A Morning with the Bovines

Last week as I was driving out to Dad's, I saw that our family friends, the Rose's, had some of their cows and calves down in a pasture close to their house and got the idea that I wanted to take some pictures of them for my sister Stephanie. Dad mentioned it to Ranae, who said "Heck ya, come and take 'em!"

Well, I didn't make it over before they moved back up in the higher hills.

Yesterday morning at Dad's I noticed that the hillside behind his place was dotted with cattle.
I really wanted to go and take pictures but I was headed out the door to work.

When I got back to Dad's that evening, he told me that a couple of them showed up in his yard. Dad's neighborhood is surrounded on two sides by open range, so it's not an uncommon thing to see cows that close to the houses.

This morning I was determined to get out on the quad and hunt them down.
Since they were up high on the hill and I don't have alot of experience on the quad,
I was a little apprehensive about heading up a muddy dirt trail.

Yep, the top of this hill...

What if I fell off and they mistook me for a giant salt lick?

Have you ever seen a cow tongue? Gross! Bleech!!

But I had a mission.
Dammit, I was gonna get cow pictures for my Otis!
And get them I did!

Aren't they cute?
This is a "pair". A cow and her calf.
This I learned from Pioneer Woman.

"Hay Lady, what're you lookin' at?"

"Com'on Ladies, let's get outta here!"

Then it was time to head back down the muddy trail.

These Lucies are for you Stephanotis!
I risked life and limb and the threat of
cow tongues to get them for you!
But I love you more than all the cows in the world!
So it was, like, totally worth it!


**And speaking of Dad...He went to Salt Lake on the 7th and came back on the 16th but his gallbladder decided to stay there. His recovery is going great!!!!!!

Dad's Gall Bladder

Dad went to the VA hospital in SLC on Wednesday for a consult with the surgeons regarding his gall bladder. On Thursday the GI folks decided to do another ERCP (see previous post) to check for any more stones and possibly take out the stint that they put in back in February. Well, there were some more stones and some "sludge" in his bile duct. I talked to him shortly after the procedure and he said that this one didn't go as smoothly as the first. He was hoarse and a little incoherent from the anesthesia and intubation. Apparently he ended up with an infection after that and his temp was spiking to 104 degrees, so they had him on high grade antibiotics and hadn't transferred him back to the VA (they did the procedure at Univ of Utah Medical Center). I spoke with him on Friday, and the docs told him there was a possibility of them taking the gall bladder that day. Nope. The didn't. Also they put in a PICC line to administer the antiobiotics he's on...Cipro...Remember that stuff? It's what they gave to folks that were infected with the Anthrax virus a few years ago. So you know that's some potent crap. But he's in good spirits and I could hear him joking with the nurses while I was on the phone with him. Talked to him briefly yesterday as his cell was losing it's charge and his charger was at the VA while he was still at the U. He said they told him "maybe today". Nope!

I think he's back at the VA today as he told me he had his charger now. (I forgot to ask where he was) They want to keep him through this next week to keep an eye on him and get the infection totally cleared so they can go in and do the surgery.

I did a little research on gallstones and the causes. I don't feel like transposing it into my own words and since I am against plagiarism here's an informative link I found on the subject:

http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec10/ch140/ch140b.html

My mom had her gall bladder out when I was little. Apparently it's common to get gallstones during pregnancy. Momma, sorry for giving you gallstones! I thought we only gave you gray hairs!!!

I will continue to update as I get more info. Please keep Dad in your thoughts and prayers :)

Update on Dad, Part 2

Well, I'm back in Elko. Dad is still in Salt Lake. Here's an update from the information we got on Monday morning:

The doctors came by on their rounds that morning. All very optimistic about stuff. The gallbladder does need to come out. But before they can do that, they need to make sure that the infection is all gone. So the plan is to preform another Endoscopy either Tuesday or Wednesday to check for infection and if the infection is all gone, they will remove the stint they put in on Sunday. From there, they will schedule the gallbladderectomy (ok, I didn't check WebMD for the proper term). There was also talk of doing an MRI either yesterday or Tuesday, but they need to inject contrast for the procedure and one of the effects of contrast is that it sometimes messes with the kidneys and Dad's kidney function is all screwed up from the gallbladder stuff. So they're hestitant to do that at this time. (Update on the kidney function: when I talked to Dad last night, he said that his urine was clear, of course, those of you who know our father know that those aren't the words he used!)

While I was still there, they needed to replace his iv. That was a very humorous half hour! It took 3 nurses to try and find a vein they could use! It came down to a nurse from the ICE unit who rocks at finding hard-to-find veins who had to bring in a portable doppler unit to find one. They were all getting frustrated by it and Dad was the calming presence to all of them! "Don't worry, take your time and do what ya gotta do." Success was finally achieved! Yeah Nurse Jason!!

