Last day of the month!  Thought I'd give you all a visual to help you remember your White Rabbits tomorrow morning first thing!    This is the original white rabbit in my collection.  Kelli gave her to me and her name is Isabelle!

Think I may have had a little chemo brain going on today.  I'm not even sure what that is but I hear people referring to it all the time at the Tom Baker.  In any case....had a few cooking disasters this morning.  Started out that I thought we would have salmon for dinner so went to the freezer and took out this lovely salmon I had put in there about a week ago.  As I walked to the kitchen I noticed "previously frozen" on the label.  I was so tempted to cook it anyway but I suspect that would be very, very foolish with my compromised immune system.  So sadly the beautiful piece of salmon ended up in the garbage!  Next on the list....thought I would make a loaf of bread (in my bread maker)  Got everything organized....reached up to my top cupboard to get my flour down and knocked a large container of 7 grain cereal on the floor.  7 grain cereal EVERYWHERE!  "expletives"!!!  Got the vacuum out and cleaned up that mess then continued on.  Got everything into the bread maker and sat down to read the paper.  The bread maker started up..."clunk, clunk...".....Hmmm....that did not sound good so I got up to investigate.  The pan has two paddles and I had failed to attach one of the paddles so only half of the pan was mixing.  I tried to fix it in the machine but to no avail, finally had to
abort....dump all the ingredients and start again.  "expletives"...... Measured everything out, double checked the paddles were attached and placed the man in the bread maker and plugged it in again.  The darn machine would not let me reprogram it and insisted on starting where it had left off with the aborted loaf.  I finally just gave up and decided there was nothing I could do about it but hope the loaf would turn out.....fortunately, it did so there was a happy ending to this culinary mishap of which I have way more than my share.

Next...off to Nose Hill to do some shogging.  Was definitely better today and went a little further but as I was huffing and puffing along I couldn't help but think if they hadn't damaged my vocal cords during the surgery I would be so much further along in my recovery.  The reason I am having so much problem with exertion is my vocal cords do not open wide enough to give me a good airway and I struggle to get enough air in when I exert myself.  The hope is that the muscles will in time recover and this function will correct itself which will correct the problem I am having with breathing.  In the meantime I just have to live with it and huff and puff my way along.

Going out to see my Dad for a few days tomorrow.  We have tee times booked for Monday and Tuesday and I am so looking forward to it!  Dad says the Columbia River is higher than he has ever seen it and the golf course has several new lakes on it!!!

Happy Canada Day everyone…...remember you live in the best place on the face of the earth! (And don't forget those WR)

Guess I was a day ahead of myself yesterday.  Tomorrow is the last day of the month so I will give you your "White Rabbit" reminder then.

Got out for my first golf game of the year yesterday.  Harvest Hills is a tough little executive 9.  I don't think I have ever broken 50 on it.  There are sooooo many sand traps and so much trouble to get into and all four of us found it.  I didn't go out with high expectations.  My first drive was like a wet noodle. I think I was afraid to take a full swing at it.  There were a few seconds of silence from my golf companions and then they all said "Do it again."  So out came a second ball and the hit, although not my best by any means was semi respectable.  From there I whiffed a couple of times on the next shot.....(thank you Jenifer for not laughing).  I'm thinking..."Oh boy this is going to be BAD."  BUT it got progressively better and I had an absolute ball.  it was so fun to be out with friends enjoying something we like to do together.  I even walked the nine .....  Summer is suddenly looking a whole lot more fun with things to do!!!

I have a great story for you!  It has nothing to do with me or my health......but you all know how much I like to tell stories and this is a true one.

Bill's brother Dick was down last night to join the Honey Badgers on the ride to Conquer Cancer.  His oldest son, Mark, is a fisherman up in the Queen Charlotte Islands.  He and his crew were out fishing awhile back and came across a pod of Orcas.  The Orcas were going after a group of porpoises and managed to single one out of the group.  They attacked and killed it and then proceeded to eat it and the crew of the boat watched the whole thing.  Not long after this an 800 lb. Sea Lion came along and the Orcas went after him.  They were bashing him up pretty good when the Seal Lion spotted the fishing boat.  They had the ramp down to haul in the nets and the Seal Lion managed to get to the boat and pulled himself up onto the boat.  He sat on the boat for 40 minutes hissing and growling at the Orcas as they circled waiting for him to come back in the water.  Finally the Orcas left and the Sea Lion cautiously got back into the ocean.  He didn't swim off though, he swam alongside the boat, checking the horizon every so often to see if the whales were coming back.  After half an hour or so, he finally took off on his own.  The sad part of this story is that no one on the boat had a camera!  I thought this was an amazing story and thought you might enjoy it!  I know we did!

Off to the hospital shortly for my hydration session then to Trish and Gerry's for dinner!  Have a great Canada Day weekend and don't forget your White Rabbits!

Before I get started I need to remind everyone that tomorrow is the last day of June!  Meaning......of course....White Rabbits....rabbits....or whatever you think might work!  I have become quite superstitious, picking up pennies on the ground as long as they are lying with tails up etc.  Figure I'll try anything!  I will remind you all again tomorrow but thought I'd plant the seed today!

Finally a little summer today.  Met Brenda at Friends for coffee.  They are just back from their Alaska cruise and brought me a signed copy of a book called The Lance Mackey Story.  It is the story of a dog musher who had outstanding race success, making the record books after emerging from addiction and after surviving cancer.  I can hardly wait to read it.

Did a little retail therapy today but on Kelli's money, not mine.  Geoff gave her a gift card for Golf Town (I never thought I'd see the day!).  She has decided she would like to play and likes my rescue club so Geoff bought her a gift card so she could get one.  We have tee times booked to play with Dad both Monday and Tuesday.  I am very excited.  We are actually heading out to Harvest Hills tonight with Jenifer and Gary.  Probably not the smartest course to play your first round and the mosquitoes are brutal but I am looking forward to it!

Tomorrow have to go to the Foothills for hydration and then we are going to Trish and Gerry's for dinner!  Our first invite out since my surgery and I will be able to eat with everyone! Life is actually starting to feel quite normal except for all these appointments.

Have enjoyed a relaxing morning.  Maureen came by and then Gerry dropped in with Katie and her two little fellows.  Katie (my cousin's daughter) married an Irishman and now lives in Waterford, Ireland.  She is home for three weeks for a visit with the kids.  Liam is 2 1/2 and John is 2 months old . Katie travelled here with the two kids all by herself!  I can't even imagine doing that but Katie is very hohum about it.  No big deal!   I guess the kids were great and the trip uneventful!  In any case, I know Trish and Gerry are looking forward to three weeks of Katie and boys!

