The title of this post refers to my radiation treatments which started this past week. I’ll expand on this in a bit. Other spring activities continued as well.

This past week saw me starting my radiation treatments after my Brachytherapy last week. While I won’t go into all the details, this is an interesting process. First, the machine the Mayo Clinic uses for these treatments is made by a company called Varian, and the model is a TruBeam.

If anyone is interested in more machine details visit https://www.varian.com/products/radiotherapy/treatment-delivery and click on the TruBeam “Learn More” link.

For me, the biggest advantage this machine offers is very precise application of the radiation treatment which minimizes damage to surrounding tissue. The Brachytherapy used 15 ‘grays’ of radiation, a standard used by the Mayo Clinic. The external radiation delivers about 2 grays per session and I will have 22 sessions in all for a total of 44 grays. Again, this is in the middle of the range for prostate treatments.

Last Monday I drove to Rochester for my orientation session. During this appointment I was placed in a CT scan machine to get an accurate ‘map’ of the location of my prostate in relation to other organs in the area. This scan would be used to focus the radiation beam in future visits. I now have three very small, but permanent, tattoo dots on my pelvic bones and abdomen. These will be used to align and focus the TruBeam machine precisely where needed.

The treatments started on Wednesday and continued on Thursday and Friday. I have the weekend off and will start more daily treatments this coming Monday. The treatment sessions last only about 10 – 15 minutes each, but I have to drive about and hour and a half each way. Adding in time to park and check in, an appointment kills about 4 hours. Once a week I will meet with my medical crew, Dr. Stish and his staff, for a ‘Management’ meeting to go over any questions I have and generally check in with how I am doing. Typically this will happen on Thursdays.

So far, after three treatments, I am not having much in the way of side effects other than low energy levels. That may change as I get more treatments; all I can do is wait and see. So far, after-effects of the Brachytherapy have been pretty mild for which I am thankful.

Domestic life goes on. I recently removed all the inside storm windows I built last fall. With warmer weather on tap (today in the 80s) we will want to open the windows to get air into the house. Last week we were covering plants to protect against frost. It is spring in NE Iowa.

Pam continues to paint in the room we call the snug. This is high-detail work and takes a good hand to get the results she wants. I think it is turning out exceptionally well.

In the yard, tulips and daffodils are blooming, adding color around the house.

We get a kick out of these grape hyacinths which were relocated out of the yard last summer. Pam planted these in the Mary Lynn bed last fall.

We are getting good production out of the daffodil bulbs put in the ground last year.

The only negative has been a very dry spring. April made it into the NE Iowa/SE Minnesota record book as the 4th driest April on record. It is so dry we have been hand-watering plants and shrubs. There promise for some moisture on Sunday, but the chances are 50 – 50 with even lower percentages later in the week.

Later today the painter we had met at the home show may come by and look over the house in order to give us a quote for painting the upper story and gingerbreading. (We had planned to paint the lower portions.) That should be an interesting discussion.

Another task on deck is to set up a painting station in the garage addition. We need to get started on painting the siding we bought for the south wall of the house. With the improving conditions Bob the Builder will soon be here to remove the old siding and put up the new, and it would be helpful to have the siding ready to go.

That about wraps up the past week and preview of the next.

Photo Archive

I’m starting with a couple photos of me with the 1976 Scout II I had in Colorado.

Here are a couple more of the many landscapes I’ve taken over the years.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

It’s time for me to plant the scraggly-looking geraniums I overwintered in the basement. (Won’t be doing that again – the plants at the local Mennonite greenhouses are economical enough to dispense with future overwintering attempts.)

While digging holes for the replanting, I found this little nipper (pictured below) and decided such a fine-looking [potential] oak tree deserves a chance to show us what it’s made of. I’m putting it in the ground near the far southeast corner of the lot, within the confines of the garden fence.

Can it be May? I was thinkin’ I’d be farther along in the two-room refresh project by now. Detailed stencil painting sure does take time.

Be well. Happy Trails.

Well, there it is. On Wednesday, April 21st, I had my Brachytherapy surgery. At the same time Jake the Electrician showed up to finish wiring the garage addition and catio. Here is how the week went down.

On Monday I went to Rochester to have my Mayo Clinic pre-surgery evaluation and consultation with the doctor. As part of this visit I had a blood draw and a COVID-19 nasal swab test. (Test came back negative.) The doctor did a thorough job of explaining the procedure and what I could expect. The procedure is pretty routine at this point and the only questions I had dealt with how and where Pam would pick me up after the procedure. A location where Pam could drive in and collect me was established. It was the Charlton Building, part of the Mayo campus. I was given a prescription for some antibiotics and Flowmax. The latter was to help reduce the symptoms of a swollen prostate that would be one of the side effects of the surgery. All in all Monday was an 11 hour day with a couple hundred miles put on the car.

Tuesday afternoon we drove to Rochester yet again. After a stop at the craft store, Pam drove me to the hotel where I would stay that night, the Kahler Grand Hotel (which is right across the street from the Mayo Clinic hospital). The hotel has “Grand” in the title but is pretty much like any other hotel you might have stayed at. Slightly worn carpets covered the floors, but the room was clean and quiet. I settled in for a night of restless sleep.

Wednesday I was up bright and early with the 5:00 a.m. wake-up call, having a Mayo check-in time of 6:00 AM. I checked out of the Kahler Grand and walked across to the hospital and checked in. Taken to a room, I was issued a hospital gown and a pair of footie slippers. My overnight bag and other clothing were stored in a locker.

