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Hello everyone. After a visit to an Emergency Vet so Jasper could get his foot treated, we are on the move again to a remote little town called Great Lakes. It's hard writing while travelling so maybe I will get back here later.0
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We arrived in Great Lakes and are in one of the four parking spots that has power, water and a drain. There's a dump point somewhere nearby that you have to drive to. There's a pub with meals here so we are going out for dinner. Lyn and Greg have gone in an opposite direction to us, covering some areas that we have already seen. We'll meet up again in two weeks so we can catch the Spirit back to the Mainland together.
The day started with a visit to an Emergency Vet's in Huonville. We discovered Jasper had snapped a dew claw and he wouldn't let us near him. The Vet was kind and efficient and the snapped claw was taken off very quickly. He yelped and I cried though! Now he is feeling much better and is sporting a pretty bandage till tonight. We have antibiotics and anti inflammatories for him to take for three days, and the claw may grow back thicker or twisted, but that's for us to wait and see.
The drive was otherwise uneventful and we saw beautiful places. It's very remote here. There is a lake nearby.
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Thank you Linda, for the Heads up with this new member who was checking us out. I will have a look and see if we can encourage them to join our Team. Thankful you have escaped getting sick, looks like your immune system is building up properties to keep you strong and well!
My weekend began in excitement having my Grandson Logan competing in Archery at the Winter Games in Quesnel, BC. He is 14 and qualified to participate this year. The whole family went and he did well and had a great experience and meeting up with new friends who share in this sport they love. No medals but such a great experience to qualify with such good stats that allowed him to be there. The weather was very stormy and coming home the Bus that was bringing the coaches Chaperones home got stuck on the highway with downed wires. It was heavy wind and heaps of snow. My daughter got called at 9:30pm saying the bus had been rerouted to another highway and they would be delayed for a few hours. She asked me to pray, God intervened and protected them all, they started out at 12 Noon Sunday and Logan got home safely at 2:00am Monday morning. 14 hours on the bus but Praise God they were all safe!
Susan, thinking of you as you are travelling, praying for you, thanks again for all those awesome pictures you shared. I left comments earlier Sunday.
I am really tired as up so late but so very thankful my Grandson got home safe and sound. Hod is Good! 🙏✝️❤️0 -
Susan - I am sorry about Jasper's dew claw. I was thinking at first that it was his cut on his foot that was the problem. That is a very cute bandage! I hope he does not try to take it off. Prayers that it heals well and this is the last of the injuries anyone has. Two more weeks and you will be going home. Such a fun trip we have had with you! I have learned so much about the countryside you are seeing and the history involved.
Judith - it is wonderful that your grandson was able to compete in the Winter Games. At his age this is very impressive. You said the "family" went to watch him. Did you go too or just his immediate family? It is scary that their bus needed to be rerouted. That must have been the same windstorm we had a few days go. I don't think we had power lines down but I was afraid we might loose some tree branches.
Glenn did his class early this morning and it went well. He was only supposed to talk 30 minutes but he went over to 50 minutes. He always prepares too much material but it is so much that he feels it very important to know. He got up at 4:30am then came back to bed for a few more hours of sleep. I heard the alarm but stayed warm in my cozy bed while he was up talking.1 -
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Hello all. It's a beautiful day here at Miena.
Great thought, Marilyn.
Linda, good to see everything went well yesterday. Yes, in two weeks we leave Tasmania but we aren't going home.e then. We're heading to South Australia. Our original plan was to be travelling for six months to a year. We left in October, so we'll see how long we last on the road. Jasper left his bandage on, thankfully. I took it off for him last night and he cleaned it all up. The Vet just wanted to.e for the antibiotic cream to work for him.
Judith, how wonderful about your grandson Logan! Glad his journey was not too scary in the end. Congratulations to him. Thank you for praying for us as we travel. I did see your comments yesterday. Thank you for them too. I was just unable to type.ling on a bouncy road.
Today we return to the Devonport area via Deloraine, the artsy crafty town. I doubt we will stop there as we are towing, but it will be nice to see it again, however briefly.
The lake next to the Great Lake Hotel, from the hotel dining room. :
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The weather was good over the mountains so we left today to come back to Grand Junction. The roads were good but the main tunnel under the mountain at the contenental divide was having trouble with their power. Some of the lights were working but some of the tunnel was very dark. We were hoping that the ventilation system was working so the fuel fumes were being taken out. We did not smell anything bad so I assume it was working. That could get dangerous if the exhaust fumes would build up in the tunnel.
Our guests left us with a gift of an air plant in a cute blown glass container. I have never had an air plant so this should be interesting. It is a tropical plant that likes lots of humidity. Since we are in a desert area, I will need to be misting it often to keep it happy. I amy have to take it with us when we travel or hope for the best when we are gone.1 -
Linda, that sounds like a Tillandsia plant. There are many varieties. I tend to overwater them and they die! Lol! Maybe you can find an example of it online and get some advice about what to do for it there. Oh, the tunnel sounds not so good. Glad you got through it alright.
Marilyn, I think you would be doing a lot of that. Cheering for you.
Judith, hope you are alright.
We arrived in Railton yesterday and it's a comfortable spot to be parked in. Today we're doing maintenance and repairs and cleaning, and getting groceries. Yesterday we drove through mountains trains and got behind a logging truck on a bend, steep road. Glad that's over.
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Hello Everyone
Thanks for asking after me, after being up all night, or should I say most of it when Logan was stranded in the snow storm and power lines down, by the time the bus had to take them another way he and Team didn’t get home until 2:00am Monday morning. I guess lack of sleep caught up with me and I didn’t feel so good, mega pain and heaps of nausea and my bowel acting up. So I didn’t get to team yesterday, so sorry about that.
Susan, So sorry about Jasper with his dew claw, the picture of the boys is so cute, and the bandage is so sweet, a red heart. Sending Jasper a Hug from “auntie” Judith! 🤗❤️ The pictures of the place you were staying and drive through mountains looked a little treacherous!
Linda, the air plant is one I have never heard of before. So thoughtful of your guests to leave it for you. Not sure I would like the tunnel you went through. Sounds scary! Stay safe Linda.
I am at the hospital tomorrow for my follow up with Surgeon and more procedures. These treatment days are not so pleasant but know the excess growth has to come off or I will be dealing with much more problems. Will let you know when I am back tomorrow evening.
I am posting new Team Goals for us that we begin Friday March 1, 2024. Hard to believe February has sped on by like it has!
God Bless you all! 🙏🤗0 -
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Marilyn - this is so true. I used to be in a group called FLY lady. It was "finally loving yourself" and her moto was to take everything in "baby steps". Even if you only accomplish one thing, it is something that is done. Each day doing baby steps accomplishes a lot in a month.
Susan - I have been on those treacherous type roads and they are not pleasant! Some of the mountain roads here are so narrow that there is only room for one car on the whole road. If you meet someone, the person going up has the right of way so the other person had to drive off the road on the small shoulder to let the other person pass. The small shoulder may be on a high slope too so it can be scary. These are not roads with cliffs over the side but roads in the mountains with lots of rocks on the sides. Some times, I would just close my eyes and pray as we pulled off. Glenn did not mind at all but I was not raised on that type of road so it was not fun for me.
Judith - praying for a good appointment tomorrow. I know it can be difficult so I will pray extra hard for you. I am sorry you have had a difficult time the last few days with pain, nausea and GI problems. It is so good to hear from you but we understand if you need to take some days off.
We have people coming over in 25 minutes so I must get ready for them. It is good to be back "home" where it is quiet! I love my daughter's dog but she can get a little crazy and loud sometimes. 😊1 -
Good morning.
Linda, yes, you know the kind of roads I was talking about but it had rocks AND steep drops. I was glad we finished it. The logging truck had to pull into the other lane to go around sharp bends and I don't know if he could see the oncoming traffic. His back trailer often swung into the other lane as well. I held my breat a lot as we were also towing. It could have been disastrous but we all made it. Enjoy your quiet time and also your visitors.
