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Captain's Log - 2024

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sKePTiKal:
Not much progress to report. B is still away for a few more weeks - unless he just can't stand it anymore and decides to come home and with what's waiting for him here (two jeeps to maintain, 4 wheelers to rebuild, etc projects). Hol & I, mostly Hol... have managed to knock a few more "little pieces" off the studio list. One last one to complete - window trim is up; needs caulked, primed, painted.

Boys successfully made it home in their new truck, at least one is working and we've pointed the other in a couple directions. Instead of moving states away from home, they are contemplating moving to a bigger city a few hours away.

We had a torrential storm, the day before they all left. Washed out the new pad, under the equipment shed contractor had built (and hasn't finished)... because when contractor graded driveway, he didn't include drainage ditch on upside of Hol's driveway. Fortunately, her friends were here with equipment who jumped to, as the rain was ending and helped that situation out. Contractor is STILL messing about trying to get her solar-powered gate opener installed. I feel more confident in the electrician's ability to finish this. It's been going on, 3 months now. <rolleyes>  I understand he's really busy but he kept promising "next week" until we just rolled our eyes & ignored him. I even got involved, when he kept blowing Hol's questions off.

Still waiting on delivery of my commissioned work cabinets. I understand his day job has picked up a little but they're almost done... and I can't put things away or organize until they're here.

Seems S is now completely out of the picture. There have been some housekeeping details to finish up. But that's done, and she seems to be enjoy seeing C and spending time with him. He's renovating a house nearby, and she's looking forward to helping him. Then, they're planning some extensive travel together. I'm not sure how that's going to work with the dogs... and maybe it'll never happen. Don't know right now. But, she IS getting her social appetite satiated with getting out more & seeing/helping friends and having them over. I think she's planning to move her studio out to the garage... and then rearrange her house a little better to suit herself.

Contractor friend is highly interested in her, too. But respects boundaries. I like him a LOT and he is a good counter to her and her big ego.

I've been enjoying as much "quiet time" as I can, because I know fall is almost here and B will be back, and Hol's social meter pegs out at the top end then, too. B and I have lots of projects to work on by ourselves. Neither of us likes Hol's dive in and just get it done - all the while bossing everyone around - work attitude. We move slower and more deliberately, easier.

B is hitting more obstacles in the process of trying to get approval for the stimulator lead change. They're having a 3rd party medical "advisor" weigh in on whether this is medically "necessary".... so B's filed a grievance. And the insurance people even required him to get notarized "proof of identity" - even though he's had an open case number with them since '94!! <rolleyes>

It's almost time to think about bringing plants in, and getting snow shovels out... and I still have 3 comfrey plants to get outside. Might do that while we have plenty of rain in the forecast. I think last year's planting was about this time, too. Miraculously, it appears most of the herbs survived the drought.

sKePTiKal:
OH... and the stimulator has been causing problems for him, and has been bumblingly "in process" now, since the spring. Meanwhile, I'm doing what I can with herbs to help with the muscle spasms/pain. I still need to order some teasel root.

lighter:
Glad your herbs are hanging in.  One of our peach trees was torn apart ...deer?  Human?  Not sure what did the damage, but likely it won't survive.

I'm sending motivation vibes to B's care team and hoping they dial his needs in soon.

Lighter

sKePTiKal:
It's been feast or famine, this growing year - things are combining meteorogically in the worst way for plants. We had frost through May, my seeds didn't germinate until it warmed up in mid-June - when it stopped raining regularly and at the end of August, the deluges began. Now, the temps are resembling what usually happens late October/November around here.

Veggie garden was a complete waste this year. I only had time to get a few things in before the sauna started. B did his part to help but I need a weed solution that actually works. I might try paper mulch/straw next year. Hol keeps insisting I need raised beds - but I DON'T; I just need to be able to withstand brutal sun and 90 degree temps... and be less attractive to bugs. However, I might consider building a couple for certain specific things that deer find exceptionally tasty.

The herbs bounced back with some rain. I even got soapwort to take/survive this year. The feverfew is doing well and seems to help B's recurring meningitis symptoms (especially the headache; migraine sufferers use this a good bit). A simple tea, is all that's required. I have more valerian now, echinecea, the boneset is doing well; so is the skullcap. The horehound & hyssop are established; one plot of artemisia survived. And I keep killing my chamomile. Lemon balm (a mint), of all things is struggling. At my other homestead, it turned invasive and I had to pull it like weeds. Lavender is struggling too.

It's going to take YEARS of adding topsoil and amending the soil in the herb garden to get it "right". But that's OK. I just put in some more comfrey; Hol's are grown into bushes now.  I'll need to cut the lower branches of the trees in that area again. I think it's a bit too shady for some herbs. But I'll let the leaves fall where they drop, for winter mulch and leaf mould. Next year, an all purpose organic fertilizer goes into the dirt. Mother nature is managing a small field's worth of mullein for me. I must have 20-30 plants coming on for next spring.

