Recent Posts
- Day 14: Louisiana Senator Approvingly Compares Trump to Stalin
- Day 13: Elon Musk Flexes His Muscles
- Day 12: While Elon Musk Takes Over, We Podcast With Driftglass and Blue Gal
- Day 11: Harm of Fascist Regime’s Foreign Aid Freeze Comes Into View
- Day 10: The Fascist Regime Blames a Plane Crash on Nonwhite People
(photo courtesy of AndiF).
I wish I were going somewhere in the midwest this weekend…instead, I think I’ll be working on a 21st century project with a certain young man who is recovering from Lyme disease.
I wish you were going to somewhere in the midwest, too.
Now I am going to somewhere in midwest and enjoy the forest.
See ya later.
Hope you had a nice walk!
Good morning!
So it was LD? Hope it works out without complications.
Great morning here and great forecast for the next several days.
Actually, LD is so common around here that the doctors all have a very low threshold for treating against it, because the risk of complications is so high. He had an ugly tick bite of the larval deer tick variety and symptoms suggesting he has it, so they checked for strep and put him on doxycycline empirically. He’s absolutely zonked out tired, slept yesterday afternoon, still asleep now.
Do you have big plans for the long weekend?
Lovely outside!
Just back from the cafe 2 blocks away.
No big plans (yet), I predict it will be very lazy.
I wish you were going somewhere in the midwest too.
Sorry to hear it really was Lyme disease.
Good morning all! Sorry the CabinBoy is ill and hope he’s back up and about soon.
Its a lovely day here; clear skies and highs in the 80s predicted for this afternoon. I’m taking the day off so I can spruce up the yard for a sidewalk sale to benefit the local Dems this weekend.
good morning, ID. This is one of those rare times when you will be warmer than we are down here. We’ve had a nice cool spell with daytime temps in the 60s and 70s and nights dipping into the 40s. I’m loving it, but it will soon end.
Yeah, the nights are cool here too right now and the humidity is comfortably low. Soon we’ll be dripping and sweltering like the summer rain forests along the Amazon. I’m lovin it while its nice, tho!
It’s been the same here. It’s going to change real soon. 🙁
So you’re going to spruce up the yard so you can junk it up with a yard sale? 😉
Morning Andi. How’s life on the flip-side?
We’re having gorgeous weather — sunny and in the 70s (but going to the 80s which doesn’t appeal to me at all).
How’s by you?
Sunny and high 50’s to mid-60’s. Nice weather for walking the dogs. And thanks to global warming we’ve hardly had to cut any firewood.
Actually it IS nice weather for being walked by the dogs and that, they say, is what I ought to be doing right now.
Obviously, to hear is to obey.
See ya tomorrow.
I wouldn’t want the Democrat Women disparaging my gardening ability.
Good morning, ladies!
Another beauty coming up – low 80s and dry.
It’s very nice here too but since there’s a big parade and auto race coming up this weekend (Indianapolis 500), a chance of rain and thunderstorms is forecast for both Saturday and Sunday.
The weather gods regale in our disappointment (not that I personally care about the car thingy).
I do … because I have to hear the endless worrying and whinging about it whenever I turn on the local news.
Sounds noisy – thunderstorms and car race.
I haven’t been to the race since I was in high school but the sound of all the engines starting up is surprisingly thrilling.
Yep, it is beautiful here today. Sadly, I’ll be inside most of the day.
It’s going to be a hot day down here today, but clear for the most part. I think we’re expecting rain in the next couple of days.
CG sorry to hear about CabinBoy. Hope he gets to feeling better soon.
Seems like this month has been nothing but doctor’s appointments and dental appointments. I’ve got two doctor’s appointments just today.
Got to get ready to head into the city. Hope everyone has a good day.
‘Morning from the heated Catskills, y’all.
CG — do hope Cabin Boy is feeling better. Also, a very belated Happy Birthday!
And now, to work. Perchance to sweat.
Via NOAA:
…AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THURSDAY TO 1 AM FRIDAY…
WHEN POLLUTION LEVELS ARE ELEVATED…THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RECOMMENDS THAT INDIVIDUALS CONSIDER LIMITING STRENUOUS
OUTDOOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS. PEOPLE WHO MAY BE ESPECIALLY SENSITIVE TO THE EFFECTS OF ELEVATED LEVELS OF POLLUTANTS INCLUDE THE VERY YOUNG, AND THOSE WITH PRE-EXISTING RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS SUCH AS ASTHMA OR HEART DISEASE. THOSE WITH SYMPTOMS SHOULD CONSIDER CONSULTING THEIR PERSONAL
PHYSICIAN.
