Yellow Jacket trap!

Last night Woody got online to find out how to trap and kill yellow jackets in an environmentally safe way and here is the link to the website that he found:

http://alaskaoutdoorjournal.com/Departments/Tips/yellowjacket50.html

He got up early as usual and headed to work, he walked at lunch, worked some more, stopped on the way home to find a cheap piece of fish for the trap and then set to work on the trap. I found the tub for him last night that he is using...and the rest of the items needed he found on his own. When I got home from working at the church library, he sent me out to take pictures of his yellow jacket trap. And, as you can see, it is attracting yellow jackets. Two had met their demise when I took the picture and Woody just went to check and now there are six floating in the water in the tub...hey, slowly but surely we are ridding ourselves of at least some of the yellow jacket population in our area! Woody has also mowed this afternoon...so we aren't going for a walk this evening.

I appreciate Betty for commenting on last night's blog. The answer is: a blue heron.

It's soup weather in TN

We got up this morning to quite cool temperatures. Today's high was 70 deg.F...very nice! I spent a good part of the afternoon making what I call our first "serious" pot of soup for this season. It gets serious when it takes quite a while to prepare the ingredients that go into the soup and then when it has to simmer for quite a while. We really enjoy homemade soup when the temps start to fall. That is our meal of choice when it gets cool. We have lots of "tried and true" soup recipes and also from time to time try a new one. Today's "soup of the day" is Spicy Vegetable Beef...yum! yum! And, it has a ton of veggies in it...reason that it took so long to prepare. The soup was ready when Woody came in from work, but all he got to do was get a good whiff of how good it smelled and then we headed out the door to run an errand. Woody needed to take something to one of his Sunday School boys and I went along for the ride. And, it was a beautiful day for a drive out into the countryside. After Woody made his delivery, we went on to Normandy Lake (Tullahoma's water source). It was so good to see the water level up so high...it has been so very low of late. We drove to the recreation area and parked and got out so I could snap a picture or two. On the other side of some resting Canadian Geese, Woody spotted the above bird standing at the edge of the lake...and we slowly moved in closer and closer so I could get a good picture. Are any of you bird experts? I need help in positively identifying this bird. I have looked in our bird books and also on line and I'm still not absolutely sure what it is...perhaps a Little Blue Heron????? If any of you know for sure, would you post in the comments what it is? Woody did walk at work today. Our walk together today was our little bit of exploring along the shore of Normandy Lake. (The collage is clickable so you can see the bird a little bigger...I have had quite a time with the blog tonight...some might have come in and seen that tonight's was here and then it was posted twice and then both disappeared...I had trouble being able to get the picture collage to be clickable...but by determination...it now is! And, I hope that I didn't confuse anyone too much!)

Day 21, Cycle 3

Another beautiful day here in Middle Tennessee. After so much rain, mushrooms are just popping up all over the place. Now...is this a strange one or not? I had never seen one like this before.

Today Woody is 3/4 through this third cycle of his chemo drug study...which means that next Monday we will be heading back to Vanderbilt. Woody said last night that he liked this part of the drug study...the weeks that he doesn't have to take any pills and doesn't have to make the trips to Vanderbilt!

Woody woke up very early, went to work at his normal early hour, walked at lunch, worked some more, came home, mowed for a while (finally the rain has let up enough to let folk mow), and then he has studied his Sunday School lesson, relaxed and read. We didn't take a walk this evening...Woody got his exercise walking at lunch and mowing...and, I guess, I got my walking in at JoAnn's in Cool Springs...hunting for "needed" sewing items. I really went along for the ride with a friend who really needed to get something...but it is awfully hard for me to go into a fabric store and come out with nothing!

Beautiful Sunday!

Blue sky, puffy clouds, lower temperatures, low humidity, slight breeze...and above all...NO RAIN!

