Alan had a great time flying back with Beastie and then had a blast with Diaval. He cannot wait for next summer for them both to be here with us A few things happened before he left and the main one is Online teaching. I will be doing weekly / regular lessons with Beastie , as school is half hearted and education is suffering. So who better than a teacher? Nana who was a teacher! so bonus package for them both. So all last week I was making and designing lessons and I mailed those up a couple of days ago . (I will also start doing some things with Diaval too, so he doesn't feel left out and we also bond as we have not met yet So that should be starting soon - handwriting, reading, math and space! Plus regular letter writing in the mail too - great for reading, writing and communicating without technology too. So Zoom and headset at the ready!
The box arrived 3 days early!!! yay
When Alan and Beastie were taxiing down DIA runway I had a 3hr Hypokalmia attack (Low Potassium - this causes my diaphragm, core to convulse and spasm, so limiting lungs ad heart from moving, pumping, breathing. I did have to call 911 as it can be fatal . Once they arrived the attack was calming down . So Alan landed in Anchorage to a bombardment of messages from me. Not a good situation. he couldn't get back for for 2 days anyway (and his virus test was negative as we expected!)
I have now got a high potassium/electrolyte powder to make a drink which I must drink daily I have Hypokalemia (click for full description and what happens in an attack) this is due to the IBS-C caused by the scar tissue enveloping and restricting my intestines, so I have to take laxatives very regularly . It's the laxatives that cause the attacks. draining all minerals, water from body to work etc.
Since that event (the 3rd one I've had) all is calmer and no signs of another one so far but I will be seeing Dr G to get me thru for a colonoscopy and any other testing to see what damage is there due to scar tissue and also the Hypokalemia attacks The day before Beastie and Alan left I mentioned in previous blog post , a fire that had just started - this is now called Cameron Peak Fire (click to follow the fire and all details) it is now currently 20,000 acres and is about 50 miles from us. The ranch stinks of smoke - high temps, windows closed plus daily T-storms too - but they are dry storms which does not help the area at all. it's spreading pretty quickly with the wind, heat and arid air Photos are taken on 287 looking South towards the ranch
The smoke is aggravating the TN sadly, sleep is hard and the pain isn't easy to control . CBD has increased in strength now and there could be a leap over to 1:1 CBD. As it seems that all medical help for me has ceased. Neuro #1 did contact his mentor in Colorado but as he is based in a University - he's not responding as Uni's are all closed because of the virus. SO the sick get sicker. I'm only on pain management , which seems to be the theme for anyone with a serious medical condition that needs/requires urgent treatment. So who knows when or if I will be out of facial pain! I am now riding more - I am definitely more confident in the saddle now that I am not doped up on meds, painkillers and space cadet. Even Champ noticed that I am back properly too - lighter since the last time but he now can sense thru the saddle that I'm ready! (Before he would play up and do whatever he could to get me off!..cheeky sod) I'm now back out in the arena and working the poles too , next one is out of the arena and onto the ranch.. Then it's Tinker's turn! The other two I cannot ride at all sadly - Dakota I have retired due to her shoulder and Shoshoni is too skittish with me in the saddle - if he can't see me he looses his confidence. So I really hope Tinker will be easy to get to Champ's stage! He has unruly manners ! Plus it's so good to wear my jodphurs again and no muffin top overload too! Yesterday (23rd) Alan and I went to Centennial Valley and went to pick up our big hay bales (8'x4'x3') we got 16 of them (two trips) it's a 2 hr round trip so a long day. Alan went to Laramie Saturday night and picked up a skidsteer to hire for hay tetris, unloaded and got the truck ready to go first thing. First slideshow on the way to Centennial valley to Deerwood Ranch / Wild Horse Sanctuary to see our friend Rich Wilson and his son Schad. They make sure we get our hay from them every year - only once we couldn't due to a bad hay year
(each picture has a mini description)
We took 2 vehicles, as dogs had to come too - So I was in the Jeep!
Had a good catchup chat while Rich was loading up the trailer with the first 8 . each bale is 1000lbs so as we had to do two trips anyway , it was 8 per load
Found out more info on Bill & Jean Lanich and the Ranch. (Where I worked every day for about 7yrs - see Horses page for that info) I knew that Bill had passed away in April and Jean was suffering from either Dementia or Altzeimers . Jean had always said for years that her ranch would stay in the family but sadly this was not the case. Had a feeling it wouldn't happen due to the family dynamic. The ranch was sold, quietly, to a neighboring ranch - The Buckeye (it's right next to Deerwood ranch and Jean's was next to Deerwood and Rich had already put in offers for the section closest to him.. which Alan and I asked about 15 yrs ago - house, stream, acreage etc - plus more available to Bill & Jean too) So it's sold quick and Jean is now living in Colorado Springs with one of her sons (Military based and had no interest in having a ranch) Other son is sick with MS . So quite a shock hearing it all happened and so quickly after Bill died too. I wonder if all my ex-horses are still there - there were 30 when I left and I horse whispered 70% of them
So we first load done and more pics on way back home - the smoke was making everything look quite pretty , stinky tho.
We got home and Alan started Hay tetris.
The 2nd trip and load up was quick as the day was fleeting away. As we were down 230 the storms were picking up and looked tornado ish too . So instant TN flare while driving !
We were all done by 4pm and then Alan realized he was too quick to offer him making me enchiladas for dinner but I had cooked up a mega chili and mega curry for hime to take away to work. We were both exhausted , even with a skidsteer . But he started cooking, I unloaded dishwasher and wished we had wine in the house, Corona or G&T , anything!
This morning Alan was up early as he had to return the skidsteer to town by 8am. He was going to leave straight on to Oakley but he still had weekly reports and calls to do , so he came back and did those. I then made all his sarnies , huge load of coffee flasks, to go mugs , plus laundry, Dysoning and returning the 3 bulls that had busted through the fence from next door's ranch and were vacationing on ours for 3-4 days! They are finally home thank goodness
Alan left around 1pm for his 8hr drive but delayed in town for an hour so a really long day for him. Not sure when he will be back home again but he did make sure that I would be ok , stable an Hypokalemia was under control.
Using a quote from Big Hero 6 -
He asked "Are you satisfied with your care?"
I replied "I am satisfied with my care"
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