busy stretch off...

 

got over the GI bug and headed to Homer with the dogs. it was good low tides. it was pretty sweet since i had an octopus sighting each morning. 

the first morning i went way out there and then started working my way back.  i saw a large octopus and took lots of photo's and video's. i posted on a few pages and the videos and photo's of low tide have gotten a lot of attention.  always fun. i was mostly just excited to get to spend that time enjoying a beautiful creature i don't see all the time. 

the second octopus was a bit smaller the next day. i was looking at some anemones and these tentacles just reached out. not great shots or video as the little guy headed back under the rock into it's hiding spot/den. 

the stars were back. not in as high of numbers as i've seen in the past but plenty to make it super fun. KR was there to enjoy some of the low tide fun. thanks for a great meal as well. 

had a little bit of snow/rain mixed coming up to Summit Lake and then hit a bit of a spring squaller coming back, nothing really until we got to Windy point.  then snow storm.  roads were good the entire way.  

spotted lots of moose on the way to Homer this time as well as several moose in town.  saw a bear near Skilak Lake on the return trip. i was happy that Sunny Boy just watched and didn't bark even. 

they are always completely wiped after a fun trip some place. 

i do have to think more about money with just two shifts. will for sure feel poor a bit this summer.  i do enjoy just working 2 shifts a week.  may add it an extra shift each month just to make it a bit easier financially. i'm feeling a bit better about the work.  just do not want to do 3 in a row. will look more seriously at options come fall. we are getting raises and avoided the strike i guess. 

i also wandered around a bit and saw some cranes.  love the cranes. they are just such cool birds. so they are back in town as well.  the birds are all over really.  so it was another relaxing and fun trek to Homer.  did a little shopping for myself. bought a cute bracelet and earrings, my own little Birthday celebration. 

still trying to get used to what the reality is in some aspects of life. let go of hopes and expectations. it's not always easy. some live more for the next life than this one. it's a strange thing in my mind. that the next life takes precedence over this lifes experiences and relationships. that really is the reality for some though. 

the next day after Homer my friends came over to help with demo of the shed.  two loads of roof parts to the dump.  thanks to MT, GT and SH for being willing to do this for me. MT thinks we may be able to salvage three walls. 

i've done some yard work and planted some spring flowers now that the snowstorm is over and the temps are back up in the 50's again. i planted the rain boots.  always cute on the front deck. the deck needs a plank replaced. 

the cruise for a cause was on Saturday. with the snow it was a bit iffy. it rained most of the boat trip.  we saw a variety of critters, no whales but still a fun day on the water. the girl from REI was there so that was fun to run into her. the people that run Shearwater lodge, the next place over from Orca lodge, was there and ended up eating lunch with us so that was a fun connection to make as well. the silent auction is always fun.  i ended up with a few fun items. 

i've been trying to contact State Farm just to see what the options are. need to make an appointment with my regular doc just for a check in. 

there is always some stuff that needs doing and i know i'm not close to getting stuff done.  i did decide that Monday the little free library would get set back up.  someone had noted that it was down to the little free library app so that was incentive. i got most of it done myself then knocked on a few neighbors doors and found a neighbor who helped secure the library.  i feared doing it alone as i figured it would fall over and bust. 

i've had some free items out front as i clean out and go through the stuff that was in the shed.  i still need to get my mower working.  gotta rig up the handle though.  may need to bother MT again for that.  probably a clip of some sort that i could use on the wire.  not sure. 

i still have tomorrow off.  may head down to Seward again for a low tide. not a crazy tide pool low tide like in Homer but still a lot of beach for the dogs to play on. 

will have to see how i feel about driving.  

tunicate above. didn't see as many of these out there this trip to Homer

i listened to the new poets society album by swift. many good a few eh.  she clearly wants to get married.  does seem like every guy she dates is the one.  my prediction is she will marry this football player as she is in her 30's and he seems willing.  who knows.  some girls like that big football/frat boy guy.  maybe he is fun and makes her feel safe. who knows. someone had done a tiktok about how she did the shake it off song but then seems to never shake anything off.  

