OUCH ! ! ! !

It is the next day after surgery, and I’m ‘feeling it’ pretty much. Yesterday I had a left side inguinal hernia fixed. Not really too sure how long I’ve had this but have been ‘tucking my gut’ back in way to often since last Spring. During our Harley trip to southern New Mexico in the late summer really reminded me that I needed to get this fixed, and soon. Our insurance is changing at the end of the year because of Geris’ employment changes. The management and/or ownership of the dialysis unit of St. Patrick’s Hospital has changed and will be effective come January. He insurance options and carrier will change at that time, so ‘we’ decided that I should go ahead and get this done before the end of 2010.

I chose the Dr. that came recommended by the majority of professional and non-professionals in our area. Dr. Bellamah did the surgery on the 29th of December in the morning. I did not get the opportunity to speak with the Dr. after the operation, but he did tell Geri the details of the work performed. I guess the hernia had become as large as a fist, and needed a fairly large mesh patch to cover and reinforce the area. I told the Dr. before the surgery that I was going to be wrestling around large Harley-Davidson motorcycles for the foreseeable future, so please make the patch large and strong, and to ‘throw in a few extra stitches’ for good measure!!

Surgery was scheduled for 8:30, and Geri took me home from the hospital around 11:30. Now to wait for the bills to come in!! Ugh~~~.

I have a large ice pack bag given me at the hospital, and Geri picked up my pain meds from the hospital drug store. She took a couple days off from her work to take care of me the first couple of critical days. She is a great nurse, both figuratively and actually. You see, she is a Registered Nurse with St. Patrick’s Hospital, is my loving companion, so I am in the BEST of care.

My med is 325MG tabs of Oxycodone, which I have never taken for pain before. It IS effective, for sure, and really takes the edge off the pain.

Many years ago my old friend Dean had a double hernia surgery, and I remember that he had an infection issue with his, and damned near didn’t survive it. He is long gone now, and I wish he were still around to visit with about this… RIP, brother….

During my initial consultation with Dr. Bellamah, he indicated I would be healing for some stretch of time, and to plan being away from work for a week to three weeks, and that my lifting capabilities would be greatly reduced up to a few months. I work shipping and receiving for my employer, so that will hamper somewhat. It is the slowest time of year for our business, so this is the best time to take off. I know it is going to stretch and strain our finances a bit, but we feel we can handle it.

I am really looking forward to not having to deal with a herniated body come this summer. It will make life so much more productive and relaxed for me.

Meanwhile, I am home in the loving arms of my mate, warm and fed and with LOTS of computer time!!!!

September trip to New Mexico

Geri and I had a great 4600 mmile adventure on the Road Glide through Southwestern Idaho, Reno, NV, the Lake Tahoe region, Yosemite, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Zion Park, Grand Canyon, Monumnet Valley, Medicine Hat, Four Corners then on to Southern New Mexico. Our goal was to stay and visit our friends Doug and Laurie Ream up in the mountains east of Alamagordo, NM.
We had a wonderful trip and may go again in a year or so....

