Life in the Bristolwood

I went down to the dentist yesterday…my appointment was originally for today, but when the little plastic temporary crown made to cover the post for my mini implant slipped partially off on Sunday,  I was anxious to get in a bit sooner!

On my way down to the dentist, I had a few extra minutes, so I stopped at Woodville and saw that one of the Eagles was perched in “the tree”.  I also watched as a young woman backed a small trailer carrying her kayak up to water’s edge.  She parked, walked around, then launched off on her own.  Time was a-tickin’ and I had an appointment!

I got to the dentist office and was taken in quickly.  The first order of the day was to remove the temporary. The hygienist was ready to crank it off with those dental “pliers”, but I told her it should pop right out.  She took a gentler approach and out it came with little urging or force!

The hygienist then told me she was going to scan my teeth.  Mark had this done previously for the manufacture of a crown, but it was new to me.  I was amazed as she began, listening to the computer giving her instructions on which to to scan, the surface to be scanned, and the degree at whixh to hold the “wand”.  It was funny….the voice sounded similar to a female computer voice for GPS.  When this was done, the hygienist looked at the scan….for one reason or another, it didn’t show the teeth properly.  She spoke to the dentist, and he came in to give it a whirl.  For one reason or another, the scan just wasn’t working….it seems there was too much light reflecting.  I told the dentist it was just my luminous nature and we laughed!

Ah yes, back to business….the lab was still going to need an accurate model of my teeth. So….back to the good ole impressions!  The hygienist came at me with one of those bite plates and a “caulk gun” full of goop.  The dentist and I laughed as she was about to try out the plate….it looked about the size to fit a horse….I have an abnormally small mouth!  She came back with the right size and gooped it up, bluish green glop running down the sides of my mouth.  To add insult to injury, the bite plate had to remain in my mouth for five minutes.  Yikes!

After that procedure was done, I thought maybe I was free, but not. Next, a bottom impression was needed. Thankfully, the glop wasn’t so wet and the plate only needed too remain for two minutes.  Then, a bit model needed to be made, showing how my bite is, top to bottom.  This one was really easy and only had to stay in two minutes as well.

In the midst of all the dental marvel, there was a four-year-old sitting in a chair kitty corner to me, absolutely terrified of the filling that was being worked on in her mouth.  Ah, what ambiance!  I was thinking back to our kids…they didn’t have filling until they were older.  It would be traumatic getting a filling at four! 

I was thrilled when the hygienist took a photo of my teeth and told me I was done!  Hurrah!  In about three more weeks, I will have the final crown mounted and this mini implant will be complete!  I am thrilled, particularly since the dentist was leary at first.  He had done a bone scan that indicated I might not have dense enough bone. However, upon screwing the post into the bone in my jaw, he said it appeared the bone was very dense.  Whatever….he was impressed when he tapped on the post yesterday.

I went back home, noting that there was an Eagle when I passed by Woodville.  I quickly made lunch and cleaned up.  When I was done,  I asked Mark about going kayaking by myself.  He has always been an advocate of the “buddy” system, just in case there is a problem.  I told him I had seen at least four women launch their kayaks with only themselves. He thought about it and gave me a thumbs up!  It was awesome!  I loaded the kayak in the back of the truck by myself and drove on down.

I was able to unload the kayak and get into the water in record time!  There was an Eagle in the tree and I paddled like crazy to get out there!  It was so obliging and just sat there as though it had been waiting for me! I took zillions of photos. Of course!

What an awesome bird!

I could have sat all day, admiring my friend, the Eagle.  Thinking I probably had some fairly good photos, I decided to leave.

I paddled over near the mouth of the river and looked over toward the tree where the Eagles often perch. I felt sorry for anyone who doesn’t even realize they are there!

It would be so easy to miss seeing these birds if one didn’t know where to look!

By now, I had taken enough photos. I had to get back home, so I began paddling away. As I was paddling, something made me turn back.  I looked at the Eagle and called out,  “Jesus loves you, Eagle”!  A funny thing to say to a bird, but I thought about the verse that states that God even knows when a sparrow falls from a tree.

I paddled to the north a bit to get out of the water lilies and seaweed that grow profusely in the shallower waters.

Suddenly, a large shadow came over me and I nearly fell out of my kayak. The next photos are awful.  Between shaking, and just being bounced about by the waves, (there was a pretty brisk breeze over the water) it was hard to capture what happened!

Now, I have no idea what, exactly, inspired that bird, but both in taking off and in landing, it flew directly over my head.  I don’t remember when I have been quite so awestruck!!!

Talk about potpourri! These photos make no sense at all…they look as though they are just thrown together, but I will explain!

The first two were taken in Penn Yan.

This old truck was in a parking lot with a few other old cars and trucks.  It is “so” old, the tires are mounted on wooden spoked rims!

This photo was taken near the boat launch. I loved the buildings and sky reflected on the smooth as glass surface of the water!

Remember the goat in the chair?  As we were hurrying to get Ben to Urgent Care,  guess who was “lounging”?  Yup…

Wish I would have had the Nikon with the telephoto lens and also that I wasn’t hurrying! As it was, as we pulled over to photograph the old goat,  a young man was also stopped, snapping pictures!  I hurried and as I tried to jump a small ditch, I landed with my flip flop in mud which oozed up between my toes…great way to arrive at the Urgent Care center…looking like a dirty hillbilly!

This bee was really trying my patience this morning!  I had to rescue it not once, but twice from the swimming pool! The second time,  I placed it far away from the pool and it didn’t try to go back!

Michelle and I cleaned the pool today, replaced some chlorine, and backwashed the filter.  After we finished, Michelle went out to the garage to help Mark replace the front brakes on the Explorer.  While they worked in the garage, I made Michelle a  dress.  A friend had posted on Facebook about a blog showing how to make a cute sundress out of a tank top and two yards of fabric.  I had bought the things to make it a while back, but finally found some time to sit down to work on it this morning.  The whole thing probably took about forty-five minutes to make!

Our forecast was for rain today, but it held off.  After finishing my sewing,  I went out to see what kind of subjects I might find. I was getting concerned as it seems I have hardly seen any butterflies this year.  As I looked around, though, I saw a few varieties.

I also saw this little grasshopper sitting on a Calendula plant!

This butterfly is called a Little Woods Satyr.  It was so friendly, allowing me to close in for a photo shoot!

This butterfly was TINY!  I wasn’t able to find out what it is, but you can see by comparing it to grass blades, it is very small!

Mark and I had to go to the dentist today.  I was thrilled to hear the dentist say that in one month, I will have impressions made and then the new crown will be made!  The temporary crown is fine, but it will be nice to bring closure to this (mis) adventure!

On the way home, we stopped briefly in Woodville.  We had a cloudburst that lasted maybe fifteen minutes. Although it was short, it produced some pretty hefty results…and made for some nice photos…

While in Woodville, I was able to find two different varieties of Dragonflies!

When I told Mark the lawn with the cactus plants growing in it had flowers, he pulled off the road in front of a house. Quick! Take the photos and let’s get on home!

I still find it hard to believe that cactus can grow in our cold winter climate…and these plants are right next to the road, meaning they get a hefty, healthy (UN, really!) heaping of salt every winter as the plow passes by!

Well there. That does it.

to post some more pictures yesterday, but oh my, what a day!

The photo above is one I took walking along the boat lauch in Penn Yan and if you click to enlarge it,  it really is a cool picture…it looks dreamy…surreal! It was taken late in the day.  Which reminds me…

As I was walking to the place where I took this photo,  I passed a Mennonite man and woman sitting in folding chairs.  They looked like they were relaxing as their kids (I think there were maybe four youngsters) were fishing!  There were two or three nice looking tackle boxes sitting by the parents..the tops were open and they looked like they were full of all sorts of fishing goodies!  The mom gave me a great big friendly “Hi!” as I passed by.  What a great way to spend a Sunday summer evening!  The kids were so excited and as I walked away, one of the boys came with his pole to show Mom and Dad the “sunny” he caught! Wish I would have taken some photos of this family.  I know they would have given me permission, too, as Mom had her camera sitting in her lap!