when you write though you work through many things.  poems, lyrics, blogs, diaries, journals...that is the point.  it's cathartic. just because she sings the songs she wrote in the throws of a break up doesn't mean she is in the same place.  it just means those songs became popular and she keeps singing them. i was never that into analysis of stuff.  i was always frustrated in literature classes when the instructor wanted us to know what the author was thinking when they wrote this or that. seems kind of nuts to me.  how would i know what they meant by this or that. felt a bit bull shitty.  i've written a lot of poems. often it's a mixture of things.  you can't always guess, but her biggest fans really do like to do the analysis and she seems to enjoy interacting with her fans through some of these games and twists. it is above my music/poetry abilities or desires i guess.  there is some of her stuff i really like and other stuff that sounds very similar.  it does feel like the more you listen and really take in the lyrics the more you do end up liking a song. 

it is good driving music.  i listened to a variety of things though. 

the music thing has become so much easier now.  i did road trips with cassettes and later dvd's.  having to keep changing things up.  now you can easily select music or podcasts. i finally dumped the cassettes.  i still have dvd's. not sure what to do with some of the stuff. what do you keep, what to toss. 

it does get easier to toss stuff.  as you get older you get more realistic.  with limited years you realize, i won't read all these books or do the crafts that i once hoped to get to. it just makes that easier i think. i suppose for some it just overwhelms and they can't part with stuff. mostly, i get lazy and just give stuff away.  i know some who do marketplace and that money can really add up. 

battle over the ball. Ivy Rose is back to normal. the healing is complete. the antibiotics really did the best. i allowed her to go without the harness.  she enjoyed not being tethered in the back seat and never attempted to jump up front so that was good. without her harness on she even jumped in unassisted for much of the trip. 

love these pups.  lots of play time.  extra walks.  sometimes a few shorter walks. they do fairly well on leash so that is not too bad. we walked the bog tonight after doing the dunes earlier. 

sunny always looks so funny in the sunset light. his hair.  he still always gets attention wherever we go. he brings smiles. both are just happy dogs. 

they were interacting with a young girl on the trail today. she loved Ivy's name. the Mom was super nice. we walked along and chatted a bit. no moose sightings today. :-) 

traps in Homer.  they were still there. we hunted for otters on the docks but no luck. 

love the rock formations at low tide and that the critters make use of the cracks and crevices.

anemone. 

we stopped a few times coming and going to let the dogs and me stretch. i for sure need more stretching when doing longer drives as i get older. 

there are many places still to explore and some old favorites. 

well, i better get ready to crash. there were some huge solar events with major northern lights. we have a lot more light now so seeing northern lights is less likely also the state was mostly covered in clouds.  seems like only southeast got some views. funny since they are a rain forest. 

grab a few snacks.  my gut feels pretty normal. i bought yogurt as KR mentioned the clean out for the scope probably did a efficient wipe out of my normal flora. i usually do that but hadn't this time.  silly me. probably made me more prone to the gi bug in the first place. 

almost time to do the rqi stuff again.  the education stuff is such a bother. they added a bunch more in.  got several completed when i worked pcu the other night. 

not very exciting blog post. sorry.  the pictures are nice.  my life is calmer.  moments of sadness i think but more acceptance of the realities of what others are capable or of what they desire. i've stopped crossing oceans for people who would probably never cross a puddle for me. covid was the greatest reality check for me. life changing.  stressful, painful but life changing. 

grateful for A. my cool octopus sightings. B. the dogs that share my life C. the good friends and family who do show up and who do cross those oceans for me. 

the great the ick and the ugly...

