THR Sissie's recovery

[sissy46]

I saw a lot of deer on yesterday's hike. One little guy was very cautious/curious about me. His mom had a good look at me and wandered off to eat acorns, but the little fellow stared at me for the longest time. The picture on the left is the fawn, then Mom came out and he hid behind her. (I don't know why there is no separation between these two pics.)

 

[bottomshollow]

As usual, Sissy, your photos are the bomb! Have you ever had any of them published? I'm betting a compilation of them would make for one of those great coffee table books of photos. You have a great eye.

 

[bellaroma]

Beautiful, your deer are smaller, than over here. It took some patience to get those shots. I can't believe you sat on the ground, as that is way lower than a medical stool. I would still be on the ground

 

[sissy46]

bellaroma Our white tailed deer are small. I used to worry about them because they look thin, but then there is really no reason for them to bulk up like the northern deer do for winter. Plenty to eat year round. Their coats don't get real thick, either.

I had to laugh at your comments about my being on the ground. The second week post-op, my physical therapist and I had just come upstairs from a walk around the neighborhood, and I saw my cat, Percy, run through the hallway with a lizard's head hanging out of one side of his mouth and the tail hanging out the other. I threw myself after him and freed the lizard, hollering to my PT to open the door for me, and I ran down the stairs and set what was left of the poor lizard free. The next session she discharged me from home PT.

bottomshollow Thank you! No, I don't aspire to anything other than having fun taking pictures of wildlife.

2Bpainfree I saw you're in the market for an amphibian scooter. I can tell already that you have the Right Stuff to be a BoneSmart (international) Warrior. What say? darn! bellaroma nerdgrrl dede62 Cookie42 Pugfugly cnydutch and any other warriors I may have left out. Oh, Spid.

 

[oldyellr]

You wimps! It's 4C (40F) her. Really mild for this time of year.

 

[sissy46]

76 degrees and mostly sunny today. Baking bread and reading, lazy day; back on the water tomorrow.

I spent two winters in upstate New York, and that was enough for me. Love the heat, love the humidity, summer is my favorite season.

 

[bottomshollow]

I went to college in Winter Park in the 60's. The weather was wonderful---but I missed the change of seasons----everything is always green and blooming in Florida.

 

[sissy46]

bottomshollow Ah, the Annie Russell. I love Rollins College. The campus has really grown and changed in the past years, but the new buildings blend with the old, so the campus is still lovely.

Did you do much outdoor stuff while you were in Florida? The changes are more subtle here, but there are definitely four seasons. The trails and stream beds at Wekiwa are now covered with fallen maple leaves; the cypresses have turned gold and will soon be bare, and the trails where I saw dozens of butterflies on wildflowers a month ago? most of the flowers are wilted and dried, and I saw just one butterfly. The alligators are drowsy and slow, and the otters are out and active during the day. The days are short, and the sun is low in the sky. During my paddle on the Econ on Friday and my hiking at Wekiwa yesterday, I was thinking how by February, the first signs of spring will begin. It's a short winter, and mild---but it is winter.

Of course we don't get the glorious colors in the fall like you do in NC, or the snowfalls. I do love being able to paddle all year long, without having to break up ice floes like bellaroma does with her Tarpon. I'm a southern wimp, as oldyellr says

 

[bottomshollow]

No, Sissy, never been much of an outdoors person--missed a lot because of that. I got my exercise when I was young dancing. I am not athletic in the sports sense---just a born spectator---and there are probably more of us. Rollins does have a beautiful campus. I haven't been back since I graduated in l964. I can tell from the pictures online that it has grown and has a lot of additions, but they have kept everything compatible with the old Spanish architecture.

I also missed pine trees---there are just not as many in Florida as in Carolina. But it was a great place to go to college. The only truly outdoors thing I remember vividly was seeing my first wharf rat along the lake shore---not pretty or cute!

 

[Damn!]

Sissy, I believe you are correct. 2bpainfree has all the makings of a great International Bone Smart Warrior.

Can't believe OldYeller called us wimps. Ok, so he is right...but I can't believe he said it. This past summer when the heat index was over 100 degrees, I was working out and doing CrossFit OUTDOORS!! That is not for wimps.

 

[sissy46]

Yeah, darn! We need to get oldyellr 's self down here when the temp and humidity are both 100 and see who's wimpy.

 

[oldyellr]

Here in the "real world" they were forecasting a snowy winter, but so far it hasn't materialized. It's rainy and will be 9C (40F) today. Ridiculous for the middle of December and fodder for the Warmists. I've never been to Florida in the winter and like the change in seasons and freezing weather is small doses. I used to snowmobile a lot in the winter until the insurance situation got ridiculous.