Not much planned for today.  Think I might bake some cookies for us as the batch I made last night all went to school this morning.  It is a good day for baking, that's for sure.  Not the 23 degrees the weatherman promised.  After that will head to the basement to do my workout.  Not so stiff today so will see if I can get through a little more of the workout today.

Duane did a video of the Ride to Conquer Cancer.  He has posted it on youtube and it is really good!  If you want to get a little idea of what these riders endured have a look!  I think he has really captured the experience!  Thanks for doing that Duane.  It is a great keepsake!  You will find his video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFUHWipz-hs   Enjoy!  I'm sure it will inspire all of you to join the ride next year!

No appointments today!  No hospital visits!  I had a bit of a meltdown today.  I'm very tired of scheduling my life around my appointments.  Maybe it's the weather getting to me!

Up and at it this morning!  Had a GREAT sleep last night!  No feed bag!  I ate enough yesterday that I felt I could skip the night time feed.  No need to get up in the night for multiple visits to the bathroom because of the fluid I'm pumping in.  Felt great to wake up this morning and know I had a solid nights sleep.  Can hardly wait to be done with this night feed stuff and to get rid of this tube.  I want to be able to go swimming this summer.  I want it gone!

Had the biggest treat today!  A letter from a former student.  She tells me she reads this blog so I will tell her here how much her letter meant to me!  Of course I remember you Sam!  I loved your letter and really, really appreciate you taking the time to write to me.  I have had a few letters from students I have taught and they bring a huge smile (as yours did) to my face.  Thankyou Sam! It was wonderful to hear from you!

The sky was threatening so decided to hit Nose Hill early today.  Put on my exercise gear and headed over there with the intent of having a bit of a workout.....I've decided what I'm doing is definitely NOT running, it probably couldn't be called jogging either but a good name for it might be shogging.  I am doing a gait that is a cross between a shuffle and a jog.  Believe you me I take a good look around before I start and make sure there is no one to see me.  I went a little further and shogged a little longer today so hoping it will start to come back to the point I won't have to be a closet shogger!  I am also quite stiff today from the few weights I did yesterday.  I am gaining a whole new appreciation for what people who have never exercised go through when they start an exercise program for the first time.

Now I'm busy baking cookies for my class which I have to sneak to them because teachers are no longer allowed to feed their classes foods that are not on the acceptable list.  I am really worried this might go on my file!  Hmmmm.......Oh well, the kids will appreciate getting Mrs. Sherlock's World Famous Cookies!  I'll worry about the repercussions later!  NOT!

Can anyone tell me when summer is arriving?  We are planning to head out to the lake for a couple of days on Sunday and I'm taking my clubs!  I can hardly wait.  Was shining up my balls today!  I don't give a hoot how I play.  Just to be out there is going to be such a treat!  Will be back Wednesday though because Kathy is taking me out to see Jersey Boys for my birthday and I have a Thursday appointment but if the weather is good I will head back on the weekend.

A week into the chemo and no adverse effects, fingers crossed!  Hopefully this will be the pattern for me! Up to take Bill's BMW in this morning and then out for breakfast!  I've been craving pancakes so it was a real treat!  Breakfast seems to be my best meal of the day!

Did a few odds and sods today and then headed up to Nose Hill just before the rain came.  I was walking along, feeling pretty good and don't know if it was the black sky or the mosquitoes that were starting to nibble, or if I just wondered if I could......but it crossed my mind.....could I run?  I looked around to make sure nobody was nearby and then shifted up a gear.  I did a series of walk runs along the flat stretch.  To be honest it was pretty pathetic and I do believe I looked exactly like the 90 year old Asian man who jogs in our ravine every morning but maybe not as good.  Despite this I was quite pleased with myself and am thinking I'm going to start working on it.  I think I was totally inspired by those cyclists yesterday and realize it's time to ramp the fitness program up a notch.  Who knows, maybe the Asian fellow and I could become running buddies, although like most Asians, he's not very fond of black labs!  Came home and headed to the basement to attempt a few "light" weights and I do mean light.  Lasted about 20 minutes and think there's going to be a few muscles I'm going to be aware of tomorrow.

Bill not feeling too terrible today.....a little weary but no aches and pains......no injuries....which is a good thing.  Poor Geoff and Lindsey had to be up bright and early to go to work.  Geoff says he almost slept in but luckily woke up in time.  Haven't heard how Lindsey is faring!  I'm sure most of the team were taking it easy today!!!

Top picture is of some of the Honey Badgers sporting their Leslie's Honey Badger T-Shirts!

Bottom picture, Forever friends Trevor and Gary Gray at the finish.  Do you think they look happy....??

This was the weekend for the Ride to Conquer Cancer and it was wet, wet, wet.  Maureen and I set out yesterday to track and follow the team.  In the morning when Bill got up it was pouring pretty good in Edgemont and was still raining when they arrived at Spruce Meadows.  Fortunately the rain let up for the morning and they had pretty decent weather.  Maureen and I found them all at the lunch spot and it was quite pleasant out.  We decided to go on ahead to check out the camp and about 20 minutes out of the lunch spot the sky opened up.  It absolutely bucketed. By the time we got to Chain Lakes it was pouring and the riders coming in were totally drenched.  The camp was like a mud bath.  Any pig would have thought he had died and gone to heaven had he landed up there.  We hung out there for about an hour and started to get chilled and decided to head home.  We would be back on Sunday to cheer them in at Spruce Meadows.  Well, they all completed the first day but it was a wet night.  Geoff said he laid in his tent and it sounded like someone had a hose and was spraying the tent off FULL FORCE!  Gary got up this morning and there were puddles under his sleeping pad. Nothing like putting on our wet gear and getting ready to do another 100 km! Maureen, Jenifer, Mike, Kelli, myself and Boomer headed out to Spruce Meadows around 11 AM this morning.  The day was overcast but not raining which was a relief.  We got there and riders were starting to trickle in.  We had our various noise makers (I had the cowbell!) and we proceeded to welcome all the riders in.  The event is incredibly well organized.  I think there were about 2000 riders this year and they raised a total of $8 million dollars in Calgary alone!  Lindsey's Mom and Dad were there and Trish and Gerry arrived as well so we had quite the cheering section.  I felt a little strange being the cheerer as it has always been the other way around for me and I found myself tearing up several times, especially when survivors crossed the finish line, hands joined with their partners.  It was quite emotional!  Our team rolled in around 2 PM looking strong as a Honey Badger should.  Marilyn and Amber were not there yet but the rest of the team pretty much came in together wearing their Honey Badger shirts. Later, we heard the girls had also finished which makes for 100% team success.  I am so proud of all of them!  EVERY HONEY BADGER TOUGHED IT OUT and several of them marched, including Bill, Geoff and Lindsey over to the booth and signed up to do it next year.  I think I found my year long goal today!  I'm going to do that ride next year!  Just hope the sun shines!  I've had enough adversity and deserve a little sunshine!

