Update!

Having a fun time in Williamsburg, VA - a full update and pictures will follow once we get home. On Saturday, we leave here and head to some island, I can't spell it, so I won't attempt to tell you the name. But it has wild ponies. We're both looking forward to seeing them.

We're in Gettysburg!

Arrived around 2:30 this afternoon - not bad since we left at five in the morning. I think the trip was a little over 500 miles. And our motel, besides supposedly having a ghost or two, has WIFI.

Our motel.

In back of the motel is the National Cemetery.

General Lee's Headquarters.

General Meade's Headquarters.

Tomorrow - Vacation!!

Yes, we head out early in the morning. Probably as soon as we wake up, get dressed, and put the suitcases in the truck. Our first stop is Gettysburg. We've made reservations at a motel we stayed in way back in 2003 - it's backyard is the National Cemetery. And this motel is supposed to be haunted. How cool is that? I wonder if we'll see a ghost. Now that would make Bruce a believer. As far as WIFI, it's supposed to have a connection, but I've read reviews where guests have had problems hooking up. But that's OK - there's always the next stop. We'll only be there one night.

What a Nice Day!

Bruce spent some time polishing his ATV. I think there is some kind of an ATV meet when we get back from our vacation. Kind of 'show & shine."

I cleaned the house, did the laundry, and have just about finished packing. I've got it covered - have clothes for cold days and hot days.

Tomorrow I have just a few things left to do, it should be an easy day.

A Quiet Day!

Not much going on today. This morning, I left a message for my sister and about an hour later, she called me. She is still in rehab, wanting to go home. I'm hoping that will be soon. She did get some beautiful roses from a club member - she had taken a picture with her cell phone and wanted to send it to me. I suggested she send it to her daughter, Jackie, since she didn't have my email address in her phone. Maybe Jackie can give her a hand on her next visit.

Vacation is getting closer - just have to get through the weekend.

A Little Chrome!

Has been added to the backs of the mirrors, door handles, gas cap, and tailgate handle. Looks pretty sharp, Bruce!

Thoughts of Camping!

Yesterday, Bruce did some work on the trailer. Our first camping trip will be to the Chicopee Sportsmen's Club in Granby, MA, only five weeks way. So much to do, so little time!



And Smoky is back to his old self!

New Glasses, New Do!

I answered a call this morning - our eyeglasses were ready. Bruce had been out on his morning walk; but as soon as he came in the door, I announced that we had to pick up our glasses. I'm happy with my new frames - totally different from what I've been wearing. Bruce has a new pair of sun glasses.

Then he dropped me off at the hair salon while he went to Canadian Tire to pick up a few parts. When I walked into the hair salon, I was the only one there - so immediately was put in a chair. I think the cut lasted about 15 minutes - tops. Walking out the door, Bruce was no where in sight - so I walked across Wal-Mart's parking lot into Canadian Tire's lot. No red truck. How could that be? Well, after he got his part, he went to Tim's for coffee (no wonder I didn't see him anywhere) - then back to the hair cutting place and parked the truck to wait for me. Then he spotted someone walking across all those parking lots and thought to himself, "That looks like my wife." Hey, at least I got some exercise!!

Yes!

My little guy is healed. But there are a few more days that I have to give Smoky his medicine. Now only seven drops a day - how bad can that be?

I don't think I've mentioned the "MagicJack" before. My nephew has one and seems to think it's the greatest gadget. And I'm beginning to think the same thing. After spending a day researching it on the internet, I've discovered that it is sold in both WalMart and BestBuy in the States. It's definitely on my US list of things to buy once we cross the border. It costs $40 to buy which include a year subscription, then it's $20 each year. I've used Yahoo for years for PC to Phone calls, but since they've raised their rate, I've spent over $70 refilling it in a year. If I find and buy the MagicJack next week, I'll write my opinion on it's use and quality.

My sister called me this morning - she is still in the rehab center, but says she is doing much better. Hopefully, she'll be released sometime this week. She's anxious to get home.

No Problem!

We planned our approach to taking Smoky to the vet. I'd hold him in my arms while Bruce drove - once there, Bruce would come around to my side of the truck and take him into the office. Inside, there was a man waiting with his cat. Smoky had a few words with the cat and the cat seemed to understand and talked back. Funny. When it was our turn, the vet took Smoky's temperature - no reaction to that intrusion. Then the vet pushed and squeezed Smoky's paw, leg, and joints. No reaction. He concluded that Smoky must have sustained a soft tissue injury in the fight and he would prescribe an anti-inflammatory medication to be taken orally. Since we already had Smoky at the Doc's, he got his rabies and distemper shots. In all, it was an easy trip - no scratching or biting.

