The Good Day All Thread

We now have what meteorologists call “ an excessive heat warning” It’s 95 degrees, so I am thinking it could be much worse. I’m glad I have my garden remodeling projects done, so now I’m focusing on keeping the newly planted beds watered as well as the plants in pots that dry out amazingly quick.
I’m really enjoying all the colors my gardens have.
I miss my lush Hosta beds, but they weren’t going to make it with all the new sun exposure.
I have 14 Hosta in pots now, and have given away several more. My former boss at the nursery told me I can consider this transition as “my gardening talents evolving to new opportunities.” I like that.

 

@Kay “New opportunities” ….. I like that. very encouraging boss.

 

Kay— Good luck with dealing with the heat and dryness. Please do keep us posted on how it goes for you.

 

The cement based siding is almost all installed. They need to wait for cooler weather to paint, so my patio garden remains in other places.

This is doctors appointments week anyway. Mostly routine things that need follow up and checking. Tomorrow's is by phone.

 

Tomorrow is a town day for me. Hubby will stay home with Angus and keep things cool. It's a dance of opening and closing windows, and hanging blinds and sun barriers. I sure miss my big willow tree.

Angus hurt his foot yesterday (he though he was a puppy and jumped off of the boat before his ramp was lowered) He is having some calm time to heal. I have an early appointment, some groceries and I need to fill some gas jugs. I hope to be home with my boys before lunch time. Fingers crossed.

And then I am excited to get up early the next day and do a lot of weeding. Heat +watering = lots of chick weed.

 

Good luck with those appts, Daniel. Do you find fone and/or internet dr’s appts. a good thing? What’s your take on that type of medicine?

Hiya Mel— Have a good day in own… have the towns-folk been warned that you are coming?
Poor Angus. Sorry to hear about his injury. Was it bad enough for the vet to have to come by?
Glass jugs? What must I envision? Are they for putting up things?
Good to see you here. It looks like you are beginning to harvest some things now. Yea!!

 

Sjoerd, I have trouble with internet / phone appointments. The doctor can't examine the patient, such as listen to lungs or heart, see skin, assess comfort. I have a hearing deficit, can't hear as well on the phone or, especially internet. The doctor talks fast and I'm left feeling not-listened-to. I make up, for my hearing loss by partially reading lips and body language, which are lost on-line or phone.

I understand the motivations and advantages, but that's my experience. Also, sometimes it actually is helpful.

We also have email. It's a keystone-cops slapstick farce, because the emails are often read by covering doctors, or nurses, whose job it seems to get the emails out of the electronic in-basket without reading the electronic chart. The cluelessness shows. I had some major problems and delay of care, thanks to that approach, including emergency hospitalization. I try to make in-person appointments for everything that I can, and bring a brief, typed summary of my histories and concerns.

My medical week is over now, so I can relax a bit. Some was good news, so I feel reassured.

My thoughts are with you and Angus. I'll have Rufus send them to Angus via the world wide barkernet.

The new Hardiboard cement board siding is all up and caulked. This weekend they will supposedly power wash it. Then paint next week. These are the colors, from the paint store website. Going with light color so the paint lasts longer and reflects heat = lower power usage and bills, and more comfortable indoor climate. That's not the current fad, but fads change.



My house is a mid-century ranch, so wont look like the photo. But the colors are right.

 

@Daniel W I like the colors. Will go perfect with the new white roof.

 

That method of patient-health care provider doesn’t sound attractive to me. It must be frustrating to you. Having been a medic in the service, you know a thing or two about proper patient care and how it ought to be carried out. I sure hope that you can have more face-to-face care.
Good to hear that your most recent visit had a good side to it.

 

Good Saturday morning all. Currently 21°C and sunny.
I'm inside canning some dried beans, cutting up some bulk beef for the freezer, and cleaning the fridge. I want to be outside before it gets too hot to get the grass cut, but the first load in the canner is taking forever to depressurize. Once I can get the second load going I can go start the grass while DD keeps an ear on the pot.
No rain this week so I'll have to water the gardens too, and there is lots of deadheading to do. I have several perennials in pots that still need a home in the gardens, so hopefully I can get that done today. Always so much to do!
Have a great day all

 

Sjoerd, I have mixed thoughts about the health care system, and mine in particular. On the one hand, I wouldn't be alive without it and without some of the expert and caring care of most of my doctors. I would also be blind. I feel incredibly fortunate. On the other hand, profits and efficiencies and population medicine practices create hassles and a lot of poor quality problems. I try to focus on the positive, so I'll stop there.

 

I am so glad that you are getting proper care though, mate. It really sounds like you have a bit of a complicated regimen to address several problems. When I was there medical care was more straight forward. It is interesting to hear your perspective.

 

@Daniel W - I'm truly happy there was some good news. That is a gift. I do worry.

A hearing deficit would be very difficult to overcome. I struggle with fast speech, back ground noise. And often there is an echo on calls through our old land lines and their high tech head sets. And I feel so terrible asking someone to repeat themselves I often just nod or agree.

Our health care is a mess also. Not enough nurses, or doctors. ERs closing so often the nearest one is a three hour drive away. I finally had a telephone appointment after waiting almost 6 months. I finally went in and saw an old contact at our clinic, explained my situation, (brought cookies), and she arranged a phone appointment with a locum out of Vancouver. the locum was great and diligent even for over the phone. I have a follow up with her next month. I really needed an exam, but she skipped that step and referred to a specialist. We haven't had a personal physician for almost two years. The specialists have been carrying hubby, thankfully. The pharmacists do their best. The nearest walk-in clinic is four hours away and in a city so I don't even want to think about the wait time.

I agree that in all of the mess there are positives - and very real good people trying to do their best. I feel your feel good vibes And agree.

And I highly recommend bringing cookies.

 

We are working hard at trying to stay cool and maintain a green space. I'm not weeding ( which is killing me) because I don't want to expose the roots to the sun and have to water twice as much. I'm itching to weed in a few days. Today was early morning walk with Angus, watering the few hanging baskets and plants, picking cherry tomatoes and unhappy cauliflower. I finished prepping our Go-Plan encase of a fire. Things are danger dry and there is a lot of pop up dry lightening thunderstorms happening with no rain. Also high winds are predicted which for us means downed trees on power lines. It's best to be prepared.

Thankfully last night we cooled off to 14 C which allows the house to remain cooler.

I cooked Angus' dog food ingredients on the porch and have them cooling in a large cooler on ice in the bathtub. I'll process tomorrow morning.

We don't shower inside in the heat, to keep the humidity down. Also to not have the propane hot water tank fire up. ( I could roast a marshmallow over that thing). Usually it is a bath in the creek, but today was deck showers. Which is a bucket of tepid sun warmed water and a pitcher. I think that is my favourite part of it being too hot out.

 

Thanks Mel for that reminder. It's a special gesture and they appreciate it.

Over the years, I've brought fresh fruit, figs, tomatoes, and eggs. Cookies are a really good idea

You are wise. I'm very glad you are prepared. I haven't updated my go-bag but it should be fine except the water. We do have jugs we can quickly fill with water.

I might like that, but I have neighbors . With cellphones. Which have cameras. The implications of that are frightful! (Actually, the back patio is private, but we don't have the propane water tank issue).

That's terrible! I don't even know what to say, except I feel for you and it upsets me

Also glad Angus is feeling OK today.

Well, today was an unplanned break, mostly. I was moving the big rose planters and had a pop in my lumbar spine. I've been nursing it all day. Not too bad, took a tylenol and have ice packs and a 4-wheeled walker. From past experience, I know the importance of pampering myself when that happens. It will be OK, I just need to nurse it for a day or two.