Late summer is getting hot

Today's projected heat in our area

I saw this graphic on my New York Times page, which shows the temperatures in my area, north to British Columbia, and south to Oregon. All that dark red stuff is on the east side of the Cascades, which always gets much hotter than over here on the western side, where the ocean breezes moderate our weather much of the time. (We live almost right under the "77" near the border.) When I walked to the bus this morning, it was actually cool enough for a jacket, but by the time John dropped me off at the Cornwall garden to start my journey home, it felt almost, well, warm.

I have a pretty full life, at least for an old retired person, and the only day during the week that I don't have an appointment for something is Tuesday. And since the Senior Center (as well as the buses not running yesterday) meant no Monday yoga, I'll have to wait until tomorrow for the Wednesday class. I sure feel better when I get stretched and tuned up.

I am finally through the whole procedure to remove that skin cancer, so I washed all my clothes that still had some vaseline residue from two weeks of constant slathering of it onto my neck. Now I'm back to my new normal, no more cancer, no more stitches. 

One thing I've noticed is that I am no longer feeling sorry about not hiking with the Trailblazers any more. I read about their adventures weekly, and I am glad that I've done these hikes often enough that I know exactly what they're doing. Now that I am just reading about and not actually doing them, I feel quite pleased that I have moved into another new phase of life. 

Sure is pretty and hello to Mt Baker

There are many things that I miss, but probably the hardest is that I can no longer appreciate the pictures of these places like I once did. My failing eyesight means that a picture is no longer just something I can take for granted, since the lack of depth perception means I often see something different than the real thing. And my ability to hike long, hard distances is fading fast. I suppose that's to be expected, since your body wants to do what it always did before, and I can't keep up any more. So, in a way it's a blessing to settle into my easy chair (not wanting to miss being outdoors I do some walking every day) and enjoy resting on my laurels. What does that mean, exactly? Well, the AI that comes up when I look for the meaning is:

To "rest on one's laurels" means to be satisfied with past successes and achievements, to the point of stopping any further effort or striving for new accomplishments, often leading to complacency. The phrase uses the ancient Greek and Roman tradition of awarding laurel wreaths to victors, symbolizing honor and accomplishment. 

Ha! I guess it's all right, then, if this octogenarian enjoys her retirement from reaching any new goals and pops on her many laurel wreaths and sighs with contentment.

:-)

Flowering into spring

Magnolia blossoms

Walking home from my trip to the coffee shop this morning, I caught these magnolia blossoms looking quite lovely. There is another plant in bloom in the foreground, but I'm not sure at all what it is. At first I thought it was Oregon grape, but there are no open flowers to help me identify it. I know about the magnolia blossoms, though. They are out all over town, and I looked for a better picture, but realized that this will do well enough. Everywhere around town, there are flowers coming out to greet the longer days.

I also wondered the other day where the song sparrows were, since I hadn't yet heard their unique song. And then they were everywhere, serenading me while I am out and about. So, not only there are massive amounts of flowers to enjoy, the sound of various birds thrills me, too. I can no longer pretend spring isn't here!

I spent my time at the coffee shop enjoying my double Americano and a nice marion-berry scone. After playing the usual games on my laptop, and reading the news of the day, I briefly thought about joining the easier of the two walks with the Senior Trailblazers, but when I walked out to head to the Senior Center, it was raining. Again. Instead, I caught the bus home and took that picture in order to have something to liven up my post. I've got very little to write about, but after struggling to get going, you'll just have to be happy with a low-key, rather humdrum chronicle of my Tuesday. Tomorrow I've got a yoga class, and Thursday I'll be back at my usual volunteer lunchroom duties, and then I've got a massage scheduled for Friday. So it's not anything much, but it's all I've got today.

And then next Tuesday will be taken up with the scheduled eye jab. I can't help but think about it when it gets this close, and then I have to wait for hours after the injection before eyesight returns to what passes for "normal" these days. At least I still have my left eye's central vision and pray that remains for a while longer. It's still there, for now. Fingers crossed.

:-)

Visit by a pesky bug

Wild garden

Across the street from my apartment complex is a lovely wild garden, which always looks beautiful during the month of June. I was walking home from the bus today when I saw these pretty flowers showing off. Since I am not hiking today, I took this to grace the top of my post.

I had such a good time on Tuesday, but I thought I was feeling a bit more tired than I should have been, and then wondered if I was imagining it, or was my throat feeling a little scratchy? In the middle of the night, I woke with a very sore throat, no imagining it at all. I sent a text to my acupuncturist to reschedule my appointment for yesterday, no point in spreading something to others.

Today my throat is somewhat better, but nowhere near normal. I did a couple of Covid tests and both came up negative. I also have an upset stomach, no appetite and loose bowels, so whatever it is that I caught might not be Covid but is probably contagious. When I went to bed last night, I had decided that I wouldn't be going on the hike with the Senior Trailblazers today. In any event, I did feel much better when I woke this morning, so I did my exercises, walked the half-mile to the bus stop, and went off to the coffee shop. I just needed to do something other than lie around all day. 

But when I got there, having expended a minimal amount of energy, I knew I was still suffering from whatever this bug is. I stayed masked except when I took a sip or two, and then I visited the bathroom before taking a bus back home. My plan when I set out was to do my usual three-mile walk home, but I truly didn't feel up to it. I now have just over 5,000 steps for the day, and that will have to do. Still not much appetite, but I did enjoy a salad for lunch. I couldn't tell whether I was feeling hungry or not, but it stayed down and hasn't triggered any bathroom shenanigans. 

So, I am betwixt and between, it seems: not really sick but not really well, either. I don't have a fever, no runny nose, just tired and a very sore throat. I'm up to date with all my shots, so it's possible I'm having something that isn't too bad because of a vaccine. Who knows? I will keep a low profile for the rest of the day, and will look forward to hearing about what I missed out on. 

The second eye jab (this time in the left eye) on Monday was not as bad as the first, but there's no way I can pretend that it's not a wee bit traumatic to have a long needle stuck in one's eye. If it does the trick and slows the atrophy so that I can continue to read and write, I will be very, very happy indeed. Time will tell.

:-)

Fall is in the air

Falling leaves and overcast skies

 We are definitely seeing the first signs of fall around here, including nice cool weather (I think the high temperature yesterday was 68°F (20°C), but already today (Thursday) it's much warmer. And the picture I show here was taken two days ago; you can already see that the leaves are beginning to fall.

Today I decided once again to skip the long drive for the Thursday hike, since I had such a nice time on Tuesday and didn't feel the need to drive two hours each way for a four- or five-hour-long hike. Plus I woke this morning to another orange sun, although the air quality is in the good range, there is a lot of smoke in the air from distant fires in British Columbia and even a few here as well.

Yesterday I went to a Senior Center monthly meeting, my first time in what is called a "low vision" support group. It made me thankful for the sight I still have, and now I'm beginning to understand what I still have to deal with in the future. Most of the people in the group are suffering from macular degeneration, as I do, or with side effects from strokes. Most of these people use a cane and no longer drive. Next month we will have a speaker from WTA (Whatcom Transit Authority) to find out about special transit and, for those who don't already use it, the regular bus schedules that are offered seven days a week.

I've been using the bus system for years now, since once you reach 75, you receive a "gold card" that allows you to ride for free. Those over 65 but under 75 pay half fare, and those with disabilities have other arrangements as well. I'll learn more next month, but I am feeling very glad to have others to talk with about how they manage, and what's available for those with vision impairments of all kinds.

Right now I am able to function quite normally, and I even drive short distances in bright sunlight. I'm able to use a regular laptop and my iPad normally. I use my Kindle and readers to see larger print, but I need to take breaks often, as my eyes get tired very quickly. After a few minutes of rest, I can pick up a book and continue reading. Gone are the days when I could read for hours at a time and never even notice a problem. I do notice that computer screens are easiest for me to use, since the type is illuminated from behind the letters, and that makes all the difference. It was fascinating to see how others have adjusted to their diminishing sight. And it was encouraging to learn about what options are available to us as we age.

It also makes me very happy that the one ability that doesn't seem to have diminished is my ability to think, write, and contemplate. That doesn't mean I am as mentally sharp today as I was twenty or thirty years ago, but then again, I am doing everything I can to eat right, exercise, and use my brain in new ways. I've learned how to solve sudoku puzzles lately, and although I can't say it's fun exactly, I sure do like the feeling of accomplishment when I've completed one. And of course I love Wordle and play it every day. How about you? Are you enjoying stretching that aging brain? If so, what tricks do you have that you're willing to share?

:-)