This morning, I opened a can of tuna, took the medicine and counted out 15 drops into a small bowl. Then I mixed Smoky's favorite food into it and placed it on the floor. About a foot away from the tuna, he stopped, turned and walked away. DARN. There's no way to force a cat to eat, so I took another small bowl, counted out 15 more drops, then took out the little syringe and sucked up the liquid. Smoky was on the bed, so Bruce held him and kept his head still while I popped the syringe into his mouth and pushed out the medicine. Not too tasty, I guess. Over the next four days, he gets six drops a day, then after that two drops. He already seems to be walking better, so I'd say he's on the mend.

Made an Appointment . . .

This morning with the vet for Smoky. He was still limping when we got up, so I figure it's time to have his paw checked out. While we're there, he'll get whatever shots are due. He's not going to be happy about all of this.

Looking Forward to Our Next Vacation!

This morning, I made reservations at motels/hotels in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, DC and New York. I don't usually pre-book rooms so we'll see how it all works out. In the past, I have found that going through Expedia, I was able to get a room at a much cheaper rate. And when checking in, all the paperwork has been done. So much easier.

But going back a couple of days, my sister had her staples removed on Tuesday. She left me a voice mail on my cell phone which I didn't hear until the next day. She said their removal was painless, but she has an appointment on Friday to go over the results of her tests. I'm thinking that the part of her intestine that was removed was checked for cancer. The doctor did assure her on Tuesday not to worry about those results, so hopefully, she will be given a clean bill of health. Wednesday, Bruce and I had blood work done and if those tests are normal, we won't hear from our doctor. Since it was such a beautiful day, we cleaned the debris from around our shrubs - then grilled prime rib steaks for dinner - to go with Bruce's delicious Caesar salad. He makes a 'killer' sauce. And, no, you can't have the recipe - it's a family secret.

And my Smoky has been limping for a couple of days. He's getting too old to fight the other cats in the neighborhood. But do you think he'd learn?

Another Worcester Adventure . . .

This time to Old Sturbridge Village. Although I lived about an hour drive from there before moving to Canada, I had never visited. These are some of our pictures! I've decided Bruce's camera takes a better picture than mine. His is a Panasonic, mine a Nikon. Or could it be the photographer?

While in Worcester . . .

We visited the Higgins Armory Museum. Whenever we are in a city that we haven't spent much time in, we look for attractions that interest us. We thought this museum would be an interesting place and it was. The building has three floors - you start at the top, then work your way down. It's hard to imagine anyone wearing this heavy armor, plus how small those who wore the armor had to have been.

This exhibit with three suits of armour - the end ones each weigh about 64 pounds. I also was amazed at the footwear - must have been hard walking, but weren't they on horses?

Ouch!

This is a chasity belt! Check out the tiny heart.

It's the Weekend -

Yesterday morning, my niece called to let me know that her mom was scheduled to get a blood transfusion that afternoon. I talked to my sister for a short time and reassured her that the transfusion was probably because she is so anemic. She mentioned that her muscles and joints have been achy over the past week, so I'm hoping the transfusion will help. I'm waiting to hear from Jackie this morning to see how everything went.

Also yesterday, Rob stopped in for a visit - it had been awhile since we saw him. And it seems Smoky was in a fight - he was down for the count yesterday. This morning, he was still limping - when Bruce inspected his front leg - there was a chunk missing. Poor Smoky, he'll never learn.

Update on My Sister . . .

Our trip the hospital was longer than usual since we had to continue on to Worcester. We finally found the right hospital and my sister, Betty. She had tubes everywhere - looked terrible, but seemed to be in good spirits. Since I had my camera, I asked if she wanted me to 'capture' the moment for her. Of course she did, even wanted a picture of her bandage. From what I understand, the condition she had is called Intussusception. Intussusception is a condition in which one section of the bowel tunnels into an adjoining section, like a collapsible telescope. Intussusception can occur in the colon, the small bowel, or between the small bowel and colon. The result is a blocked small bowel or colon. In my sister's case, that small section had died. Fortunately the surgeon removed just that small portion. On Friday, she was taken by ambulance to an extended care facility in Amherst for rehabilitation. She has improved each day since, but is still very weak.

Easter Sunday was the best. My sister's husband picked her up at the extended care facility and brought her to their daughter's for dinner. Jackie prepared our Easter feast: ham, mashed potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, rolls, peas, and a homemade apple pie. We had several other desserts to pick from. No wonder I gained three pounds while away.

On Tuesday, we returned home, so I get updates on Bet's progress by phone or the internet from Jackie. Today, after a blood test - she is scheduled to have a blood transfusion. I had a chance to talk to her on Jackie's cell phone and told her that the next time I saw her, I wanted her up and walking around. That next time will be at the end of May.