Today was my appointment with the ENT Doctor to address the issue of the vocal cords and swallow.  Two appointments this afternoon.  The first was a scope to see if the vocal cords were moving.  It would appear that both cords have some movement, one, more than the other which would account for the improvement in my voice.  This was good news, although there are still issues which hopefully will resolve themselves over the next few months.  From there they sent me up to Neurology where they stuck a bunch of needles in my neck (very uncomfortable)  Interestingly, the neurologist said that there was movement on the left side but not on the right.  The surgeon thought he had damaged the left nerve and had just stretched the right and on the scope it appeared that the right cord was moving better than the left so kind of contradictory.  I'm starting to think that some of medicine is just a guessing game, not an exact science.  So really not much new, other than there is some improvement and hopefully over the next couple of months the muscles will start to work the way they are supposed to.  The good news is that my cords are closing and opening which means I am less likely to aspirate. So we're back to a wait and see game.  See them again in three months and can just cross my fingers that things will continue to move in the right direction.

Maureen cooked us supper tonight.  Pasta to fuel the cyclist.  Delicious supper!  I always enjoy someone else's cooking way more than my own!  Getting spoiled here.  Bill busy getting everything organized for the ride. Tomorrow we will head out to the route to see if we can cheer the team on.  Hoping the weather will clear over night as it does not look great out there at the moment. Cloudy will be fine.  Downpour Not!  Go Honey Badgers!  You have done an amazing job of your fundraising and I have no doubt each of you will complete the ride in the same amazing fashion1

Phew...a busy day.  Got up walked the dog and got through my morning routine, then off to school for the grade 6 send off.  Had mixed feelings about going.  Wasn't sure about the reaction I would get from the kids.  Kids are funny.  Some of them are all over you, others totally ignore you, almost like they're mad at you or they've forgotten you.  Glad I went though!  Lots of hugs and high fives and a few tears!  They are just the best those kids and I was so happy to see them. They presented me with a gift of (almost) a 1000 paper cranes in a box along with the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.  The paper cranes are for me to make a wish, and I am certain you can all guess what that wish is!  Sadako is based on a true story about a girl who was the star of her school's running team in Japan. She was in Hiroshima when the US airforce dropped an atom bomb on that city.  Ten years later she died from the radiation from that bomb. During those ten years she had to face the hardest race of her life-the race against time. The book celebrates the courage that made one young woman a heroine in Japan.  If you've never read the story you should.

 Left school and came home.  Took Boomer to Nose Hill then dropped him back here before heading off to the hospital for my hydration session.  Was a little dismayed when I saw who my nurse was.  She is the only one who can never seem to get my vein on the first poke.  I have enough holes in me without adding unnecessary ones.  She is nice but she just can't do it on the first try...EVER!  Again, she's so lucky I'm not my Mom.  Finished there, headed off to run a few more errands and am now home waiting for Bill to get back from Fairmont where he has been enjoying a few days of "normal" with the guys playing golf.  Kelli pulling another 24 hour shift tonight, poor kid!  Her boyfriend arrives for the weekend tonight so that will be a nice change.  We will be out on the bike route on the weekend cheering on the Honey Badgers!  Hope like heck the rain holds off!  Doesn't sound too terrible but there is the possibility of showers.  Cross your fingers!  Weather can make or break an event like this.

Started the pill regime part of this treatment today.  Got up and had my breakfast then went through the actions of getting the pills ready.  As I mentioned yesterday, one of the pills they are giving me is humungous.  Fortunately I am allowed to cut them (you can't cut all pills) so I was very relieved about that.  However, the precautions you have to take are mind boggling.  Rubber gloves, wash your hands throughly afterwards, even though wearing gloves, have a separate pill cutter,  Make sure everything is thoroughly washed and don't touch anything.  Very toxic stuff.  As I was swallowing it I could't help thinking this is incredible.  It is so toxic that I shouldn't touch it, yet I'm popping it in my mouth!
The good news is that I'm feeling good so far.  Could be the stiff anti nausea drugs they have me on which I take until tomorrow.  Then we'll see what happens from that point forward.  Hopefully I will tolerate it as well as I did the first round.  I'm crossing my fingers and toes.

We had a busy day.  Headed off to Nose Hill and had a walk with Jenifer and Kelli.  From there we headed to Market Mall for a little Retail Therapy.  Bought myself some fancy rubber boots.....a sure fire guarantee that the sun is going to shine and the rain will be over!  Bought a few other odds and sods and came home to find an amazing gift on my front doorstep.  My good friend Judy painted the most beautiful Sunflower picture for me.  I called to thank her and to ask how she knew sunflowers were my favourite flower.  She didn't know.....so just a lucky guess.  The painting is gorgeous and I have just the spot for it.  I especially enjoyed one of the quotes she included with the painting  "KEEP YOUR FACE TO THE SUNSHINE AND YOU CANNOT SEE THE SHADOW.  IT'S WHAT SUNFLOWERS DO."  Helen Keller

Kelli and I had planned to go to a movie tonight but we finally looked at each other and said almost simultaneously we really didn't feel like going tonight. Instead we will put on our PJs and watch So You Think You Can Dance!  Sounds like a relaxing night to me.

Tomorrow have a few things planned.  Hoping to get to the school for the grade 6 graduation but have told my teaching partner, Rebecca to not tell the kids in case I don't make it.  I'm just taking each day at a time seeing how I feel.  Need to get through this first cycle and then I should have a better idea of what to expect.  For now I'm avoiding making much in the way of long range plans just in case.  Have to be at the hospital at 2:30 for hydration and not thrilled about that because it looks like tomorrow is going to be the nicest day of the week.  They wanted me to see the nurse practitioner at 11 Am and then had me booked for hydration at 2:30.  Not happening.  I'm not going to spend my entire day at the hospital so called the nurse and said I'd go for the hydration but I was going to cancel meeting her.  I've already seen her twice in the past few days, have no concerns at the moment so feel the visit with her would be exactly that....a visit.  I'll save those appointments for when I need them.