 

[sissy46]

oldyellr You might be the only Canadian who hasn't been down here in winter. They're easy to spot; they're wearing swim suits and body surfing when I'm walking on the beach in jeans and a ski jacket. You should come down

I had an awesome day Spent a few hours as a volunteer doing river patrol from Wekiwa Springs State Park. Nice visitors, sunshine, abundant wildlife---I felt great! Walking through Publix afterwards, I realized my left hip felt just like my right The glitch I was having where I was really sore and stiff after sitting seems to be resolving. Aside from my two Percocet which made me feel absolutely awful last week (never again!) I haven't had any pain meds for over two weeks, and don't need any. And OMG, I slept 8 hours straight through last night The cats didn't even wake me up although Grayson ate the Christmas tree and I had to take it down.

Today I saw two otters, a Great Blue Heron who caught an enormous fish, and many other critters. Took a few pictures. My favorites:

 

[Damn!]

Too true Sissy. You can always identify a snow bird by their pasty white skin.

It is great to hear that you had a forgotten hip moment today! Great photos! The color is stunning.

Exactly how does one little cat eat a Christmas tree? Curious minds want to know? Did it throw up on the rug when it was done?

 

[sissy46]

darn! I have tile floors so it isn't quite that easy for them---they have to jump on the furniture or the bed to find fabric to throw up on, but he threw up a wad of artificial tree needles. I had told him not to eat the tree, but he understood that to mean "don't eat the tree when she's watching." Oh well, I'd rather have a healthy happy cat than a tree anyway.
:reindeers:

 

[Damn!]

Yuck! Thankfully my dogs don't eat the tree. They don't even pay attention to it. Your cats seem like such little characters. They must provide you with a source of constant entertainment.

 

[bellaroma]

Oh No, he ate an artificial tree, yes my cats then are definetly prissy, as is they were going to eat the tre, it would only be a real tree.Still putting up the decorations on mine, but at least I go the lights on? As always you pictures are a pleasure
Sissy and darn!, oldyellr and I can also take the heat, and hear in New England, boy do we know what humidity is, when it does reach 100 here, I am out there soaking up every bit of sun I can get, and believe it or not I start my tan in March, sitting on the deck with shorts and a tank top to get the tan going, while the temps are in the 40s.

 

[nerdgrrl]

The last few years we haven't put up a tree because we are usually visiting family over Christmas. This has resulted in our youngest cat having never seen a Christmas tree. This year, some of the family are coming here. I borrowed my mom's small artificial tree, and first thing he did was knock it over trying to climb it. Or perhaps he was doing more gravity testing? So the tree is still not up because every time we try to put it up he knocks it down. It will go up this weekend, since I will be home all next week. Little stinker. So far he hasn't tried eating it...

I have become a "cool house flower" (opposite of hothouse, get it?) living in the PNW. When I lived in Virginia I could take the head and humidity no problem, but here in the temperate Northwest, I can take the cold and damp, but not the heat. We were in FL over Labor Day this year, and I was hiding in every bit of air conditioning and shade I could find! We still made it to nephew's soccer tournament, but I was thanking the heavens for the invention of those shade tents that all the soccer moms (including sister in law) have! Also discovered the joy of freezing water bottles so they melt and you have continuous cold water supply. OTOH, I can go to FL in the winter and be in shorts the whole time

 

[dede62]

I'm with you Nerdgrrl!

Last time I was in Florida, it was July (what was I thinking) and everytime my sister and I left a "cool" store, the breath would get sucked right out of my lungs. Didn't appreciate the mosquitoes eating me alive either... I'm thinking of heading down next October, but then I'm in the midst of the hurricane season but it will be much cooler (maybe because of all the gusty wind and rain???). Maybe I need to rethink this. As much as I'd love to see Mom, having just taken this time off won't allow me to see her for her birthday this January.

 

[sissy46]

darn! nerdgrrl dede62 bellaroma See, the whole world passes through Florida at one time or another. I would love to meet you warriors. I'm on Facebook, if anyone wants to send me a PM I'll give you my real name. Or if you're not, my email address.

I'm 12 weeks post-op this week. I've been having that soreness and tightness whenever I get up to walk. Well, yesterday I was on the Econlockhatchee River for 6 hours, no problem, but when I got in my car to back it up, I twisted to the right to look through the back, and something popped big-time and painfully in my new hip. It was really scary. The incision scar area felt tender to touch, felt like it was swelling. After loading two boats, then taking a friend and her boat back and unloading her boat, I went home and put ice on my hip all evening. Today, everything feels great. The soreness and tightness with getting up to walk seem to be gone. Best I've felt yet. So I'm wondering, what popped?

I've been having fun; went bike riding Wednesday, paddling yesterday, and to lunch and a movie (Silver Linings Playbook) with a friend today.

Here is a picture of 3 young bobcats I saw while bike riding, and a Kingfisher on the Econ yesterday: