Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 24 February 2019

HAPPY NEW WEEK! 

I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe week. 

Here are some links to pictures of the Indiana winter. You can look at them if you want to. 

My region has had so much snow, rain, and ice that the long Wabash River has been flooding in many areas. It flowed into Prophetstown State Park, near Lafayette, Indiana, up on the prairie where I grew up. The flood waters turned to ice, trapping the fish, and groups of juvenile Bald Eagles have been gathering on the prairie ice to peck out the frozen fish for their meals. PHOTO HERE

Ice is building up in the canyon at Bear Hollow in Turkey Run State Park, which is just down the road from me. PHOTO HERE

The polar vortex winter has been piling up the shelf ice on Lake Michigan north of me. PHOTO HERE The structure is a light house. 

An extremely rare (endangered) Whooping Crane has been spending the winter socializing with a flock of Sandhill Cranes, a couple of counties south of me. PHOTO HERE

Take care, all. 

  • Crikey. Wonder if there's any country that doesn't have problems with its health-care system.

    Speaking of which, Heather, how's your bro doing in France.  I seem to recall a possible health coverage issue with Brexit?

    Lindybird: Not bored by stories of G. I do hope they can find what's ailing her now... I wonder if there's a blood condition lurking under all the other stuff that's making her so weak. Glad your specs survived the hairdressers. Do they have no rehab hospitals for hospital-to-home transitions. I guess we need them here because you're almost out the hospital door the minute you wake up from anesthesia! :-)

    bjane: Reassuring to know you're not struggling to cope all by yourself and how nice that your daughter has such a good attitude and that things seem to be okay with the aides (such a worry sometimes). Take care.

    AQ: Can't imagine why 8 hours stuck in an ambulance on a ramp wouldn't aggravate any condition!

  • Good grief, AQ. That's terrible. But we do have queues at Admissions sometimes, and people left for hours on stretchers in corridors because they're waiting for a bed.

    Sorry it's so hot. I get all limp and just want to sleep when it's that bad.

    Bjane, I'm sorry to hear about your daughter and her struggles. She sounds like a strong minded person, and maybe takes after you! We have a Red Cross Service where people can hire a wheelchair or a shower stool or other small equipment for a very small sum of money when they only need it temporarily. I worked for British Red Cross for some years, in a secretarial post, but was expected to help with the issue of these items, but we all mucked in and helped including my big boss who was in charge of quite a lot of manpower and departments, but who could be found in quiet moments re oiling the wheelchairs! ready for the next use.

    Annette - It's according to what you've been in hospital for. If you've had a major illness or accident, there are rehab hospitals but the main problem I'm talking about is mostly the elderly and frail who have no one at home to help them. There are supposed to be Social Services who aid people but they are too stretched -- it's been sadly neglected and now has become a big problem.

    It's been colder and wet today. Very wet predicted for Saturday.

  • Sorry I've been rabbiting on.

    Grey and misty here. Lots to do today, must get started.
  • It's official -- "Australia has suffered it's biggest ever heatwave with temperatures high in every state and territory"

    The hottest summer ever!!
  • Good morning! No wet weather here till overnight tonight – just dull and cloudy which is keeping it less cold. Not sure what will be happening here – should be quite a calm day but Fix It Guy is supposed to be phoning with solutions to the turf-laying. Meanwhile, the hot sunny weather has dried up the turfs, so may need yet another cunning plan!
    As I speak, a skip is being delivered – heigh-ho, here we go >>>.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~
    So, skip delivery man said Fix-It had said meet him here – I told him he never arrives on time! Anyway, he was only about 5 mins late, arriving with a mini-digger. And now we see what happens. Of course, OH is out having called at pharmacy for my prescription on the way home from taking J to work!
    I’m not feeling good today – rheumatology took hours – new Doc and he sent me for X-rays of hips and feet! He did also give me an injection for pain and is asking GP to improve pain medications.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    HEATHER – I wonder what those birds are up to on your dormer roofs? Will be interested if window-cleaner can find out!
    ANNETTE – GGD is Miri, GGS is Cyrus. That wee boy (now 5 months) always has a big smile on his face!
    JANE – glad you won’t be having kittens! Our NHS was a wonderful set-up, but medical research has been so advanced that the service can no longer cope with all the new problems which present themselves now we are all living too long! Your Daughter sounds a very strong person – obviously your genes! – but it is sad that there ae still difficulties covering her needs.
    LINDA – I was lucky to still have the local hospital nearby when I came out of the acute hospital bed-bound two years ago, but it is quite a small unit, and itself suffers bed-blocking with Alzheimer’s patients waiting for permanent care – although the 21-bed unit for elderly care is still “mothballed” right next door! Pleased that G’s known cancers have not grown, but I do wonder what they will find next, after all her illness over so many years. Glad the glasses were okay after their fall.
    AQ – our regional hospital is brand new – only been open a year. It caused controversy as all inpatients have single en-suite rooms; people complain that there is nobody to talk to, and they feel vulnerable on their own, but it is proving itself effective for infection control.