I will mention the gown, as it was not your typical hospital attire. Although it tied at the waist, there were velcro enclosures at the shoulders. The reason became clear as I would be on my back for the entire process, and these openings allowed the doctors and staff to ‘peel back’ the top of the gown to place monitoring sensors. The gown also had provisions to circulate warm or cool air; neither was used this time around.

At this point I was prepped and in the surgical room, but the anesthesiologist was delayed by an earlier surgery running long. I spent some time making small talk with the rest of the surgical crew until she arrived.

The next thing I knew I woke up back in the room where I had first been taken and where my clothing was stored. The procedure had lasted about 3 hours; by this time it was already early afternoon. The staff had me walk a bit, answer questions, and complete a dismissal check list.

Pam was able to pick me up around 4:00 PM. Although I was wheeled down to the pick up point, I walked and carried my overnight bag out to the car. I hadn’t had anything to eat all day, so on the way home we stopped at a small grocery store outside Rochester and Pam bought me a pint of ice cream to eat. My throat felt a bit better after that, as the hospital staff had inserted a breathing tube during the procedure and my throat was feeling pretty rough right about then.

I haven’t had many after-effects so far, other than the sore throat as a result of that breathing tube insertion. Halls cough drops have helped. As of this morning, Saturday, my throat discomfort persists but at a much lower level. I am a bit uncomfortable sitting on hard surfaces but that too is disappearing. Internal functions returned to normal without issue.

Next up is preparation for radiation beam therapy. My orientation session will be Monday the 26th with treatments beginning on the 28th. I am to receive 22 treatments in all, none on weekends. I am scheduled to be done with these by the end of May.

It will be some time until I learn the results of the Brachytherapy. Normally the prostate is monitored by blood testing for the PSA level, but I am taking medications to reduce the PSA level so the prostate is not acting on its own. That may continue for up to 18 months from my first treatment, or another 16 – 17 months. To give you some numbers, an “average” reading is around 1.8 – 2.4. My initial reading was 22.4 which caused the doctors to classify my cancer as “aggressive.” The blood test I had last Monday returned a PSA of .14. That’s right, “point 14,” very low. Time will tell where the PSA will settle after all of this is over.

I would like to thank all the people who sent me messages of support. In particular, a shout out to my friends Jim and Laura Brassfield from Colorado who sent me a box of baked goodies to cheer me up. I appreciate the positive support I received from everyone.

While my Mayo experience was the major event of the week, other things were happening as well. Jake the Electrician arrived to complete the wiring of the garage addition and catio. He completed this job on Wednesday, and I must say it is nice to have lights working from switches and no more extension cords hanging around. Among other things, Jake put in a new fuse panel and a pair of 240 volt 30 amp outlets. The outlets will let me operate larger pieces of equipment such as air compressors, although 30 amps is on the low side of the scale.

Some outside tasks were done, including putting up a bird house on the west end of the catio.

Pam had me tack up a sign she had received from her friend Julie Nickles. Julie had a career in US embassy service and had picked up this sign in Romania:

Roughly translated from Romanian, the sign says “This property is patrolled and guarded by an attack cat.” The sign is on the south side of the catio.

I managed to get a photo of a couple yellow finches at the bird feeder. (The feeder was dug in this past week and taken off the temporary base I had it on during the winter months.) Click on the photo to bring it up to full size and check the left side of the feeder.

Photo Archive

A few family photos start this section. Most were taken in the mid-80’s.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

The Mayo Clinic is quite an international place, with people of many nationalities and ages coming and going on a regular basis. Interesting to observe. But, for all its world renown, the Mayo is still a hospital, integrating new patients into its “collective” with the standard procedures – hooking up the IV (and catheter as needed), hospital gowns, etc. I wonder if the staff feels the pressure to live up to the hype of “the Mayo Clinic” reputation?

Minnesota is under a mask-wearing mandate, which is being enforced. This made it comfortable to make the stop at Michael’s craft store and to marginally interact [as needed] with the Mayo crowd. All good.

Back here in NE Iowa, once again I will be covering plants tonight as there is a freeze warning posted. I had a chat with the tulips in the Mary Lynn bed – several are about ready to bloom – I suggested they observe the closed buds of the daffodils and hold off blooming until Monday, when the temps may be as high as 70 degrees. Despite the cold temps I invited the fairies to inhabit their house in the oak tree, but I do believe they are still “snowbirding” in the south so as not to have to wear boots, mittens and mufflers. At least there have been no fairy sightings to date.

Be well. Happy Trails.

In an otherwise “ho-hum” week, we did have a couple highlights. We received our second COVID-19 shots and visited a home and garden show in Mason City.

On April 15th we drove over to Cresco, about a 25 minute drive, to receive our second COVID-19 shots. (The Regional Health group is issuing the Moderna vaccine.) We were warned that we may have reactions that were more severe than those after the first shots. Pam suffered more than I; she had a fever and cold flashes on and off for a day or so plus a sore arm. I had the sore arm and felt tired but did not have any more severe symptoms.

Be that as it may, we are pleased to have received our shots. In two weeks we will be considered to be “fully vaccinated” and will begin to expand our out-of-house activities. We will still mask and distance, however, for the foreseeable future.

We felt confident enough to attend the Mason City Home and Garden show on Friday. (Mason City is about an hour away.) While the show was fairly small and underwhelming, we did identify a house painter who does Victorian home exteriors by hand painting, not spray painting. We kept his card and will contact him for a quote sometime next spring, and see what he would charge to paint the second floor and gable shake trim. When asked did he mind painting at heights, he replied he used to paint water towers and the height didn’t bother him. As a bonus, he can also do minor repairs as needed under the eves and around windows. (Because, really, what are the odds we will need repairs on the entire second story, folks?)

Another find was a different source for cable TV. When we moved in we had signed a two-year contract with AT&T but now, after the intro period, they’re increasing monthly fees and decreasing offerings. An Iowa-based company has streaming plans starting around $35.00 per month (for two TV sets) and you get to choose what channels you wish to receive. Our current fee is now around $115.00 per month. While our current contract dies not expire until September, I will look into the “buy out” clause in our contract and see if it is worthwhile terminating the contract early and switching to the more local company.

The rest of the week was rather ho-hum. Pam continues to paint her ivy and morning glory details in the snug. I relocated a couple small bird feeders, filled them with finch food, and am pleased to see a few pairs of yellow finches visiting them.

Some yard work was done as I took out the riding mower for a first pass. This time of year the grass is ‘patchy’ with a few spots growing faster than others. The grass I planted last year near the garage additions is growing much faster than other parts of the lawn. A quick pass with the mower evened things out and picked up some of the leaves that had blown into the yard. The place looked much neater when I was done.

It has been dry enough to warrant bringing out the hose and getting some water on the plants that we relocated last fall and those we planted this spring, including the wisteria, rhubarb, and blackberry starts. I watered in a few areas where I had worked up the ground a bit and put in some grass seed.

A few days and nights have seen below average temperatures and we covered some of the more tender plants as temps dropped near or below freezing. Unfortunately, the upcoming week also promises to have night temps lower than 32 degrees so more covering is in the works. I guess we have to make up for the above-average conditions we had a couple weeks ago when temps approached the 80 degree mark.

The upcoming week promises to be a busy one for me. On Monday I go to the Mayo Clinic for a pre-surgery exam and consultation. Tuesday afternoon Pam will take me to my Rochester, MN hotel where I will stay the night, then be up bright and early (6:00 AM) to begin the Brachytherapy surgery process. Pam will have to make the return drive to Rochester that afternoon to take me home.

It’s hard to say what the first few days after the surgery will be like, but I anticipate I won’t feel like doing much. I will be starting radiation treatment but, as yet, do not have a schedule for those appointments. I would prefer to take them in Austin, MN, as that location is closer to me and the Mayo does have a facility there. We shall see.

Spring continues to progress. On our way to Mason City we saw a number of farmers working their fields. Our tulips are developing flower pods among the greenery. All of our hosta plants have poked shoots above ground, some up a couple inches. Other plants show spring growth in their new leaves and green buds. I’ve been able to open the garage doors to get some fresh air flowing through.

A trip to Walmart (in Decorah) resulted in bringing home some 12″ square paving blocks, a couple bags of topsoil, some spray paint, and a few other odds and ends. The pavers will be used in various places around the yard and the topsoil will be used as we plant more flowers. The catio door will receive a new coat of white paint. Projects and tasks continue as the weather gets better.

Nothing earth shattering happened this past week but small projects, along with Pam’s painting and my yard work, continued to receive attention. My next post will center around the Mayo Clinic experience.

Photo Archive

Many of my photos focused on “nature” photos such as the ones shown below.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

Lovin’ Spring, livin’ the retirement life. Hopeful being vaccinated will return existence to something near-normal. Toby should be fully vaccinated by next week, Felicity had her first “Fouci Ouchie” yesterday.

I try not to watch the parts of the national news that resemble a police blotter. A pandemic is not the only major problem we have in this country.

Be well. Happy Trails.

The past week saw record and near-record warm days, some rain, and now near-normal temps. As a result the yard and outside plants are turning a rich spring green. Record temperatures over the weekend really helped bring out spring growth on trees, shrubs, and newly-emerged flower plants. Here are a few shots taken around the yard.

Pam added to the ‘green up’ by continuing to “grow” ivy stencils in the snug.

I tackled a few outside projects, including edging all the sidewalks, planting grass seed in a few bare spots, picking up more leaves, and other general clean-up work. Many of these tasks fall into a maintenance category instead of projects but all take some time to complete.

I have found if I don’t edge the sidewalks a couple times a year the grass quickly encroaches on the cement. Still, this year the task was much easier than the first pass last year. No walk maintenance had been done for decades and cleaning and edging the walks was a real chore. This time the job took just over an hour.

Another pair of maintenance items focused on my ATV. I had to replace the battery, but also had to remove the winch and tighten a wire terminal on the winch controller. The winch had been operating intermittently and I wanted it fixed before the riding season gets underway. (The controller powers the winch in or out depending on the moment of a toggle switch located on the handlebar.)

Other minor tasks included getting the garden hose out of garage storage and hooking it up. It had been warm and dry enough to warrant watering some of the plants. A trip to the local farm supply store procured two blackberry bushes and three more rhubarb starts, all of which were planted within a day or two and watered in.

Rain moving in put a stop to most of the outside work, but it was a productive week just the same. Pam and I enjoy going around the yard and checking on the new starts and sprouting flowers. We had some concern about the hostas and other plants we had separated and relocated last year, but all seem to have survived the trauma pretty well and show new growth. Spring is a good time of the year.

The siding for the south wall project arrived this past week. Currently it is sitting at the west end of the garage until we can set up a painting station. The idea is to have the siding painted before Bob the Builder puts it up thus removing the job of painting siding from a ladder. A window replacement is also part of the project but lead times on new windows is six weeks or more so it may be June before work commences. This gives us time to get the siding painted before Bob arrives to install it.

None of the work done this week is major but getting these small jobs done was quite satisfying. We go into the spring with ambitious plans for the yard, house exterior, and finishing interior painting and redecorating a couple rooms. We will not have the yard work we had last year when we planted 23 trees and shrubs and relocated dozens of other flower plants. (Not to mention building the dog run and construction of the garage addition.) More jobs this year will be maintenance and minor upgrades and tweaks, but the big project will be more repairing and painting of the house exterior. We will not lack for things to do!

Photo Archive

The photos are farm scenics taken in Oregon and Wisconsin.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

The more layers of ivy I stencil onto the snug walls, the more additional ivy I see that needs to be stenciled onto the snug walls. Where will it end? (I also have stencils for mornings glories and hollyhocks – must leave a little room for them.) My sister observes that, in adding this decorative wall art to the snug, I am “having fun.”

Another visit to the dentist this week resulted in paying the ransom for a crown to cover my root canal. I do not enjoy dental visits, no, I do not. Whining isn’t satisfying though — teeth are necessary — whatcha gonna do?

Spring is a beautiful time at 702 Main. Hopefully the same applies where you are.

Be well. Happy Trails.

According to the recent forecast, NE Iowa should not experience below-freezing nights for the next week. More flower shoots are greening up and we are spending a bit more time outdoors. The past week went quickly.

Pam continues to work in the snug, painting stripes on the walls, adding ivy stencils to follow cracks in the plaster, and decorating with the bird house collection. The entire project will take more time — several weeks yet — but progress is being made. Pam wants to get the basics done indoors on the two downstairs rooms before it’s time to start painting outside.

Speaking of outside renovations, Bob the Builder arrived this past week to measure and preview a project we are contracting him to do. The southern exposure of the house, extending up both levels, needs siding removal and replacement. Where the kitchen window now sits on that wall, there was once a door — which is plainly obvious as it was poorly integrated into the siding after the door was closed up. On that same wall are the electric and water/sewer meters, the old telephone box, and the cable TV house entry. It’s a mess of patched and rotten siding. We were going to attempt this project ourselves, but opted to have a professional do it. We’ll use cement board siding for the entire surface, which should take care of future issues on this exposure.

Pam picked up a new cat-themed throw for the bench in the library and Elmo took advantage of it as a napping platform (of course).

I did more yard work and was able to take the first load of yard debris to the dump. I had driven the ATV, pulling the trailer, to the dump but once unloaded the ATV would not start due to a dead battery. Pam had to come to the rescue with the car and a set of jumper cables. (As she noted, at least she now knows where the dump is.) I have to go to the nearest Walmart today to pick up a prescription refill and will pick up a new battery as well. The existing battery was new with the ATV almost 10 years ago so it has lasted a long time.

Another minor project, which I mentioned in my last post, was to begin a reorganization of my tool box. So far I have most of my sockets organized with the help of some organizers I found on Amazon.

The warm weather has encouraged more plants to pop through the soil, as these day lilies show:

The house cats enjoy the sun coming in through the east bay window.

In avian news, a pair of yellow finches briefly stopped at the bird feeder. We know some frequent this area, having seen flashes of them last year. Time to get some finch food. (A grey squirrel has taken to looking for seeds on the ground beneath the feeder, as the birds do flick out whole sunflower and saffron seeds; this grey boy seems to like picking these up.) Recently Pam was thrilled to spot an owl that flew low through our yard and perched briefly in one of the oak trees above the catio. We think there is an owl’s nest a couple blocks west of us, as they call in the evening from time to time. It was awesome to see an owl ‘in person.’ We spotted a nuthatch out the kitchen window, headed downhill on an oak tree. Flocks of robins are gathering frequently.

This is Easter weekend so Pam and I wish everyone reading this a Happy Easter!

Photo Archive

These first couple photos are of Pam and Felicity during a trip we took to the Clark County Fair in the state of Washington. Late ’80’s. (We were living in Oregon at the time.)

These next few shots are miscellaneous critters that came before my camera.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

I hauled the overwintered plants out of the basement and onto the east porch this morning. Mixed reviews for this overwintering process. The geraniums look scraggly and leggy. Some late-arriving bulbs [planted in pots instead of the ground] are trying to thrive but look somewhat anemic. The wisteria looked dead but I see a tiny bit of green emerging on the very tippy-top. (Yay! That wisteria was an expensive purchase.) Let’s see what a little sunshine and fresh air will do for the lot. I would not be at all surprised if I have to cover them with a blanket somewhere along the line due to potential freezing temps overnight. It is, after all, early April.

The Mary Lynn Memorial plaque is out in the tulip bed. Quite a good show of tulips coming up; I planted another couple dozen in mid-November to fill in the sparse spots. Just breaking ground are several dozen daffodils making their first appearance. I take a few moments now to commune with my friend silently when checking on the bulbs’ progress, and hope she somehow/somewhere appreciates the floral display in her honor.

Be well. Happy Trails.

With the seasonal transition from winter to spring underway, this last week contained a hodgepodge of activities including work in the house, yard work, and addressing a few longer-term projects. Here is the week in review.

Pam has begun to order some new ‘fittings’ for the house. One of these items was a new curio cabinet intended to hold a number of small items we brought with us from Colorado. The case needed assembly and turned out to be well suited for holding a number of Pam’s small keepsakes.

Pam continues to work on the snug, ordering a few small items for around the house, sending a few Easter postcards, and working on other small projects.

In addition to assembling the new display case, I kept busy. Monday I drove to the Mason City Post Office and submitted my passport renewal forms. (Since the current passport had expired there were a few additional steps I had to take and could not renew on-line or by mail.) The process went smoothly and I hope to receive my new passport in the next 4 to 6 weeks.

