warm and sunny in Ak compared to lower 48!!

 blossom, rio and i are not complaining.  we are quite fond of 30 degree weather. perfect temperature!! blew off my alarm apparently, but did get out of the house in time to hit the coastal refuge off of reef ave i think it is.  the sledding hill was hopping as we arrived.  should have just made a few runs myself...that sledding is a blast!!  did mange to run a few errands so that was good too.

 rio opted in.  i'm starting to believe she is quite happy walking anytime the temperature is over 30 degrees'.  wasn't sure this morning as she has been staying on her dog bed in the am and expecting her breakfast delivered.  is she not feeling well or have i been trained.  hard to tell. she also tried to get up and went skidding on the laminate...hmm.  she did fine out walking.  still wonder some days if she isn't getting some dementia or deafness.

 as you can see it was worth the drive and walk as it was a beautiful sunset this evening.  always so funny to me that at 3 in the afternoon the moon is way up in the sky and the sun almost gone.

 blossom, oblivious to the beauty of nature as always.  tennis ball, tennis ball!!

 3 days work behind me.  goes pretty fast.  worked the first two nights in the adult icu and the last in the ccu.  one of my patients from adult icu moved over with me so that was nice to know one of them.  it was a rough week in the icu, my assignments weren't bad just a lot of sadness, codes, deaths.  it comes with working in the icu's.  when you are a patient in an icu you only have two options, you get better or you don't.  i see quite a lot of death.

 of course, the subject of that brain dead girl came up.  i have some takers for joining forces on my make believe hospital for the dead.  in the wee hours the conversations can sometimes take a turn.  i know at one point we referred to those late hours and the conversations that seemed to turn up as the "sex and secretion" hour.  i also added "guns and gore" as that seems to be a theme at times as well.  if you have spent any time having discussions with anyone medical about what they actually do you will discover that they all have great stories if you can stomach them.

 we can be in appropriate and politically incorrect.  it's what we do to cope with the stuff that we deal with day in and day out.  these things just don't happen to people who work in regular offices.  it keeps life interesting, but i'm sure we all can come across as irreverent and horrible.  try not to judge us, we still manage to put that crass attitude aside and give our patients our full attention and compassion for the most part.  i feel i have  grown in my feelings of empathy over the years.

 anyway, in our discussion about this hospital we are imaginarily creating it was decided that perhaps we should just transform a cruise ship into a floating hospital.  we could then travel the world.  we would then be free of any restrictions.  since the patients would all be dead on ventilators care is minimal, no narcotics required (when you have no brain function you have no pain or anxiety).  we figured we could then offer burials at sea for ease of families when the hearts finally do give out.  of course, we'd have a plan in place in case payment was late.  5 days late on payment, then we remove the ventilator. signed and understood. we got even more irreverent but i will withhold that information to protect the innocent and misunderstood.  

 i do hope that this family can come to terms with this loss and that this doesn't continue but it's not looking that way.  it seems there are always those who are willing to come to the aid of people like this.  some who are trying to win landmark cases and make a ton of money, some who just don't understand what it means to be brain dead and others who probably mean well, but are not being helpful in the big picture.

 it could very well be that another definition of death is evolving.  there are always fine lines and we are all seeming to try and push these definitions of life and death.  it could be that soon brain death won't be accepted and that we will be required to breath for people who are no longer considered dead when their brains aren't functioning. that they will have to stay on machines until their hearts stop beating no matter what.  i have always found the ethical and moral issues fascinating.  in the end i guess there are no clear cut boundaries in some peoples minds.  time and court cases will tell.

 i believe the brain death definitions, derived  from physicians and the legal field, came about as  a way to be able to define death so that organ donations could occur without families being concerned that the medical field was harvesting organs from live people.

 brain death does seem pretty clear to me, but i'm in the medical field. to an outsider these things all seem pretty murky no doubt .

 on a lighter note as i walked rovers run the other day before starting my work run i was battling out the bike ruts.  i'm not anti biker but i did find it tough to just walk with all those single track ruts. either i was walking peg legged, or i was walking with my legs wider apart than my normal gait or another thing was that i'd find myself trying to walk in the rut with both feet which was also uncomfortable.  guess i haven't really noticed it before.  i know one friend who uses the trails a lot to ski has complained about the increased bikes and how they trash the trails for cross country skiing.