Somehow, the remaining geese have found out they can swim under a section of fence where it crosses a corner of the pond. We've put boards across there... nothing works. And they can't find their way back in. Hol isn't feeding them regularly, either. So they've been free ranging. A couple days ago I found them half way down the road to the highway. Maybe they'll move to a neighbor's pond or join the roadkill brigade. Seems a shame to waste meat... and they could definitely be harvested; I think these are the oldest of the flock. Something has killed/eaten all the other ones and the ducks/chickens. S and Hol, simply don't care right now.

S is still considered a friend by Hol. Which is a handicap to her, in ways she doesn't realize yet. She IS definitely moving on past that time, tho. C is still around a good bit. Her friend who does land development has been here a lot lately, and bringing a model-worthy friend/helper with him... they're both adoring fans of Hol. After the first torrential rainfall, at the end of the day, they jumped back on equipment to minimize water damage and save the backhoe. The pad under the equipmment shed the contractor started in June washed out badly; he did send someone to fix it - and the next 2 storms like that washed it again. They've been saying for a month they'll be out to finish the fence/gate and put the sides on the equipment shed... so when he texted me, that they'd be here Thursday I asked him, "which Thursday?". Two-three months seems a long long time to wait on some simple small jobs. The work he did on the driveway in the spring held up OK, but he didn't do the drainage that Hol had talked about... which her friend has corrected.

This year has taught Hol we need more people out here to throw in, in certain situations. She can't do it all herself has sunk in loud & clear. There is a lot of brainstorming going on about this right now and I'm hoping that this week - if her friend & maybe Cowboy come out - and B is here (he gets in this evening) - we can all sit around and talk it through. She's working 3 days a week for our local butcher - finally. She's been applying for a couple of years. She wants to learn to butcher; and all their meat is locally sourced. And primarily she's there to network - other producers and craftspeople. Make local friends and participate in mutual assistance on projects as needed. (Which is directly from the Amish/Mennonite community model.)

The studio work is down to the last bits. Still waiting on cabinets - the door pulls (sliding doors) of all things are the main hold up now.

B's trip isn't how we'd expected it to go. No med appts; no progress on approvals to test a change in stimulator lead locations. So it MAY be a short visit. He does have to be back in December though, so will be here for Yule. Or maybe he'll stay through the fall. We haven't really talked much while he was gone this time. He was doing a lot of work on his place there. So we'll see what he has to say. We've got work to do organizing studio garage and his shop to make room for the rest of his tools.

It's been nice having 2 months "off" between visits this time. Hol is busier now so we don't hang out as much. I've gotten my easy solitude back. I'm less frantic as a result; as compared to trying to keep up with everyone else. This weekend - just before another big storm - I walked out on the porch and heard "kitty distress crying". Hol had just brought the mail up and ran recon/rescue while I found a box. We got two solid gray kittens; siblings; that are only about 6 weeks old closed into my bathroom. Someone must've dumped them because they can be handled - and one is downright lovey and a big purr - and they use the litter box easily. They wolfed down a small bit of milk and I soaked kitty crunchies in milk which they also ate. So the next morning I got milk replacer & kitten chow. I can't even take them to a shelter yet; they were exhausted & hungry (not starving) and literally just a handful sized.

Mr. Feisty and Ms. Demure have realized they don't need to worry if more food is showing up on a regular basis. They've started playing with toys and wrestling each other. So gaining strength and starting to thrive again. A couple more weeks and perhaps we can find a home for them.

sKePTiKal:
News! 3rd party doc basically told insurance people they were idiots and to immediately approve the lead test on the stimulator. Of course, appt won't be scheduled until pain mgmt docs get the paperwork... in the meantime, surgeon approved an Rx for breakthrough pain as the controller for the morphine pump hasn't been holding a charge well... and that company is out of business, there are no parts, charging cables, or representatives anymore and B was told that the purchaser won't have new products for two years.

How many months has he waited for approval? I know the problem started in June/July... then, the wild goose chase of eliminating other possibilities causing the side effects... and while the test only lasts a week, that's plenty of time to determine if a new lead location causes the reaction. Then we wait AGAIN for approval for the actual surgery which requires travel into DC again. Fingers crossed that can happen before the end of the year. And even if that if all expedited, as I recall - when it was operating OK without side effects - he STILL had days he was in agony. So hopefully, the pain Rx, in combination with everything else - will be enough.

Lighter, I hope you're fareing OK, with your gaggle of friends & family. Sounds like the usual crews of good old boys are working hard to make roads as passable as they can. They're good at that! And supplies are starting to get through. Tho I hear that's been a struggle. Some isolated farms are OK, overall. They'll manage till services start coming back. They're not going to shelters - which I understand. Those places can be a mess to endure. But so many have lost almost everything - including their homes & vehicles - and they NEED the shelter until some other options open up for them. Those are the people who need prayers the most and a hand up, too.

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