exposed....

 got the call this morning.  one of my patients turned out to have a transmittable disease.  this is the bad one to have.  also highly transmittable.  so everyone who is exposed to the patient gets a dose of ciprofloxacin.  it's a risk when you work with sick people.

 slept in...that is how i woke. i heard the phone ringing and when i listened to the message i was told.  this is the second time i've been exposed to this particular bug.  took the cipro last time as well and all was fine.  i think that time was closer to the happenings of september 11 and there was more talk of biological warfare.  i took over that patients care at shift change, as they were intubated i began to do an assessment.  the patient had a rash that started in the lower extremities...luckily for us all there was an experienced nurse in the room who knew right away what we were probably dealing with.  that patient was dead before my shift was up.  i was impressed how fast and furious this disease can take a young person.

 these photo's are from my little late afternoon trek to the coastal refuge to enjoy the sunset.  another lovely day out there.

 i do recall at that time realizing how quickly an exposure can happen.  that patient had started out in another emergency room in another community.  so exposure to the people there, then the medivac crew, then our er and then the patient was transferred to a floor, where they quickly determined that this patient was worsening quickly...so to our icu.  all in all, this was 12 hours from time to that emergency to morgue.  that is alot of exposure in a short time.

 another ghost dog on the back porch.  i stayed up late last night as it appears i probably will tonight.  just haven't been flipping back over very well of late.  back to work tomorrow night anyway so no point bothering really.  watched, "fireflies in the garden"...i think that was the name.  don't recall hearing about it.  julia roberts stars in it.  can't say it was a great flick, but it was well done and kept me watching it.  sometimes those childhood dramas eat away at you until you finally grow up enough to see the big picture and just let it go.  you can let stuff fester inside or just release it all and forgive bad behaviours.  when you grow up you realize that the people who raised you were dealing with their own issues and sometimes that just trickled down to you.

 blossom was happy to get out finally.  mailed a few packages and hit the hospital to get the cipro.  happy i didn't wait for the infection person to call me back, she never did.  i suppose they will do a follow up at some point, but i'd rather just get the pill in me.

 the trail out there is ice.  loving my cleats this year.

 just so little snow.  usually you can't see any of these plants out here as they are totally encased in snow.

 looks pretty though. the sun was really bouncing off of them.

 blossom lost one tennis ball out there....so many tennis balls sacrificed.

 i'm sure another dog will make the happy discovery on another day or a little critter will turn it into bedding.

 that is the trail..ice.

 the high tide was approaching so i didn't travel out very far.  this was all coated in ice so i suspect the tide comes in this far so not going to mess with it.

 always worry about blossom twisting a limb out on the ice, but she did fine.  rio stayed home, this would have been horrible for her.  was undecided where to head.  at first the day looked pretty cloudy.

 ended up napping this evening.  still just more tired than normal.  the leg appoinment comes up soon and then hopefully i can schedule the procedure.

 blossom obliges me with a few shots.  she's such a cutie.

 so barren out there.  there is peace in the starkness.  it's just quiet and calming.

 put a roast in the crock this morning. always so tasty...just like my mama used to make.  mashed taters and gravy...num!!

 starting to get into this book i started, "let them paddle" by kesselheim.  bob and tanya read it on round island. it's the adventures of one family out on some multiweek paddle treks.  the parents were avid canoeists and each kid was in the womb during a trek, these treks were repeated as a family as the child turned 13.  great that they took the opportunities to get their kids out in nature and teach them basic skills of survival.

 i think each trip was at least a month of paddling/camping in pretty remote wilderness.  i'm sure it wasn't easy,  but what a great learning experience for all.  kids are very adaptable and i'm always happy to see families that take a step away from all the electronics.

 just seems like so many kids never get to experience peace and nature.  i also worry that so many of these generations have absolutely no skills in survival.  starting a fire, collecting water.  in disasters, it seems sadly, that so many of our citizens have no ability to do anything but wait for help.

 that is a tragedy.  there was this video clip where one guy falls through the ice.  one by one people attempt to help, but they fall in as well.  nobody knew how to help.  they tried in vain, but nobody had the skill sets needed.  in the end, help came and all survived i believe...but what a cluster.

 oftentimes up here we see people perish, mostly because they aren't aware of dangers that exist.  surviving in a city and surviving in wilderness are two very different skill sets.  this family has assured that their kids can survive in both.

 the concept of silence is becoming lost as well.  there is constant noise in our lives.  i see it at work all the time.  2 day old babies exposed to blaring music and television shows that can't be good for them to hear.

 what is wrong with silence or a soft lullaby.  parents take babies at hours way past their bedtimes to movies that are rated for adults only that are loud.  i just roll my eyes.  does this impact the next generation?

 still waiting for snow to fall.  the forecasts keep teasing us with hopes of snow....then it turns clear.  i did enjoy this sunset though.

 i should get out and venture more....the mountain trails are great right now.  very accessible as opposed to other years with such deep snow.

 i'm tempted to go make a batch of cookies.  wanting some cookie dough...nummy!!

 haven't done much baking for awhile.  this christmas season seemed to pass me by without one cookie coming out of the oven...horror.

 pinks, oranges..

 tennis ball on the ice.

 guess i shall get myself moving and do something before i totally waste this day away...or perhaps i will just curl up with this book. nothing wrong with a lazy reading day from time to time.

 so much to do still, plans to make, changes, opportunities.  hopefully, i can avoid the bad bug meningitis....

life is good.  sometimes people can dent your happiness for a period of time, but eventually you feel yourself returning to your usual good spirits.  others can only take down your spirit if you let them get inside of you. don't think you can totally help it for a bit, but then you come to your own peace again and they have no power over you.  best to leave negative people behind.  there are other options and other opportunities that will bring you a better peace.  change is always a bit scary though and you just have to take that first step and all the rest will follow. soon  you look back and it was much easier than you had imagined it would be.