never finished nome so thought i would now..

 the iditarod will be starting soon anyway.  it ends in nome so i guess that is fitting.  these are mostly of the musk oxen i saw near town.  gotta love these guys.

 survived another 3 nights of work.  still some fuzzy times but i think the worst of my concussion is behind me.  do notice when i get report or just in general conversations i can find it hard to follow or i just spit out some goofy thing.  asked a nurse to slow down during report as she was talking really fast and my brain just couldn't keep up.  another time i was trying to tell a nurse her blood had stopped and i'd switched it to the saline...instead i said something like, "i hung the sugar".  strange looks but if that is the worst i guess that is okay. hopefully, that all clears up

 the worst this week was last night. i'd had my massage and that had helped but then we got 6-7 inches of fresh snow and i was feeling good...so good i excitedly shoveled all the snow on both decks and the driveway.  my upper back began to knot up within 24 hours, i know quinton, you could have totally predicted that...i never change do i.  haha.  add to that an assignment that totally taxed me mentally and the knots soon turned into a headache, which increased to a migraine.  it was a long night to say the least.  my assignment was actually an easy assignment, but as is often the case there is nothing easy about any assignment in a hospital.  it only takes some craziness to make a night nuts.

 if i was the sort to do a doctoral study of some sort, i've for years known what it would be on.  it would be on the syndrome of what happens with chronically ill/debilitated patients and/or their family/caregivers.  for the patient they latch onto any and all control possible in lives that have taken the bulk of control away from them thru their disabilities.  for families/caregivers this can also be true, but there is often also an element of their need to have you be terrible at caring for their loved one.  i mean, if you could drop off this debilitated person with just anyone and they can give all the care you have sacrificed giving to your loved one, well i guess what is the point.  so often i find those who have enveloped themselves 100% into this care and have no other outlets or life as it were, they can be very difficult to work with.  you find yourself going overboard trying to make sure they feel that they are irreplaceable and that you desperately need them for all aspects of their loved ones care.  if not you really pay for it.

 often times though, this all comes to blows.  there are things we do at a hospital that are different.  not that we can't adjust to the idiosyncrosies of these caregivers/families/patients, but sometimes what they do is wrong or even dangerous.  we do have responsibilities...so last night thankfully, my doc came to my aid and we had what one would call a, "come to jesus" moment.  at times it helps immensely to have the words you've been saying repeatedly come from an actual doctor. was grateful he was on board, understood and totally backed me up.  the night was exhausting though with that and the migraine.

 of course, being so near this concussion i didn't want to take the excedrin with aspirin i would normally take to nip a headache in the bud nor would i want to take anything that may cause me to be sleepy.  today, when i woke up and the headache began to advance again i took the excedrin, showered in hot, hot pounding water and then applied two heat wraps.  headache is finally gone.  sadly, no walk for the girls today.

 did get to the dog park yesterday.  rio hears dog park and she jumps up.  this morning i did come home to several lots of vomit. rio appears to have been vomiting through the night.  she just ate cottage cheese for breakfast and seems fine now.  who knows what that was all about.  of course, i kept laughing to myself that she was womitting...have been watching old episodes from the james herriot series from BBC years ago.  i remember watching those as a kid and reading all those books.  they were big books for a kid my age, but i so loved them all.  always thought they did a great job with the series as well.

 was grateful last night for all my co-workers, everyone seemed to take a turn attempting to rub out the humongous knots in my shoulders and under my shoulder blades.  i know i'm bruised from it all, but that is what has to happen sometimes.  i never learn.

 everyone here was pretty excited about our fresh snow. the iditarod will hopefully have a better snow pack and the fur rondy started today and so there is plenty of snow for that now.  i was a bit of a wreck today so tomorrow i do plan on getting out and about and enjoying the dog teams.  will probably try to get to rovers run early for a walk and then just head to the airstrip to watch the teams go by.  it's my practice run for the iditarod.

 the olympics are winding down.  i have enjoyed them as usual.  always great. poor kikkan had a bit of a rough run out there.  not sure what happened there.