Marilyn, yes! Just keep doing something positive every single day.
Judith, I echo Linda in understanding you have good and bad days. It's always good when you can chat but if that can't be every day, then so be it. I hope your appointment is over and you are resting and recovering now. 🙏 You will be happy to hear Jasper is feeling pretty chipper now. I will let his poor broken nail grow out a bit before I try to smooth it out for him.
Today I am staying at the van. I need to make a birthday card for my 2yo granddaughter. Maybe it can happen today? Colin is trying to get some physio in Devonport.
Meanwhile, Railton is known as a Topiary town. Here's some examples of their topiaries.
Main street spirals:
A rabbit I think? At a petrol station.
War memorial figures of service personnel:
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Marilyn - yes we need to keep our eyes open to see the miracles that are done in our daily walk.
Susan - the topiary pictures are very interesting. I assume there are some type of support for them to grow like that. It would take an artist's mind to visualize them before they start. I hope you got your birthday card made for your granddaughter yesterday. I'm sure she will treasure it much more than just a card bought from a store when she is older.
Judith - Prayers for healing after your procedures at your doctor's office. We are here supporting you from afar.1 -
Linda, the topiary sculptures are made by creating a wire cage for the shape you want, placing it over a young plant, then you trim everything off that doesn't grow inside the wire shape. They seem to use fast growing Privet and Box hedge plants to do this. I didn't get my granddaughter's card made yesterday. Time got away from me. I did cook so we have a meal already prepared for tonight, so maybe later this afternoon?
Marilyn, God showers us with blessings every day. They are miracles to me!
Judith, thinking of you after yesterday's medical ordeal. Gentle hugs.
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Good Morning Everyone,
I came here earlier on Friday, March 1st and started the Threads for March and filled in Fridays Post for each one. Now it’s March 2nd 12:14am
I had my appointment on Thursday and it took me most of Friday to wind down. I also had another Medical Follow-up Friday afternoon at 3:00pm which gave me a lot to process.
I will come back later today and will fill you in with all that is going on.
I have another Follow up with my Surgeon in 3 weeks and more tests.
Thank you for your prayers and for your love care and friendship in which I thank God! 🙏❤️🤗0 -
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Marilyn - very true statement.
Susan - thanks for the explaination of the topiaries. With the wire cage, it would be much easier to keep the plants upright in the strange positions it is put in. It reminds me of Bonsai trees that are famous in Japan. They start with very youngs trees because they are easier to bend and twist into the shapes they need.
Judith - some hard things to process from your doctor's appointment for sure. I pray that they will get you into the specialist you need. Since they trimmed all the excess skin, is that part done or will they need to do that again? That sounds very painful to me. I pray God gives you strength to endure what is needed and wisdom for the doctors.1 -
Linda, yes, Bonsai trees are fascinating too. I believe the gardener uses wires to help shape the plant, and they are eventually removed. There is a lot of careful root and branch trimming. I always think of Mr Miyagi in Karate Kid when I think of Bonsais!
Marilyn, yes, that's often true.
Judith, I will go look for your update once I finish typing here. It sounds like you had another very challenging day. I'm so sorry you are having to go through all this. I pray for the Drs to have wisdom and compassion for you and for you to have strength and endurance to heal. Hugs.
Not much is happening here today. It's very windy so we brought in our mats and awning. I trimmed and brushed the dogs. I still want to get to my craft supplies but there are three bodies on our bed sleeping. Guess where my craft supplies are? Under the bed!
PS Yes, Colin does wash his feet, but the old sheet on our bed protects it from him AND the dogs. In his defence, Colin works a lot keeping our water supply going, dumping the gray/black water and putting down or taking up mats etc, all in the dirt. Lol!
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Evening Hello All
Marilyn, yes indeed a very true and profound statement you shared here. Thanks for sharing.