 

lots of all of it. the great was the trip with friends to Tonsina Cabin.  we had amazing weather and beautiful scenery.  we also had a lot of laughs and good chats. i had purchased a new sleeping pad for old ladies.  thankfully SH knew how to easily inflate it and it was so comfy and packs down pretty nicely. these are all photo's from April as well so a current posting.  so far behind.  i'll just continue to surprise myself with what photo's get in. 

we did have a whale sighting on the boat ride back, humpback. we also saw tons of birds and sea lions, otters and seals of course. the dogs had a great time out there. 

i had the colonoscopy, cleared for another 10 years. crazy to think in 10 years i'll be 70! where does it all go? so nuts. i'm looking down my 60th Birthday now.  as an introvert sort Birthdays are tough. strange mix of expectations and fears. you feel a bit like an obligation and so in some ways i dread the obligation of it all. that some will feel obligated to reach out who normally never reach out.  at the same time you feel this desire to have some attention that is normally not the norm. introverts often want the invite but then don't really want to participate. 

60 is supposed to be a big deal but i don't see any big deal on the horizon.  i have tried to remind myself this week that a. i don't like that much attention if i'm honest b. many never get near 60 years of life and c. there are many who have nobody to wish them Happy Birthday at all. life is always about perspective. i am trying to keep things in perspective but i'm sure i'll have some internal conversations that include some mini meltdowns. 

my bowels were not happy enough with the bowel prep i put them through last week. last night i was at work and the GI tract began to do some cramping.  there has been many sick calls for gi bugs of late.  i was working ER and it just kept getting worse so clean out #2 had hit...literally #2! i had to admit defeat and head home before midnight. fears i'd get a nick name of VonShitzinpants like a certain ex potus. that nick name is now enshrined in a public document in court.  there is some happiness in that. 

happily i was able to survive with out shitting my pants. nobody wants that. it was a long night of cramping and pooping.  sorry. details. it's improved a bit at this time.  luckily gi bugs are usually fairly short lived. i have braved a jello and toast.  we shall see. 

poor Ivy has been suffering a bit this week as well. not gi though but i am now thinking she got a huge hot spot on her neck from the Tonsina trek.  she is a wet dog at the beach and i left her collar on the whole time.  that made her neck skin fold up.  probably got irritated then when we got home the licking took over. she required a trip to the vet.  i feel like she has forgotten all the joy from her time camping and has been going into full armadillo mode for fear of the treatments of neck cleaning, sprays and pills. she does seem to be getting a bit better now but it's been a rough few weeks for the dogs with a perfect weekend mixed in there.

i need to put her spray on and give her the antibiotics still. haven't had the heart for it today. not sure where i picked up the bug, could be anywhere. the night before i had worked in PCU.  fun as i worked with LS son who is just starting down the road of nursing. it's me and a lot of young nurses most nights. the experienced ones on the shifts have less than 5 years. not sure what will happen with nursing in the next few years. just hoping i'll be out of it before too long. 

the hospital is apparently getting fake robotic animals? something about patient comfort.  there was also talk of adding remote nurses to buddy up with in house nurses. that could be a good gig! nursing from an office or home may be the perfect end to my career. haha. we shall see. may have to see how to get in that. 

coming up this week is another trip to Homer for another low tide and then the cruise for a cause out of Seward. may be some whales to see. 

i'm working slowly on the yard/shed demo and other projects.  haven't gotten too much done with all the other stuff. the neck, i've just felt so bad for her. 

they gave been a bit ripped off the last few weeks.  hopefully, my gut continues to improve today and we can at least hit the dog park. she at least seems a bit more normal. not hiding under the table as much. 

the snow is melting really quickly. it's pretty shocking really what sunshine and longer days does to change up the place. 

all this snow is gone. Sunny can no longer look over the fences.  he'll have to wait until next winter now. there are just a few little piles of snow left. 

i brave my way into the shed a bit more every few days. pull stuff out. i have a trash pile collecting. more stuff salvagable than first thought. the bike needs some new tires i think but is intact. the mower...not sure. 

we did hit the beach last week before the trek to Tonsina. the dogs got good and muddy. they love that place. lots of zoomies. after the trip i shaved off the long hair on Sunny's legs. shorter for the season. it's just gets a bit knotty after the winter. 

i attempted to shave Ivy's neck when i saw the hot spot but she was not having it.  i was wrestling an octopus and i lost. so to the vets. they were good, she was so adorable. sunny had to come in as well since he's such a big baby.  