Wench adds:
Therefore, if you are plan to drive northward from New York City into what’s left of the Catskill woods this weekend (which may or may not include rushing along at a crippled snail’s pace on Route 17 West with literally thousands of others like you, wondering why the hell you can’t get cell reception) because the city is turning into a massive hibachi, we would strongly urge that you stay there. Go somewhere cool. Indulge in Culture. Get drunk. Stay away. Unless you know someone named ‘BooMan’.
Ugh. That is a very ugly announcement, especially given that it’s not even summer yet.
Wildernesswench,
You mention the Catskills.
I spent some time up there in Lexington, near Windham, Jewitt, Tannersville(?) Hunter mountain(?).
Am I close?
I`d have a few questions about Lexington if you`re close.
perhaps she can enlighten me about the migration patterns of the emu because I really had no idea they were so ambitious.
click for larger
It was a real contest as to who more shocked — me, the emu, the dogs, or the dispatcher at the sherrif’s office when I called in.
Best part, the animal control guy told me the dispatcher called him and said “I don’t know if she’s drunk but some woman just called and said she saw an ostrich or emu in the woods.
Prosaic part, it escaped from a farm where they’re raising for commerical products.
Interesting part, the farm’s about 8-9 miles away so the bird’s a pretty good traveler.
LOL…love it!
Wow, good thing you had the camera ready.
It would have been a better thing if I had an SLR with a 200mm zoom lens so I could have gotten a really great picture.
Gee Andi some people have all the luck. Too see a Emu on a daily walk and then have the dispatcher think you’re drunk.
Here’s a thought. Maybe you should get drunk, call the dispatcher and tell them you don’t see a Emu. Wonder how they would take that one. 🙂
Knowing the folks of our county, I think they’d consider that one normal. 😉
Your county sounds much like mine.
At least the emu wasn’t beating up the wife/husband, which is the usual drunk police call around here.
Hiya ID,
We get those too, along with the usual drug and DIUs. When I get the weekly paper I always read the police blotter just to see if anyone has come up with something imaginative to get arrested for. So far the trouble makers are just run of the mill.
I have to admit that for police call ins, Andi would have to be at the top of the list. 🙂
So how much had you had to drink anyway?
Coming upon an emu while walking the pack in an Indiana hardwood forest with camera at the ready?
Andi, I think you have a new definition for serendipity!
I see the animal control guy occasionally at our building. I’ll have to ask him about it and see if he’s come up with a tall tale to go with the experience;-)
Well I always have the camera, the dogs, and the woods so all I needed was the emu … so not that serendipitous. 😉
Still… an emu…
Maybe Wench can get us a Kangaroo photo.
“Joey In The Catskills” has a certain ring to it – perhaps a childrens’ book? What say ye, ww?
I like that book title. I see sharp strong charcoal illustrations. It could be a series Emu in Indiana and Monkeys in on the Loose could be sequels. Wasn’t Monkeys on the Loose a series on its own?
I’d say that I’m using an old browser & can’t see the link!
We did have a wandering emu last year, though.
Besides, I’m pretty sure it’s a Wallaby (smallish cousin of the kangaroo).
I know, everybody thought of it … everybody refrained from it … but everybody was waiting for it.
😀
(You know, and it’s probably sacrilegious for a newly minted Australian to admit to this, I’ve never seen “Skippy”.)
Thanks for the assist, keres! Alas, I’m not likely to get a photo of this critter — unless s/he’s a real traveler. This is pretty far out of my neighborhood, quite a bit northward.
Actually they are, real travelers that is. But only when the food runs out. Otherwise they tend to stay put.
The reason so many of our critters “bounce” is it’s the most efficient way of traveling long distances. Each hop uses the stored kinetic energy from the landing of the previous one – much like a rubber ball does. Australia regularly cycles through periods of drought, and animals may have to move into completely new ranges in order to find food. Only the “long haulers” survived here.
Next up … Sasquatch!
There’s good money in that photo.
Jim might fit the bill – at a distance in very low light. 😉
Or maybe he’ll come up with a feathered tail.
If I knew where to get one, he’d find a Big Bird life sized cardboard cutout in his truck the next time it was left alone at our building.
LOL
Lucky Andi! What a fine image! Must’ve been a fine, rather surreal moment, too — seeing that utterly wondrous bird there in your very own woods.
It was decidedly freaky. It took my brain quite a few seconds to accept what my eyes were seeing.
I’ll probably go to same area tomorrow just to see if it might turn back up — though if it got to the open valley I doubt it will come back to the woods.
Well I think I’ll head off to bed and dream of a forest full of big birds.
Night.
I don’t know about migration, but I sure do admire any animal that makes a break for freedom.
This bird knew how to find a loving home, I know I’ve often been tempted to run away to Andi’s place.