 Ukraine is a mess.  many nations are a mess. i think as some nations try desperately to control their populations as it once was done they are running up against a more empowered people.  the internet has changed things.  no matter how much you try to isolate, the internet brings it all to light.  people see they can have better lives and deserve them. they are better able to organize themselves. they are mad as hell and are not going to take it any longer.  sad about all the violence though and how it effects the folks out there just trying to live their lives, raise their families and find a patch of happiness.  it's all fleeting.

 need to do more to plan my summer.  ask for a few more days off i think.  just random.  always so hard knowing what to plan.  some summers i guess i'm better at it than others.  i just have the ketchikan run and lost lake backpack for now.  will try to rent byers # 2 for august sometime. haven't been there for fall colors yet. could be pretty.

 popped down to picu to visit the other night.  they were not very busy...there was a big car wreck though so i suspect they got busier.  i was in the renal care unit.  felt bad for them as they had a nice unit before and they got moved.  their new area seems disjointed. they don't even have their own locker room so i can't imagine the place feels very inviting. their lockers are still 2 floors down in their old unit.  it was a busy night.  not sure why.

 the baby musk ox chilling together. so cute

 there was talk of a girl from alaska who is saying she's a serial killer and satanist.  her father was saying she is a liar and not to be believed.  he doubts she's killed multiple times at all.  would be sad to have a kid that you seem to hate. she's a drug addict he said and he also had a great deal of empathy for the family of the the one victim there is proof on.  he said he'd stand by them at her execution in support and pray with them.  she claimed she had killed over 20 others. strange, screwed up person.

 thought it was cool when the musk ox got in the water.

 beautiful and strange looking animals.

 would like to get to many other places further north like this trip to nome.  this state is varied and so amazing.

 i have a few more discs for the downton abbey series...will take a break from herriot to catch up on the latest.

 a local bar is closing down. it's been around for a long time.  blues central will close it's doors after 50 years in business.  the owner is moving to the lower 48 to retire and play.

 the iron dog race is a snowmachine race, it's going along the iditarod route now.  i've never been on a snowmachine...one of these days i guess.  they did post a picture of a bunch of kids running a machine and hanging in a sled being pulled behind.  of course, my first thought was that not one of those kids in the picture had a helmet on.

 mom and me...sweet

 back with the buddies. i always liked this one below with the three young musk ox with the older three in the distance.

 greyhound racing has been going on in florida for 80 years and it wasn't until this past year that they had to report a dog death.  the results reported in the short time they have been required to report are pretty staggering. one death every three days...that is horrible.  i had no idea...of course, i've never lived around any dog race tracks so it's not something i've ever had any exposure to.  seems pretty bad to me.  wonder if reporting it will begin to change those numbers.

 finally catching up on the reading.  lots of papers.  have found also that with this concussion my vision was a bit off.  that seems better today.

 i was a bit freaked out with the headache last night.  any headache this close to a brain injury is cause for concern.  i felt pretty sure it was related to the knots on my neck/shoulders/back but still there is that little part of your brain that tries to make mountains out of molehills...is that correct?? i always get those sayings wrong.

 palmer will soon have more cool trails.  a 1000 acre area has been purchased by a non profit for public use...trails will be created.  sounds like it will become similar to anchorages potters marsh and be a refuge for birds and other animals.  kinda cool to as it is neighbors with a local school.  they are excited to be able to use that land for education purposes.

 fisherman in nome

 just some last shots around the area.

 looks like a snow goose to me.

 always love these halo's or sundogs i think they are called.

 hopefully i have some new fun dog racing photo's for tomorrow.  not many pictures taken this week.  played in snow that one day so not pics really.  shoveled and then hit the bog.

 will have to get to a few new spots this summer. still want to hit kennicott mines as i've never been there.

 here is the safety roadhouse....last stop on the way to nome. pretty empty when i was there last summer.

best to head to bed...so that i can enjoy some fur rondy activities tomorrow.  good night.

break up and more geese...

