Woke up this morning to a sudden dramatic change in the weather. It was actually COLD outside, even after I was wrapped up in a jacket, toque, muff for my hands and a blanket over my legs. Felt like an old invalid. It's my hands that get cold the most, all day long, even inside.
But I did graduate to real food today. The speech pathologist came by yesterday and watched me eat various solid foods. So now I get things like salad, veggies and meat that I have to chew. Certainly nice to step up from having everything minced to having real food.
The decisions are slowly coming together, not without considerable stress, and today we finalized the big one - a vehicle. You have no idea how much it costs to modify a van to be wheelchair accessible. And how difficult it is to find a van large enough to carry a wheelchair, but still comfortable for Mrs. F.G. to drive.
Moving ahead steadily if slowly.
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Thursday, September 6, 2018
Another Busy Day
All these decisions are mentally draining, but we are making good progress. Departure date has been moved to Sept. 19th, mainly because of delayed wheelchair delivery, but we're anticipating everything will fall into place by then. With changes at home and a new (used) vehicle and more, this is getting to be an expensive business!,
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Migrating Monarchs!
The Monarchs are migrating! After my post the other day I've heard from several sources of Monarchs migrating or all clustered on trees.
I remember from my childhood stories and photos of Monarchs gathered in great numbers on the north shore of Lake Erie. But neither of us have ever seen anything like that.
Today Mrs.F.G. was driving down for her weekly visit when she saw, along one of our favourite back roads, a whole cloud of Monarchs fluttering around the car. Many were clustered in a couple small trees. She stopped for 15 minutes and got several photos with a dozen or more Monarchs in the photo. She estimated there were probably 200 altogether. Sorry I can't share the photos.
That's a first time for us, and to my mind indicates that the Monarch butterflies are having a good year!
I remember from my childhood stories and photos of Monarchs gathered in great numbers on the north shore of Lake Erie. But neither of us have ever seen anything like that.
Today Mrs.F.G. was driving down for her weekly visit when she saw, along one of our favourite back roads, a whole cloud of Monarchs fluttering around the car. Many were clustered in a couple small trees. She stopped for 15 minutes and got several photos with a dozen or more Monarchs in the photo. She estimated there were probably 200 altogether. Sorry I can't share the photos.
That's a first time for us, and to my mind indicates that the Monarch butterflies are having a good year!
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
My Brain is Overloaded!
Another beautiful day here but far too hot. I've been chasing down all the people we need to talk to before my discharge, and building a list of questions to ask. We have so many questions and ideas it's just a scramble! A good day, but my brain is now too fogged to do much. See you tomorrow. I did see another Monarch!
Monday, September 3, 2018
A Two Butterfly Day!
Butterflies have become scarce with Sept. arriving, but Monarchs seem to have had a really good summer. We've seen quite a few over the past two months, but the Butterfly Bush that's out in the sunny part of the garden here has pretty well dried up.
However, there's a second Butterfly Bush in a shadier spot by the frogpond that has come in bloom. I was there watching the frogs today (they seem to have been very active the past few days, up to 10 at a time), and a dark flutter caught my eye.
It was not one but two Monarch butterflies, and I did manage a picture or two.
It's been alternately sunny and rainy today, but the timing was good. No rain when I wanted to be outside, but a heavy downpour as soon as I came in for lunch. Out again later, and the rain came again as soon as I went in for dinner.
However, there's a second Butterfly Bush in a shadier spot by the frogpond that has come in bloom. I was there watching the frogs today (they seem to have been very active the past few days, up to 10 at a time), and a dark flutter caught my eye.
It was not one but two Monarch butterflies, and I did manage a picture or two.
It's been alternately sunny and rainy today, but the timing was good. No rain when I wanted to be outside, but a heavy downpour as soon as I came in for lunch. Out again later, and the rain came again as soon as I went in for dinner.
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Another Beautiful Day
It rained a bit this morning, but the past several days have been beautiful. It's just the right combination of warm temperatures, plenty of shady spots to sit, and cool breezes. I must admit that my own temperature preference has gone wonky - I actually enjoy sitting in the sunny spots and staying warm.