Hopefully will be good on the weekend as I am really looking forward to going out and cheering on my Honey Badgers!  Also hopeful that the weather will be decent for them.....No rain and only tail winds!  Next week I'm going to haul out my golf clubs and give it a try.  Can hardly wait!

After some kerfuffle yesterday, I finally did a callback from the Tom Baker telling me I had a 10 AM appointment.  Relief.....sounds kind of silly but I have been anxious to get on with this.  It makes me feel like I am doing something, not just sitting around letting this thing get a bigger grip on me.
Had a terrific nurse today.  She is engaged to a paramedic friend of Geoff's so don't know if we just got special treatment because he was there with me but she was exceptional and by far the best nurse I have had in any of my experiences there.  She went over all the drugs etc. with us and again I listened with half an ear.  The side effects can be quite horrendous but I know now that yes, those things may happen to my but they also may not.  Everyone handles this stuff differently so I choose to just wait and see how it goes.  The entire process today took 4 hours!  The time actually went quite quickly though because Geoff and I had a really good chance to chat about lots of things!  I really enjoyed having him there.  I see so many people there alone and am always so grateful to my family for being there for me, coming to my appointments and just being a strong support system for me.  They are so different in their approach to this and I love them for that.  The nurse handed me my chemo pills I have to take on a daily basis between IV treatments which I have once every three weeks.  I took one look at the one bag of pills and said "There is no way I am going to be able to swallow those."  They looked like bloody horse pills!  I asked her to call the pharmacy and see if I could cut them.  The answer was yes, however, I was advised I must have a separate pill cutter than I use for other pills and I must wear rubber gloves and clean up thoroughly when finished as they are extremely toxic.  Yikes!  And I'm going to swallow them!  Scary thought!  Still, am hoping I can tolerate all of this as well as I did in round 1.  Funny in round one they told me they were giving me the strongest chemo there was.  Now today, they tell me this one is even stronger!  Almost makes you wonder if they tell every patient the same thing!

Finally finished up there and we headed to the Lazy Loaf for lunch then home.  Poor Geoff has to work nights tonight and I feel bad for keeping him up all day as I think he probably usually has a nap before doing the night shift.

Got home and Maureen came over and we headed over to Nose Hill for a loop.  Just missed the rain!  I think it started to rain about 10 minutes after we got home.  Have had a steady stream of phone calls and a visit from my neighbour Connie today, so lots of distractions and my poor voice is cratering.  It has been working all day!

Kelli home from work.  Her Internal Medicine elective is quite the challenge for her but she goes, (although reluctantly) every day and is going to finish it off.  I am proud of her for doing this because I know she desperately wanted to bail.  Meanwhile here I am encouraging all of them to live their lives as normally as possible.  Bill off to Fairmont with the boys for a few days of golf!  I know he was waffling about going and I put my foot down and said "You are going?"  I need to see you guys carrying on normally.  That makes me believe you believe I am going to be here for a long time.  It's when they hover over me that I start to become concerned they are not walking the talk they give me every day about having a fighting chance.  I do truly believe I do but I need also to have confidence that they think that too!  Very important we all have our oars in the water and are going the same direction.  As my sweet cousin said to me this morning "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain.".

Great quote Trish!   I have discovered I am not the only one who loves quotes.  Many of you have sent me your favourites and have confessed you too collect them and use them as inspiration to yourselves!

Update on my HONEY BADGERS!  They have raised almost $80,000.  Every rider has raised their basic $2500 and many have surpassed it by a substantial margin!  Geoff himself has raised over $11,000.  The ride is this weekend!  I am crossing my fingers for sunshine, no wind and on a personal level that I will be feeling well enough to be along the route cheering them on!  GO HONEY BADGERS!

Up and at it this morning and over to the hospital to get all my blood work done.  Then off to the spa with Kelli for anti aging facials.  I now look 40 something and she looks 12!  Tons of fun.  We spent almost three hours there and even had the strawberry/banana/orange smoothies. Sat in the heated ergo metric beds and had an infra red sauna.  Definitely a treat!

Came directly home because they also give you a head massage with all the greasy creams leftover on your face and our hair is definitely less than attractive!  Not to be caught out in public with hair like that!

Thought I would have a message when I got home re. what time my treatment was tomorrow but not.
Called the clinic and my regular nurse was not there today so talked to another who knew nothing about me having chemo tomorrow.  She checked the list and said I wasn't on it and must have said 10 times, "I just don't know what to do."  Then she said she'd call me first thing in the morning which won't work because if I'm having treatment I am supposed to start with the pills tonight.  I'm not going to take the pills if I'm not booked for chemo.  Now she has a call into the nurse practitioner and it is striking me that everyone is totally disorganized on this one.  A little concerning. So here I sit waiting to hear back from them.  May not be starting tomorrow after all!  A little bummed about that because you do get psyched up for it and Geoff was going to come with me tomorrow so I had everything set up to go.

Oh well, worry about what you can control right?  Sounds like this one is out of my control so I will just sit and wait to hear back from them.  In the meantime Boomer is some pissed off because it is time for his afternoon walk and I have to sit by the phone and wait.  Talk about a self centred pet!

Todays quote:  "Don't manage your fear.  Lead your fear.  Take charge.  When fear climbs on your shoulder and starts nattering in your ear, here's what you do.  You stand as a master.  You tell Scaredy Cat where you're going, risks and all and you convert Scaredy Cat into a champion to help you get there. "  -Danielle Laporte

I'm having a few words with Scaredy Cat today!!

Above is a picture of the beautiful quilt I received yesterday!  A true work of art.  I have always thought quilting would be a nice hobby.  Thinking about it though, is as far as it ever goes.  Sewing never was my forte.

Happy Father's Day to all!  We had a quiet one as both kids were working today.  Kelli is doing her second 24 hour shift this weekend!  Brutal!  I absolutely cannot believe they do this to these residents.  She worked Friday morning 8 AM until Saturday AM and does the same again today.  Sunday AM to Monday AM.  I remember once going to a doctor and having a discussion with him about how unreasonable I thought this was and his answer was "It was done to me, so it shall be done to you!"  How archaic is that?  Kelli has a post call day tomorrow and I am finally going to get to use the spa gift certificate that was given to me as a gift from a group of parents and kids that I taught.  We are having a spa day!

Geoff dropped by after work.  He looked like he too had pulled a 24 hour shift.  Guess he had a terrible sleep last night and had to be up at 4 AM to go to work this morning.