Yesterday was quite a contrast to a relaxing Sunday, believe me! 

Ben woke up and asked if we would take him to the doctor.  His ear was so sore, he said it was beginning to hurt to eat.  Well, taking a child to the doctor is usually no problem,  but Mark’s insurance just changed….and not for the better, I can assure you!  Mark called the insurance company, trying to decipher how the new insurance will work.  After that call, he needed to talk to the (separate! ARGH!!!)  company that covers prescriptions.

Mark called Ben’s regular doctor…the pediatrician he has seen since birth.  Well, they could get Ben in at 4:15, but Ben was hurting, so we hoped to find something sooner.  Mark made a few calls, thinking perhaps we could find a doctor in Canandaigua.  The pediatrician is near Rochester which is about 40 miles from our house.  Finally, someone Mark called suggested we take Ben to Urgent Care.  Mark called the center and they said it was really quiet…if we came quickly, it might be only a 45 minute wait.  We usually end up waiting half an hour or so at the pediatrician, so we decided to try this instead.

As we drove to Urgent Care, Ben said he could hardly even hear out of the ear that hurt.  We got there and sat down.  They took Mark’s insurance information and in ten minutes!!!!!, Ben was called in.  He actually saw a physician’s assistant who said he has something similar to swimmer’s ear.  The ear drum looked good…the canal was swollen. He was given antibiotic drops as well as a steroid/anesthetic drop to use.  I think Ben felt better after hearing this was a pretty common thing.

We then went to WalMart’s pharmacy to get the prescription filled. Yikes! Ben felt so bad, he stayed in the truck, waiting. (and sleeping)  It was 82 degrees and I worried about him in the heat!  It took nearly an hour before the presciption was filled.  We finally were on our way back home.  This little adventure had us gone for about three and a half hours….if we had gone to Rochester, I cannot imagine how long that would have taken!

When we got home, we found out that the router for our computers died!  Mark talked to a guy at Time Warner because somehow that service got goofed up.  The guy told Mark we were fortunate to have gotten four or five years of service from our router since they usually only last about two or three years!

So…this post comes to you through the cell phone used as an incredibly SLOW modem!  To upload the photo above “only” took about five minutes!!!

As soon as we pick up a new router,  I will post some more photos.  We have a dentist appointment this afternoon, so I don’t imagine we will be up and running again until this evening! Ah, the technological blues….

Once again, it is the Memorial DayWeekend when we pay a tribute in the US to the men and women who have served in the military.  Although that in and of itself makes this a somewhat somber holiday,  it is also the weekend when the summer season for parks and various recreational facilities officially kicks off.  Kids in school look forward to summer vacation, knowing it is just around the corner.

Our family usually has plans to spend a day picnicking or otherwise enjoying the weekend, but this year, we are sticking close to home.  We  often have already spent some time camping by this date, but the little camper still sits on its pad, winterized. We have so many things that need to be attended to here at home!

I took some photos of the Scots today, trying for a good one, but it was like pulling teeth trying to get both boys looking in the same direction! And so, here is asilly shot of Murphy…

Just look at that FACE! And, a serious shot.

I forgot to mention yesterday  that I had a dentist appointment.  The dentist looked at the post for the mini-implant and said it looks great.  The tissue looks healthy and is closing  in just as it should.  I go back in a few weeks and if all goes well,  they will take an impression and send it to the lab to create a new crown.  I am so happy that closure on this whole ordeal is finally within sight!

just like my mind!  Since I have been spending ever so much time at home because the price of gasoline has driven me to do so, I just have not been taking so many photos.  I suppose I could waltz up into the woods and take some pictures, but…yeah, there are endless tasks calling out that supersede any such notion.