 bought a new pair of snow pants at the sports authority today.  was wanting just a black pair so that i don't always have to look funky in fun ski pants if i run errands after or meet someone right after a walk in the snow.  it is amazing how many snow clothes you seem to find yourself needing when you are outside all the time.  there is a total difference in temperatures in the -20's or the +20's and in between.  you really have to be prepared for all the variables in order to keep warm.

 i also bought a new gym bag, they were on sale and i want to be able to put clothes in there for lifting weights and for swimming . i really want to increase my game and get a more complete workout and a better, healthier body.

 then of course, a trip to pet co for the dogs.  they love to go sniffing.  they really don't care if i purchase anything obviously, but they love to get a good sniff of all the options out there.

 gotta get planning on this kayak trip for this summer.  it is over packed with just my regular people.  i know there are others who are hoping, but right now it doesn't look like i can add anyone else.  i wanted to be able to have a few ketchikan friends join so that decreases the numbers for other folks to join.  will have to speak to the guides and see what options we have.  also have to decide how many days we want to do.  i'm starting to think maybe a 4 day, 3 night will be enough.  then i can chill extra days in ketchikan and do some hiking around my old trails.  very excited to see the progress the trails committee has made.

 some great boardwalk trails out there.  the scenery is amazing down there, i do miss life in Ketchikan some days.  there are a lot of perks to living in the bigger city though.  the biggest being the cost of living is better which allows me the option to travel around other parts of alaska more.

 the sky is on fire, right?

 just a few shots from my day on rovers run the other day.

 then in between shifts i did get that tree over to the recycling center.  i took quintons advice and bungee corded it to the sled.  man was that easier...wow!!  what a difference.  it was a lovely walk over to carrs and back.

 here i am walking with the dogs and the tree.  we did get a load of smiles and funny looks from the people in the cars that passed by.

 view today from my window that kick started me to get to the coastal refuge for the sunset.  it was going to be sweet...i could tell.

 one from the drive over

 at the top of the sledding hill...very crowded from what i usually have seen there. had to park a ways away and walk down to the park...that never happens.

 should be able to see the moon way up in the sky in a few of these.

 laundry, trash, bills, recycling..for me a busy afternoon.  was thinking of trying to cook but i'm seeing that it's a wee bit late.  bummer.  can i get up early and cook  was going to do a pink theme for tomorrow but don't see that happening.  haha.  should be another nice day out there for a monday walk. it 's been colder in the lower 48 from the facebook reports i've seen.

 my co-worker was getting report forever from a nurse with a patient in the village.  when she finally got off the phone i asked her if they were now facebook friends?  been nice working with a variety of folks and getting to know more people.  lots of nice people scattered all over the hospital.

 haven't even read the sunday paper yet....i started to but quickly dropped off to sleep.  i'm a wimp in the morning.

 my grumpy patient was made happy and then said to me that i was "the best".  he wanted to smoke.  i advised against it, was pretty blunt with him about it all but in the end patients are not prisoners.  we generally do not hold them against their will.  at least not when they are able to ambulate and not gorked on drugs and restrained to beds.  happy i  never took up that nasty habit.

 have never tried pot either.  never got into any of those types of things.  i think in many ways it took me quite a few years to settle in on what i believed and didn't believe and by then you are kinda too old to do silly things like smoke pot.  colorado just legalized it so it will be interesting to see how that goes there.  i will say i have never had patients admitted purely for issues related to pot use.  alcohol...yes...all the time, pot, never.  they may have incidently used pot but it never seems to be the cause of their medical emergency.

 proof that rio was out there walking.  she is often impossible to photograph.  she wants to be right on me and is worried she'll be left behind so if i take her off leash and try to get enough distance to take a photo she is immediately walking towards me.

 a little alpenglow on the mountains

 the trail at 3-3:30 moon way up high on the left, sun almost down on the right.

 and back to the sledding hill..much less busy when i returned.  very few cars left.

 the dogs settle in after their supper in front of the fire.  so relaxing.

i have rambled another hour of my life away.  haha.  be healthy and stay safe!!

