Hoopy House

So, I went through a serious bout with lung cancer and came out on the other side. I learned many, many things from that experience. Among them, that you truly ARE what you eat and that WHAT we eat (if we don't pay strict attention) is not all that good for us and indeed, may contribute to serious illness in the body that may be totally unnecessary. While I do not believe my cancer was caused by my diet, I do believe that my diet NOW should be the very best it can be, lest I contract some other malady that does me in.

 And so, I had to convert my raised garden bed to a hoop house garden. Why? Well, the summers here are getting to be so hot that things don't grow. Oh, did I mention that organically grown vegetables are significantly higher in vitamins and much more nutrient dense than those grown in a mono-agriculture farm that is over-dosed with fertilizers? THAT, is why I have the raised bed, and the hoop house will allow me to grow stuff for 10 months out of the year, giving me great fresh and wholesome nutrition just a few steps from my door, whenever I want it.

 Now anyone who knows about hoop houses, knows that they are just gardens covered with a poly film to create a kind of hot house environment to extend the seasons when things get frosty and downright cold. Mine has to do double duty. The summers here in Arkansas have gotten so hot that even watering twice a day, the sun just blisters everything. So I built a hoop house on top of my raised garden, but because I am looking to shield the sun I used a garden shade mesh instead of a poly film. In the cooler months I will switch out the mesh for a poly cover and just keep on keepin' on.

 Here are a couple of pictures of the Summer version of the hoop house.

Masking Things Over

The local library got together with a local art therapist and the result was a two day paper mache mask making extravaganza. It was clear that some of us had worked with this medium before, it was a first for me and while it was a lot of fun it was also a little intimidating because everything about it was counter-intuitive for me. We started with a glob of clay and were supposed to make an inverted image of the mask that would be the finished product. I did not take nearly enough clay to produce a mask of any depth, so I ended up fashioning what was to be a sunflower face...

My flat little face made of clay was the form for the paper mache that was glued over the form and then left to dry. Once dry, the mask is removed from the clay form and the painting can begin. Here you see the clay form in the foreground and the paper mache mask in the background.

My friend Carol was having a good time and used some brilliant colors to bring out the features that showed the character in her mask. As we started to finish with the painting and then adding the cloth, nets, feathers, streamers etc., our instructor Joanne Kaminsky went to work creating a head-band that the mask is attached to and is suspended in front of the face instead of being banded right on your face like a Halloween mask. I thought that was pretty cool, it allows for placing the opening for the eyes anywhere instead of right there on each side of the nose. On a very large mask, the eye openings could be in the nose nostrils.

So here is my mask, it turned out looking like a sun-flower-chocolate chip cookie; I guess you have to use your imagination to see the specks as sunflower seeds!

You never know who will show up for these sorts of things. This lady who sat directly opposite me looked SO familiar. It took a while and then it hit me! She was the lady who massaged my sore body after I had fallen off the roof at the Habitat for Humanity project in Lafayette, Louisiana! I guess it doesn't matter what the job is...there is always stress.

Fatima had some very colorful interpretations to include in her mask!

It was a lot of fun and now that I learned a little bit about mask making I have been thinking that maybe...just maybe I would like to try it again! This time with a little more know-how before I start. And so, yesterday, Carol asked if I was interested in trying another mask, she wants to do another and she is recruiting all her friends. Wonder what my imagination will come up with this time?!

Essentials of River Kayakng

The past weekend I was a participant in the annual Arkansas Canoe Club's Recreational School: Essentials of River Kayaking. One might think after having spent so much time on so many rivers that the time spent here was wasted, but that was decidedly not the case. The program is sponsored by an all volunteer club of people who are so dedicated to spending time on the river that virtually no stone was left unturned when it came to instruction.

I thought I would get a jump on the action by inflating my kayak well before it was needed.  I have gotten pretty good at pumping it up, it doesn't leave me exhausted anymore...so I can see that in two short months my strength is getting better and better.

 Actually the rec school was split into two segments: those with kayaks and those with canoes.  The instructional part was something we all listened to.  Here they were showing how one could put airbags into the bow and stern of the canoe so if it turns over, it will not take on as much water as it would otherwise.  I never knew that!

 They discussed various styles of kayaks and the purposes for each...clearly anyone who truly enjoys kayaking will find that they have three or four kayaks in short order, different styles for lakes, rivers, white water and ocean kayaking.

 It was not the boring drill type of instruction, but rather informational presentation with healthy dashes of humor and wit. The program started Friday evening at the Riverview Resort on the Spring River in Northeast Arkansas. Presentations included such things as things to wear for your protection from nasty weather and being tossed from your kayak

How to grab a lifeline that is thrown to you after you have been thrown from your kayak.  This is obviously, NOT the way to grab the line...unless you are thinking of strangling yourself.  See, it is this stuff that you need to know about well in advance of ever actually needing the information!

Saturday, we spent time on a quiet creek tributary learning how to bow paddle, back paddle, sweep paddle, draw. forward, rudder and brace paddle strokes.  Then in was on to the river!

The Spring River is peppered with ledge drop-offs, lots of them, so after a particularly challenging one we gathered on a gravel bar to watch/help the next group coming down the river.  I was pretty glad that my inflatable handled as well as it did without the rudder-fin that helps so much in lake water.

No, we did not actually have to save anyone...here we were just practicing what we learned on Friday night.  Toss the rope, have the person grab it (correctly) and bring them in to shore...it is good to do this once or twice in a non-emergency situation so you know how to respond when every second counts.

Sunday we got all our kayaks to the put in just in time for a serious cloudburst!  So we waited it out.  Twenty minutes later we were on our way for more adventure.

Here is a helmet and paddle...waiting out the storm.  Helmets are very good things to have on rivers where there are lots of rocks, boulders and the possibility of being sloshed out and into rushing water with lots of rock and ledge opportunities.

Here we had just finished a rather challenging ledge followed by a couple of "S" curves with an island in the middle that had to be avoided.  Lots of cross-currents and opportunity to overturn.  Actually, only one person was washed out of the kayak in a non threatening current.

Here is another ledge drop-off that was no problem at all if you hit the right (very small) spot; if the current brought you a little further left or right...well then you got to practice a little.

All in all it was a very fun filled learning experience.  The volunteers were very experienced, patient and there when you needed them.  The group was split into manageable groups with lots of instructors, safetys and a sweep.  No one was ever more than a moment away from help if it was needed.  Even though I have spent a bit of time on the water, I learned a lot and will take a few areas of safety consideration and get equipment to prevent serious injury on fast moving rivers that I don't currently have.

Here is a shot of only our group at the take out point, smiles all around!

But the best news is that since I am still recovering from my chemo treatment, just being able to do this was quite an accomplishment.  I have been exercising and biking a little every day trying to build my strength and being able to 'do' this weekend gives me a lot of encouragement and confidence to go on.

Lamb-A-Poloosa!

So my friend decided to have a Lamb-A-Polooza this year. It is an open house held on her small farm. She has close to 30 Sheep, 1 Chicken and 9 adopted chicks, around 7 Guinea Hens, 1 Ram, 1 Llama at least 2 Geese and several other critters that somehow didn't make it to my inventory of livestock! She invited volunteers from the Circle of Life Hospice organization (where I volunteer) and a bunch of friends. We chatted and snacked but most of all we enjoyed the animals

Actually, it looks like she did a lot of animal enjoying too! If that little lamb doesn't look happy I don't know what does!

She got a reward for being so well-behaved

Here is momma chicken who was brooding on two non-fertile eggs for 3 weeks and then finally a neighbor decided that she needed to offer some chicks for adoption so that Momma chicken could play the role even if the eggs she sat on were not productive!  She seems to be a fine Mommy!

What is a party without chooch the Llama?  He just walks around and makes sure nobody manhandles the lamb-ies.  They all felt so protected.

Sheep, lamb-ies or Llamas, they all come when you have food in your hand.

And a good time was had by all!

Celebrating at the Dentist Office

So, some of you may have noticed that I have be eerily silent for the last five or so months.  That is because immediately after my trip to Death Valley I found out that I had lung cancer, Stage 3a.  The news, which I received while coming out of anesthesia in the recovery room really shocked me. After they removed 70% of my right lung I had three or so weeks of recovery before I started Chemotherapy which lasted for another three months. To say the last five months have been difficult would be an understatement.  But I had my last chemo on February 28th, all my scans last week and the consultation with the Oncologist resulted in a clean bill of health right now.  That is music to my ears.  I am not as strong as I was, but I am doing a lot of stuff that amazes me, given what I have been through.  Everyday is a little better...I just keep working on that.

 Today was teeth cleaning day...chemo can mess with your body and the general condition of your mouth, so I was actually looking forward to it, more so than usual.  but my hygienist, who has been giving me moral support throughout had a little surprise for me today.

 I had called her last week to tell her my good news and she had her work space all decorated in celebration of my good news!  She is such a treasure!

 Streamers and balloons all around.  I had to be careful where I stepped!

 A present, V8 Fusion health drink, party hats and noise-makers...it was almost like New Years Eve!

She is REALLY happy for me!  So am I!

Stay tuned for some fun stuff that I have on tap...I am making every effort to get a lot more of that into my life going forward.

I Want to Change my Major

After all these years I think I finally figured it out... I want to be a professional photographer of Llamas, sheepies and lambs eating out of my hand -- or someone elses'.

c'mon...give me some more

What about me, don't forget me...I've been really good.  Honest!

I would follow you anywhere, anytime...as long as there are nibbles in your pocket!

Llamas, like all the other furry creatures are not particular, they will go to anyone showing love, but mostly anyone showing any kind of food!

Now where did she go this time?  It isn't always about food you know!

I'll Be Back Soon

I will be back soon with tales of survival...
Stay tuned.