Woody and I both went to Sunday School. He taught his 6th and 7th grade boys class. We came home and decided to head out on a walk soon after we got home. We walked the Tullahoma Greenway again. The water was definitely up in the creek and there were lots of puddles and even picnic tables stranded out in water. We didn't get to complete our walk to one end of the greenway due to water across the walkway and it was boggy and muddy on either side of the walkway. We had a very enjoyable walk and I got quite a few pictures once again. On the way home Woody drove me by Highland Baptist Church to let me get a picture of the steeple with the pretty clouds behind it to add to my steeple picture "collection." And, that is what I chose for tonight's blog picture.

There are birds sitting on the cross.

Woody had a meeting this afternoon at church, then he spent the rest of the afternoon and evening resting and relaxing...watching a DVD and reading.

Do you think that it has been raining?

And, don't we have beautiful puddles?! This puddle (more a small pond!) covered a good portion of this driveway and also caught the reflection of the sunset...and, yes, the sun did come out enough to give us a beautiful sunset. A good portion of the morning it just poured. I got caught out in it when I ran a couple of errands. The temperature has dropped this evening and the humidity doesn't seem as oppressive as it does sometimes after a BIG rain...feels rather "Fallish."

Woody, again, had an unusual Saturday...he worked an eight-hour day. He got up and went into work at his usual early hour, worked eight hours, stopped at the library on his way home, and then came home to rest and relax. We did take a walk after supper. Woody popped in one of the DVDs that he checked out at the library and that is the reason that I am late posting tonight...I got caught up in watching the movie, The Patriot. We hadn't ever seen it before and I had been told years ago that I needed to see it...so now I have! I enjoyed it except for the blood and gore...but then what would one expect from a Revolutionary War movie?!

Day 18, Cycle 3...IT'S FRIDAY!

Oops! Got so busy this evening helping Nathan with a sewing project that I "almost" forgot to blog. Woody has had another one of his typical days...for which we are so thankful! He got up early this morning, headed to work, walked at lunch, worked some more, came home rested and relaxed, ate supper, then we did take a short walk around the block (it was sprinkling so we didn't venture far), and then he has been reading, working on his Sunday School lesson, and relaxing the rest of the evening.

Day 17, Cycle 3

Sort of a typical day...to a point at least...Woody got up early and went to work, he walked at lunch, came home, relaxed for a while, we babysat (literally) at our house for a while, then we went to pick up the car that broke down yesterday, then we came home, ate supper, then we kidsat next door for a while...read lots of stories. We walked back to our house from Nathan and Kathy's in the rain...so that was our walk for tonight as it started raining even harder once we got back to the house. Woody is downstairs now reading and relaxing.

Today was my six-month check-in with my neurologist...had to bum a ride from Nathan due to Woody having one car at work and our other car being in the shop. This was a routine, quick doctor visit...no problems...in and out pretty quickly (if it hadn't been for a drug rep, it would have been even quicker!)...but still only took about an hour including time to get there and back. My strategy is get the first appointment after lunch...usually works quite well. In case you weren't reading when I explained my "condition" here's a link that explains "me" (if that is possible!!!!):

My turn!

Never a dull moment?

I'm having technical difficulties posting a picture...I'll blog and then try to add the picture a little later (finally got it added almost three hours later!). Woody got up very early this morning, headed off to work at his usual time, walked at lunch, and then after work thought that he was heading home for a relaxing evening. That's where the "never a dull moment" comes in...he hadn't gotten very far out the gate at work when the car started giving him problems. He ended up "thumbing" a ride home...he was brought right to our front door. (Nice to live in a rather small town! The gentleman who picked him up was going to pick up his daughter at the middle school that is just down the road from our house.) Woody came right in and called the person who always works on our cars. He was told who to call to have it towed. Woody did that and then walked to the place where it will be worked on to give them the key. So he got a long walk in even on a work day. He said that the walk to and from was probably five miles. Since he had had such a long walk already this evening, we didn't take a walk tonight after I got home from church. He has rested and read most of the rest of the evening.