With the warmer weather and some rain, all snow is gone from around 702 Main. I completed a lawn clean-up, raking more leaves, twigs, and small branches that had fallen on the lawn over the winter. The lawn looks good for a day or so, then winds pick up neighbor’s leaves and blow them onto our yard. These will have to wait until I get the mower out and run over the lawn. The bagger system does a pretty good job of collecting these strays after the raking loosens the base level of collected debris. I still need to take the utility trailer to the dump and dispose of this first load of stuff, a job for the upcoming week.

One warmer morning I sat on the east porch and took photos of birds at the feeder. House finches are the main species featured in this photo. Their red coloring is attractive and they are interesting to watch.

I took some time to work up a few bald spots on the lawn and put in some grass seed I had left over from last fall. For example, we had removed the phlox plants for relocation late in the season and grass had not had time to grow in before winter arrived. I am hoping the warmer weather and rains forecast every few days for the next week will be enough to green up these bare spots.

I would like to give a shout out to my sister Kitt who fixed me up with some KN95 masks. These are quite a step up from the cloth and blue pleated paper masks I had been using. Given I will be in contact with many people during the course of my prostate treatments I am very glad to have the new masks! Thank you!

On a technical note, a couple weeks ago I had a new battery put in my iPhone 6s. The phone is 5 – 6 years old and was still running on the original battery, but it was beginning to have issues. It required frequent recharges and would occasionally jump from 80% – 90% charge to less than 5% then back up. The new battery (with installation) cost just over $65.00 and took about 45 minutes. Charging is required only every other day and the battery is stable in operation. It was a worth-while update which will bring more peace of mind as I am on the road to and from treatment appointments.

The events in Boulder touched us this past week. Having lived near there, and working in Boulder, we have many memories of shopping at the King Soopers grocery, walking the Pearl Street Mall, stopping in shops and eating in various restaurants, and attending University Lutheran Chapel. Boulder was our home town from the late ’70s until ’85. We reviewed the names of the victims but didn’t recognize any of them, probably a good thing. It was a shock to see such violence in a place familiar to us.

The upcoming week, well, no major new projects are anticipated but many smaller jobs will receive attention. One such small job is mine; I have ordered a few tool chest organizers and plan to finally organize my socket sets in my main tool box. During the course of the move some items were separated and ended up in different places. Now is a good time to get everything together in one place.

I will probably put the mower deck and bagger back on the John Deere and retire the snow blade for the summer. There is already new grass growing in the cracks in the side walk and it won’t be long until the first mowing session of the year occurs.

JoJo will go to the groomers next week and all three dogs will be getting their nails and anals attended to. Some COVID-19 protocols are still in place at the vet for drop-off and pickup. This means a couple trips back and forth to Charles City (about 50 miles round trip) on Monday but I will get some grocery shopping worked in as part of the outing.

So it goes. Life is a mixture of routine and project work. What else is new?

Photo Archive

There is no theme for this week’s collection. Take a look at the captions for an explanation!

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

On the TV design shows, staging takes place at the end of the remodel and the room(s) involved look fantastic immediately. Not here at 702 Main. It takes me months to layer all of the final elements in rooms. Painting and drapes are the easy part. Going through the stored stuff in storage room boxes (for the walls and for display in various ways) seems endless. Stored stuff has to be curated. The plaster walls don’t support heavy items; we lost two wall anchors on one wall, they disappeared right into the lathe and plaster.

Which is why it’s satisfying to have the curio cabinet filled with memorabilia. This also means fewer boxes in the storage room, which is another area of the house requiring organization (at some point). Win-win.

Here’s a new acquisition that defines the library space (in the room with the Art Deco stencil).

Be well. Happy Trails.

Several noteworthy events happened this past week, but getting out first COVID-19 shots tops the list. Here is the week in review.

We had been on a vaccine list through our local clinic, but didn’t know where (what #) we were on their list. Given my impending prostate cancer treatments, I investigated further and was referred to the regional health center, keeper of ‘the County list’, to see what might be done to speed up the process. I explained my situation to the vaccination coordinator and she called back with an appointment date of this last Friday for both of us.

It turns out Howard County vaccinations are being scheduled by birth year; Howard County had worked their way to 1947. Given our birth years are ’52 and ’53, bumping us up wasn’t much of a jump, but enough so that a board had to consider the request. Now I/we will be fully vaccinated before my next trip to the Mayo Clinic. Second shots are scheduled for April 15 and my next Mayo appointment is on April 19th.

Here we are getting our shots. We received the Moderna version of the vaccine.

Both of us had a mild reaction — sore upper arms for a day or so and fatigue — but nothing more than that. We’re pleased to have this protection in place and moving forward to full immunization.

Earlier in the week Pam finished the west wall of the library. Here are a few photos of the work as it progressed. The plan was to repaint the wall and add artwork to it.

In addition, the three east-side windows received wall paper in the panels below them.

And, if that wasn’t enough, Pam started working on the walls in the ‘snug’ which is the room off the library. There will be more on that project as it progresses.

My big project of the week was snow removal. Monday saw an all-day snow event which dumped about 5 – 6 inches of heavy, stick-to-your-shovel spring snow. I kept the walk between the house, catio, and garage open on Monday but decided to wait until Tuesday to do the rest of the walks and garage access.

The effort utilized shovels, a broom, my Toro snow blower, and the blade on the John Deere rider. As I also clear the snow from around our mailbox row, and a neighboring bank of mail boxes, the job took several hours in total.

Today the snow is almost gone, and will be totally gone by tomorrow night as temps have warmed up again and upper 50 degree days are on tap. Rain is to move in early next week so even the deepest ditches will be clear of the white stuff by my next post.