We've had several three trip outside days. Mrs. F.G. Is here Thursday Friday Saturday mornings so we pick up our coffee downstairs and head for the picnic shelter. Some days a little treat gets included too. Once we have finished our coffee we wander further down the garden to see what the raisedbeds have visiting. It's mostly bumblebees these days, but the cabbage whites are still fluttering around.
The tree leaves are fluttering in the breeze. And I just sit and relax usually meditating on the future. The third trip outside is in the evening after dinner and I'm just about to head out myself. But the sun is setting earlier and the shadow spreads across much of the garden by six leaving only one or two spots where I can just sit in the sun in the evening.
I've written this entire post using the voice activation. It's working better than I expected maybe it's going to replace the need to type with my clumsy fingers in the future.
We've had several three trip outside days. Mrs. F.G. Is here Thursday Friday Saturday mornings so we pick up our coffee downstairs and head for the picnic shelter. Some days a little treat gets included too. Once we have finished our coffee we wander further down the garden to see what the raisedbeds have visiting. It's mostly bumblebees these days, but the cabbage whites are still fluttering around.
The tree leaves are fluttering in the breeze. And I just sit and relax usually meditating on the future. The third trip outside is in the evening after dinner and I'm just about to head out myself. But the sun is setting earlier and the shadow spreads across much of the garden by six leaving only one or two spots where I can just sit in the sun in the evening.
I've written this entire post using the voice activation. It's working better than I expected maybe it's going to replace the need to type with my clumsy fingers in the future.
Saturday, September 1, 2018
Westminster Ponds
Immediately south of Parkwood Hospital is Westminster Ponds, a large area of forest enclosing three large ponds. A short distance to the southeast are two more ponds known as Pond Mills. These are all kettle lakes, depressions left in the Ingersoll Moraine by the last glaciation, and today they are all protected public land.
There is a long history of the ponds as a favourite haunt of local naturalists, especially the famous W.E.Saunders who was heavily involved in several conservation organizations in the early part of the last century. It's the remarkable diversity of plants that accounts for the interest. And the ponds are surrounded by a variety of walking trails. They are in remarkably natural condition too.
Their history last century was not always oriented to protection. The city had a landfill nearby that it wanted to expand, the hospital lands have changed over time, and subdivisions were encroaching. Starting in 1943 the development of facilities for veterans became a major influence, including the village described in the previous post.
The area becamepart of th city in 1961 and subdivisions were expanding. An activist with the local field naturalists club led a campaign to see the area protected starting in the late sixties. It was a time when I was doing my first degree here at Western, so I was well aware of the campaign.
Over the nearly 50 years since there have been a number of studies of the area, and designations have changec as the city adopted an environmentally sensitive are policy, tightening protectionfor the area. The Westminster Ponds are a big highlight among the natural areas of London.
If you check google maps, and choose the satellite view you can see a great aerial image of the ponds and hospital. The 'Westminster Ponds/Pond MillsMaster Plan Update 2005' provides a very detailed ecological description and history.
There is a long history of the ponds as a favourite haunt of local naturalists, especially the famous W.E.Saunders who was heavily involved in several conservation organizations in the early part of the last century. It's the remarkable diversity of plants that accounts for the interest. And the ponds are surrounded by a variety of walking trails. They are in remarkably natural condition too.
Their history last century was not always oriented to protection. The city had a landfill nearby that it wanted to expand, the hospital lands have changed over time, and subdivisions were encroaching. Starting in 1943 the development of facilities for veterans became a major influence, including the village described in the previous post.
The area becamepart of th city in 1961 and subdivisions were expanding. An activist with the local field naturalists club led a campaign to see the area protected starting in the late sixties. It was a time when I was doing my first degree here at Western, so I was well aware of the campaign.
Over the nearly 50 years since there have been a number of studies of the area, and designations have changec as the city adopted an environmentally sensitive are policy, tightening protectionfor the area. The Westminster Ponds are a big highlight among the natural areas of London.
If you check google maps, and choose the satellite view you can see a great aerial image of the ponds and hospital. The 'Westminster Ponds/Pond MillsMaster Plan Update 2005' provides a very detailed ecological description and history.
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