Winter Views

 We are now in my Birthday  Month, February is usually our coldest Month up here in the North Country !

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Looking out back thru the icicle towards the Garage and the Snow roll !!

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The back yard looking at the house ad deck,  we have about a good foot of hard packed snow and ice.  

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Looking at the eves and rain gutter you can see the ice build up so far,  I will wait as this week kt is going up to the 40's and might get some rain, then what's here I will have the Neighbor come over and with the sledge hammer break open some areas 4 foot apart so the water drains !

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The "Snow Curl" coming off the Garage Roof !  It will curl so far then fall hopefully  missing my pathway !

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The Birds are happy I filled the feeder,  we were lucky also as a flock of Evening Grosbeaks came in to feed, we were Blessed to see them as they do not come around that often !   The color is caused as we have Plastic Storm window over the Window and the Sun was directly shining in the front window !

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The eves had some melting snow which dripped down on the flag and water froze !

Everyone stay warm and safe !

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Inside Day 2 *(Cold)

Got up this morning at 5AM and it was - 31 BELOW Zero,  Cold,  Thankfully front part house was toasty warm, Not going anywhere again today so I crawled back in Bed till 8AM  !!!

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I have been in Temps as far as having it in the minus 40 degree s below zero during school back in the 60's !   We didn't close school and I went to a country school till the 5th grade and remember walking to school in sub zero temps, also huddled around the wood stove in school !

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The school was heated with a Pot Belly Wood stove,  the men of the community of Jones Pond paid part of their School Tax by donating a cord of wood cut, split and delivered to the school !

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Well, as this is the 2nd day of not going outside I went to the Kitchen and made my favorite Cookie,  *(Sugar Cookies).  I made 2 dozen cookies, decorated them and have been snacking on them all afternoon !

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I enjoyed making them for us and enjoy eating them more !

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Cleaned dust off and wiped down the Utica Boiler.  The wire Page fence taped to the end is to keep the Cat from crawling up inside the boiler which she did this summer !

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Getting tuned and ready, going down this coming week and play at a Nursing Home with another fella,   should be fun unless they shut it down due to Covid !

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Bitter Cold

Well, "Old Man Winter" and "Mother Nature" had to show us who was in charge !    The Temps have bottomed out, we have a breeze last nite, (Thurs) and it blew in a Cold Canadian Front with drastic frigid Temps !  It is a Dangerous Cold !!!!!

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The worst part is going from Bitter Cold freezing to Snow and Rain and 40 degrees !

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Our 6 PM Weather report for Friday !!

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Right now outside it is 15 Below Zero,  we have stayed inside all day !  My Honey spent the day making a delicious Beef Stew!

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 I rearranged the Pantry as it was nice and warm in the cellar !

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Got the Heater just a cranking and cellar is warming up the floors upstairs,  curtains closed, shades drawn and ready for a nice night snuggled up inside !

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IT;S COLD OUT !!!!

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Check Up Docs !

Well, today was my checkup after surgery  on my ear and Eustachian Tube !

It appears everything is starting to heal up with the ear drops and medications so am happy there !

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Weather today was a bitter wind and this is what we have forecast for our up coming weather !  Like the old saying ----"Baby, Its Cold Outside" !!!!

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After the Doctors we were going to Olive Garden for Lunch but we realized that on Monday Watertown had a Brand Spanking NEW POPEYES !     SO-----------

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I had Chicken, Red Beans and Rice, Biscuits and Root Beer !

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Now to settle in and gonna stay home during this cold snap !

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Suprise Ear Surgery

Well, we had to go to the Hospital Friday morning to ENT, get situated and I was then taken to the Operating Room and had another Tube, *(my 5th one) inserted in my left Ear Drum to drain excess fluid off my Ear Drum.  It's called a "Tympanoplasty" !

.PICTURES ARE FROM THE INTERNET !

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The drainage Tube placed in my left Ear Drum so hope it stays in longer than most of them !  

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Following that surgery I then underwent what they call a Balloon Eustachian Tube "TUBOPLASTY" !  This was done while I was out an unconscious .