I know my family are all worried about me.  I see it in their faces every day!  Honestly, I think that is the hardest part of all of this.  Seeing the impact it has on the people I love.  It is like I'm pulling them along on this nightmare.  I remember when my Mom was first diagnosed with lymphoma and she called my brother and I over to tell us the news.  I only saw her cry twice during the 18 months she battled her cancer.  The first was the day she told us she had lymphoma.  Her words that day were  "I am so sorry for what I am going to put you through."  The second was the day they told her there was nothing more they could do.  I now totally understand what she meant because I feel the same way.

All I can do is give it everything I've got.  I'm making great strides on the eating side.  I am pretty much up to 80% of what I would normally eat.  Still having some challenges with drinking liquids but it will come I know.  It is so gratifying to be able to share a meal with family, not just be an observer.

Today has been a good day.  My energy levels have returned.  I feel better today than I have in weeks.  Think I have pretty much kicked the pneumonia although I am still on the antibiotic for a few more days.  This morning I had a chuckle at my funny boy Boomer.  I had him in to the vet last week for his annual check and shots.  He has been limping and we have been slathering his paws in all sorts of concoctions thinking he had cracked paws.  Well it turns out he has a little arthritis in one of his elbows.  The vet suggested on the days he seems bothered to give him a baby aspirin.  One thing you need to know about Boomer is he LOVES food, hates pills!  Almost anything you give him in the way of food is welcome.  Well, I popped his aspirin into a piece of banana.  I then  held his mouth shut.  He knew immediately there was a pill in that banana and he was NOT going to swallow it.  We had a stare down that lasted more than a couple of minutes.  He was staring belligerently at me and I knew he was holding that pill and banana in his mouth, ready to spit it out as soon as I let go and I'm staring at him thinking you will eat this banana if I have to hold your mouth shut all morning.  I did win the battle but think I will have to resort to cheddar cheese tomorrow.  We have tried putting it in his bowl of kibble.  I have timed him eating 2 cups of food.  His record time is 37 seconds and if there is a pill in the food he somehow manages to devour every speck of dinner and leave the pill sitting alone in the bowl at the end of the meal.  Amazing!

Got my house cleaned today, went for a walk on the hill, got groceries and started my pathetic exercise program this afternoon.  I look at myself and am amazed at my lack of muscle.  I have always been a little mesomorph.....but my lack of activity has gradually taken my muscle and left me looking like a twig!  Time to get back at it but I have a whole new respect for people embarking on a fitness program who are grossly unfit!  It is hard work!  I also swung my clubs today and am ready to go out and try hitting some balls.  If we get a decent day this week and I feel OK that is definitely on my dance card.  I have lots of balls crying to be lost!  I need to get back to some degree of normal.

I have received some beautiful quotes from many of you......thank you....they are all safely stored.  Today's quote seems so appropriate to where I am at the moment.

"Nothing can make our life or the lives of other people more beautiful than perpetual kindness."
I have definitely been the recipient of perpetual kindness from my family, my friends and from people I don't even know.  For this I am grateful!

Well, home from a little retail therapy with my daughter.  We went to Victoria's Secret today.  Great fun!  Kelli has been toting her lunch to work in one of the little Lulu Lemon bags but I suggested she should take her lunch tomorrow in a Victoria's Secret bag!  That might raise a few eyebrows.  We wandered Chinook Mall, one I rarely visit and even had lunch in the food court which was great fun for me!  There was a point I was wondering if I would ever be able to go out for a meal again.  So even though it wasn't world class spanokopita....it was a world class dining experience in the Chinook Mall Food court!

Am now home drinking my afternoon smoothie.  It seems like my life revolves around my eating schedule but I am becoming aware I need to keep my strength up for the next round of boxing!  I heard a country singer on the radio talking about his new album yesterday, called Punching Bag.  I kind of liked what he had to say.  He said a punching bag keeps swinging back no matter now many times it is punched.  The harder you punch it, the faster it swings back!  Whatever life deals you just swing back!
Kind of like that thought.

This morning I had a lovely surprise from some of my teacher pals.  A lady arrived at my door with the most beautiful hand quilted quilt!    It came from an organization called Victoria's Quilts Canada  Their mission is to provide hand made quilts to people with cancer.  It is a national non-profit charitable organization run solely by volunteers.  There are no paid staff.  This organization was started in 2000 by 12 women and has grown exponentially.  In October of 2011 the 25,0000th quilt was delivered to a cancer patient in PEI.  My friends sent my name into the organization and I was stunned to receive this lovely gift.  Thanks girls!  It will be well used.  You do get chilly when you are having chemo and although they bring you a hot blanket, it does not stay hot.  So I will take my own quilt with me and it will keep me cozy and warm!  You all have hearts of gold and your thoughtfulness is deeply appreciated!

Got an email from my pal Maureen this morning.  She and her husband are in Vancouver for the Ride To Conquer Cancer.  I have mentioned Duane before.  He is a machine when it comes to riding his bike.  Definitely our top Honey Badger for performance.  In any case this poor guy has been training his ass off.  He is doing both the ride from Vancouver to Seattle and the ride here next weekend.  The ride out west is 160 km EACH day.  Well, yesterday he threw his back out.  Maureen drove him to the ride this morning and he as in terrible pain and wasn't sure he could do it.  But doing it he is.  After two days of riding and sleeping on the ground in between I would imagine he will be ready for a visit to his favourite chiropractor.  I am so sad for him because I know how hard he has worked for this.  My only hope is that the back loosens up as he goes.  It would have been a tough go in perfect physical condition but to add this to the mix is going to make for one tough slog. On top of this the weather isn't great!  This is a true test but definitely not the end of the world if he has to pull out.  There is always next weekend.  Time to head out for the walk~!  Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine. HUGS.

Achh....just finished writing my blog and pushed the wrong button.  Lost it so here goes....draft 2.

Started out the day with my bowl of oatmeal alla Bill.  He is always trying to sneak calories in to me but this morning there was no hiding it.  He had so many raisins in it I ended picking about 2/3 of them out.  It was like having a bowl of raisins with oatmeal.

Had a busy day of appointments and tests.  Started off with the MUGA test which is a test that gets a baseline function of how your heart is working.  They start off injecting you with some nuclear substance.....glowing again!  You sit for a bit and then they do the test.  10 minute scan on the right side of the heart and 10 minute scan on the left.  Well about half way through the first side my heart rate slowed down which apparently affects the picture quality so I had to do that test twice for a total of 30 minutes lying perfectly still.  This test I didn't find so stressful because I'm pretty sure despite all they have done to me, my ticker is still good!

