It Snowed Here Today!

Snow - not again! Ugh.



Makes going back to the Big Blue Barn that much easier!

Believe it Or Not!

I'm almost back!

However! I'm still at my brother's although Otter Rafting Adventures has been put to bed for the winter season and Otter Pottery is slowly making its way into the building.

I'm following doctor's orders and doing what 'I' want to do.

And that is taking it easy and working on forgetting the kind of summer(?) we had this past rafting season. I keep telling myself - "Look on the bright side! It's over!"

You know - it mostly works too!

At present I am spending my days with my brother - our hands covered with clay as we play at making beads. It's fun! It makes me happy! It makes my brother happy too and that means so much to me there are not sufficient words to cover all of these emotions.

But! I'll be back sooner than later. I must go back to my big blue barn at sometime. The Man would like me to come home sometime too although he told me to stay another week. Just coz! Ya gotta love a man like that!

I'll be back with pics of what I've been working on these past months that I haven't been here!

And - BTW - I've missed you too!

Hey - How's Life?

Precious!

Carpal Tunnel Surgery

I was wondering today if carpal tunnel surgery would actually change your life line if you saw a palm reader. Perhaps that’s a strange idea but when you see the scars you might wonder too.

So here I am with 7 weeks behind me from the first time I knew that knife was cutting into my palm. My right wrist looks pretty good and it has been incredible to feel and see the difference each day makes. 

Surgery March 15/11

I’m still not picking up heavy loads with the right hand nor can I put pressure right on that scar. Eeeeek!

Now take a look at my left wrist -

Surgery April 26/11

It looks (kinda) neat, doesn’t it? You can see a bit of swelling just to the bottom left of the scar. It has been just 6 days from surgery.

As each surgeon is different – and boy was I lucky to get the plastic surgeon I did! – each surgeon has different techniques.

My girlfriend in Ontario had to keep her hand in a brace for 23 out of 24 hours of the day. She did exercises during that 1 hour.

My surgeon wrapped my hand in a tight tensor bandage over the gauze and I left that on for 48 hours. Then I changed that to a bandage and I will wash, then put polysporin on the scar and a bandage over that until I get the stitches out 14 days from the surgery.

Even before I got up off the table, my surgeon had me making a fist and opening it over and over again. He told me the best thing I could do was to exercise it in this manner – and – type!

Today everything works wonderfully and any pains in the site can be controlled with ibuprofen. Eventually I’ll be right back to normal – no numbness or pins and needles and strength once more in my hands. How I look forward to that!

As for the surgery part? It took my surgeon 5 minutes for the surgery and an intern took almost as long to sew me up. I was in and out within 20 minutes.

The worst part? Probably the needle they put in your wrist to freeze everything. But you all know how I’ve been practising with needles in my back – hip – and knee. They do say practise, practise, practise!

And when I go to get the stitches removed, my doctor checks his work by shaking my hand.

How perfect!

Snow Daze!

Yesterday I tried to capture what kind of day we were having here in central Alberta. Please remember the date is – April 14, 2011.

These first set of pictures were taken around 7:40am

These next set of pictures were taken around 10:55am

The following were taken around 1:30pm. As you can see – some of the snow has melted as the temperature rose a few degrees.

And lastly – pictures from around 4:10pm.

Forecast for today?

Currently –6C with thundershowers this afternoon followed by snow this evening and for the next two days.

We Call It – The Grimm Ride!

Last weekend we spent out at Otterville (as we call it) helping my brother (the Otter) with various jobs. This is what we do in the two months before white water rafting begins.

During a much needed break we enjoyed the slightly warmer weather and played with our housemate’s dogs – well – Sam played with his dog Grimm while little Gypsy tried to get in our trailer.

Always ready to try something new, Sam attached his helmet camera to Grimm’s harness.

It’s quite a ride – please enjoy!

Sunrise or Sunset?

Sometimes you just have to open your mind and really ‘see’ what is streaming in to your brain through your eyes.

There are so many beautiful things that we take for granted because we have ‘seen’ them an umpteen millionth time. Yet if we really pay attention then suddenly the beauty that is before you can take your breath away.

I have windows that face east and west and I am blessed with the beauty of each sunrise and sunset. Either one comes to me shining through trees – an image that I can’t describe to do it justice.

I let these colours inspire me and I came up with this wrap bracelet. These are the colours I see before the sunrise and sunset turn to that rosy colour and then on into darker copper…….

(Please click to enlarge – it does make everything look that much nicer!)

  $26