The next few weeks promise to be busy as well. Pam will continue to work on the snug, I am reviewing paint colors to repaint the upstairs (my) bathroom, I have an appointment with the Mason City Post Office to renew my passport, and Jake the Electrician called and put us back on his work list.

Bob the Builder will be coming by at some point to give us an estimate on re-siding the south wall (kitchen end) of the house. It had been on my ‘to-do’ list for this spring but given the anticipated side effects of the radiation treatments we decided to farm out the work. The project will include replacement of the existing window and trim. Pam and I will still take care of painting the new siding and other painting around the house as summer projects.

It was another busy week with some projects completed and others begun, typical of our calendar. Getting the first of our two COVID shots has improved our mental health, though. We will continue to wear our masks and social distance when in public places for the foreseeable future or until health experts say it is OK to abandon those practices.

Photo Archive

This first photo is one of my favorites of Pam reading to the kids. “Katy and the Big Snow” was one of their favorites. Early ’90s.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

What are the odds the nurse giving me my vaccine “jab” in Cresco would turn out to be the granddaughter of a past resident of Heart House? And yet that’s exactly what happened. After I handed the vaccine paperwork over to her, she saw the address in Elma, there was a short discussion, and Ann Sullivan identified herself as the granddaughter of Clara Boyle. Clara lived at 702 Main in the 1990 time period. Ann remembered her grandmother’s stained glass windows and clawfoot tub from her childhood. I invited Ann to stop by 702 sometime on a future trip to Elma (after this COVID crap is history). Small towns…

Be well. Happy Trails.

This past week was not exactly typical but, at the same time, not very exciting. Here is how we spent some of our time.

On Monday I drove up to the Mayo Clinic for two appointments. The first was to take a blood draw which will serve as a baseline to evaluate future treatments. The second was to get an injection of Leuprolide (AKA Eligard) a testosterone-reducing hormone treatment. The shot is good for three months.

I am scheduled for two late April appointments. The pre-surgury check-up will be on April 19th followed by surgery to implant the brachytherapy ‘seeds’ on April 21st. Not much to do between now and then except wait!

Tuesday was grocery shopping day, a process that generally takes 3 – 4 hours to complete, taking into account the time to haul groceries into the house and put everything away. For some reason local stores can’t get Friskies canned cat food, particularly the flavors our cats like. Empty shelves are a common sight.

Wednesday was Tax Prep Day. We went though our three sets of taxes (Colorado, Iowa, and Federal) and made all the corrections and calculations needed. Federal and Colorado returns have been mailed as we are getting a refund from both of those sources. We owe Iowa tax, no surprise there, so will not send those forms off for another month or so.

Thursday I drove to Cresco, the county seat. I needed to get an Iowa license plate for our aluminum utility trailer. The old Colorado plate was good through January, but with spring approaching I will be pulling the trailer on public roads so needed to ‘get legal’ in Iowa. Unlike Colorado, Iowa does not issue a title for trailers that weigh under 2,000 pounds, just a receipt along with the plate. I had to laugh, though. The cost of the plate, good through August, was $10.00. Renewals for a year will be $20.00. This is far less than we paid out West.

Pam took the spotlight for Friday. She returned to the dentist for X-rays and a routine cleaning. The molar that received the root canal is still very tender but is improving. Pam still needs to get that tooth fitted with a crown but that will not happen for a few weeks at best, possibly longer.

Scattered through this time I began the first lawn cleanup off the year. As much as I tried to have all the fall leaves taken care of, our neighbors are not as concerned with cleaning up their yards and a lot of leaves blew into our yard over the winter. The lawn is still wet from melting snow, but I have managed to clear leaves from around the dog run and garden fences and a bit around the garage and flower beds. Eventually I will rake the entire yard to clean up all the winter debris.

Other signs of spring are appearing. Tulip greens are starting to appear above the layer of mulch we put on them last fall. Some grass is beginning to ‘green up.’ Recently we have seen house wrens and finches at the bird feeder. I saw my first robin of the year a couple days ago. The outside cats are sunning in the catio enclosure. All the snow around our place is gone, although there is ‘plowable’ snow in the forecast for this coming Sunday night into Monday. (Warmer temps are in the forecast for later in the week so any snow we get won’t last long.)

Inside the house, Pam continues to work on the west wall of the library. Furniture has been re-arranged and a pair of new wall-mounted lights have changed the library appearance a great deal. That project continues and is now more than half-done.

All in all it was a busy week for mid-March. Not routine, but busy. Hopefully the next few weeks will have less trauma and more good weather.

Photo Archive

Family photos lead off this post. Taken in Oregon at our friends Tom and Patti Hamilton’s place, these first couple photos date from ’90 or ’91.

These next few shots are from all over.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

Life in Iowa…

Are you wondering what could possibly keep us occupied in Iowa during the waning days of winter? Days are full and tasks are many. Warming weather brings out the house flies and (continuous) hatching of the Chinese lady beetles (or whatever they are). Wasps will soon be next; Fields has already been on the hunt for defunct wasp nests from last year to eradicate from the house facade.

Lent is here, and with it additional Friday night fish fries to enjoy. The local bars feature Friday fish all year, of course, but Lent brings out the religious groups and town fundraisers. We’ve already enjoyed the drive-through fish fries in Alta Vista and Elma. (The fish fry featured above is in Charles City.) Lent fish fries seem to have more creative deserts than the all-year bar options. Anytime of year, Friday night fish is on the “things to like about Iowa” list.

The local weather report out of Rochester, MN no longer gives snow depths on the snowmobile trails and last month issued “get off the ice” reports for fishing shanties. Bugs-Lent-ice breakup — must mean spring is near.

