Good afternoon!
Finally getting some coffee today...need it because I am "whupped". We left Thursday morning on our camping trip but just went to the wildlife refuge about 20 miles from home. I believe God brought us the idea to change to that last-minute, because Saturday afternoon Earl got a text that our old lady kitty, Simba, was very ill. Maddy and I came home that night and picked her up. She was pretty stiff and very pitiful. We are thinking she may have had a stroke, based on her symptoms. Constantly dilated pupils (improving), can't walk, wasn't eating or drinking at first but is now with help, low potassium levels, low body temperature (can't regulate it well), and so on. We know she has improved since we got home, but didn't see her the first 24 hours (no reception where we were camping) to see how bad she was. I have an appointment to take her in tomorrow and will see what the vet things. Obviously, we won't make her suffer if she can't walk eventually, but since she seems to have improved a lot so far we want to give her the chance and help to hopefully recover.
Anyway, in between there, while we were gone, I went out Friday and helped more with the trail work. The area we were working on had a lot of erosion damage, so we were filling in areas and sorting and hauling rocks for that. I'd have super great shoulder muscles if I did this stuff often, lol. Saturday, I went hiking again with the gal here from Maine and our friend Mrs. Teddy. We went off trail for that, only 3 miles but a HARD 3 miles, steep uphill and very steep descent. My thighs and glutes were letting me know about it the next day. We went up Mt. Lincoln to see the old Bonanza mine, one of the larger mines that was in this area in it's day.
Yesterday, I went back out to the campsite while Maddy stayed with Simba. Earl decided to go ahead and pack up and come home and we did that while I was there. I think it was the best move. Today has involved lots of laundry. Got the camping dishes and stuff washed thoroughly so they can be packed away again. A friend of our family had been given $250 in gift cards to Chick Fil A (he gets this kind of stuff a lot in his job) and gave each of the seven of us a $10 one. So, we went and used some of those for lunch out today. What a fun treat! I LOVE their Cobb salad with avocado lime Ranch. Mmm. It was not in the budget to eat out, so remembering those was wonderful timing.
Dinner tonight is grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup (Campbell's) that we didn't get around to eating on our campout. And we'll use the last of the S'mores ingredients and make them in the oven. Kids go back to school tomorrow, and Earl to work.
Mandy, I also love the hat. I've been looking at hats more now that I have really short hair.
Catherine
