Life is Confusing

Today felt like summer.  The sun was warm and it felt good to be out and about.  Ron had a morning appointment in Napanee and we had a little extra time to stroll through Springside Park and it was definitely looking very springy.

We stopped on the way home at the nursery to check out some vegetables and ran into two cousins and their spouses and had a nice visit over the tomato plants.

Ron was off to a practice with his music group in the evening.  

Sarah and I were sitting downstairs when I received a text from a friend in Pincher Creek.  The news she shared made me gasp.  Sarah jumped.  One of our friends had passed away after being diagnosed with cancer only three weeks prior.  He was an amazing man.  When we knew that we were moving to Pincher Creek, we checked the church out.  Paul greeted us warmly.  He was a gentle giant.  He towered over Ron.  Paul disappeared during church to teach the children downstairs.  When we started looking for our house, our realtor started talking about the Erickson homes built by a good family business and were well sought after.  We made the connection that Paul Erickson was who she was talking about.  We eventually bought our Erickson home and it was and always will be one of our favourite homes.  Through the years, we got to know Paul and Debbie a little better and realized that you couldn’t find a nicer couple.  Paul was busy with his business, his family, his church and coached basketball.  When we sold our house and were getting ready to move Paul and Debbie took us out for dinner.  He was healthy and strong and full of life.  Our hearts go out to Debbie and the kids.  

We were blessed to have known such a wonderful person.

Spring!

We have been getting spring showers.  The grass is growing and super green.  The flowers are popping.

Bushes and trees are showing their beauty.  

The Salmon River that flows through our town is full and moving fast.  

The birds are full of songs for us to enjoy.  It is fun to hear and identify new ones in the area.  We have been using the Merlin Bird ID app.

We are excited that the humming birds have found their way back to our feeders.

Yes, spring is in full bloom and we are holding our breath because we know that the black flies will arrive soon.

First Hike of the Year

We are wanting to get hike ready for our summer of exploring.  Drywood Falls is our usual spring hike.  The road in is usually quite dry.  It isn’t too steep or too long.  It’s perfect for getting back the legs moving.

This year there was a little more snow than usual.

The scenery never disappoints.

It was a little windy but the sun was warm.

The falls were moving some but still lots of ice.

Our first hike of the year was deemed as a success.

8.2 km - over 13,000 steps - 69 Floors - 200 zone minutes - almost 1700 calories burned!

Surgeon Update

Last week Ron and I visited the surgeon to have him give us the report from my operation.  The surgery went well.  He wanted to check my vocal chords through my nose again....fun!  Everything looked good.

The pathology report confirmed that the nodule on the left side of the thyroid was cancerous.  The right side also had two cancer spots.  It kind of took me by surprise but so thankful that everything was removed.  The lymph nodes were also tested but they were clear!

My next stop was to get blood work and wait to see if I am on the right meds...one a day keeps me awake.

The blood work will also show my thyroglobin level.  If it is close to zero then all is good and if it is elevated then there still could be cancer which would mean that I would need treatments.  We will know on Monday what the results are.

We are expecting good news.  The really great news is that all of our snow has disappeared and we are now enjoying some beautiful weather.

Happy Spring!

 

Graduation/Training/Referrals!

Life at work has been busy with the end of the school year approaching this weekend.  Grad events are being planned and lots of activities are going on.  It brings me back to 8 years ago when our family travelled to Regina to celebrate Ron's graduation from depot. 

It hardly seems like it was that long ago but since then so much has happened.  We have moved to three postings and still waiting word for number four.  It certainly has been a journey with still more roads to travel.

This month we were also celebrating the Leafs making it to the playoffs.  They fought a good fight but were taken out in the first round but it was still fun to watch.  We will be looking forward to next year when they can make it further.

The longer days have been wonderful and you would almost think it was Spring.  It says it on the calendar but then again this is what my deck looked like this week.

Ron used it as another training moment for his trainee.  Rookies get to clean off the vehicle especially if they are living at your house.

Our house guest will be moving out tonight.  He will be starting is own life here in the town and our bedrooms will remain empty for awhile but always ready for anyone who wants to come and visit.