Linda, it seems your weather is about the same as we are having here in BC. For several days we have had Wind Gusts and the Wind has pulled the bottom part of the Tarp we have that is covering my furniture my Son in law wraps around all my outdoor furniture. First time this year it has come lose with the Wind Storms we’ve had this winter. I love the Bonsai Trees you speak of that are famous in Japan. I’d love to have one in my yard. Linda you also asked about my face and lips with the removal of excess skin if this procedure needs ongoing care. Yes it does, as fast as it is removed it comes back again with a vengeance! And it’s not comfortable. It needs removing as with Cancerous disease it is subject to spreading to other parts of the body of it is left!
Susan, I love the picture of Colin and the “Boys” sleeping on the bed, so sweet. Yes, when one is working outside in the dirt does stain the feet toes and fingers. Sounds like you are having weather like mine with the gusts of wind. My tarp that covers the outdoor furniture has been blowing around a lot even with heavy rope wrapped around tight. The Wind Gusts 💨 have been brutal this year for us, glad you got your mats up so they are not damaged. Thank you for your prayers regarding me getting into see my Specialist. I wasn’t expecting this situation with the pooling and bubbling of excess skin could be a rare cancer forming. I will keep you posted on what happens now.
Have a Blessed Sunday and enjoy your Sunday Services and Family time! Love and God Bless you all! ✝️🙏📖❤️0 -
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Susan - Colin's feet look great to me. I love to go barefoot in the Summer and my feet look the same. I had an uncle that used to go barefoot in the snow. My Mom said he built up callouses really thick so he did not feel the cold. I do not go that far - I do wear shoes outside in the winter. Most of the time inside, I am wearing just socks on my feet.
We are having people over for church service today. We are meeting at 2 inthe afternoon so we are just having snacks. I am making hummus and having carrots, celery, cucumber and pita chips to dip. I'm not sure what other people are brining. Our neighbors are planning to come if everyone is feeling well. I think I asked for prayers for their son, Abe, a while ago. He had colon cancer that was cured with surgery but is now facing complications from his radiation treatments he had. It is causing scar tissue to build up in what is left from his intestine causing blockages and fistulas and he can not eat. He has to been on IV feedings for 14 hours per day. He is also in severe pain so his parents don't know from day to day what he will need from them.
After all the heavy wind yesterday, I woke up to 2 inches of snow. The roads are fine and the white blanket of snow on the shrubbery and grass are so pretty. We do need the moisture!1 -
Linda, your uncle was amazing! I cannot imagine walking barefoot in the snow. I will go barefoot on grass sometimes and of course in the house/van but I wear shoes (and sometimes socks) most of the time outside. Hope your church service is blessed. Yes, I do remember you asking prayer for Abe. So sorry he is still suffering and his folks must feel so helpless at times. 🙏 Will remember him in my prayers. My sister's friends ( that are like family) just lost their 35yo son Matthew to a brain tumour that wasn't cancerous but was unable to be removed. He left a young family. Everyone is devastated for his parents, wife and children. It's hard to go through these things. Matthew was saved but had drifted from church. We're praying his family would draw closer to the Lord...
Marilyn, I love the hope we have in the Lord. Such blessed hope! We're even saved by hope. Our old Pastor carved that verse (saved by hope) into a wood piece for us when we left his area in 2008. I keep it on display at home and often have it in my mind.
Judith, yes, our days of gusty winds did sound similar yesterday. The majority of Tasmania (it's the size of Ohio) had strong winds and everyone was encouraged to stay indoors. We were glad to. Hope you didn't lose your tarp! I am keeping up prayers about your Specialist appointments 🙏 Yes, let us all know what happens. It's good that they know the skin bubbling and pooling could be caused by a cancer but you need more answers. The Lord bless and keep you, and give you strength. Amen.
Today the weather is bright, clear, cool and much more still. Our friends re join us this afternoon. I'm enjoying my peaceful morning for now.1 -
Amen Marilyn, Miracles do happen, Praise God!