Freezeout Lake Trip

Since Geri’s trip to Freezeout Lake with a group of blind kids and hosts, she thought I would enjoy seeing this spectacle for myself, so we planned a trip up there the following weekend. We left Saturday morning, not too early as we wanted to see the geese fly that afternoon. We had a nice leisurely drive. We stopped at McNamara's Landing for breakfast, but they were closed down, as in since before last December!
We continued on to Lincoln and stopped there for a bite to eat. We continued along Hiway 200 to 4 Corners and headed north on 287. The view of the Rocky Mountain Front from 287 is spectacular and beautiful views of the Rocky Mountains jetting up from the edge of the plains. This area was the prime hunting grounds of the Black Feet Indians for buffalo or the North American Bison.
We drove on up to Choteau and stopped for some ice cream and to stretch our legs. The dinosaur museum area was closed but we took a few photos and walked around the closed buildings.
It was getting along in the afternoon so we headed south towards Fairfield, where we had a room reserved for us at the Fairfield Park Inn.
We arrived at the Freezeout Lake area around 3:00-3:30 and drove the perimeter of the ponds there that the Snow Geese and several other species of birds fly into in the spring and fall on their way to their respective breeding grounds for the summer. We found where most other folks were parked, near a boat launch area on Davis Lake, and watched the birds on the water for quite awhile. Around 4:45 they all flew up and across a short distance into the barley fields. We got in our car and drove the short distance out of the pond area, across the road and out to the fields. We watched the geese cover one of the fields like newly fallen snow. What few cows were out there seemed to view this spectacle with some awe…
We drove south the short 4 miles to Fairfield and checked into the Fairfield Park Inn and stayed in an upstairs room called the Audubon room. It was quite cozy and warm. It was getting on to dinner time so we walked a few blocks down to the local Shorty's Steakhouse & Saloon. We were the only dinner guests there but had the local ‘Surf and Turf special of the evening. Wasn’t bad for a ‘horse and a half’ cow town.
After returning to our room we reviewed the day’s trip and looked at the pictures we had taken. Our plan was to arise well before sun up and get back out to the ponds at Freezeout Lake in time to see the rising of the geese off the water to fly to their morning feeding.

We found the majority of the spectators just off the side of the Hiway (after passing by and driving way past them, almost to Choteau!!!!)
We got out and walked a short distance into a field area near the pond as the geese were just taking off in several groups and flew over us towards the barley fields east of us. The sunrise was just starting to show some color as we walked across the field, the road and railroad tracks. I took several photos and we watched them feed as we stood next to the fence. We saw the Snows, Blues and Ross’s geese peck away at the barley as the rest of the stragglers flew in and landed.
I had my little Sony camera that I was taking some short video clips with when all of a sudden the mob of geese got spooked and they all flew up at once, honking madly as they flew in a big circle over the top of us then a wide sweep into the sunrise and alighting once again in the barley field. What a spectacular view!!!! Very nice video here…
We munched on some bananas, coffee & tea and a couple of big muffins laid out for us at the Inn as we packed our clothes and loaded up the car. We were expected at Geri’s sisters in Great Falls, which was only 30 some miles away. Geri had brought some fresh Montana country eggs she got from a co-worker and intended to give to her sister, Di
(Diane).
We arrived at Diane’s’ and she cooked omelets and toast for us all and we had a nice visit. We left there and stopped at some old friends of mine, Willie and Max Shumate where we had a very nice visit and some coffee.
I wanted to stop at the local Harley dealer before they closed at 4PM and we did so, just a half hour before. We didn’t by anything there but I wanted to look at their boots and the new bikes.
Geri and I got some fast food and headed back towards the Fairfield area and on up to East Glacier, Montana. We got ourselves a room there at the Dancing Bears Motel, room 1. The power to the town went out sometime during the night, and after we got up the next morning, the phone started ringing. I answered and the voice on the other end was NOT room service, but a caller from somewhere asking to speak to Joe. I told him Joe was not at this number and hung up. The phone rang again but we did not answer it. We packed up getting ready to leave and the phone rang again, several different times, but we ignored it.
When we checked out at the dark office, I mentioned to the proprietor that the phone rang several times and he explained that particular phone was the only one that works during a power outage….!!!!
We couldn’t get any coffee right away and we headed out of town towards West Glacier. We stopped at the Isaac Walton Inn for breakfast and to look around a little as we have never been here before. Unique place with lots of railroad history. The food was very good. The place is a little pricy to stay at as they have several cabooses and converted GN 441 Luxury Locomotive that you can rent to stay in besides the rooms in the main building.
From here we traveled through West Glacier, Hungry Horse then headed south through the Flathead valley then on home to Missoula.
We were glad to have the time to take this trip and also glad we made it home safe and sound back with out kitty again.