From there we headed out and did a few errands and looked at a couple of cars that Bill and Kelli are looking at to replace the beloved Camray.  Kelli loves her Camray but it is coming of that age where one starts to wonder about it's reliability especially with the amount of highway driving she will be doing this summer. She is loathe to buy a new car but will probably need to bite the bullet.  The problem of course is finding a vehicle that fits her needs are her small size.  Bill being Bill started her off at the BMW dealership to test drive a M1  Of course she loved the car, hated the price tag but said it was the same thing her boyfriend did when she bought her bike.  Took her to a bike shop, sat her on a $10,000 bike and then had her look at lesser models, none of which quite measured up.  Same story here with the car!  Tomorrow they are going to look at some cars more within her budget range, the Matrix and the Mazda 3.

After car cruising we came home and I had some delicious Carrot Ginger Soup that Margie, owner of Friends made for me.  Delicious.  The hard thing about eating for me right now is that I never get hungry.  I suspect it's because I get most of my calorie needs met at night.  So eating is just something I do to be social.  Was trying to cut down my night feeds but have decided to wait until I start chemo.  Think I might need a little extra for that so am not cutting back until I get a feel for what that will be like.

Came home and had a visit with Geoff then off to the FH for 'Hydration".  Thought it would take about 30 minutes at most.  Took almost 2 1/2 hours.  My nurse wasn't very good at finding my veins.  I sat there thinking to myself "you are so lucky it is me sitting here."  My mom, also a nurse, had absolute no patience for nurses who could not get the vein on the first poke and she did not hesitate to tell them so.
I too get annoyed but never complain when they miss.  Finally finished up there and headed home for leftovers for supper!  Ate pretty good today and I am actually feeling a little full at the moment.

Not a lot planned for the weekend.  Bill is going to try to log a few km on his bike tomorrow.  Everyone is becoming quite aware that the ride is fast approaching.  Some of them are going to do great, some of them are going to have major sore bums and some of them have no idea what they are in for.  I only hope they get nice weather because this will really make or break the event for them.

Thanks to all who donated to this cause.  The team of 17 riders has raised over $75,000!  Amazing and it is because of many of you.  Hats off to you!  You will never know how much it means!  I keep hearing stories of people going through the same thing as I.  People who were healthy and had no bad habits and basically lived a "clean life".  They keep saying they are making amazing steps to find cures but it seems to me more and more people are being diagnosed.  When I sit in the daycare at the Foothills I am amazed at the range of people.  Very young to very old!  Today they toured a group through when I was sitting there.  They were obviously getting an orientation to the daycare facility and as I studied the couples I could not tell you which one had cancer.  They all looked like perfectly healthy people.  Obviously only on the outside.  I thought….you poor buggers! Have a great weekend.  Get out and enjoy the sunshine.  Sounds as if it's going to shine!

I'm driving to the hospital this morning thinking to myself, "This is the best I've felt in weeks."  I'm back sleeping in my bed which has gotten rid of my swollen ankles.  I'm eating a pretty normal diet, although quantity is a bit of a problem.  My energy is improving every day......things are looking up. Then I arrived at the hospital, got my parking ticket and started doing laps around the parking lot as were many other vehicles.  The lot was obviously full and they had not put up the full sign so we are all cruising like sharks looking for a spot to park.  I actually drove at about two miles an hour behind a gentleman returning to his vehicle and even when he got to his vehicle I had to be aggressive as there was someone coming the other direction who thought he'd take that spot.  HA!  I SHOWED HIM!!  By now I'm slightly late for my 9 AM appointment with the nurse practitioner I saw only two days ago.  Couldn't figure out why I had to see her again and I was right.  We basically talked about the same stuff, although I did get a referral to a dietician.  I am dying to get off of this feeding tube.  One of the reasons my ankles were swelling was because I was suffering from malnutrition.  The stuff they are pumping into my gut isn't fully absorbed and I guess I was missing all sorts of things in my diet.  Since I've been taking in food my mouth this problem has sorted itself out.  I'm a long ways from being free of it but it is a step in the right direction.  They will want me to keep it for awhile when I start chemo because hydration is extremely important and I'm just not taking in enough fluid by mouth to meet these needs.  Anyways....finished with the Nurse Practitoner and they discovered I had not been booked for the hydration I was supposed to have this morning.  After checking the earliest I could get in today would be 2:15 so we decided I would do it on Monday when I have to go back for more bloodwork before they start my chemo on Tuesday.  I AM SO SICK OF THE FOOTHILLS HOSPITAL.

Yesterday I mentioned the difficulty I was having swallowing my pills.  Well, Marian (and I know you read this blog) came up with a brilliant suggestion.  Put the pill in applesauce or something with some substance to it and swallow it!  Worked like a charm!  Thankyou Marian!  This morning things went way better.

Just getting ready to head out to Nose Hill with my walking partner and then we are heading off to the vet for shots and a check on the ears.  When we were out in Windermere we took Boomer swimming but did not put in his ear drops.  Ear infection!  No one can stand to be near him he smells so bad.
The good news is that Boomer must be the only dog in the universe who loves going to the vet!

I have received so many great quotes and I am stashing them all away.  I've always been a quote girl.

As I mentioned yesterday I have puzzled over the doctor calling me a farmer and really couldn't figure out what it was he was trying to say.  Thank you Monica for clearing that one up for me.  Because you wrote it so eloquently, as you always do I am going to write exactly what you wrote to me here because I LOVED IT.  Monica is a Saskatchewan girl and she described it to me like this.......(her writing.... and I hope she doesn't mind me sharing it with you!)

"A farmer just straps on his boots and goes out and gets the job done, no discussion,no deep thoughts, just the job like he has done a million times over.  It is this sense of duty and calm that I really do admire. With a battle you can win or lose if you are not prepared, not strategic enough etc.  And I always feel a sense of blame if one does not fight hard enough.  The farmer analogy is about duty and the rhythm of doing the job and seeing it through to completion with hope that it will be a good crop  No fireworks, no champagne, just the work that needs to be done, come rain or shine."

I really loved this description.  And on a side bar my friend.....you should write a book about anything you like!  You have the gift of expression!!  So I guess Dr. Essaw was paying me a compliment after all.