He's in very good spirits and is very appreciative of all the well-wishes and thoughts and prayers that are being sent his way!! And he's got his cell phone with him, so if you'd like to give him a call, I'm sure he'd love to hear from those who have his number!

I'll keep posting update as I get them from him!

Update on Dad

On Friday Dad called the VA nurse who handles the Veteran's in Elko (we don't have a VA facility here) to schedule his next physical. He mentioned to her that he'd been constipated for 3 days but that it had finally 'passed'. He then told her that his skin and eyes were showing signs of jaundice and she recommended that he go straight to the ER in Elko because that could be a sign for a number of things - gallstones, liver problems or a strain of hepatitis. After examination, the ER doc concluded that Dad had gallstones that were blocking the bile duct and that we 'needed to get to the VA Hospital in Salt Lake City ASAP!" They coordinated his arrival at the VA with the folks in SLC and Dad and I were on the road by 8:30 pm that night (after driving to my house so I could pack a bag then back up to his house for him to pack as well). We stopped twice - once to get gas and once at a rest area to nap for about an hour. When we got into SLC we stopped to get me checked into a hotel then headed up to the VA. When I got back up to the VA in the morning, Dad was having an ultrasound to see what they could determine from that. Dad was in good spirits, his stats were good, not running a fever, blood pressure fine, etc. When the docs palpitated his abdomen, he said he was only feeling a slight tenderness where his gallbladder was and that his only complaint of pain was hunger pain since they weren't letting him eat. later that afternoon they sent him up for an MRCP which is kind of like an MRI. Sunday they would send him out for an ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatogram), where they would go in endoscopically to remove the stones that were blocking the plumbing. Then they would schedule him to come back to have his gallbladder removed. At one point they were just going to back off of the GI consult and go straight for his gallbladder. They then decided that they were going to do the ERCP. They do this procedure over at the University of Utah Medical Center and would transfer us over there by ambulance. At about 6 pm the ambulance showed up and we got him all loaded up. The VA sent a nurse with him, too. At about 7 pm all the players were in place - the docs, the nurse from the U, the tech, the anesthesiologist (yep, I know it's not spelled right!) They told us that once they got Dad to sleep and intubated, the procedure would be about 30 - 45 minutes. Cody, the nurse from the VA and I went to the waiting room and switched on the Olympics. At about 8:30, Cody and I started to wonder why we hadn't heard anything, so we both snuck down the hall to see if we could find anything out. We ran into the nurse who told us it was almost over and that they would be taking him to recovery shortly. At about 9 the doctor came in to talk to us. When they got the stones out of the way, they discovered that there was infection sitting behind them. That was a surprise to all of us, since he didn't present with any sign of infection at all - no fever (the last one at the VA before we left was 99.1), no nausea, no pain at the sight, and his demeanor was typical Dad the jokester). They inserted a stint that would help with the drainage of the infection that would come out at a later date. They got him moved to recovery and at about 9:30 they let Cody and I back there to see him. He was in good spirits, just a little groggy. I can't remember what time the ambulance showed back up to take us back to the VA...I rode up front in the ambulance and I jokingly asked the EMT if we were gonna run with the lights on. He said "no", but indulged me by turning them on for a brief moment. Then he said I could hit the lights if I wanted to...so I did and it made me a little giddy :). Then he asked if I wanted to turn on the siren. "I am a 43 year old woman! How would that look?!" He said to think about it....So when we pulled up to an intersection with some cars ahead and behind us I said sure, lemme turn the siren on! So he showed me which button it was and away I went! He said that was one of the cool things about his job...but the the coolest was being able to run red lights legally! I thanked him for fulfilling one of my childhood dreams! We got Dad settled back into his room and after staying with him for a bit, I went back to the motel.

I'm getting ready to head back over to the hospital now. Want to be there when the docs come see him. So where we sit right now is scheduling him to have the stint removed and having the gall bladder taken out. I will keep everyone posted with updates when I can.

Thankful

Shauna & I sat outside last night as the sun was going down. We had the new patio set all put together and were sitting at it enjoying the cool breeze and the quiet and we both proclaimed how lucky we were to live in Rural Nevada.

The sky was an inky blue, thanks to a late afternoon storm that passed over us. And the clouds...it looked as though a painter had bounced over the sky with a brush dipped in white paint, then muddled it with a pale gray. There were just a few stars in the sky, the rest wouldn't be showing themselves for a little while. The moon was a thin bright white crescent. The setting sun was casting it's orange-red glow along the Ruby Mountains, turning them a brilliant deep dark red.

The only noise was the laughter of kids playing down the street mixed with the whinnies (sp?) from neighbohood horses and Gunner from next door barking at a bird that dared to sit atop his kennel.

All mixed together, it makes for a peaceful existence. And one that I am thankful for everyday.