Sadly Alice between the dogs and the coyotes, our place does not equal a loving home for an emu (perfectly good for you, though). But it didn’t stick around and if it keeps going the direction it was headed, it’ll end up in a fairly good sized, open valley, which would be safer for it — at least the wild turkeys and deer seem to really like hanging out in the fields down there. OTOH, if it does, its escape is also more likely to come to an end.
I still believe that stuff.
Lots of talk about courage these days, maybe “… a little emu will lead them.” Freedom is always worth a try. BT 09:5
Okay but that would be a fucking big emu will lead them.
Aww – she looks like a soft and downy woodland creature to me.
Were you scared? I have some NYC-native friends who moved to the NJ woods and called the sheriff because a squirrel got in their house. I love it that you were suspected of being drunk. This story made my day, thank fsm nobody shot the poor thing.
I’ll bet the dogs will have giant chicken nightmares tonight.
The only thing that scared me was that the dogs would get too close and get hurt (because I’ve heard they have a pretty viscous kick).
I think they’ll have nightmares about the giant chicken dinner that got away. 😉
As far as I know, emu migrations are greatly limited by the fact that they are flightless.
But you’re right about their ability to kick. Since they share territory here with dingos, I’m fairly sure they can fight off a few coyote. Although, having been farm raised, this one may lack the skills.
Emus are farmed for their oil, meat and hide, in case you were wondering.
For all of their sakes, I’m glad you managed to keep the pack away from the very large chicken dinner.
That’s interesting about the emu oil. I recently started taking thyroid hormone made from pig thyroids, which grosses me out no end.
Is there some reason your doctor recommended “pig” over Synthroid (synthetically cultured)?
Emu up close (at our local wildlife park).
Ooooh, that baby has got a serious pecker;-)
And they are none-too-gentle with it, even when being offered pelleted food on an open palm.
Our niece had a more sensible approach.
I think I’d be tossing the food from long-distance too!
At least this park, which is aimed at families with small children, keeps their emus penned. The head shot above comes from another park which is more of a nature reserve. Their emus wander where they will. Talk about a “daylight mugging”. My advice, when faced with a hungry emu, give it whatever it wants.
Probably very good advice, that!
Yeah, he’s very much against the synthetic stuff; said there has been a war waged against Armour (the old, natural stuff) by pharmaceutical companies and doctors have a bunch of misinformation about Armour thyroid. He’s the neurologist/headache specialist that has almost totally gotten rid of my migraines in 6 weeks after suffering with them for 30 years. Over the years I’ve gone to dozens of docs and told them that I have every symptom of hypothyroidism, but they’d do blood tests and I was within normal range. The new thinking is that you can have low-level Hypo that causes debilitating symptoms and should be treated. I’ve had weight gain, hair loss, depression, unrelenting fatigue, dry skin…etc. And my vitamin D level, which should be around 50-70 ng/mL was 4. So between vitamin D, progesterone (headaches were hormonal too) and the Armour thyroid, I feel better than I have since I was 20. I like this guy because, first, he believes me, and second he doesn’t just throw a bunch of pain killers and antidepressants at you.
Interesting. Anyway, I glad to hear that you’re feeling much better.
I should add that Synthroid is like three times the price…and that Armour also supplies T3 as well as T4.
But, yeah…I am so excited about feeling better! I told him it’s like I wasted 30 years. He said he hears that a lot.
That’s such good news. Why the next time you come visit, I’ll be expecting you to outhike me and the dogs. 🙂
Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. I’ll settle for just being able to stay awake more than 2 hours at a time. 🙂
Ah but you looks so cute when you nap. 🙂
I’m told that when I was about two years old I ate an entire bottle of my mother’s thyroid pills. That would have still been the pig-stuff back then. I was taken to the hospital and induced to throw-up.
It seems I spent a lot of time at the emergency ward as a child, usually for stitches. In fact, one of my earliest memories is singing “Spoon Full of Sugar” (we had just seen The Sound of Music) for the nurse after having the skin on my left supra-orbital margin sewn back together. I was two-and-a-half. Later I did the same thing to the right side so that I have matching scars (so-much-so that sometimes people think they are “natural”).
My father’s brother was a dentist, so when one of us fell and needed stitches he would come over and do it. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that we didn’t have health insurance. 🙂 Mine was always the bottom of my chin…apparently I land chin first. My sister Pat was always cracking her head open.
I’m very happy to hear you’ve found a good physician & you’re feeling better, SN. Great news!
I realize lately that I’ve been dealing with a similar imbalance for most of my life as well. Now to find someone as competent as you have.
First, to get health insurance. Natch.