Also, spring birds are here. The forsythia bush near the bird feeding station has finally come into its own. I hacked at that ancient growth three times in 2019/2020 in attempts to beat it into submission. Now the graceful forsythia fronds provide cover and branch supports for the variety of winter and returning birds helping themselves to bountiful meals. Enjoying the abundant bird life has also joined the “things to like about Iowa” list.

We are never at a loss to figure out on what to spend our COVID stimulus checks. The 2020 version helped pay my hospital bill at Gundersen in LaCrosse for the gall bladder surgery. The early 2021 stimulus paid a portion of my root canal, and the forthcoming Biden stimulus check will pay for a crown and various deductibles for Himself’s prostate cancer treatment. The only thing we’ve been stimulating is medical and dental providers, it seems.

My life, consistently, revolves around the needs of the animals. London, our 17-year-oldster Siamese mix, has stabilized at about 6 pounds and is now eating two additional small meals per day (the kitchen is always open, it seems). I keep track of the comings-and-goings of the catio cats, checking visually to see if anyone is ill or in need of repair. Elmo is always destroying something, usually requiring a change in interior decor to dampen his “interest.” The dogs are scheduled for grooming (JoJo is one giant hairball) and a vet visit. Heartworm meds and flea/tick preventatives are in-house for the season.

Himself already bought me a few packets of Grandpa Ott morning glories for spring planting. I was watching an Iowa farm show on PBS (I also occasionally take note of hog and soybean prices) that traced the Grandpa Ott seeds back to a Bavarian origin. There you go, Larry. PBS also had a special featuring the Czech and Slovak Museum in Cedar Rapids, which is definitely worth a field trip.

It will soon be time to switch out the “winter wardrobe” to the “summer wardrobe.” I am greatly in need of my sister Becky to be on premises; she always shames me into throwing away something totally ragged and unfit for continued use.

And, if we get bored, there’s always the hunt for COVID vaccine shots, which somehow have not made it to the NE Iowa rural area clinics (regardless of how well Iowa’s governor says things are going in that respect.) But then, who’s bored?

Be well. Happy Trails.

The latest medical news is not good.

On Wednesday, March 3rd, I went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, for two appointments. The first was to get an MRI of my prostate; the second was a doctor consultation to determine a course of treatment.

The MRI indicated a possibility that the cancer may have spread into the pelvic area lymph nodes and seminal fluid canals. The results were not conclusive, but due to my high PSA reading the doctors think this is likely. As a result, the Proton Beam Therapy I had hoped would be the preferred course of action is not viable.

Instead I have opted to use Brachytherapy, or internal radiation therapy. This involves use of radioactive ‘seeds’ implanted for a short time in the prostate. External radiation will also be part of the treatment.

There are two version of this Brachytherapy, low-dose long term implants and temporary, high dose implants. The later are inserted for 5 – 15 minutes at a time and are then removed. General anesthesia is used for the procedure. I will be going the high dose route as the doctors think I am a good candidate for this type of treatment. The high dose implant and removal will be followed by external radiation treatments extending over 5 weeks, give or take.

In addition to the radiation I will be on one or two prescription drugs and injections to lower my testosterone levels, which helps discourage cancer development. I will be taking across-the-counter calcium tablets and vitamin D supplements to help offset the effects of the radiation. The first of the injections happens this coming Monday, March 8th, following a blood draw that will set a baseline for treatments to follow.

Pam will accompany me for the initial implant in April, as I will be sedated and not really fit to drive home after the procedure. Otherwise I can take the follow-up shots and treatments on solo trips. Many of the subsequent treatments can be scheduled at the Mayo Clinic satellite office in Austin, Minnesota, which is a half-hour closer to Elma than the main Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

The first implant will take place in late April and the follow-on treatments should be completed within 5 or 6 weeks after that. The lowered testosterone will continue for up to 18 months with PSA level checks every 3 months or so. The long-term prognosis, overall, is good.

However, there are side effects to deal with — loss of energy and loss of muscle mass mainly. There can be other issues as well but most clear up within a few days or weeks. It will not be a good time but the treatments are necessary. I’ll just have to deal with it as well as I can.

And face it…this is not like lung cancer or brain cancer. “Keep the big picture in mind” was the advice of the doctors and that is what I hope to do.

It does mean my summer plans will have to be modified; attending my annual motorcycle rally in Colorado will probably not happen this year, but the middle and end of the summer should still be productive to some extent. It remains to be seen how well I tolerate the treatments and side effects.

So Wednesday was (pardon the pun) kind of a bummer. I had hoped for a better outcome. We were mentally prepared for a non-invasive cancer program due to the CT scan results at Mason City, then the Mayo folks starting using the phrase “aggressive cancer” right away when describing the MRI scan. However, on the bright side, the MRI did not require the insertion of a probe, for which I was most thankful.

A side note:

If you have never taken an MRI, the machine is very loud. I was provided ear plugs and head muffs to keep the noise to a minimum. The process includes a lot of tones, beeps, and other noises from the machine. My session took about 50 minutes as 2 scans were completed, the first being a ‘normal’ scan and the second, aided by a chemical infusion, was a ‘high contrast’ scan. The doctors ( I had 2) showed us the results of the scans in their consultation session, but a layman can’t ‘read’ the outputs very well. When the doc points to a gray blob and says “this is the prostate” you just have to take it on faith. Anyway, with the check-in, preparation, actual scan, and release, the appointment took about 2 hours and 20 minutes, much longer than I had anticipated.

Back to our regular programming.