First Day of Fall 2009

Woody got up at his usual early hour this morning and headed off to work. Before his walk at lunch he checked the radar and decided that it wasn't going to rain so he didn't take an umbrella. He said that it started raining on him at about the half-way mark of his walk. After he got home, he went out in the yard and started picking up the limbs and sticks that had fallen due to all the rain that we have had. He took them out to the stick pile by the road. He has relaxed and read this evening.

Phases

Today marks the half-way point in Woody's cycle three of his chemo drug study...Day 14, Cycle 3...so one phase. Then tonight the moon is in its crescent phase and the bottom picture of the mushrooms seems to be mimicking the the shape of tonight's moon phase. Then the middle picture shows a moon flower at its fullest phase!

Woody got up early and went to work, he walked at lunch (it wasn't raining when he started, but it wasn't long till he was walking in the rain), he came home, he helped Graham with this week's spelling words and played a game of Chinese Checkers with him (I got the Tiddly Wink Challenge!), we ate supper, and he has relaxed in his recliner reading. We did go for a short walk this evening...just around a couple of blocks this evening...maybe a 1/2 mile.

Today was a red-letter day for little Esther (2 year-old granddaughter). This was her first day of school at Grammy's Montessori. Fun! Fun!

Cough must be better!

Woody came upstairs this afternoon and said that he was planning to walk to the Post Office and did I want to go with him. Well...that is a pretty long walk...more than a three-mile round trip and we have been either not walking or sticking pretty close to our neighborhood this past week due to my allergies and my cough (or rain), so...I wasn't sure. But I did go and we had a really nice walk and saw lots of interesting things...like: pristine streams of Tullahoma (shopping cart in stream), lots of interesting mushrooms and fungi, part of Tullahoma's historical district, horses, steeples, interesting places to rest during a walk (chair in a ditch?), signs to entice us to buy southern delicacies (fried bologna biscuits...ick!), a leveled Sonic (no strawberry limeade for me!), a couple of rather steep hills, a pretty espaliered fence, bird sanctuaries, etc. I will admit to being very glad to get home and take off my shoes and flop on the bed!

Our Sunday started out pretty much as usual...we both went to Sunday School. Woody taught the 6th and 7th grade boys class. We came home, had lunch, Woody watched a DVD and I did a bit of sewing, and then we went off on our walk. At the moment it is storming again...at least we found a dry time to take a walk! Woody is downstairs reading. Nice Sunday!

Another Day, Another Dollar

Today has definitely not been a normal Saturday for Woody. He did get up early...but instead of going for his usual long Saturday morning walk, he went to work. I can't remember when he has worked on Saturday...it's been a very long time. He worked a full eight-hour day. He stopped at the library on the way home. After he got home, he read Joy LOTS of stories. We did go for a walk, after we ate supper...we increased our walk a bit...instead of just going around our block, we went into the next subdivision and went around one of their blocks too...so maybe we went 1/2 mile. I'm still coughing some...maybe the cough will end...one of these days! Woody is now relaxing in his recliner watching a DVD that he got at the library.

We have had more rain today...but today's temperatures have seemed more pleasant...more fall-like...today hasn't felt as close with humidity as yesterday.

Tonight's picture shows a major accomplishment in Abigail's life...she learned to ride her two-wheeler without training wheels this week. Hooray for Abigail!

Day 11, Cycle 3

Woody got up early, went to work, walked at lunch, came home, relaxed and read, and ate supper. After supper, we both went next door to take care of our neighbor grandchildren for about an hour. Woody read stories to the four oldest and I rocked the youngest. I also managed to take a few pictures...imagine that! Woody is reading now. We have had another rainy day in Middle Tennessee...very muggy outside...71 deg. F and 100% humidity presently...and it isn't raining with that 100% humidity! You can just about cut the air with a knife!