One such task ocurred yesterday when I opened the camper to take a look at the inside.  GROSS!!!!!  I can assure you that I am ever-conscious about certain things and one of them is that we must, must, must leave the doors open on the refrigerator and freezer in the camper over the winter.  That said,  I always insert something to keep the doors ajar.  Yesterday, when I  looked, the doors were both *closed*.  Bravely, I slowly opened one door at a time, fearful that a dark mold-monster would grab me by the neck…didn’t happen.  Actually,  I think because of the minimum mold growth inside the fridge, someone closed the doors ( by accident, to be sure) rather recently.

I trudged back up to the house and filled a bucket with hot soapy, with a tad of bleach added water.  I faithfully scrubbed every square inch of that unit, even taking out the shelving to make sure that nothing remained untouched!  I propped a broomstick in the doors, making them gape even more open than usual. I got to thinking about this…we have owned that camper since 2002 and this is the first time this has happened. I guess all in all, that isn’t too bad. But,  it did set me back about an hour….

This next photo was taken last week. Mark and I went to the pond behind Arby’s because I just like to see what is back there from time to time. I walked a bit and saw some ducks.  Unfortunately, there were a bunch of people there as well. There were several young girls…maybe 10 or11 yearsold. There were six adults as well. In the water were three Mallard drakes, friendly little fellows who came on over to see if they might be so fortunate as to coerce a few tidbits of food.

I grew rather annoyed that the (stupid) girls were throwing pebbles to the ducks to see if they would eat them. The (stupid) adults were chatting as though oblivious to the girls’ activity.  As you can see,  the ducks were smart enough to discern that they were being teased and only looked under the water to see.  If the duckshadn’t hadsuch good sense, I think I might have reprimanded those naughty children right in front of  the (mindless) parents.

And the last photo is funny, although you would never know it….

As I sat on the porch swing yesterday morning (as I do most every morning for a bit) it was breezy. As  I sat on my swing, I noticed the Pansies nodding in the wind. No  big deal.  But, as I watched, I couldnot help but laugh!  The bright yellow flower, closest, was nodding its pretty face affirmatively.  The little flower would bob up and down, up and down. On the opposite end of the pot, the pale flower vigorously shook its “head” from side to side, as though vehemently opposing the brighter flower!

Now, about that post (for the mini implant) I had inserted last Friday…The post felt somewhat uncomfortable on Saturday.  The dentist called the house and asked how it was doing.  I told him it felt like there was pressure there and he asked if I had taken any Ibuprophen.  I told him no and he said I really should take it for 24 hours.  Iwas told it not only reduces swelling, but also inflammation.  Well, Idid as the doctor ordered and everything was fine.  The funny thing is,  I discovered it was the site where the novacaine was injected that was bothering me, not the post! I am surprised, but there is no pain or discomfort whatsoever!  I haven’t felt like choking and coughing , either, as I no longer have to wear the temporary tooth.  I am so excited!

Today was not at all as I thought it would be! 

We awakened to a glorious, bright and sunshiny day.  It was awesome and the temperature was lovely.  Not too hot. Not too cool.  However, as the day progressed,  I went about doing my chores and I noticed I was getting some pain in the implant area of my mouth.  The dentist had told me there might be pain for two to three days afterwards, but I thought since last night went fairly well, I would be okay today.

The dentist called our house this afternoon and asked how I was faring.  When I told him I had a feeling more of  ”pressure” than pain, he still advised me to take Ibuprophen for a day or two.  I had taken a couple of Tylenol this morning, since that was all we had, but he said I neededthe Ibuprophen to not only reduce swelling, but also inflamation.  Mark and Ben went out late this afternoon to get some and for the first time today, I feel “nothing”  in the area of the implant.  I guess I did need the medicine after all.

