KELLY'S LONDON DOCTOR APPOINTMENT WENT VERY WELL TODAY:))

 DESPITE IT BEING COLD IT WAS A NICE-LOOKING MORNING

A big bright sunny day with nary a cloud in the sky.  Temps dipped to 35F overnight and the day remained cool.  No Jeep ride for Pheebs and this morning.  Just me in the Subaru at 8:45 a.m. heading to my first physiotherapy (hip) appointment at the Russett Rehabilitation and Wellness Clinic.  The worst part of the treatment was having to first fill out all the paperwork.  I hate doing paperwork of any kind!!  I spent an hour with the therapist as she had me do a lot of things to ascertain the level of pain tolerance my right hip was able to tolerate.  She showed me a number of exercises to begin at home and I will be back there again next week and the following three weeks.  I see it as a positive step forward regarding my troublesome hip.  I was back home shortly before noon.

 I NOTICED FARMERS WERE BUSY IN THEIR FIELDS ON MY WAY TO EXETER

 SAW THIS OLD CAR FOR SALE ON MY WAY

 IF I WAS A REALLY RICH GUY I WOULD HAVE GONE RIGHT IN THERE AND BOUGHT IT

 THIS IS A VERY BUSY PLACE

Shortly before 1 p.m. it was all three of us in the Subaru again heading for London.  However, our first stop was not at University Hospital, but at the Masonville Mall about 5 blocks north of the hospital.  It was here that we were supposed to meet up with Kelly's two daughters Sabra and Rebecca, who were driving over from Kitchener.  However, Sabra's GPS led them astray and landed them on a gravel road somewhere in Perth County. With a few text messages back and forth our plans had to be slightly amended After a stop at the Masonville Mall Pheebs and I dropped Kelly off at the hospital.  Her daughters arrived at the hospital about twenty minutes later.    

 KILLING SOME TIME AT MASONVILLE MALL BEFORE HEADING OVER TO THE HOSPITAL

 DROPPING KELLY OFF AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL'S BUSY FRONT ENTRANCE

After dropping Kelly off at the Hospital Pheebs and I quickly hustled ourselves out of town and headed to our cemetery pit-stop on Ten Mile Road north of London.  We spent about forty minutes there walking around and taking a few photos.  Cemeteries are often full of curious things and pretty flowers.  

 SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO TELL WHAT'S REAL AND WHAT ISN'T,,,,,THIS BUTTERLY WAS PLASTIC

 THESE FLOWERS ARE REAL

 THIS IS WHERE WE PARK EVERY TIME WE COME HERE

Pheebs and I left the cemetery at 3 p.m. and drove back to London's Masonville Mall to await Kelly and her daughters after the appointment was over. 

 BACK AT THE MASONVILLE MALL AWAITING THE LADIES

 AND HERE COMES THE BIG BLACK RANGE ROVER NOW

Kelly's appointment had been made a couple months ago and over the past few months Kelly had become a little frustrated with the communication between her and her liver Doctor.  Assumptions were made and her future seemed uncertain.  I had written about these frustrations earlier today but decided not to post them.  The important thing is that the meeting with her Doctor today went very well.  Her daughters Sabra and Rebecca arrived at the hospital about 20 minutes late (GPS) but the Doctor's receptionist let the patient after Kelly go first so Kelly's daughters were able to go in with her.  Kelly had reasoned that by taking two of her family members with her it might carry more weight for her case.  And, she was right.  The Doctor spent far more time explaining things in detail to them and Kelly said her Doctor seemed pleased that she had brought her daughters.  And like Rebecca said, 'it's better to have six ears in the room instead of just two.  And that certainly was the case today.  Kelly's path ahead is now much clearer and she feels good about her daughter's support.  She feels it's more of a team effort now instead of her trying to cope with everything herself.  The paperwork for her to meet with the liver transplant committee was submitted today as well.  That doesn't mean she is on a transplant list but it does mean she will meet with that committee sometime in the next four to six weeks to see if she is eligible for a transplant.  In the meantime, if these plasmapheresis treatments keep the itching away that is what she will continue to do once a week.  Bottom line.....it was a feeling good day for Kelly all around:)))))                