Day 10, Cycle 3

Rainy day here in Middle Tennessee. Looks like Hayden (our granddaughter Erin's cat) found a good rainy day activity and is pondering his next play! Of course, if you look closely, you can tell that this picture wasn't taken on a rainy day...but still it is a good suggestion to do on a rainy day...want to take on Hayden's challenge to a game?!

Woody went to work early this morning as usual, walked at lunch, came home, tried to give Graham some shortcuts with his math problems (not sure that Graham quite caught on!), relaxed, worked on his Sunday School lesson, ate supper, then we went for a short walk around the block...I'm still coughing despite the rain washing some of the pollen away. It is definitely hay fever season here...and I have a good case.

Day 9, Cycle 3

The colors in the "Beaver Dam Monet" are changing...definitely you can see that Fall is coming to Middle Tennessee.

Woody has pretty much had a same 'ole, same 'ole day. He did get to walk at lunch, but our evening walk got rained out.

Historical Reenactment

This is the one year anniversary of Woody's bicycle accident. Our neighbor grandchildren decided to reenact the scene...they drew around Nathan and then drew in Goosey's (what the grandchildren call Woody) features(I'm wondering if he was smiling that much that day!)...even drew his compound fracture on his left arm close to the wrist. Graham got out his bike and various cars and trucks that would make a scene close to the way it was that day. The white car represents the car that caused the accident. I bought two flavors of ice cream and we all had a party celebrating the fact that Woody survived the accident.

Woody got up early and went to work as usual, walked at lunch, came home and relaxed, and ate supper. Then I had to stall about our walk, due to waiting on a call from the neighbors saying that they were ready for Goosey's surprise. We headed next door when Abigail called, looked at the reenactment, ate ice cream, and then went on a short walk...just around the block...easing me back into our walks again. We are hoping that the rain we had earlier will settle some of the pollen. I'm still coughing.

Woody said that it felt very good to only have to take his blood pressure pill today!

In case you don't know the story about Woody's bike accident, our first blog that was posted on Wednesday, January 7, 2009 will fill you in...here's the link:
A fork in the road: which way should we turn?

Day 7, Cycle 3

Woody took the last four pills for this cycle a little over an hour ago...so the rest of this cycle (3 weeks) will just be a "down-hill slide"...at least we hope that it is as easy as that. He got up early this morning, took his drug study pills before going to work, then headed off to work, walked at lunch, came home relaxed and made cornbread to go with our supper (since I was off gallivanting at a fabric store). He read several stories to two of the neighbor grandchildren. We ate supper and then he has read this evening...oh, yes, and he has helped me change the sheets on our bed. I'm still having problems breathing and am coughing so we didn't go on a walk again this evening.

Day 6, Cycle 3

Woody and I both taught Sunday School today...he taught 6th and 7th grade boys and I substituted in my ladies' Sunday School Class. We came home and ate lunch. Woody has been relaxing and reading most of the afternoon and evening. We didn't go on a walk this evening because my allergies have been giving me problems. Woody says that this time tomorrow night can't come soon enough...as he will be through taking pills for this chemo drug-study cycle.

How Brave Are You?

Woody came upstairs this afternoon, after he came in from outside, and asked, "How brave are you?" I told him, "not very brave." He had found the pictured yellow jacket hole that was "very active...and did I want to take pictures of it?" I am a "major chicken" when it comes to stinging insects...so I wasn't really sure! But...got my camera and tripod ready and headed over to the spot. I probably took around 100 pictures...of which I probably only got a dozen pictures that showed the yellow jackets in focus...and many didn't have even a glimpse of one in the picture...they are really fast! But, here are a few of the ones that allow you to see what we saw. It wasn't until we came back inside and started looking at the pictures that we saw what some of the yellow jackets were doing. The picture that I consider to be in the middle of this collage shows a yellow jacket with a piece of dirt in his mouth...guess he was helping to make their underground home a bit roomier! We both survived the picture shoot without a sting...a good thing! (Be sure to click on the collage so you can see the pictures larger)