 stopped by potters marsh to see what was happening out there.  this time of year you could go every day and see something new. birds pass through en route to other locales and seems like a good percentage of those guys stop through potters for a bite to eat and a rest.  it's a birders paradise right along a busy highway.
one of my favorite pictures today were these ice shots.  lots of photographers out there, but they seem to get focused on this bird and that bird...there is always so much more going on in any place. i'm sure the other photographers find me odd with my small lenses, lack of tripod and lack of dedication to what they see as the show in town.  i told the one guy..."i write a blog, i walk and i post pictures of what i see".

 this random shot is actually from the other day.  thursday before work i headed to jodphur loop.  still a few skiers out there, but the trail is getting pretty bad.  i feel it's cool for me to take my dogs there at this point.  in the winter those trails are ski only...i dare anyone to yell at me for having dogs on a ski only trail this time of year.  this bald eagle nest is close to kincaid so i always look up to see if the baldie is chilling in there or not....that day he/she was.

 hundreds of snow geese chilling at potters this week which continues to draw a great deal of attention.

 i also sighted this pair of geese.  these are greater white fronted geese....or that is what it appears to me to be.  i'm not a birder.  so from what i could tell we had 3 types of geese out at potters today as we also had canadian geese out there.  i've never seen these guys before.  love their chest markings,  very cool.

 honestly, i may have seen them, but i may not have noticed them amongst other geese or birds.  who knows?

 they are stuffing themselves..this guy got a bit messy, mud diving for food.

 a few more ice photos.

 i am a bit sleepy today...three nights down.  i was in the adult icu all three.  all three nights i had an admit bed.  amazingly 2 of 3 nights i never filled that bed.  shocking really.  pleasant nights with good co-workers.

 one patient last night managed to offend me within minutes of my introducing myself to him.  the first thing he asked after i introduced myself almost was what my husband does for a living.  so i said i have no husband.  i should just make up some fictional spouse as it would make people more comfortable.  once they know you are unmarried they set out to find out what is wrong with you or encourage you to get on it and find yourself someone to take care of you.

 he said something about needing to find someone to take care of you when you are old....i joked that it was too late i was already getting old.  at this point he looks at my hands and then says, "well looking at your hands i'd guess you at 52".  really...!!! what idiot tries to guess a womans age!!  no wonder his wife of 45 years up and left him one day.  so i apparently have old looking hands.  who knew.  i laughed with some co-workers about this rude comment and then i told them i thought the guy should be kinder to the person who will shortly be taking out his urinary catheter.  the one doc there joked that those could be removed without deflating the balloon.  of course, i would never do that...but really!!  i never!!

 on a side note i find that there are no guarantees that if you get married there will be someone to take care of you when you get older...nor is having children any sort of guarantee of this.  mostly, it seems that women live longer than men so the female partner wears herself out taking care  of said ill husband who then dies and  leaves female to care for self.  children mostly move on to their own lives and may or may not take care of you in your later years.

 river otter?  not sure what these guys really are.  cute though.  not sure what they do all winter, hibernate?  he was out enjoying the day and i'm sure the photographers got loads of pictures of him.

 a few birds flying around out there today.  love to see those wings outstretched.

 i was quite happy today.  it was the first day i only wore knee high ted hose and i walked 4 miles at powerline pass with the dogs and then wandered around potters.  so far so good.  there is still a knot in my thigh.  not sure what that is all about.  seems to slowly be getting smaller so hopefully it will eventually go away.  must be surrounded by a bundle of nerves which get compressed from time to time and send a little pang of pain.  overall though.  i'm not really needing anything for pain for my leg anyway.

 my legs got tired on todays walk...but it seemed more like a "you fat bitch, you are so out of shape" kinda soreness. this is something i plan to address over the next several months with longer and more strenuous walks and exercise.  time to get the fat bitch back in shape.

 more marsh shots.

 of course there are ducks out there and seagulls and shorebirds.  everyone is joining in on the potters party.

 another random shoe shot.  did some kid toss it's shoe over the boardwalk...is some kid now wandering around with only one green boot?

 standard bird house shot.