 REBECCA ON THE LEFT, KELLY, AND SABRA ON THE RIGHT

Al's Music Box:)) Forever by Pete Drake from Bill Anderson's album 'Still'.  1963

 FARMERS ARE ALREADY MOWING THE WINTER WHEAT FIELDS

GROANER'S CORNER:((  What do you get if you pour boiling water down a rabbit hole?
Hot cross bunnies!

Q: Do you know why the Roman Coliseum went out of business?  A: The lions were eating up all the prophets.

- How do sailors get their clothes clean?  They throw them overboard and then they are washed ashore.

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You might be a reneck if........

- Your wife asks you what you want to be when you grow up.

- You see a forest fire and think 'Bar-bee-Q'.

- You've ever strained your tea through a flyswatter.

- Your mother is hairier than your father.

- Instead of flossing you use a plunger.

- You take the back window out of your pickup because it's easier to chuck the empty beer cans in the back that way.  When the back fills up with empty beer cans, you get another pickup and start all over again.

- Your grandma can bench press a truck axle.

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KELLY STRUGGLES WITH BACK PAIN

 BUSH LANE WEST

We started the day off under cool cloudy skies with a cold wind blowing in off Lake Huron.  No walk this morning and instead Pheebs and I headed off to Goderich.  With a McDonalds coffee in hand, we slid down around the harbor and beach areas.  The dog walking area at Rotary Cove is still closed due to bank restoration work going on along the shoreline.  A quick stop at Walmart and we were soon home again.  

 BEACH GROOMING AT GODERICH'S ROTARY COVE

CITY WORKERS WORKING ON FLOWER BEDS ALONG COVE ROAD

Kelly has had at times severe lower back pain these past few weeks and not wanting to take any chances that it may be liver-related she went to see her Nurse Practitioner this afternoon.  Home again, Kelly said the Nurse Practitioner spent a lot of time with her and suspects a bulging disc .  We have a busy day tomorrow involving Exeter Ontario in the morning and London's University Hospital in the afternoon.  And the London stop will also involve two of Kelly's daughters................. 

S

 CHIPPY IS JUST ONE OF OUR FRONT-YARD CHIPMUNKS

 THIS LITTLE FELLOW HAS A CHEEK POUCH FULL OF BIRDSEED

Al's Music Box:)) In memory of Tina Turner.  Private Dancer from the album 'Private Dancer'.  1984 

 BUSH LANE EAST

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man and his wife were sitting in the living room discussing a “Living Will”  "Just so you know, I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug."  His wife got up, unplugged the TV, and threw out all the beer.

- What gets burning hot right before it freezes?  A laptop.

- What do you call a Chinese kid who was born too early?   Wong Tai Ming.

- What do you call a Southern kid who was born prematurely?  Earl Lee.

- And one who was born late?  Tuk Tu Long.

- I got arrested today for walking out of an art museum with a painting.  I’m just so confused because earlier when I asked the security if I could take a picture they said "yes".

- I used to work at a factory making plastic Draculas.  I was only one of two employees, so I had to make every second Count.

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TRYING TO GET MYSELF UNMUDDLED

 OUR PATH THROUGH THE FOREST ON THE NORTH SIDE OF WALKERS POND WAS LIKE A WALK THROUGH AN ENCHANTED FOREST TODAY

With my legs feeling much better this morning and with boots and paws on the ground and sunny skies overhead, Pheebs and I dusted up our favorite country road earlier today.  After that, we headed home, parked the Jeep, and trotted out the Subaru.  