This morning I had to take my antibiotic orally for the first time.  Up until now I have just popped it in my tube.  To make it worse the pill is a bloody horse pill.  I just looked at it and thought however am I going to swallow that monster.  So I cut it into four pieces and proceeded to swallow it.  Because I am still in danger of aspirating when I eat and drink I have to tuck my chin to my throat when I swallow.  This manually seals off the airway passage.  So, I popped in piece #1, took a swig of juice and tried to swallow.  Didn't go down!  Tried again....didn't go down.....starting to sweat here a bit.....actually downright panic because by next week I need to an expert in the art of swallowing pills.  Finally got the damn thing down but I do challenge you if you take pills, try taking it like I have described and see how you do.  It ain't easy!  I've still got a week to practice so hopefully will have mastered the art of swallowing a pill without aspirating it into my lungs.

Eating is going well.  Ate pretty much a full fish dinner last night and had a bowl of oatmeal and berries for breakfast this morning.  The strangest thing happened this morning though.  I have missed my coffee.  Always drank way more than I should have because I LOVE  coffee.  So Bill pours me a quarter of a cup and I go to take a drink and  SHOCK OF SHOCKS...... I didn't like it!  Maybe I'll be going back to being a tea drinker.  How does this happen?  I have been so looking forward to that swig.....I did enjoy my taste when we were in Cochrane but it was a latte.  Perhaps I will just be a latte girl.  In any case, probably not a terrible thing, but certainly a shock to me.

Took a day off blogging.  As mentioned in an earlier blog, I will have the odd day here and there for whatever reason won't be writing.  Please don't worry about me when this happens.  All is as good as it can be at the moment.

Had quite a busy day today.  Up very early this morning because my pump alarm went off at 5 AM .  This thing is not very reliable. You certainly could not use it as a wake up alarm that's for sure.  Once it goes off you have to get up and disconnect as the stuff they are feeding me hardens like glue if you let it sit.  Nice eh?  Imagine what it is doing to my guts.  It is my short term goal to get off of the thing entirely. Each day I am adding more foods by mouth.  Today, I even went to the Dairy Queen for my first ever Blizzard.  Got about half way through the Blizzard and said to Kelli, " Oh my goodness, Tommy is coming to beat on me in 45 minutes.  This is not good."  Tommy did come and he did give me my usual pounding which feels strangely good.  The good news is is that I have coughed up very little today and he says my lungs are sounding much clearer, even from yesterday!  I can feel this myself.

Saw the oncologist this morning and together we decided to give me one more week to get back on my feet before they hit me with chemo.  Tentatively I will get my first dose on Tuesday depending on how my blood work comes back next week.  Up to that time they have me busy.  I have to have a Mugo test on my heart before we start later this week.  It is just a baseline to see how your heart is functioning as one of the drugs they will be giving me is potentially dangerous to your heart.  I think these drugs are potentially dangerous to every part of you.  They always tell you the horrible things and I listen with one ear because I really have no choice here anyways.  I'm not quite as cheeky now about thinking to myself "oh that won't happen to me."  I have been humbled.  It took a bit but I have been humbled.  I can just hear some of you actually chuckling, perhaps even belly laughing at this possibility.  But it is TRUE.

On Thursday I go in to see the nurse practitioner who has been assigned to me and will follow me and my symptoms on a weekly basis and then she will send me for "hydration".  They have found that keeping patients well hydrated helps with this particular regime they plan to put me on.  I am giving this a shot for sure but must confess there are many moments when I question am I going for "quantity, or quality of life here."  Sure they may be able to prolong my life, hopefully put me into some sort of remission or  more hopefully cure me," but at what cost?  Guess that is just a chance you take.  I have to believe that I will get a shot at both here or I would not be doing this.  This go round will be different than last.  Chemo intravenously once every three weeks and pill form chemo every day.  A little daunting to be sure!

On a more uplifting note, did my Nose Hill Loop today and it was much better than yesterday.  Won $5.00 on the Stanley Cup last night (thanks Kath), the Camray survived it's broken timing belt (lucky Kelli because losing your timing belt in MOST models of toyota means losing your engine as well.  Fortunately for us this particular year of Camray had a slightly different configuration and the car was salvageable.

Finally, I have loved and enjoyed some great sayings and quotes from many of you over the past couple of days.  I do love quotes and often used them on my kids at school.

This one is from my friend Wendy who is currently riding across America from LA to Boston with her husband Barry.  They have covered over 2000 miles and are going strong although reading their blogs has not inspired me to ever want to tackle it.  It sounds BRUTAL.

"There is strength in keeping everything together when everyone expects you to fall apart."
I am not falling apart.  In fact in a meeting Kelli had with my oncologist he told her "Your Mom's a farmer".  I have no idea what that means but it was said as a compliment so I'll take it that way!

                                                          "Boomed by Boomer"

After receiving several emails expressing concern for poor Boomer I decided I should read my own blog and I can totally understand why you think it was Boomer who broke his leg.  Very poor communication skills in that piece of writing.   Boomer is intact but it is this poor 9 month old Hungarian Vizula who suffered in the collision.  To add insult to injury just look at what they put on this poor "he" dog and to make it even worse he stayed in the hospital overnight and was being neutered the next morning!  On the plus side he will only have to wear the cone once!

I am on the upswing.  Antibiotics are starting to kick in and I feel about 110% improved from where I was just a few days ago.  Had the best sleep (still in my chair mind you) that I have had in weeks last night.  Last night we had a birthday supper for Kelli and her boyfriend , Mike (both have June birthdays) and I sat there and felt so good looking at the family I have enjoyed.  They are amazing people, everyone of them!

This morning Geoff's friend Tommy came to our house and laid a beating on me!  Literally.  He is a physiotherapist and he offered to come over and give me some chest therapy.  I had some of this in the hospital and although it may look a little violent because they literally do pound on your side and back it feels so good.  I have been hacking up stuff ever since he left which is the objective of the beating.  I need to clear all the stuff that has accumulated as a result of the pneumonia and it would appear it is definitely starting to find it's way out.  I keep shaking my head at the never ending supply.

Going to head out for the first walk I have had in a little while.  The combination of weather and feeling crappy hasn't inspired me to walk and I know that is an important part of getting better.  Bill is pretty bossy when it comes to this.  I am going whether I want to or not.

Although not 100%, I am so much better and am again focussed on where I'm going next.  Judy sent me her usual cheery note this morning and reminded me "We have two options, medically and emotionally.  Give up or fight like hell."  I think you know the option I'm picking.