Pam is working on the west wall of the library, which is the wall containing pocket doors leading into the nook and bathroom. I will have before-and-after shots of the wall when completed, but for now Pam has the brown edging done and two coats of white paint down. Next comes the grosgrain ribbon border around the ceiling and above the door.

That wall will not get the art deco treatment of the east wall but will be decorated with posters and wall art. Complicating the work is the now-unused shell of an electric wall heater. The casing of the heater is not flush with the plaster; it sticks out just a bit and Pam is trying to find a way to work around it. Wall plaster in the library is very dry and fragile; Pam doesn’t want to take on a major sheetrock repair. (Pick your renovation battles.) So, a poster or large photo will eventually cover the area and, when we leave, the next owners will have to decide how to handle the old heater box insert.

Well-above normal temperatures have arrived, resulting in the rapid melting of our accumulated snow. I think NE Iowa will experience more storms before spring really arrives but it’s good to be able to take the dogs out without having to put on their cold-weather coats (offset by muddy paw prints in the laundry room). The outdoor cats have been more active outside the catio and I have been able to putz with several small projects in the garage. The warm weather is extending into next week’s forecast so should be with us for several more days.

Overall, the week had ups (warmer weather) and downs (MRI results) but not much in the way of photogenic moments, for which I apologize.

Photo Archive

This week’s photos are scenics from the Pacific NW and rural settings in that part of the country.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

Cancer. Here we go (again). Yes, Hank, it’s the “same-o same-o” treatment for prostate cancer now as when you survived it in the past. It ticks me off that cancer research seems to be more-or-less stalled on chemical and surgical treatments. I was hoping the Proton Beam would be an improvement, only to have that potential pulled out from under.

At least the Mayo Clinic keeps extensive electronic records in the online medical database (Epic). None of the Iowa clinics so far do this; it’s a huge headache making sure medical providers are all functioning with the complete patient profile. Mayo makes the fourth clinic location Himself has visited (Austin, MN for the radiation will make that five) and there have been three different medical groups involved — Howard County Medical, Mercy One, and Mayo. It’s a billing and information mess.

Regarding ongoing renovations here at 702 Main, re-evaluation of timetables will need to accommodate both the upcoming cancer treatment schedule and the health impact of those treatments. I suspect I will need to concentrate on more projects I can complete solo.

Be well. Happy Trails.

The weather has turned a bit warmer, thankfully. We had 32 days with high temperatures below freezing and 13 consecutive days (plus others mixed in) with highs below zero. A couple “record lows for the date” were recorded during the most frigid of those days.

Recently, though, temps have climbed to near 40 degrees. Snow is melting, which creates pooling water problems, but we’re happy to cut back on our heating costs and have sunlight coming through the windows. Even the dogs and outside cats are enjoying the (relatively) mild weather.

NE Iowa did receive about 8 inches of snow a few days ago. Low in water content, the snow was very light but there was a lot of it. I was able to use the snow blower (which ran pretty well after my recent repair) to clear the walks and access to the mailbox. Now routine, I cleared the ally access to the garage with the John Deere lawn tractor. Clean-up took most of a morning.

I should note that we have several pathways used by the outside cats. These generally provide access to the catio ramp, outside water dish, outside feeder, and access to the east porch. These needed to be cleared again after the recent snow, and Pam helped in this effort.

The dog run also gets attention in the form of shoveling back space for the dogs to run. Poor Bru is the shortest of the dogs and had to bunny-hop through new snow so Pam decided we needed to clear some space.

Inside the house, Pam has finished the library’s art deco paint job. Here are before and after photos of the east wall.

Pam tells me another step for that wall will be to sew valances for the tops of the curtains. She plans to rearrange, and possibly replace or upgrade, the library’s furniture. Flooring, which is now a somewhat older carpet, will be removed and be replaced with area rugs where possible. We don’t know (but can imagine!) the condition of the floor; once we pull up the carpet we’ll decide on a flooring approach.

A trip to Rochester, MN, took up some of our time last week. I wanted to identify where to go for my March 3rd appointment and find the 2 Mayo Clinic buildings I need to visit and identify surrounding parking places. Pam went along this trip and we made it a multi-function event, stopping at a Walmart to pick up some supplies and of course Culver’s drive-through for lunch.

Yesterday Pam went to the dentist to get a root canal done on one of her molars. She is in pain today. The dentist had trouble finding one of the roots and the procedure took a bit longer than average. Pam is handling the pain; hopefully she is over the worst of it. A return trip to prep the same tooth for a crown is on tap in March.

I finished our 3 tax returns — Colorado part-year, Iowa, and federal. What a pain. We’ll do a final review to make sure I have not made a calculation mistake or missed an entry before we send off the forms, but the bulk of that job is over and I am glad of it. We owe money to both states but will get something back (eventually) on federal. Next year’s returns should be a lot simpler!

Photo Archive

We had moved to Colorado in 1977 and spent many weekends exploring the high country. These next two photos are from one of those trips.

I often took off on my motorcycle to visit different areas.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

London, our oldest rescue cat at 16-going-on-17, is experiencing a decided health decline this month. He’s been losing weight and energy since the relocation from CO to IA. London’s a Flamepoint Siamese; he’s one of the cats I acquired while working for the animal rescue in Colorado. I began my somewhat-prolonged Crazy Cat Lady period slightly after London joined us.

I’ve been reflecting on London’s time with us this past week, and how different we are now compared to 17 years ago. The biggest changes aren’t location, or working vs. retirement, income, or what the kiddos are doing. Nope, the biggest change is how much time-energy-money we now devote to thinking about and planning for health care. How totally boring it is.

Be well. Happy Trails.