First, my favorite quote of the week:
"Nine times out of ten I get that little, short one. And she can't remember her ass from a hole in the ground."
-Dad, explaining why his dialysis treatment took longer than usual.
I haven't been home for the annual trek up into the mountains to find and cut down that perfect Christmas tree since I was in high school. This is now a grand adventure, involving several neighbors who have become extended family.
Video:
Sorry if you got a kink in your neck watching that. I have now discovered that I can't turn my camera when taking a video. Has to be horizontal. Like a TV screen, I guess. Huh.
Okay. If you haven't visited my friend Kathryn's blog, you need to! She has a spectacular mind. And she is so descriptive. This makes for some good reading!! She just flew to Johannesburg to help impoverished and orphaned children for the holidays. Here is her blog: My Amazing Journey
I am inspired by friends this year (Hello Rachel! Hello Kathryn!), who are each donating what they can for Christmas to those less fortunate. Kathryn...off to South Africa to share her talent and passion. And Rachel...packing shoe boxes full of toys and goodies and sending them to kids in Southeast Asia. As for me...I'm donating to the local food bank. What are you doing?
Ideas:
My favorite food bank (one that I have needed in the past): Northwest Harvest
Make a loan Change a life: Kiva
Lifelong AIDS Alliance
Find your local food bank: Feeding America
Merry Christmas!
Ernest
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Preg-testing, Lion Hunting, And another friend dies
First, my favorite quote of the week:
"Pablo is no one's bitch anymore. He really filled his big boy pants today......with his balls."
-Tabatha, from Tabatha's Salon Takeover
The circle of life continues on the ranch this week with the cows getting preg-tested. The vet shows up and slips on his really long glove, which covers him from fingertip to shoulder. The cows are run through the chute one by one and the vet reaches in, feels around for the calf, and determines how many month's along she is. Then he takes a giant orange crayon and writes this number on her hip. Hopefully, for the cows' sake, there won't be any zeros. These cows are likely to go to the butcher shop. Poor cow. Yummy hamburger.
Last week, my brother Travis discovered mountain lion tracks in the snow on our property up in the mountains. Mountain Lions are very dangerous and they like to eat little calves, which can cost us quite a bit of money. And in the winter time when snow pushes them down out of the mountains, they can be a danger to pets and even small children. So, Trav and a group of his buddies went hunting. They didn't find them but discovered tracks for more than one lion. They are elusive. My dad has been hunting them his whole life and only killed 3 that I know of. Unless you have a pack of dogs that can corner the lion in a tree, you'll never catch them. But, I'm certain Trav will keep trying!
Above is the mountain lion my dad killed a few years ago. Pictured is Gale Neal on the left and my dad on the right.
Today is another sad day. One of THE BEST things about college was my friend Lacie Hedahl. She was so much fun and so talented. We sang in 2 jazz choirs together for 4 years. She was always ready to hang out. We would sneak over to the snack shop for some junk food or sit and practice in the halls or go out drinking. And she was such a musician. The kind that you paid attention to when she had something to say about the music. The kind that when she sang or played her saxophone you would stand up and cheer, shouting, "Now that's the way it's supposed to be done!" She died over the weekend due to diabetic complications. We had been talking on Facebook for the last year or so. I wish that I had gotten off my ass, to drive the 4 hours it takes to get to Spokane and see her. Goodbye, Lacie!
Dad Update:
I'm allowing myself a small glimmer of excitement. Though Dad would not admit it, he is a little bit stronger this week and more alert. I have been reading everything I can about his problems and learning everything I can about the medicines he gets. And I think I'm making a difference. I'm now able to adjust his medicines each day depending on how he feels and what symptoms I can see. My focus is stopping the diarrhea so that the food and medicine he gets through his feeding tube have the proper time to sit and get absorbed, which will give him strength. Unfortunately one of the medicines he absolutely needs to empty his stomach and alleviate nausea, causes diarrhea. So it's a battle. And my lord, am I tired! My day starts at 6:30am and goes until midnight. If you know me at all...you know that I don't do mornings! Or 17 hour days! But, I am happy to help this man that has given me so much.
Cheers,
Ernest
"Pablo is no one's bitch anymore. He really filled his big boy pants today......with his balls."
-Tabatha, from Tabatha's Salon Takeover
The circle of life continues on the ranch this week with the cows getting preg-tested. The vet shows up and slips on his really long glove, which covers him from fingertip to shoulder. The cows are run through the chute one by one and the vet reaches in, feels around for the calf, and determines how many month's along she is. Then he takes a giant orange crayon and writes this number on her hip. Hopefully, for the cows' sake, there won't be any zeros. These cows are likely to go to the butcher shop. Poor cow. Yummy hamburger.
Last week, my brother Travis discovered mountain lion tracks in the snow on our property up in the mountains. Mountain Lions are very dangerous and they like to eat little calves, which can cost us quite a bit of money. And in the winter time when snow pushes them down out of the mountains, they can be a danger to pets and even small children. So, Trav and a group of his buddies went hunting. They didn't find them but discovered tracks for more than one lion. They are elusive. My dad has been hunting them his whole life and only killed 3 that I know of. Unless you have a pack of dogs that can corner the lion in a tree, you'll never catch them. But, I'm certain Trav will keep trying!
Above is the mountain lion my dad killed a few years ago. Pictured is Gale Neal on the left and my dad on the right.
Today is another sad day. One of THE BEST things about college was my friend Lacie Hedahl. She was so much fun and so talented. We sang in 2 jazz choirs together for 4 years. She was always ready to hang out. We would sneak over to the snack shop for some junk food or sit and practice in the halls or go out drinking. And she was such a musician. The kind that you paid attention to when she had something to say about the music. The kind that when she sang or played her saxophone you would stand up and cheer, shouting, "Now that's the way it's supposed to be done!" She died over the weekend due to diabetic complications. We had been talking on Facebook for the last year or so. I wish that I had gotten off my ass, to drive the 4 hours it takes to get to Spokane and see her. Goodbye, Lacie!
Dad Update:
I'm allowing myself a small glimmer of excitement. Though Dad would not admit it, he is a little bit stronger this week and more alert. I have been reading everything I can about his problems and learning everything I can about the medicines he gets. And I think I'm making a difference. I'm now able to adjust his medicines each day depending on how he feels and what symptoms I can see. My focus is stopping the diarrhea so that the food and medicine he gets through his feeding tube have the proper time to sit and get absorbed, which will give him strength. Unfortunately one of the medicines he absolutely needs to empty his stomach and alleviate nausea, causes diarrhea. So it's a battle. And my lord, am I tired! My day starts at 6:30am and goes until midnight. If you know me at all...you know that I don't do mornings! Or 17 hour days! But, I am happy to help this man that has given me so much.
Cheers,
Ernest
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