Woody got up really early this morning and went on an eight mile walk. He was home in time to take his morning nausea medicine and chemo and drug study pills. A little after 8am we decided that we would walk the Tullahoma Greenway (earlier in the day than we walked it before) and then go to the library after our jaunt. I don't know how far we walked...but we discovered that it goes much farther than just to the high school if we take the other fork in the path! Woody thinks that it was three miles...but I think that it was longer! But, then, I don't walk as much as he does...so it probably "seemed" longer to me! Woody experienced some pain in his arm and shoulder while we were walking. Once we got home and he was able to sit down and relax the pain went away.

This afternoon, besides helping me photograph yellow jackets, Woody has relaxed and read and watched a couple of DVDs that he got at the library this morning. A little while ago he took his evening drug study pills...so those are over for another day. Just two more days of the drug study meds and then he will be through taking pills for cycle 3.

Day 4, Cycle 3

Woody has had a typical Friday. He went to work early, walked at lunch, came home, relaxed, had supper, and then he and I went for a couple mile walk through a nearby neighborhood.

It is getting harder and harder for him to take his pills. After tomorrow he will be taking five less..."maybe" that will help???!!! He says that he doesn't want to even think about "pills" much less touch them or smell them. He filled out his daily chart for his morning doses, that he takes at work, after he got home from work...and I saw him sort of cringe as he thought about his 6pm dose. But...at this hour taking pills is behind him for this day...so that is a good thing (at least I can say it is...we won't make him decide if it is good or not...since that would make him think about pills!). He is looking forward to a laid-back Saturday and Sunday.

Day 3, Cycle 3

Sometimes on the way to and from Vanderbilt we see wild animals and sometimes...domestic ones! We thought that this fire hydrant in Wartrace, TN was rather unique...we have driven past it many times, but this was the first time that it had drawn our attention.

Woody went to work early, walked at lunch, came home, early evening he had a bit of a sinking spell...but never went to sleep...according to him (but, I can't vouch for that as I was upstairs having a nap, as I had a long day away from home). He has taken all of today's drug study medications...all 13 pills. He's on the over-the-hump day for the known chemo drug...just two more days to take that and the nausea medication (which will subtract 5 pills from his "regimen")...then he will "only" have to take the drug study medication (8 pills) for the rest of the week.

We are heading out for our evening walk as soon as I post this...my nap put us later than usual for our walk...we'll have to watch out for night critters!

A Fine 9/9/09

Definitely a fine day for goldenrod! Any of you wondering why you are sneezing and wheezing? Well, above is pictured one of the reasons in all its finery. I have been coughing since rolling down the window in the car yesterday to take this picture! (Really my allergy symptoms started some days ago...but I know that this is one of the culprits.)

Woody is on Day 2, Cycle 3 of his chemo drug study. So far...so good. Today he has taken a total of 13 pills. His comment to me a few minutes ago was: "2 days down, 5 days to go." So he is already on the countdown! I'm sure that he started counting down the moment that he took his first dose yesterday! He said that one time today he felt a little sick...but that was all. He got up early, went to work, got to concentrating on work so much that he took his pills a bit later than he meant, walked at lunch, came home, relaxed and read, ate supper, then this evening we went for a three-mile walk, and now he is reading again.