 some religion discussions last night...always interesting.  we all had some time to chat, which is always welcome.

 ice reflections

 sandpipers of some sort.

 then i heard the unique call of the sandhill cranes.  a group of 7-8 of them flew over.  that call is so amazing.

 just finished, "beyond the bear" by dan bigley and debra mckinney.  i quite enjoyed it.  dan was mauled by a bear and lost his sight because of it.  this was his story.  overall, well told, interesting and i'd say inspiring.  people adapt to anything and if you can take something so life altering and not just adapt but find a way to thrive and be happy it's beyond impressive.  sometimes the trauma is almost a gift in that it puts life in perspective.

 my only negative about the book was that in the middle of the book it's mentioned that the state i think was sued.  it was just so odd. it didn't say whether the case was won or how much or anything..it was just so out of place.  so random.  it didn't fit with the rest of the tone of the book.  overall bigley speaks of having no ill will towards the bear and even speaks of not blaming anyone, that he was just unlucky and in the wrong place at the wrong time.  so why the law suit.  also, i'm sure his insurance didn't cover all, but through the reading of this book you definitely get that he came from a family of some means.  he spent a great deal of his recovery time at his families second home.  a place they call "arboleda".  my home doesn't have a name nor do i have a paid caretaker for the property.  not to mention all the new age treatments he received.
i hate to begrudge anyone who's been through such a thing money to get back to a productive and happy life, but at the same time, it just seemed almost distasteful that what seems like a frivolous lawsuit came from this.

 anyway, i just found it baffling that it was mentioned at all.  seemed to have no bearing on the rest of the story.

 always so cool to watch so many birds at once in flight.

 i know these look so much the same, but they are also so different.

 the dogs are pretty wiped out now.

 love to watch dogs  sleep...they so fully rest.

 fire island in the background.

 this guy had a few things on his mind.

 i'll have to find a new book to read now.  did love that he was so honest and humorous about life after his bear attack.  does give you some insight into the world of those who are blind.  he was also honest about the frustration and annoyances that got to him from time to time.

 sleeping lady.

 sunset the other day.  too wiped to head out to a favorite viewing spot.

 blossom out on the jodphur trail.  rio went as well that day.

 between shifts i hit the bog one day and just cruised up patterson and back the next day.  i'm attracted to not only random shoes i find but also random gloves and the strange things that appear when the snow begins to melt.

 the center pond in the bog is no longer walkable.

 not sure where this thing blew in from.

 i'm guessing this little knitted thing is for a human baby?  not sure.

 it was pretty tiny.

 these are from today.  as you can see it was clear skies and beautiful.  lots of folks out there today.  ran into bob, tanya and maddie. recognized them from quite a ways off.  we stopped and chatted while the dogs played for a bit.

 blossom did double what we did of course.  we went as far back as the bridge.  of course, i was unable to find the bridge. i think it's still buried in snow.  if you'd never been here before you would probably not know there was a creek running through the valley.  break up hasn't exactly hit the hillside of anchorage yet.

 this is the route up little omalley.  there are a few skiers coming down who must have walked up with all their gear.

 don't think i got on the trail until after 3pm.  slept in a bit...thank you blossom

 got back to late to hit the pool so that was why i headed to potters instead.  may as well extend this day.  love the longer days....

 rio did great. that is a bit of a longer walk for her, but she is a trooper of course.

 a first for me on the trails.  i left their dog poop bag for pick up on the return trip.  some dog had pee'd all over the dang thing.  yuck!  then i wondered if perhaps it had been indy or boddhi...if they smelled their dog buddies would they pee on the bag?  i don't know dog social structure enough to guess at this.  many dogs out there so it could have  been anyone.

 yes, these are the sorts of things a person with my life ponders.

 loved the colour of these needles.

 sleeping lady from the glen alps trail system

 me reflected in water at potters.

 i am wiped out...not sure what i'll be up to tomorrow.  if it's a bluebird day perhaps i'll do a marathon drive north.  the forecast for denali is more snow though so i may wait til my next stretch of days off.

 from the rail tracks across from potters.

good night....