A building: I did actually remember "church" and the color "red". Velvet and Daisy still have me intrigued tho. He was excited...telling me the brain is waking up. I'm improving. Wellllllllll? He's leading this so I'll take his word for it. But ....I think I'm getting excited too. I've got 2 more sessions with him but will likely continue with another 'script for it. But I'm tellen' ya! I'm more fatigued with this mental focus than with the P.T.! MtRider ..... I think I really might get my brain back....

I'm WAY late for bed and have P.T. and Cognitive appts. tomorrow. But I haven't been here so stopped by to say Wow...GS and LittleSister are having harsh times. Glad your exam went well, Jeepers! We're doing fine and my low back stuff is greatly improved. Not doing anything in P.T. to aggravate it. AND I get to graduate from that cuz I finally was able to do the whole Mile walking dog. Cognitive....likely do another round. Don't see much progress....tho I didn't do all the pile of homework he assigned. Couldn't sit with my low back issues. { lol excuses for homework at my age...} We are finally HOT! 93* today. Glad the electric is finally fixed so the LR ceiling fan can be on. But we do cool down drastically every evening. Got ears tested. Yeah....not much hearing in the upper tones at all. Moderate loss in medium. Not really any loss in low tones. Not sure how that turns out in the real world. Yemmmini! Hearing aids are $$$$$$. MtRider finally cooled down in house!

Aw heck....we're still partying! Come back and visit Dogmom! MtRider

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOGMOM How are you? Haven't heard from you in a while! MtRider

Happy Bday Miki!!! MtRider .....are we too late for cake?

Hey Madison. Hope your mom let's you know we remember you! MtRider ...

I wish I'd thot of that one! Sorry you're missing your "favorite comfort item"..... MtRider

Wow, Becca Anne! Your timing was perfect. I miss not having veggie options near to hand. Gotta rely on grocery store. Or farmers market but they aren't open yet. I think my low back pain is from lifting the under-bed totes. To make a way for the poor electrician to access the first outlet. I remember now that I felt the pull. So...I'm applying arnica gel. That seems to work for me but not DH. He uses these Chinese somethine in a tincture drops bottle. I'm also shifting positions with laptop from living room chair to hospital bed set upright. And my back felt even better when I walked the dog. Oh yay! It felt better after riding horse too. Jeepers ...I'll bet you can barely recognize your house by now. So glad the junk guys were kind and efficient. You're knocking 'em down one by one, gal! Recovery day around here. Other than DH's usual MWF for 4 hrs....the only thing we have this whole week is my hearing appt. That will be a journey over to the city again...in a vehicle without strong A/C. I'm voting for rain. Whew! ....the next week however... I have 3 appointments. But....P.T. is helping and the third is my primary doc...checking in with her. Little Sister, my mom's in northern VA. She took a look at her 2 pots of petunias today and gasped. Ran to water them. Totally dry and laying over. She enjoys them so much but tends to forget if she doesn't go out to sit on her patio cuz it's HOT! She said they came back up, tho a bit bedraggled. They've only had rain one day recently. Had some of Canada's smoke tho. MtRider

I did get to ride today. I didn't hear from them til this morning so I rode in afternoon. The forecast says thunderstorms in afternoon all week....have been saying that for days. Hasn't done more than sprinkle a bit yesterday...tho it was cloudy and cool for our electrical issues. Today was pretty warm. Shorts and tank top. Trying to stay cool but the ride was wonderful. Helped the 'kink in my low back'. Figured it would help or harm....didn't know which. It was even to hot to bring the dog. She stays in car while DH grocery shops. Then they come back for me. Not this day. My mom misses the much cooler weather out here. But she's got A/C and can have whatever temp she wants. They've got more oxygen out where she lives now tho. DH and I are finding that we're a lot more drained than it first appeared. Uff tah! So we're making everything as simple as possible. This too, shall pass. Only thing we have to do next week is audiologist for me . Can ya hear me now? No....I'm missing too much. Would love to get rid of the constant HISSSSSSSSSSSSSing in my ears. We'll see what happens. MtRider

I'm a weather person, as y'all know. I keep files on computer about different weather events. The scale for hurricanes. Full moon nights. Etc. I just picked up this definition when looking at the effects of this recent derecho. The site said this defines them: ==-==-== A derecho is a line of strong thunderstorms that produces frequent wind gusts of at least 58 mph over the span of at least 400 miles. During particularly dangerous derechos, wind gusts can exceed 100 mph. =-=-=-== I neglected to note where I got that.....some weather site. MtRider ....glad you were able to sit this one out, Mother.

We've been so wet, my guard isn't tuned this year as much. But there's aways stuff at the ready and things that stay in the vehicles. Plus we've already had a fire near enough to be at the edge of EVAC zone. Then we went back into winter! Then we rained for a month. WEIRD year. At the moment the weather is predicting rain every afternoon but it's been a no-show for 3 days. We have VERY tall grass from the earlier rain.....along the roads and everywhere the creek waters. But now the pond is a lot lower now than just a few weeks ago. I rode today in shorts, tank top, wet over shirt to keep from getting too hot and sunburned. Last time I rode, I was in a coat and jeans. Flipped the calendar and Gotta stay on your toes in this life! Becca Anne.....is your area getting the bad air quality from the Canadian fires now? That would be rough! Yeah, wildfire can be truly a Rip & RUN !!! situation. MtRider .....I hate fire season.....