i was on call the week before but got called in pretty early so that is good since i had to leave early last night. ended up being a sitter that night. i think i worked pcu the other night on that 2 day stretch. while a sitter i ended up keeping the patient entertained by playing speed or spit with him.  the other staff was laughing as i ended up playing cards for probably 5 hours of the shift.  getting paid overtime.  that was a good night.  the guy was odd but i kept him calm and i guess they'd called like a code strong on him before i'd gotten there. i tend to keep a deck of cards in my work bag for just this sort of thing. it's come in handy just a few times. often with teens who are suicidal and bereft of their phones. 

we didn't have crazy low tides in Seward but low tides in Alaska tend to be pretty dramatic even if they aren't huge changes. the tides aren't really low i guess. we move in and out of the water buldge as the earth rotates. 

went down to the spit to look for sea stars last time i was there. did not see even one star where in years past i've seen hundreds here.  stars do migrate so it may be very different this week when i go. i think they go to deeper, more stable seas to miss the winter extreme weather. they can migrate about a mile a week.

i seem to have had a lot of sick days and such this year already.  it sucks and my pto has plummeted. hopefully, i can start to rebuild that now. less taxing doing the 2 shifts.  i'm again trying to remind myself that though i've had a lot of health issues this year it's all been very easy to heal from.  i've checked out pretty healthy overall. again it's about perspective.  

we had a lovely sunrise/sunset out in Seward and this is sunset in Homer. 

i only saw the sunrise in Seward because the bladder called. well, i think i would have been fine rolling over but the dogs were awake and i didn't want to wake others. so out we went...and boom beautiful sunrise. the birds are making their way north so there are so many of them out there right now. just a constant cacophony of all the various birds calling away. 

Ivy trying to get me motivated last week.  this week it's me trying to get her motivated. she's up on the bed and slept with me last night.  it was great to have her out from underneath the coffee table. 

like the pink hues. 

should be a lot more birds in Homer this trip. i could also head north and drive a bit in Denali National Park.  the road is apparently open to mile 30. 

the cranes and swans should be coming in thicker.  the snow should be less and less. i have scheduled the tire change over for after the Homer trip.  they finally have a shuttle service again, which is great. it stopped with Covid and then there just wasn't enough cars to have one up and running i think. 

the roads are clear again.  no slip sliding on ice for a few months. not sure what all i will see and do this summer. again, my Birthday is still something i'm not sure what to do with. 

i haven't been fired yet.  another sick call though, i'm sure i'll get another verbal warning.  

these stars were at the low tide at Bishops Beach.  

there will still be a lot that isn't open. the summer in Alaska doesn't really begin until Memorial Day. then the wildness begins. the cruise ships are starting to arrive and i think so are the cruise ship patients.

just a few swans sighted on my last trip to Homer. 

the spring iridescent foam is back. 

haven't looked what weather i'll have. i'm going to be in room 12 again at the Driftwood.  place fills more after the Memorial Day weekend and the prices go up. 

sad puppy wanting my attention.

loved this seaweed draped over the rocks at low tide.

i'm getting hungry.  i'll take it easy for a few hours.  hoping to feel up to meeting my friend for a meal.  i'll just keep my distance.  

no hugging today

except the dogs.

it's funny, often after a gi bug my body craves fast food or junky food. seems to set it back right. 

a couple bald eagles above and below a sea anemone

Ivy, always the Alaskan dog, continues to seek out the snow to stay cool.  we were hitting 50's last week...way too hot for my Alaskan dog

selfie at the pilings. guess i'll get some more cleaning done and play in the yard a bit with the dogs. as you get older you find it harder and harder to find photos of yourself that aren't too ugly. some of the Tonsina photo's ick and ugly. other times a shot makes me think i'm not that ugly for my age.  haha. we are our own worst critics though. i feel like middle age is like those awkward teen years. a time of transition.  perhaps i'll be an adorable old lady.  lol. 

grateful for A. a fun and safe trip with friends.  B. for none of these medical issues being a big deal C. that Ivy is feeling a wee bit better.