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Eustachian tuboplasty is a nasal or transoral endoscopic  procedure requiring general anesthesia. To date, it has started to  be  used only in adults, A laser or microdebrider is used to strip away hypertrophic mucosa and cartilage on the posterior eustachian tube cushion and into an area called the valve to clear obstruction.

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This is how they go thru the Nose and down the sinus into the Throat and up into the Eustachian Tube where they use a saline filled balloon to open up the tube and drain the infection !

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This is part of what they use they get into the Eustachian Tube thru the nose.  There was a Company Rep in the operating room while they did my procedure which started at noon and I was out at 6PM !

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This is almost the same procedure as a Heart Cath except they blow up a Balloon in the tube and hold for 2 minutes.

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Well, I came home the night of my Surgeries, went to bed full of Pain killers.  I now use ear drops 2 times a day and see the surgeon this thrusday  for progress report.  I have an issue with my balance and some soreness but right now, "I CAN HEAR"  way more than I did !

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My Shipmate Jack is home from his adventure !  Check out "Shipslog" at:   Shipslog (shipslog-jack.blogspot.com)

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Puttering around

I have been on 5 days restriction after my Heart Cath,  No Lifting heavier than 5 pounds for 5 days than couple weeks of no bull work !  So I had to find some putter jobs !

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I cleaned the shelves of the Winter Pantry down cellar and took stock of what needs replenishment !

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My Rock Tumbler I got from my Sister in Law !

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I fired up the small Rock Tumbler and have been tumbling Rocks with Grinding .56 Grit, water and some soap for 4 days !

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I stopped the tumbler,  oiled the rollers, wiped down the surfaces,  cleaned the rocks in a black tray and set them out to dry !

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The rocks are New York Granite, some Quartz, and some mixes and after cleaning them and picking out slag they are now back in the Black round tumbler with # 4 Polish, water and soap and and am letting it run a few days 1

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As you can see, Winter is settling back in !  This is the view from my Recliner !

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Squared Away with a Cath

Well, we have been doing good so Far, My Honey just had her Check Up at the Walker Cancer Treatment Center and got a "All Clear" from the Doctor she is Cancer Free still !  I have been having some issues with some Muscle Pains on my upper left side,  well Tuesday Night those Muscle Pains turned out to be Cardiac Issues,  High Pulse, High Blood Pressure SO;  A Call into 911 and Off I go in Ambulance to Carthage Area Hospital,  small little Village Hospital with about 30 Beds and and an Emergency Room where I ended up,  Put on a Nitro Patch, given some Fentanyl  and some tests !

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Quick check on the Heart Monitor showed I was having some AFIB and throwing PVC'S.  You can Google them to find out what they are !

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So in calling the Hospital I usually go to the Dr. found a bed and  I was transported down to Syracuse in a Hour and 15 minute Ambulance Ride to St. Josephs Hospital !

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I was taken right into the Prep room on arrival and gotten scrubbed and ready for another Heart Catherization,  I was going to have a Heart Doctor I had before who had checked me and put in Stents !

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Cardiac catheterization is a procedure in which a thin, flexible tube (catheter) is guided through a blood vessel to the heart to diagnose or treat certain heart conditions, such as clogged arteries or irregular heartbeats. Cardiac catheterization gives doctors important information about the heart muscle, heart valves and blood vessels in the heart.

During cardiac catheterization, doctors can do different heart tests, deliver treatments, or remove a piece of heart tissue for examination. Some heart disease treatments — such as coronary angioplasty and coronary stenting — are done using cardiac catheterization.

Usually, you'll be awake during cardiac catheterization but be given medications to help you relax. 

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This is how they got into the Heart to check my Stents,  Inside they found some Stenosis on 3 of the 14 Stents I have !

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This is what the screen looks like and you can watch the procedure as you are awake for it or they will give you a blindfold.  I watch them do mine !

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The arm they do the Cath on !

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I was brought back to my room and left to recover.

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My Honey came and picked me up and brought me Home where I have 5 days of rest, no lifting with the left arm and take my Medications !

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If I was in Florida I could maybe walk some with Jack around his Park,  Shipslog (shipslog-jack.blogspot.com)  

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We got home and I slept a lot last nite and rested today, Mother Nature gave us about 5 - 6 inches of Snow today and My Honey took care of it with the "Sno Joe" !

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