Linda, hope your church service is blessed and hope everyone enjoys the finger food you prepared. I always loved Hummus with crackers fresh veggies and we also cut up fresh mushroom with the other veggies. You mentioned snow, it does look pretty on the trees and shrubbery! And speaking of snow, it’s snowing here. And it’s 1 degree Celsius out there. So cold!
Susan, my sincere condolences to you and your Sisters friends who lost their 35 year held son! I am so sorry, my prayers are with the family! Thank you for your prayers, so appreciated. We sure have had a lot of gusty wind but now it’s snowing out! My tarp has stayed intact thankfully.
Today my Daughter and family came for a visit and I gave Darren my son in law his gift and card. It was good seeing my family. My son said they have snow in their community like we do!
Will say good night 😴 and God Bless you0 -
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We woke up to two more inches of snow this morning but it has about all melted off by now. I wish it woudl snow during the day so I could see the flakes. I do appeciate the moisture but I love to see the actual snowing.
Susan - I watched a nature show last night about the Australian brush fires and the people who rescue the animals and keep them in a sanctuary until they are safe to let out in to the brush again. They were working with flying foxes (look like bats to me), Kangaroo and Koala bears. The Koala's were so cute and cuddly looking. I was amazed at how fast they could climb the trees. My prayers are also with Matthew's family and your family as you all grieve the loss of this young man. I also pray that there will be good things come from this such as drawing everyone close to God.
Judith - I am so glad your family could come visit. Do they live close? Yes, the snacks were good at the church meeting. The things the kids liked most though were the mozzarella sticks that were covered with batter and baked. I am sure the calories were doubled with the coating. My hummus was not as exciting but that is OK with me because it gives me more to eat with vegetables when I am hungry.
Marilyn - thank for the thought provoking sayings. It is true that what we are speaks a lot about what what is important to us. People make judgements all the time.
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Linda and Judith, thank you for praying about Matthew. We had all known him since birth...
Linda, yes, Flying Foxes are bats. People either live them or hate them. They are I telligent snd affectionate if given a chance, but also raucously noisy and destructive and smelly.ots of people do nature conservation anf rehabilitation here. Bush fires are the norm in summer. Especially when many are deliberately lit. Glad to hear your gathering went well. The battered cheese sticks sound so good..
Marilyn, that's an I teresting way to thi k zbout us. Makes me feel bit like a walking business. Lol! I guess we are.
Judith, it was lovely to hear you had a family visit in spite of the cold weather. Glad it isn't quite so windy. Will continue to pray about your health. Hugs.
It's a rest day for me today. I'm glad of it.
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Marilyn, thank you again for a great thought, and yes, it’s true wherever we go, what we say and many a times what we don’t say as our lives are a living testimony! Jesus in us the Hope of Glory!
Linda, hummus and veggies were always my favourite snack, you will enjoy! Your Mozzarella sticks sound so yummy, if I were able to eat that kind of food I’d eat the “whole” plate. Hehe, maybe a little exaggerating on my part, but you get the picture. So so good! 😋😋😋 Like you I love watching the snow come down, so pretty on the trees and over the ground. We had snow last night and tonight forecast say more. It’s been cold here too. You asked if my daughter lived nearby. Yes just in the next district from me, I am about 25 minutes drive away. My son lives the furthest away about 2 or 3 hours drive away.
Susan, thank you for sharing about the flying foxes (Bats) I didn’t know their temperament was like that. When I think of a bat last thing I would put a label of affectionate to it, that’s amazing. I guess they are intelligent by observing all their antics but I sure learned a lot today finding out they can be affectionate given a chance. We here in BC can identify with your Bush Fires as we have so many Forest Fires every year. And we have Wild Life who pick up stranded injured animals and keep them in safe places until they are nursed back to health.
It’s getting late so will say good night and God Bless, sleep well, see you all tomorrow. 🙏😴🤗0 -
Today was my weigh in - 234.8 This means I am down 5 pounds since the year began so am on track.
Still waiting to hear from hospital to when I have my operation = hopefully will hear by Wednesday. I can't feel the fistuala so am concerned about that but otherwise fine - cold just about gone.
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