The support I have had from so many of you has been so gratifying  So many of you send me amazing quotes or sayings.  Some I have poached because I loved them so much but I am going to start sharing more of them with you through this blog!  One friend sent me a message yesterday and told me I've had my 8 minutes in the saddle, now it's time to cowboy up and get back on the horse.  That is exactly where I am at this moment in time!  Thankyou Deb!  You kick my butt every time!

I have had a ton of emails over the past 24 hours and each of you ask "What can I do....I'll do anything." There is nothing you can do that you already have not done.  Your support through emails, phone calls, walking Boomer, etc. etc.  the list is too extensive to list is overwhelming.  I do not need gifts or flowers!  Please do not send them!  Geoff brought me a beautiful bouquet yesterday and one is perfect!  More than that I'll start thinking I'm in the funeral home!  I totally understand your desire to help in anyway as I would be the same for each of you!  It is a very helpless feeling.  At this point in time there are only three things that can help me:  the medical system, my family and ME!

I am feeling like crap right now because of the pneumonia.  Once they can get that under control they tell me I will feel so much better  I cough up volumes of stuff, mostly at night which does not help with the sleeping but it has to come out in order for the heeling to start.  So cough and hack I shall while enduring horrified looks from people in waiting rooms who want to get up and move to the other side of the room and truly I don't blame them, I think I would also be the one shifting seats,

I will try to keep the blog going as I know there are still many reading it.  There may be days I'm not up to it....or just don't feel like it.....your turn to practice the "P" virtue but I will keep you posted.

The last three days have been a whirlwind of visits back and forth to the hospital.  I've been there once today and have to return this afternoon for another infusion of potassium.

We keep wondering why the universe is sh***** on us.  A couple of days ago Lindsey took Boomer to Nose Hill for a walk with her girlfriend and her Hungarian Vizuala.  They were running and chasing a frisbee.  Don't EVER challenge Boomer for a frisbee.  I'm not exactly sure on all the details but it would appear that both dogs were chasing the frisbee.  Boomer got there first and the other dog leapt over him and broke his femur!  $5000 later he is sporting a pink cone and a blue cast!  Then today on the way to the hospital Kelli's car just up and died in the middle of Shaganappi Trail.  It is currently being towed to Hawkwood Auto!  What next.

So in closing a little beauty secret for you girls out there.  Cut the blush....all you need is a blood transfusion and you will have the loveliest of roses in your cheeks.  It is amazing.
Hugs to all of you!

Such a tough blog to write.  I have left you all in the dark for these past couple of days because I just could not bring myself to put this to print.  I have had so many emails of concern over the past couple of days though I decided I would just bite the bullet.  At least this way I only have to send it out once and for those of you that are still reading this, you can pass it on to those who have tired of it.

Yesterday I had my meeting at the Tom Baker with my oncologist.  He shared the results of my PET scan which were very bad.  The cancer has spread.  On top of this I have developed some other issues that need to be dealt with before I can consider starting another round of chemo.  Also on the PET scan it indicated I have developed a pneumonia.  I was starting to suspect this myself as the amount of coughing up horrible ugly stuff is non-stop.  Just didn't seem normal.  My surgeon was very unconcerned about it but it has steadily gotten worse.  They did some extensive blood work on me yesterday and found my potassium to be low, my hemoglobin to be low and many other things also out of whack.  I spent a couple of hours at the Foothills yesterday having a potassium infusion which did not work so they now have me on four doses of it a day to try to bring it up to a reasonable level.  Had a chest x-ray.  I wish I had counted the number of X-rays I have had since this all started.
Today I was back at the Tom Baker for a blood transfusion which definitely has perked me up a little.
Then over to the Peter Lougheed for the scope which came back normal.  The pneumonia may be a contributing factor in my problems with all the gunk in my stomach but the doctor did give me a prescription for a drug which will help speed up the motility of my stomach.  I'm trying it out tonight on my  slices of banana and my half a glass of mango juice.

Tomorrow I'm back at the Foothills for rehydration....not sure what that's about.

On top of this I'm on an antibiotic for the pneumonia.  If all goes well he is hopeful I'll be back on my feet by next week so I can give the chemo a go.  It is an even more aggressive form than I had before and I am not nearly as robust so don't anticipate I will be so cheeky about how easy it is.  But it is my shot and I'm going to take it.  My hope is to go into remission and have some more time....much more time.  As Monica has said to me....you hit this with the biggest bat you have in the early stages.  That is what I'm doing.

In closing I will share with you my Uncle George's favourite quote...."The difficult takes awhile, the impossible, a little longer."

Took a complete break from technology this weekend.  Mostly forced.  My computer and my Dad's wifi weren't on the same wavelength and my phone was acting totally weird so I just put them back in the backpack.  We went out to bring back our fifth wheel which Kelli has been living in for the past three weeks while doing an elective at Cranbrook Hospital.  She took a bit of a razzing about being a "Trailer Park Doc".  The funny part is that there was another doctor living in his motor home in the RV park!  It was certainly her most affordable alternative and it all worked out really good for her.

We stayed with Dad for the weekend.  He and Bill got out and played a couple of rounds of golf.  I did not walk the course this weekend.  It was a little cool and I was a little under the weather.  Still waiting for some answers from my doctor on my LAZY stomach!  He did say he would call today so I am making damn sure either Bill or I are near this phone all day!  In any case it was a pretty quiet weekend.  The happiest camper was Boomer because we took him down for his swim.  That dog would swim all day if you were willing to throw the ball for him that long.  The best of it that he is totally whipped when he's done.  The lazy man's way to exercise your dog.....sit on the beach and repeatedly throw a ball.

Headed home on Sunday afternoon.  On the way out Bill and I saw three bears and on the way back Kelli and I saw five.  We are always amazed at how people hop out of their cars and chase the bears down the ditch trying to get that special photograph.  Duhh....people...that's a mother bear with two babies.  You'd make a great snack.  Ahh....you may be asking about my photograph....I made Kelli get out and take it!  Just kidding.  I have a telephoto lens so I'm not as close as it appears in this shot.   Bill also saw a moose so it was quite the wildlife extravaganza trip  Kind of nice but also disturbing when you see how people drive along highway 83 which has a posted 90 speed limit.  If you drive 100 km per hour, everyone flies by you like you are standing still.  They have a law in BC now that if you are more than plus 40 over the speed limit your vehicle while be confiscated and towed.  I'd sure like to see them do a little more of that enforcement.  We met a guy a couple of years ago who had had that happen to him.  Not a happy camper but if you ask me if you are that much of the speed limit you totally deserve it!

Anyways, hopefully a week of answers and solutions!  Had lots of white rabbits sent my way.  Thankyou all who remembered!