Say, what???

I got my new hearing aids on Wednesday from America Hears (http://www.americahears.com/). I chose the FreedomAD LOF style. (http://www.americahears.com/Products/FreedomLOF.shtml).

As of today, their pricing structure went up so I got mine prior to this. I have a 60 day trial period so I can return them for 100% credit including the shipping, if I choose to do so.
These are actually the style of digital hearing aid that was recommended to me by an audiologist that tested my hearing back in February at Miracle Ear here in Missoula (open fit, behind the ear). They were asking $2500 for each of their recommended hearing aid and I thought that was a lot of money (yes, it REALLY is a lot of money...!!!). Instead, I chose to try a couple of analog units I found online at Lloyds hearing (http://lloydhearingaid.com/) for $280 each, and these fit inside the ear that completely plugs the ear canal. They were NOT a good fit and not enough features for my various environments day-to-day. Yes, I chose them because of the PRICE and not because of the FUNCTION! I sent them back for refund after about 2 weeks, then did not follow up on something else until now.

Geri provided me with more incentive to 'get 'er done' and get another more suitable pair to get my hearing back where it should be. She reminded me that the longer I took to get my hearing corrected that it would only make it harder for my hearing to BE corrected back to where it should be.
I did a ton of research online including reading and participating on hearing aid forums with other like-minded individuals. The conclusions I came to were that the America Hears instruments were well worth trying out with little or no risk to my health or pocketbook. In fact, my hearing would improve.
Since my last hearing test was over 6 months ago, I went in to Miracle Ear and got retested so I could send a current audiogram in to America Hears. The audiologist at Miracle Ear is actually the father of one of my co-workers at Big Sky Motorsports! As before, he was extremely thorough in his exam, and in fact, I was in and out of the little sound proof booth several times as he got deeper into the testing. He conducted all the usual tests for hearing loss including a couple of different speech and word recognition tests. We spoke at great length of my loss and how to correct it, including my apprehension at choosing a local hearing aid provider instead of purchasing over the internet. He presented me with a pair of Miracle Ear HA's (Hearing Aids) to listen through, and I could tell a difference right away. He was additionally helpful even though I told him my reason for getting retested and that I intended to try the HA's from America Hears, from the Internet. He was quite curios about these aids and I told him I would share with him information on them, how and if they worked for me.
A bigger part of the reason I chose the open fit, behind the ear HA's from America Hears is that I can adjust them myself with the provided software and cables they give you with these HA's. There are many options for me with these in that I can adjust them myself -OR- have the company adjust them over the internet -OR- they send me a new profile that I can download and reprogram the HA's myself. The software program that comes with these allows FULL programming tweaking in 32 channels on 4 different programs.

I also have the help of several of those individuals from the Hearing Aid Forums (http://www.hearingaidforums.com/) that have the same HA's as I, with a lot of the same type of hearing loss as I, and have used the software as well. We share back and forth our experience with the software and hardware for a better understanding of both.
I will be wearing these every day now and give them a thorough evaluation. Hopefully this will be the only ones I will need!!!

Frag

Happy Halloween

Our annual Halloween dinner at the Orchard Homes Country Life Club was held on Friday the 24th of October and hosted by Azara Llewellyn and her daughter Geri Stinger. As usual, this is a pot luck affair where everyone who would bring a dish to serve alongside others. The place was decorated lavishly with Halloween theme items by the hosts. Several announcements were made prior to dinner including announcing that a few more subdivisions were being planned and brought before the city and county councils for approval. Members of the Club were being asked to attend those meetings and voice their concerns, approvals or disapprovals of those subdivisions going through. Seems like there has been a sever lack of planning with regards to city services and out that far from city boundaries as well as subdivisions proposed by contractors that want such a massive density of swellings per acre of land.
There were several children and adults in costume, and a brief judging of those in attendance before some prizes were distributed to all.
We had a great meal with those that attended.