I’m sorry about that, wench. It can be so demoralizing when you just know that something is out of whack and no one will listen to you. I had doctor after doctor tell me to take a bubble bath, lose weight, exercise, take more antidepressants, etc. You’re telling me to exercise when I can barely lift a glass of water to my mouth. Sheesh.
I couldn’t believe how much better I felt just taking the natural progesterone the first couple of weeks. I know that’s available at health food stores and isn’t expensive. It’s made from yams, I think.
Good luck with the health insurance. When my divorce is final I’ll be without it, so I want to get all of my scheduled maintenance done before that. 🙂
Had no idea you were going through divorce, SN. I’m definitely behind the times here.
In any case, I’m very glad to know you’re taking care of your maintenance.
🙂
Once I can get a clear diagnosis on what’s actually up with me, I can decide which way to go re: treatments.
I used to tell my folks that I was feeling exhausted & sickly every morning before school. They figured I was just lazy/disliked school, ergo they called me a faker & did nothing.
Apparently it’s just impossible for some people to actually hear you & offer their actual attention — regardless of their unique potential to help.
Not to expose self-pity, but jeez.
It’s so hard to get a clear diagnosis too, because your body chemistry is such a delicate balance and a lot of doctors just don’t understand. I was so sick of them not believing me and just thinking I was lazy and/or a hypochondriac that I just stopped talking about it during check ups. It’s so great to be taken seriously. It affects your whole life to be sick and tired and depressed and not believed. I think about how my kids could have had an entirely different mother than the sad, impatient, irritated, crying, sleeping one they had.
Here’s hoping that something meaningful in the way of health care reform comes very soon so you can take care of yourself. It sucks to put your health on hold and pray nothing catastrophic happens.
The divorce? Long story of cheating, lying, babies born that didn’t come from me….:) I finally kicked him out last summer but he’s the one with the good job and the money and the credit. So…stay tuned.
I’m wishing you the best, SN. Obviously, there was no other outcome possible.
As far regrets for our illnesses, I don’t guess it’s helpful to regret behavior that was natural under the circumstances. The notion of letting go & looking forward generally seems like a facile cliche’, but I don’t see a practical alternative with regard to serious illness.
The children, I’ve learned lately, operate strictly on their own terms & can hold on to their love beyond expectations. Quite an amazing capability ..
As for me, yeh, I’ve basically never felt able, for one reason or another, to take my issues to The Medical Profession. I’m at a dead end now & do need help.
Sounds like you’ll want to hang on to this one;-)
Wild papa emu with brood (male emus make a nest and encourage multiple females to lay in it; he then sits the eggs and raises the young). Taken in Western Australia near Ningaloo reef.
Nifty pic. And those sure look a lot more at home than that one did in the woods.
They are definitely not a woodlands creature, or a North American one for that mater.
Although South America has a very similar bird in the Rhea.
This week’s theme is Noise. Things that have sound, might make sound, or suggest ‘visual’ noise. . So just come crashing over here.
Colin, Second Nature’s son, adopted a dog from a shelter and later found out it has heartworm diseaase even though the shelter said the dog was disease-free. Colin is 19 and self-employed but is going to go ahead and get the dog treated. Please, if you can, donate a few dollars to help Collin’s dog Emma. The link to donate, and pictures of Colin and Emma are in the Thursday Dog Blog
Morning Andi. Thanks for spreading the word about Colin and Emma. My philosophy: even if we can’t take on the burdens of the whole world, we can take on a share, no matter how small, of the ones affecting the people we know.
Off to bed now. Nighty-night.
Aw, thanks for the help. Colin is very touched and surprised. He Facebooked that people he doesn’t even know are helping out with his dog and that that surprised him. 🙂
Oh, he’s 21. The other one is 19. 🙂
Oops, my very, very bad. ‘Cause there’s nothing worse than being made younger when you’re that age. I mean, you did all that work to be able to drink legally and then some dump ole geezer comes along and tries to take it away from you.
That’s right. I wonder when it kicks in when you want to start erasing years. I think it was 30 for me.
I don’t want to erase the years. I want to erase the effects of the years.
Good point.
Hey CG, when you start the new cafe, you could use the picture of Colin and the dog that’s in Thursday Dog Blog, put the donate button in it, and put the link to the Thursday Dog Blog for the details.
Okay…give me a few minutes.
Thank you, ma’am.
Thanks. I’ll check it out later when I can get access.
I just got home to find something distinctly Lily-shaped, but not even remotely Lily-colored, in our back yard. Oh, and surprise, surprise, the water bucket had been emptied.
At least once she drys out, all the dirt drops off – usually in the house. * Sigh *
And you didn’t document this for posterity (or at least for me)?
Bebo loves water but lucky for me, she likes it flowing in creeks and lakes.