Happy New Years!!

 so i woke up on the right side of the bed, got up watched most of the Rose Parade cause that is where i grew up then i went back to bed and woke up on the wrong side of the bed.  so i started my year a wee bit cranky.  cranky passes though and thankfully, the dogs are tolerant of my more cranky moments.  thank heaven for little dogs (or big dogs as the case may be).

 will have to weed these out a bit as i have too many. i have a personal rule of 50 photo's..so that is like 2 rolls of film in the old days.  many days that is tough to do.  i like them all.  that is  me though and i'm sure many are just too much alike to include.

 rio was going to come and then she wasn't going to come and then at the last second with peanut butter in front of her and football on, she decided to come after all.  so the peanut butter remains uneaten.  i have 2 tired dogs.

 as you can see the beach was beautiful.  after the parade i set my alarm clock but forgot to turn the damn thing on so when i woke up i was behind my little schedule.

 then blossom tried to alert me that she wanted to go outside, but she had just been out a few hours before and i needed to get cracking and hop in that shower.

 when i got out of the shower i discovered that she'd pooped in the office, which is where she goes on those rare occasions that she goes inside.  thankfully this is rare.  i mean when you gotta go, you gotta go.  i totally get that....but as a human it really does put you in a bit of a foul mood.  it wasn't her fault though so i just cleaned it up and moved on.  poor girl. i know she felt badly.  first i cleaned the cat litter out thinking that was the smell...so no poop in my place!!

 quickly read the paper.  that poor brain dead child is still being kept on a ventilator.the court has extended the date.  she's had a stay of death as it were.  crazy people are sending money to fly her corpse from California to New York where a place says it will take the body.  my hospital is happening. it's a gold mine i tell you!!  soon crazy people will sue to keep their dead loved ones on ventilators across the country.  health care costs will soar more than they already are.  life is precious, even dead life!!  the current hospital seems to have put their foot down and absolutely refused to allow anyone to perform the trach/g-tube placement at their hospital.  sounds like several long term facilities have opted out of taking this dead child.

 of course, the family insists that this child is responding to them and breathing on her own.  i have seen this many times, hope can make all things seem possible.  it has gotten to a point of ridiculous in my opinion though, but we live in a ridiculous world now.  i know i sound crass but i am just saddened and shocked that this will be how we deal with death. this really is a landmark case.  the general public just doesn't comprehend what is brain death.  3 different neurologists and a slew of other doctors have determined this girl has a brain that is no longer getting oxygenated and is therefore dead.  i  do have empathy for this family's loss, but this is not the way to deal with the loss of a loved one.  in truth i see it as very disrespectful to not allow this poor child to be given the peaceful death she deserves. that we all deserve.  life isn't fair and it's sad, but no matter how tragic it can seem, this child has passed away and keeping the breath going in and out of her lungs won't change that.

 saw this moose as i was headed to beach and when i returned.  he looked pretty happy resting there.

 sledding was quite popular today.  the hill was packed.  lots of families out there.

 don't know this kid, but she doesn't look very old and is clearly a professional sledder.  that sled looked bigger than she is, didn't stop her!

 another little tyke out there.

 gail and mac brought this big army sled out which was a favorite in our crew.  i'm a chicken and was quickly relegated out of front seat position due to my getting nervous and putting my feet out in front of me, thus spraying myself with snow.

 this is as close to rush hour traffic as it gets on a sledding hill.

 lots of falls, spills and thrills...and screams

 gail, sandra and mac make a run.

 i sledded down with my zoom for a few minutes just to see what i could see.  not enough bumps on this side, i guess there are moguls on the other section of the hill was there were actual waiting lines so we stuck to the smooth, less exciting side.

 a few from yesterdays walk.  i just cruised around north bivouac a bit as it was cloudy.  rio had opted to come yesterday as well.

 it's been nice and warm, which means close to 30F so she likes that.

 found the baubles that i had collected last spring and brought back . we'd put them on our bird tree and i think the original placers snagged them and returned them to this tree, which the exact same tree they had decorated last year.  hopefully, they take them down themselves this spring, not sure they were happy that i did.  who knows.

 it was sunny and warm in Pasadena.  70's i think.  the bands were just getting started on the over 5 mile march and were sweating.