Update on my appointment with the Endocrinologist....follow closely, you can get lost in this.  So Dr. 1 (GP) requested an ultrasound on my neck and then referred me to Dr. 2 (ENT).  Dr. 2 did a scope and referred me to Dr. 3 (Endocrinologist) who did a biopsy and ordered more extensive blood work.  Results went back to Dr. 1 & Dr. 2 who didn't call me back.  I finally called Dr. 2 who said that they had emailed me (didn't get it). They set up an appointment for me to come in.  I called Dr. 3 to get the results for my blood work.  That is when I found out that I had the Hashimotos disease.  Dr. 2 confirmed this at my appointment and referred me to Dr. 4.  Dr. 4 wasn't taking patients until July.  When I called back to Dr. 3's office they reluctantly gave me the Central Booking number for Endocrinologists to see if I could get in earlier with another doctor.  I got an appointment with Dr. 5 for May 10th.  I sure hope this doctor will do something and my referring days will be over!

I am also hoping that the snow will stop coming and I can sit on my deck and enjoy some sunshine before we hear about our next move.

Lending a Helping Hand ...or Basket!

This Spring my senses have been enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of Three Hills.  It was last year this month that we first came to shop for a house.  I can remember walking the streets with a smile on my face.  Now that I live here, a year later, I know what was making me smile.


The town reminds me a little bit of home with a lot of trees lining the streets.  The fragrance of blossoms make you take in a deep breath as you walk along and encourages you to go out for walks and bike rides.

And usually when I walk....I walk towards Anderson Park.  It is a beautiful little park with manicured trees, walkways, fountains with picnic tables and benches.  Somehow this little park draws me in.

This spring also brought a little extra joy.  A robin was trying, unsuccessfully, to build a nest.  Every time she would bring back a piece of grass it would drop to the porch.

I thought she might give up but she was persistent to continue in her efforts.  It just wasn't going to work so I thought I would see if she would take a little help. 

I searched the house and found a tiny little basket to put in the spot where she had picked for her home and before we knew it she was adding on and building a nest that any bird would envy.

She seemed to get use to Ron and I walking in and out of the house or me constantly checking out the window to see how she was doing. 

Yesterday I got excited as I watched her come back to the nest with "lunch" and sit on the edge leaning down to feed the little mouths that reached up to grab a bite.

So last night when Andrew & Brianne were coming over we made them use the garage door in order not to disturb the nursery located at the front door.

It's pretty exciting to watch new life and to think that we worked together to create that perfect nest for some baby robins.  It's funny how something so small can just make your day.  We will be watching out the window to see what happens next because we do have a birds eye view.

Hello Spring!

Okay so it might not be technically Spring yet but it sure felt like it today and we made use of this beautiful day.  We started out with a nice walk in out light jackets and it soon became too warm for even them.  After lunch Ron washed the truck in the driveway and had it shining.  When I finished cleaning the house I pulled the lawn chairs out of the shed and sat on the deck with my kobo and a cup of tea.

And then...we took this out for a little ride.

Looking forward to lots more days of deck sitting and bike riding!

Change is in the Air

Life around here is about to change....I can just feel it.  Oh it is more than the warmer weather arriving and the snow melting.  It is more than the dormant plant flowering.

There is definitely change in the air.  It started earlier this week when we got a call from 

Stephen.   His years of determination has finally paid off and he is ready to move into his dream job. We are so excited for him.  With that excitement comes anticipation.  Soon I will be booking a flight to the Yukon so he and I can do a little Alaskan tour before we drive down the Alaskan Highway.  It will be different travelling with two big dogs and a cat but I am up for it because I will be making the trip with my boy!  Eventually we will end up back here in DL.  It will be quite a change for us to have Stephen at home with us for a little bit during his transition time.  It's a very good change.  We haven't seen him since November 2013!

Oh yes, change is in the air.....there is even more than that but I will save that for another blog.

Happy weekend.  Can you feel the change?   It's in the air!

First Day of Spring

If I was back in my old life in Ontario this day would have been my last day of March Break and I would be thinking about going to a sugar shack for pancakes and fresh maple syrup.  If I was in Swift Current, I would be finishing up a work week and looking forward to weekend walks in hopefully spring like weather.

In Deschambault Lake, on the first day of Spring I spent my morning out in the community judging snow sculptures.  Tonight Ron is off to work and will spend most of the night out on the ice since there is a big fishing derby here.  These events sound a lot more like winter activities than spring but it is as is.

At least there was one sculpture that was springy...Easter is on its way!

Happy Spring!