I get to drive to work every morning and see cattle grazing in fields green with sage and tall grass. And every once in a while, I am lucky enough to catch real cowboys and cowgirls on real horses driving cattle along the cattle path that runs next to the 'highway'. One of the horses we pass on the way to work had her foal this past week. Every morning for the past few months we've look closely to see if she's had her baby...What a nice surprise to see the cute gangly baby!

You see, Elko County is steeped in the rich tradition of ranching and farming. With names that go back to the beginnings of the area. Even with the gold mines that are hidden from view, way up in the hills, the ranchers have maintained their lands and the two have learned to coexist.

We might complain about the lack of variety as far as shopping here in Elko. We might complain that we have no Carl's Jr. But I don't miss the pollution clouding the sky, the hustle and bustle of city life nor do I miss tall buildings obscuring my views.

Yes, sometimes I miss the smell of the sea air wafting over the Redwood trees of my hometown in California. And living in a house that's surrounded by the mighty giants of trees. But when I get a hankerin' for the smell of redwood, I head to Home Depot and stand in front of the redwood planks and take deep breaths. And when I long for the smells of the beach, I open up the container of sand from Capitola, CA that Jessica brought me from her vacation last year.

What are you thankful for about where you live?

The World's Pickiest Eater

This is Jesse.

He's the son of my roomies Shauna & Jeff.

If you look in the dictionary for the

definition of "picky eater"

you will see his picture.

We bought this off the Internet a couple weeks ago after seeing the infomercial: It's the Express RediSetGo. And it came with a bunch of recipes. One of which was for personal pizzas. So yesterday I made the recipe for the pizza dough that was included.

Sure, I could have bought pre-made dough.

But I am trying to be more self-sufficient and stay away from processed, boxed foodstuff.

The recipe made 12 little balls of dough which could be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I thought that if Jesse liked the first one, he would be able to make himself pizza for lunch during the week this summer.

I showed him how to roll out the dough and then he built himself his pizza.

The pizza was done in 7 minutes, the crust was perfect and was really yummy.

More important was that Jesse the Picky loved it! That brings the count up to 2 items that I cook that he will eat. #1 being stuffed chicken breasts.

This is the pizza that I made for myself...

Pepperoni, zucchini, crushed red pepper, Colby jack cheese (we forgot to by mozzarella) and Parmesan cheese.

YUM!

An Elephant in the Backyard

The most difficult aspect of my job is not dealing with difficult customers -either those who don't have a clue of what they want or are just plain cranky. It's when I have customers who come in to have memorial cards made for a funeral.

You see, I am an emotional person. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I cry at the Folger's Coffee commercials (you know the ones - where the son surprises everyone at Christmas). I bawled through pretty much all of Steel Magnolia's. Extreme Home Makeover, yep, that'll get the ol' tear ducts a'flowin too! And not just at sad movies, but I've been known to cry at comedies and action/adventure movies, too.

So when I am sitting with customers at my computer at work, designing these little cards that boil someone's life down to a couple of paragraphs, it's very hard for me to remain stoic. But I do. I see certain little glimpses into the family. The smiles as they remember a fun time, the grief at a life taken unexpectantly, sometimes the relief that their loved one is no longer in pain.

I did some cards yesterday for a family. This time it was extremely hard for me to remain emotionally detached, I felt that any moment I would start crying and racked my brain trying to figure out why. Was I thinking about TaTia, my dad's aunt who is in the hospital right now after having two strokes? Yes, she was on my mind. Was it because I'm PMS'ing? Still don't know. But when they left, I lost it and just started bawling. It only lasted a minute or two and my co-worker Annie gave me a little hug and I was fine.

When I got home last night, Shauna told me that our friend (and her sister in law) Sunshine's dad was not doing well, his organs were starting to shut down. Bill has been battling with MS for a very long time. He's been confined to a wheelchair for the last few years and pretty much home-bound. I've only met Bill once and that was when he was toolin' around the neighborhood in his electric scooter, stopping to shoot the shit with anyone he saw. My sister Jessica and I happened to be some of those people a couple of years ago (Bill & his wife Trish live a block away from my sister). He rolled up into the driveway and we introduced ourselves and just chit chatted. He told us about living in Las Vegas, working as an OSHA inspector. Then he started telling what we believed to be tall-tales. I made mental notes to ask Sunshine what was true and what was false. Did he really come home from Vegas with an elephant that he traded a truck for? That turned out to be false. But I will always laugh when I think of Bill, just because of the elephant. Jessica & I still chuckle at that one..

Bill passed away about an hour ago. He's no longer in pain. My thoughts are with Sunshine and her family. And Jessica and I will take care of the elephant.

Rainbow Connection

We had a brief thunderstorm on Sunday evening.

It left this behind:

A double rainbow!

You can't really tell from the photo,

but you could see the whole spectrum of colors.

It was awe-inspiring.