 i saw my hometown float from South Pasadena, my nursing school band from Pasadena City College, another float from Cal Poly, (i attended Cal Poly, Pomona)  and of course a first, a band from Palmer, Alaska. it looked pretty tiny compared to all the other big bands.

 went with sandra to see "the secret life of walter mitty" last night.  an excellent movie.  it was the first Stiller had directed i think and he also starred in it.  well done.  great story.  quirky, funny.  even the credits and stuff at the beginning were uniquely done.

 after the movie i headed down town to see the ice sculptures.  i guess they don't have all the sculptures out there yet, i think they are still coming?  not sure.  they did have the spinners for the kids and the main stuff.

 a New York theme i guess.  the party went on earlier.  i could for sure hear tons of illegal fireworks all over anchorage into the wee hours and saw many illegal fireworks from my bedroom window.

 they have a few Wyland walls in Anchorage.  he's an artist from Laguna Beach, California.  my gramps had a beach house there so we spent a lot of time down there as kids. always fun to see his walls up here in Alaska for me.

 back to more beach shots from today.

 rio was no doubt questioning her decision to join us coming down this hill today.  last time i came it was like a sheet of ice but today it was nice snow.  still steep but much more doable.

 the best skies of the day were out here on the beach.

 still need to write to ketchikan and get that whole planning business started.  hope i can fit everyone that wants to go in.  always a bit nerve wracking. planning is a bit of a bother.  people say they want to go but then can't get time off or make other plans.  i have like 10 at least who have shown interest so it will  be tight.  not sure the guides will want a group that large.  i am excited to head down to ketchikan this year, it's been way to long.  i for sure want to spend a bit of extra time there myself hiking my trails and visiting friends.  chatted with one today. always great to catch up.  it will be my 50th birthday celebration.  laid back no doubt.

 spent time changing over the calendars.  i've really got to do that drawing before i crash tonight so i can get the leftover calendars delivered.  not a lot of action on the calendars this year.  not that i really pushed it all.  the calendar size is a bit bigger so harder to cram in my backpack and show it around work, plus i never know where i'll be. people tend to by more willing to enter the drawing if they actually see the thing.

 rio made it to the beach.

 back to sledding.  speedy brought this sled they got on Amazon.com.  i suspect the snow was too deep or that it needs a total ice hill...it was a flop though.  she was bummed!!  so  back it goes to Amazon with a bad review to boot.  i think she'll be looking for one of those army sleds.

 you can have an amazing view from this sledding hill.  it wasn't bad, but would have been better with clearer skies. you can see Denali from here.

 here is the hill.  it can acommadate quite a few sledders.

 syd was pretty excited.  she lasted for quite a bit.  gail and mac brought hot cocoa and snacks...i wasn't a good planner today in that i only passed around the word about the hill and the time and didn't plan snacks so i was so happy that they picked up the slack.

 in this life you have to have planner people.  i'm getting used to the idea that i am the planner.  i really need to get cracking on this summers plans.  actually really want to just get a few things planned for this winter as well. i've still never done a winter trip to fairbanks.  northern lights, hot springs, ice sculptures, would love that. plus i want to rent a little cabin up at Hatchers Pass and maybe that Byers lake on too.

 this summer, besides ketchikan, i really want to finally get to kennicott.  it's another place i just have not been.

 my only selfie coming down the hill.

 i rode next to these guys.  sorry kat i can't remember your grandkids names.  they seemed to have a blast.  this girl was very socialble and sweet.  she even dragged syd up as far as she could.  haha.

 another trio heads down the hill, below you get a good view of the army sled.

 the race is getting ready to start!!

 another or kat's sweet grandkids.

 mac surveys the scene.

 on your mark, get set...go!!

 i think they ended up spinning around and going backwards on this run...wipe out!!

 all in all i think everyone had a great time out there, my cranky mood lifted just getting on that beach...i was cranky no more. the dogs tolerated being left in the car while i went sledding.  i checked on them several times and got them treats.

 another new year has begun.

i hope i weaned enough and you are not bored by my many photo's.  Happy New Years to all, may  2014 be  a year of wishes fulfilled and happiness!!