Frag

Flightsimming

Finally getting around to some virtual flying. I have not enjoyed this in some time. I downloaded and installed in FS9 all the modified airports in Montana that Lauren Robison created. There are 27 that I have currently, and am flying to each one in a somewhat clockwise rotation. She has done an excellent job on these, and I am having some fun flying various aircraft from one place to another.

Here are just a few of the screen captures:

Fragmentum

A day of fishing

Geri had to work in Anaconda at a flu shot clinic, so after taking care of a few chores around the house, I took off for Philipsburg and my favorite fishing area.

While scouting for the best place to start, there is a little bed and breakfast place on Rock Creek where I spotted some Peacocks in a nearby field. I didn't have my good digital camera with me, so I only took a shot or two.

I got 'on the water' by 1PM and fished till it got too dark to see my fly hit the water!!!

The fishing was very good and this was strictly a catch and release day for me. I caught dozens of Westslope Cutthroat and Brook trout. Most were keepers for a nice dinner, but Geri and I have eaten lots of fish this year, and I wanted only to capture a few on film. What was a bit scary was after each fish I caught, as I gently held each one to remove the hook I spoke to each one and said they would be going back to their home. None of them flopped around while extracting the fly! They must of sensed that I ment them no harm!

Enjoy the photos.

Don

(click on any image to make larger)

Alaska cruise is HISTORY!!!

We are back from our late season Alaska cruise up through Glacier Bay with stops in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and (really doesn't count, though) Victoria, B.C.. (The ship only stopped in Victoria, B.C. long enough to log the required stop in a foreign port (it is based out of Nassau)). We were supposed to disembark there for several hours of 'play time' but were told at the last minuet prior to sailing that they were having 'excessive wear' on one of the thrust bearings on one of the propeller units, and this would cause delay getting into Victoria (yea, and I have some prime beach front property in Florida to sell ya...).

We'll have oodles of photos up before too long (only took 3G worth on the digitals...). We saw lots of Bald Eagles and other feathered friends, whales of various types, seals, sea lions, and an occasional mountain goat and BEARS!!!

We sailed out of Seattle on the good ship Lolly Pop... no, really, we were on the Norwegian Pearl from the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet.

Weather overall was, as mentioned above, late season, so a lot of fog, rain, drizzle mixed in with a small amount of blue skies, sunshine and billowy clouds.

You can see all our photos here http://travel.webshots.com/album/567486747VsDOEc.

Don & Geri

Getting ready

Saturday, and the wife has left for work, and I am continuing to prepare for our motorcycle trip and long weekend jaunt over the Labor Day weekend. We will be riding down to my old home town of Wisdom for a grade school reunion. The organizer says that there will be between 150 - 200 attendees there next Saturday for whatever festivities are planned. I look forward to reacquainting with old school chums I have not seen in 40+ years!

Then on Sunday, we will be riding further southeast over to Virginia City, Montana. One of the most notorious old west cities of the 1800's along with Nevada City as well.

We'll stay overnight there on main street in an old hotel, then the next day travel north up through very scenic country through Boulder and Basin to visit some old friends before returning home to Missoula.

Watch for pictures!

Don & Geri

Sunday Morning Breakfast Club

What a beautiful day for an early morning ride!

My brother-in-law and his wife invited us to go along with them up Hiway 12 to Lochsa Lodge for breakfast and a send off of a friend of theirs from Spokane. He had to leave his BMW with Big Sky Motorsports on his way back from the BMW Ralley in Gillette, Wyoming due to some serious electrical problems. He had rented a car here in Missoula to get the rest of the way home and came back on Saturday to pick his repaired bike up and REALLY complete the journey. He, along with Doug from Stevensville, Jim & Donna and Geri & I met up at Jim & Donna's by 8AM. As we were preparing for the ride, a family of wild turkey came ambling down the hill in the grass next to the house. Apparently foraging for some breakfast themselves!

We had a beautiful ride through the mountains to the Lodge for breakfast and then Jim & Donnas' friend continued West and we headed back for Lolo....