Bear Bells

Monday was Labor Day, the first of three relatively quiet days. We did go for a walk in Kincaid Park, it’s the closest place to home and there are many trails there. The sky was blue, the Sun was out, the temperature was perfect.

On one of our walks, I was encouraged, nay, forced, to wear bear bells. The consensus is that I don’t talk enough and the others have to keep talking to let the bears know we’re here and to stay away. Maybe bears stay away because they don’t like GBH of the ear’ole any more than I do! On the other hand, I need bells to act as a deterrent. I wasn’t too keen on the idea, but if it makes you happy… Well, as time and the miles passed, I got used to the dinging and donging and clanging that accompanied my every move. In the end, I liked it so much that I decided to take up morris dancing when I get back home.

This is the lake where we got married. It was great to see it being enjoyed by so many people on their day off work.

One very popular dish in this group of family and friends is sauerbraten, a German meat stew. Liesel made a batch to take to Jyoti’s for our evening meal. Well, not mine. Jyoti made me more dahl! Which went very well with the roast potatoes that Monica brought. There were eleven people altogether and yes, they all talked more than I did. Monica’s husband Gregg came along too, it was the first time we’d seen him on this trip.

Wednesday, we went into the city centre with Jyoti and Morgan (Mo) (whom we met briefly in Talkeetna) and we went for a walk on the coastal trail with Una. The Sun was out, the sky was blue, the temperature was perfect. Given that we had a couple of weeks of really horrible weather, I think we’re all happy to get out whenever the weather is this good. Some roadside signs give you the temperature and it varies a lot: 64° on one side of the road and 69° on the other side! Degrees Fahrenheit of course, we’re in America, after all.

And you can tell we’re in a different country by some of the unusal street signs.

And by the totem poles outside the courthouse where Una works.

The coastal path is separated from the water by a wide beach, mud flats.

The view of the mountains to the north is stunning. They look snow-covered to me, real postcard imagery.

A train passed by so I decided to take a quick video. Quick? I thought it would never end! I counted 75 cars being pulled and pushed by a pair of diesel engines.

We saw more evidence of Autumn coming in fast.

I didn’t have my bear-bells on today. Which is probably why we were accosted by this chap.

In the evening, we met up with another friend from many years ago: Amrit. We met at a Thai restaurant but not the one originally planned becsue that one was being refurbished!

It was lovely to see Liesel and Amrit chatting away: they just picked up from where they left off all those years ago. The restaurant officially closed at 9pm but we were still sitting at our table for a good half hour afterwards. Maybe we should have offered to help with the washing up.

On Tuesday, both Mick and Liesel visited medics. Viewers of a nervous disposition should look away now.

You were warned.

Liesel went back to the physical therapist and because there had been no significant change in her condition, she received some treatment: dry needling. This entailed a couple of needles being thrust into her bottom and moved around until they hit the trigger points. This triggered loud screams of agony, I believe. She’s going back on Friday for a follow-up. But as I write, I can report that she has been pain-free at times but in some discomfort on our walk earlier.

Meanwhile, I had a session with the oral hygienist recommended by Leslie. Shannon was very friendly and chatty and she did a good job as far as I can tell. She pointed out my worst areas, the same ones that my hygienist at home draws my attention to, but on the whole, she was happy with my homecare. I held the hose that sucks out water and blood, doing the nurses’s job! I took painkillers afterwards, walked a short distance and realised that I wouldn’t manage a long walk at all, so went home and had a short nap which turned into a long nap. My evening meal consisted of soup kindly made by Una and a pouch of apple sauce. My teeth said I could go back to real food the next day.

OK, not as bloody and gory as I’d anticipated. Sorry if your expectations were not met!