Monday May 15th 2023

Ado Annie, ASN, RN · May 15, 2023

Joe, are your zinnias not growing at all? I received 2 packets of flower seeds at church yesterday (Mother's Day). Four o'clocks and nasturtiums. I'll have to find a place to plant them. I also like to be outside (at least as long as I'm not sweating ridiculously or being chewed up by bugs).

Tweety, that sounds like an exhausting shift. Hope today is better.

J22, how was the movie? I read The Book Thief and liked it. Seems that WW2 is fertile ground for a lot of good story-telling. There definitely were a lot of dramatic events, villains, and heroes. And ordinary people caught up in all of it.

Stars, I love Alexander McCall Smith. His writing is amusing and thought-provoking. I haven't kept up with the 2 series that I was at one time reading pretty faithfully -- the #1 Ladies Detective Agency and 44 Scotland Street. Oh, and the Isabelle Dalhousie series, too. I kind of wish the titles were numbered or at least had subtitles like "#14 in the 44 Scotland Street series". I'd like to read them more or less in order and have trouble remembering what I've read and what I haven't.

I finally finished Wuthering Heights and started the book club selection for this month, The Seamstress of New Orleans. We watched the movie A Man Called Otto from the book A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Bachman. Another author whose books I have loved. I spent some time in the office Saturday finishing up things for the Med Staff and Infection Prevention Committee meeting today. Went to church (by myself, since Twin A was working) and sang with the choir. Hubs and I went out to eat in the evening after Twin A got home. Nothing was open in this little berg except Mexican restaurants (which I actually crave, but he is not such a big fan of) so we drove a few miles and went to a barbecue place for smoked brisket sandwiches. They were good, and washed down with a cold bottle of root beer. The drive took us through Noble, and we saw some of the damage from the latest tornadoes. Within a small distance from damage from another recent tornado.

When Hubs first joined me back in Oklahoma, we actually put in an offer on a house near Noble. The offer was accepted but then the bank wouldn't loan us the money (at the last minute) -- this was before we sold the house in Indiana. It was a very frustrating time and we ended up renting until we moved in with my dad after my mom died. We sold the Indiana house about a year after not being able to buy the one in Noble. ANYWAY, during the tornado coverage the other night I kept hearing references to the street that house was on.

I was glad to hear that the wildlife rehab didn't have any damage or other ill effects from the storms. It is in that area as well.

No Stars In My Eyes · May 15, 2023

When we watch the local news, we get our forecast. However, when the Network News comes on and gives their weather report, they always show the places where the weather was REALLY BAD, and poor old Nannie has to be reminded that those weather 'events' happened thousands of miles away from us. Her sense of geography is even worse than mine!

Ado, This is my first Alexander McCall Smith book, and I think it is the second one in the series, so I am already behind when the characters were first introduced.

I once had a patient who had lived in and referred to Oklahoma as "Okla-dammit" because of the propensity for destructive storms.

Nannie is siesta-ing, hubby is out in the Ford, and I have to make a run to the grocery store AGAIN. This time for coffee and toilet paper. It's always sumpthin'! Gotta go now to be able to miss the school bus and shift-change traffic.

Toodles!

Tweety, BSN, RN · May 16, 2023

Good evening.

Overtime shift went well. I had five patients and an empty bed most of the day until I got an admission at 6:40pm. Again. Oh well, we are still making $500 for an extra shift and it will take the sting out of inflation and expenses.

Off for a couple of days.

Editorial Team / Admin · May 16, 2023

Hello to all!

We just returned today from our jaunt to Calico Ghost Town. Stayed in the (VERY rustic) campground with the RV. If you ever need rocks, THAT is the place to go! Actually, we both enjoyed being there. The desert is a world unto itself, and we find it interesting to see its many sides.

We walked up to Calico three times, had breakfast there twice. Mother's Day they served blueberry pancakes, which dh LOVED! I got a nice veggie omelette. Saturday we enjoyed listening to the many bands, for their version of a one-day bluegrass festival. We were disappointed to be the ONLY pickers in the campground, as we hoped there would be more. No matter, we jammed in the evenings anyway. Our friends P and B showed up Thurs thru Sunday and we were able to jam with her.

It was 94-95 during the day, but cooled to VERY nice evenings, with a breeze. We visited with some of the others camping there: one was a rockhound, who showed us large pieces of agate he had found in the hills near Calico. Another talked about a canyon full of petroglyphs nearby, and another canyon near Ft. Irwin, with a one-way loop road through multicolored stone, aptly named Rainbow Canyon. We agreed we would like to explore the area more, only when it wasn't so hot! One of our friends, when we discussed this with him, said he knew lots of cool places to go, in that area, and we kinda agreed to meet up sometime when it's cooler, and take some day trips.

Here are a few photos:

View from a vantage point at the "top" of the town. Note the railway station to the left.

Sitting in our seats on the train, waiting to leave the station for the 8-min loop trip.

Some old cabins and walls still remain, as do several mines and vestiges of crude ore processing. It was a silver producer for about 14 years, then switched to borax for a bit before fading to "ghost town" status. It was purchased by Walter Knott (yes, of Knott's Berry Farm fame) in the 1950's and some of the buildings were restored. He then gifted the land to the County, and it still holds County/Regional Park status.

Anyway, we are home! I still need to unpack, and get the washer going for the linens from the trip.

Our two boys texted me for Mother's Day. They spent it together (oldest flew to visit youngest in Ohio), which was nice. I read two books and am in the middle of a third (a series). I love the Alexander McCall Smith books too! He does have a way with words!

Have a good evening!

Tweety, BSN, RN · May 16, 2023

Great pictures! Glad you had a good weekend!

Editorial Team / Admin · May 16, 2023

Thanks Tweety!

nursej22, MSN, RN · May 16, 2023

Ooh, Dianah, those are neat pictures. Yes, the desert is fascinating and I enjoy visiting, but the heat can be overwhelming. I always wonder how people in the 1800s ever survived.

Gosh, you people with your books put me to shame. I really have trouble finishing a book. The Book Thief movie was quite good. We enjoyed A Man Called Otto, and I had read the book a few years ago.

Oh Tweety, don't you know shift change admits are just a coincidence. not. yes, the extra $$$ should take some sting out, but make sure you take care of yourself!

Meatloaf in a crockpot? That does sound interesting.

It is hot again, today. I jogged early in the day, and actually had one of my better runs. We went over to visit MIL, and ran a few errands. Now I'm hiding in the house until it cools off tonight.

Editorial Team / Admin · May 16, 2023

I would not want to be there in any hotter temps than we experienced. Granted, we had A/C but didn't use it (for reasons I previously posted. Just our weirdness!).

There was a hubbub on Sat afternoon, when someone found a rattlesnake near the campground. They come out at dusk to feed. We weren't aware of the event, were probably in our RV. Apparently they killed it. To me, that's sad. Gotta weigh "that's its home" with "there are lots of campers at risk." It should have been moved away from the campground. But perhaps the County crew were unaware it was found, and they may not have had resources to deal with it (though I'm sure this is not an isolated incident. It is, after all, the desert!).

No Stars In My Eyes · May 16, 2023

Nice pix, dianah!

Braves pitched a shut-out game 12 - 0 over Houston Astros.