    Tried to think of some more cheerful topic than the shortcomings of health care and hospitals – failed miserably! Sorry.
  • Quiet on here today, after our morning posts!

    We've been extremely busy: house to clean and various objects needing rounding up from around the house, to take on holiday. Went into the loft this evening to find my boxful of shorts etc, and found another mysterious cardboard box behind it. Couldn't resist a peek. It contained books which our children had enjoyed, plus some lovely china plates and mugs (decorated with Peter Rabbit, and other nursery characters). Had no idea it was there! Have rescued everything to be washed and sorted. Maybe the dishes would be nice for the expected new baby. No idea why it didn't come to light when we 1st started having grandchildren.


    Tried on my shorts and at least some of them fit me..... dieting is definitely on the cards, but not until we return from our hols.

    OG - Sorry you've not been feeling too good. Hope the injection helps.

  • Hi all, I did try and post yesterday but nothing came of it. Had to sign in again tonight but it was easy.

    Thank you all for your news. For those having problems with Health services do hope they resolve. We may have a moan from time to time about our NHS but at least it is free and I have always had the best treatment when it was needed.

    OG - glad Mr. Fix-it has been and turf laid.

    Lindybird - that find of books and plates sounds awesome - I would have thought perfect for grandchildren and the one on the way too. See you are off on holiday again, have a good trip, not sure when.

    Weather has turned cloudy with some rain and a lot cooler - they say Storm Freya is on the way for Sunday - wonder what it will bring!

    Have a good weekend all, stay warm and safe.
  • LINDA – You wrote “It's official . . . The hottest summer ever!!”
    Autumn is not going well either. (We start Autumn 1 March). Today expecting 41 C and I am trying to pluck up courage to bring in the washing. Dry already and only put out half hour ago.

    OG – Hope you are feeling better after a good nights sleep. {{{HUGS}}}

    Tasmanian bushfires have faded from news, probably trees & roots still burning. Australia’s tallest tree did survive but with scars. Experts won’t know for months its fate. The Eucalyptus regnans, a swamp gum or mountain ash, was measured with lasers last year at 100.5 metres. Named Centurian, it is said to be the tallest flowering plant & tallest hardwood tree in world. The fire in the Huon Valley burnt 1000s of hectares; the famed Tahune Airwalk was damaged.
  • OG: Hope things went smoothly with Mr. Fix It and that you feel better tomorrow. That's one happy little fella at 5 months. :-)

    Lindybird: Like Christmas then, discovering all those old books and kiddie cups. It should be easier to lose weight once the weather gets warmer so you should be able to fit into the rest of those shorts this summer. Good luck!

    AQ: I really do feel for you in that heat and hate to hear that old/great trees are in danger. Those can't be replaced..... Meanwhile, our local reservoir/lake - Lake Cachuma - is now at 63% capacity, which is brilliant after all the dry years and the Sierra snowpack is at 153% of normal. All with more to come. Did you read that an "Australian" fish washed up here, right at Coal Oil Point where the Gray Whale Count is held. It was a 7ft x 5ft Hoodwinker Sunfish, never seen in the Northern Hemisphere (oh but it was dead). Here's the link: www.keyt.com/.../1044089218   I'm just amazed it made it all this way in one piece.

    The annual Gray Whale Count started two weeks ago but has been hit and miss with all the rain and wind we've had. I went down this afternoon but was there for only 30 minutes before it started raining. We did see one lone whale though, which did a little breach as it disappeared into the gray....