So….I didn’t get many photos at all today. I did manage some,  but they are photos of flowers. Again. For a few fleeting minutes this afternoon, I almost thought a little kayak trip might  be nice, but then came to my senses. Funny how when you don’t feel quite “right”, it is easy to think of some wild ways to distract from discomfort! Oh, and speaking of the kayak, I have not been out in it yet this year!  We have had tooooo much RAIN!

And, speaking of rain!  I am so totally disappointed.  On the hill behind the house, we have a Wild Dogwood Tree that we discovered shortly after we built the house some nearly twenty years ago. I have enjoyed seeing the pretty flowers on it every year since then, but this will be the last year we will be seeing them.  The saturated ground apparently was more than the tree’s roots could handle and during one of the bouts of wind we had earlier,  the tree tumbled down and is now lying on its side on the ground.  Even if we could have someone tip it back up, the ground is running with water where its root ball would go, and it would fall once again.  It is over twenty feet tall, so moving it from its current position would be a giant task as well.

Over the years, we have bought various plants that were potted in some very nice containers.  When I went upstairs in the garage where all of the gardening equipment and goodies are kept,  I found a terrific planter that was once the home of pretty Begonias.  Igrabbed it and filled it with a couple inches of gravel, then potting soil.  I think my Pansy pot looks pretty perky!  The plants have grown some since being potted, so they must be happy!

It is interesting watching as flowers come and go in the garden in front of the house.  The Daffodils are nowbut a memory, save for their green leaves.  The Hyacinths are gone as are the mini variety.  The Alliums I planted two years ago are making a great comeback, though. Each plant has more than one flower as they did last year when they bloomed for the first time.  The Columbines are also making a strong showing and although they won’t flower for a long time, my Mums are thriving!

Although today was a bit disappointing  photowise,  I was glad for some relaxing time! I got to swing on the new swing a few times and that was fantastic!

Well, it was a big event for me!

Today I went to the dentist to have the post for a mini implant “installed”.  The whole process was a lot shorter than I thought and not too bad. The worst part of the whole ordeal was when the dentist was screwing the post in.  You know how it always feels like the dentist has drilled a “cavern” for a filling when you run your tongue over the area ?  Well, even though the post  was the diameter of maybe a small finishing nail,  it felt like a spike going in!  What was really kind of tough was when he said his fingers hurt from screwing it in and he had to use a torqe wrench! He said my bone seems very hard and solid.

The dental assistant explained that people who bruise easily can have some bruising from this proceure.  Oh NO!  I*do* bruise very easily, but have no signs of it!  The dentist and assistant lauged when I told them it was okay…I would tell everyone the dentist did it to me, just like when the Rabbi hit me!  They, of course asked what that was about! Several years ago, a Rabbi rear-ended my car….my head was turned to the left to see if any traffic was coming.  The impact caused my head to bump hard against the window and I was left with a huge goose egg on my forehead.  Upon the Rabbi’s insistance,  Iwent to the hospital where Iwas told I had a concussion.  As time went on,  the bruising retreated downward until I was left with a dandy black eye!  So….the Rabbi gave me a black  eye when he hit me!

I was told the area around the tooth will be sensitive for a couple of days, but so far, it only feels like a lot of pressure.  It really isn’t “sore”.

When I came home,  I wandered down to where the Lilies of the Valley are growing.  They are spreading each year and each year,  it  is always like seeing them for the first time.

As I snapped the photo above, the sun came out and lit up this plant!

Tomorrow, we are supposed to see sunshine and a lot of warmth. I hope I can take some photos.  With all the colorless skies and rain we’ve seen lately, it isn’t very inviting to grab the camera!

I decided to “go lie down” last Sunday after feeling terrible with a bad cold.  No big deal.  I figured I would feel better in a day or two. Or three. Four. Five. Six!