 A DUSTING OF SNOW THIS MORNING??  NOPE, JUST A FIELD OF DANDELIONS THAT HAVE GONE TO SEED

SOME OF THIS SPRING'S RECENTLY PLANTED SEEDS ARE ALREADY SPROUTING AND BREAKING THE SURFACE

At 10 a.m. we were all in the car heading to the Zurich Vets where Pheebs had a follow-up check on her ear problem.  Still a lot of yeast in her ears and we now have two separate medications which she needs to be syringed into her ears for the next two weeks and then once a week for an indefinite period of time.  The Vet said her ear canals are narrowed and that is part of the problem leading to the yeast infection.  I figure it is part of the reason she doesn't hear as well too.

 'OH NO MOM AND DAD ARE GOING TO TAKE ME TO THE VET AGAIN'

From the Vets we headed to London's Victoria Hospital for Kelly's 12:30 Plasmapheresis treatment.  Dropping her off Pheebs and headed for the Westminster Ponds area and walked the path on the north side of Walkers Pond this afternoon.  It was warm but not hot and luckily no bugs.  I had parked the Subaru in the shade and on returning to the car pulled my gravity chair out of the car, set it up on the grass, and relaxed with my Kindle.  Pheebs explored around and had a couple big snoozes beside my chair.  My flip phone rang at about 2:30 p.m. and Kelly was ready to go.  Minutes later we were on our way home with a short stop at Wendys for coffees and a snack.  We were home at 4:20 p.m.

 A PATHWAY ALONG THE SHORELINE BEHIND LONDON'S PARKWOOD HOSPITAL

 I WONDER HOW MANY ELVES, GNOMES, AND FAIRIES LIVE HERE BENEATH THIS BIG OLD TREE

 A WOOD GATOR ON THE FOREST FLOOR

 YES, THERE IS DEFINITELY A FACE IN THIS OLD GNARLY TREE

 AND ANOTHER FACE HIGHER UP IN THE SAME TREE

 DESPITE BRACKISH WATER LYING ABOUT WE NEVER ENCOUNTERED ONE SINGLE MOSQUITO

 WALKERS POND ALONGSIDE THE TRAIL

And I think I had better get myself unmuddled.  With so much going on, I thought today was Wednesday until a quarter of the way to London when Kelly informed me it was Tuesday.  So that kind of partially messed up the travel itinerary I wrote about in yesterday's post.  It was today that Pheebs had the Vet appointment and we went to London's Victoria Hospital.  Not tomorrow. (which I assume is Wednesday now)  Kelly does have an appointment with her Nurse Practitioner in Goderich tomorrow if it really is Wednesday.  She has been having a lot of pain in her lower back.  Thursday and Friday are as I previously stated, and we do not have to go back to Victoria Hospital Saturday.  It will be next Wednesday. (there's that darn Wednesday thing again)

 THIS IS THE VIEW FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT AT OUR FAVORITE NEW PARKING SPOT

 A DRINK OF WATER ON A WARM DAY

 AND A STOP AT OUR FAVORITE WENDYS

Al's Music Box:)) Stardust by Willy Nelson from the album 'Stardust'.  1978

 A LONE FLOWER ON THE FOREST FLOOR

GROANER'S CORNER:((   A young girl who was writing a paper for school came to her father and asked, “Dad, what is the difference between anger and exasperation?”  The father replied, “It is mostly a matter of degree. Let me show you what I mean.”  With that the father went to the telephone and dialed a number at random. To the man who answered the phone, he said, “Hello, is Melvin there?”  The man answered, “There is no one living here named Melvin. Why don't you learn to look up numbers before you dial”.  “See,” said the father to his daughter. “That man was not a bit happy with our call. He was probably very busy with something and we annoyed him. Now watch….”  He dialed the same number, and when a violent voice roared, “Hello!”  The father calmly said, “Hello, this is Melvin. Have there been any calls for me".

- Someone stole my broken calculator, but I don't know why.  It just doesn't add up.

- How do you get a one-armed man out of a tree?

Wave!

- A little girl became restless as the preacher's sermon dragged on and on. Finally, she leaned over to her mother and whispered, "Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?"

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