Today was the first day that I got up, dressed, and stayed awake almost the entire day.  Before this, I spent much of my time coughing to the point that I was sure I was choking.  If I didn’t lose weight from all the coughing I have done, I would be totally surprised.  My abs have definitely tightened up a bit with all the “activity”.

When I spoke to Carly on Friday evening, she wondered aloud if I might have Bronchitis. I discounted this, but as I thought about it the next day, I realized she might be right.  I have not felt this sick since before Ben was born.  I was sick an entire ten weeks before he was born.  He was taken C-Section, as I had a terrible pain in my side the day he was born; the doctors verified Ben was in distress and he was taken.  Poor fellow was feverish upon birth and needed to be cooled! Meanwhile,  I was being administered morphine and who knows what antibiotics.  It took a couple of days before I finally came round….(I shan’t go into how if I would have had an ounce of strength in my body at that time, I surely would have lobbed an object at the mouthy nurse who looked at my sorrowfull state and asked, Oh, a smoker?)

 I  began taking a round of antibiotics yesterday and the difference between “before and after” has been extreme and like day and night.  Although I have a ways to go, I am feeling some strength coming back into my body. Whereas each day last week it was a chore to rise off the bed to even use the bathroom, today I actually cooked a meal and made fresh rolls. 

Needless to say, it is good to be back amongst the living!

In case you have wondered where I have been,  well…I picked up a nasty, rotten cold that has been messing with me! This is the first cold I have had in a very long time, and I think I would rather have three smaller colds than this one….Hopefully, I will be back soon with some photos! I tried taking a few pictures the other day, but they were terrible!

The good news is that I am beginning to recover.  I asked Mark to take me down to Subway this afternoon.  I got a sub with lots of extra tomatoes, thinking the vitamin C is just what I need to blow this thing away.  As we were coming home from Naples,  Mark drove through Woodville and there were hundreds (?) or thousands (?) of Coots swimming just where the ice stops on the lake. 

Hope everyone reading is doing well and that this cold doesn’t come near you or your loved ones!

I cannot believe I have once again allowed this blog to get behind, but I have! It seems like each day brings on more tasks and we are always going upwards! (as in pushing a very large boulder uphill!)

Today, Mark had a dental cleaning appoinment late this morning.  After the appointment, we drove down to Hornell to get the snowmobiles registered.  It is always so much easier to go to the Hornell office, as Canandaigua requires one to go to three different clerks before getting out the door.  The system sounds good, but when going, it is wise to pack a lunch!  Okay, slight exaggeration, but I don’t like waiting in line for hours…and yes, it really is hours!

After visiting the DMV,  we were off to get a late lunch.  We had a tremendous lunch at a Chinese restaurant there and then we were off again…this time to the home of my Amish friend and her husband.  Mark has been trying to help them in negotiating with the hospital for their baby daughter’s care.

If I may rant for a bit…

We are asked to be *tolerant* as far as skin color, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, etc.  Why, then, are the Amish treated like second rate citizens?  Let me make note that an organization that works with Amish and Mennonites has tried to negotiate with the hospital to no avail.  It is a known fact that hospitals charge well above the actual cost of services and goods provided.  The company that tried to do the negotiating offered a higher amount than Medicaid would pay, and they were turned down.  The hospital  never even came back with a counter offer.

My heart aches for my friends. They don’t have a third of a million dollars for their bill.  Why is the hospital being so stubborn!  Well,  my friends have begun making small payments to the hospital and as long as they are paying something, I hope that will keep the wolves at bay.  Why would the hospital have turned down a large lump sum only to be given a small amount each month?  In all actuality, the amount will take probably more than a lifetime to pay off.

Well, sorry to rant, but I feel so helpless! 

Tis the night before the night before Christmas!  Is everyone ready?  I feel like I am behind, but I will leave it at that.  I am tired of feeling like Christmas has to be perfect.  After all, the perfect Christmas gift was offered to all mankind in the form of a precious baby, and He is the best gift of all!