Day 1, Cycle 3

We left the house at 7:30am and pulled back into our driveway at 4:30pm...so a rather long day...but still not as bad as some have been. Woody's lab appointment was at 11am, but we had been told to get to the clinic no later than 10am. He was signed in and we were sitting in the clinic waiting room by 9:20am. It was a day after a holiday, so things were a bit backed up, but still he was called in for his lab work before 10am. The moment he stepped out from having the labs done the above pictured apparatus lighted up and started buzzing (very obnoxious sound and eerie blue light--these things are going off constantly all over this very large waiting room--seems to me that there should be a better way to page patients)saying that his doctor was ready to see him...now it is only a little after 10am and his appointment with Dr. Sosman isn't until noon! Hey...this was really looking good! We saw Dr. Sosman and the research nurses and were out of his office by 11am...but that is when the waiting game began. First wait = wait for all his lab results so the drugs could be phoned into the pharmacy; second wait = wait on pharmacy to fill the prescriptions and get them delivered to the research nurse (which happened a little before 1pm) At that point the nurse came and got us and took us back so Woody could take his first dose of the chemo and drug study meds. 3rd wait = after he took the meds then he had to wait an hour to have more lab work done. Then we were free to leave which put us at 2:20pm...really not bad! AND...we DON'T have to go back till October 5!

The visit with Dr. Sosman was very positive. He said that Woody's melanoma tumors had not grown and perhaps were even a little bit smaller than they had been and no new tumors...so VERY good news. Now...Woody didn't hear what I am sure that I heard...but I am pretty sure that Dr. Sosman said that he was guessing that Woody was probably getting at least the smaller amount of the study drug. Woody was concentrating on the statistics that Dr. Sosman was explaining about accuracy of the scans and the percentage that the scan measurements might be off...or some such. I knew that the numbers probably wouldn't stick in my head...so was concentrating on other things that the doctor said. Probably a good thing that we both hear different things...that way we end up hearing more!

Woody didn't go to work today since we had to head to Vanderbilt so early. And, we didn't walk this evening...I just felt too tired after our long day. Woody has gone in to lie down and asked me to awaken him to take his drug study meds, "if" he falls asleep (I think that I will be awakening him!)...now for me to stay awake or at least set an alarm to awaken us at 11pm. Since Woody took the first doses of the chemo meds in the afternoon (rather than in the morning), the research nurse asked that he take the next meds at 11 tonight and 9 in the morning and then gradually get back to taking them at 6am and 6pm.

Laborious Interlude

On this Labor Day...that happens to be in between Woody's 2nd & 3rd drug study cycles...Woody has stayed very busy...laboring on Labor Day! He got up early and walked about six miles. Then the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon he worked in the yard. At intervals he came in to relax, cool off, and read. I have spent most of the day either sewing or cooking.

This is what the sky looked like on our walk this evening. It was really nice out temperature-wise...rather cool. A storm was brewing as you can see by the clouds, but we walked one to one-and-a-half miles and made it back before the storm got to us. We could see heat lightning and hear thunder in the distance. I was glad to get back without the storm getting any nearer than it was. It is now raining quite hard and I can hear thunder in the distance. It took a while for the storm to get to us, as we have been home almost an hour. We needed the rain. It is good to hear it on the roof.

We head off to Vanderbilt in the morning. I'll report tomorrow evening about our latest Vanderbilt experience.

Day 28, Cycle 2...Cycle 2 COMPLETED!

We both went to Sunday School this morning. Woody taught his 6th grade boys class. This afternoon Woody watched a library DVD and read. Late afternoon/early evening we went for a two to two-and-a-half mile walk. It was rather warm. The neighborhood that we walked in today didn't have many flowers near the road...so I didn't take many pictures. We noticed something today...in the little over an hour that we walked...we hardly saw anyone out in their yards nor did we hear families/children in their backyards...for the longest time we only saw vehicles on the roads or leaving driveways...a little before getting home we did see a family--mom guiding their little girl on a bicycle with training wheels and their little boy riding his bicycle and the dad pulling a wagon...and it looked like they might be heading out for a picnic...that was the only family activity that we saw on our Labor Day Weekend Sunday walk. Now, we know that some were at church and some were at the lake, etc. But we think that a lot were probably inside in front of their TVs. Perhaps our observations are a comment on today's society?

Today brings to a close the second cycle of Woody's chemo drug study. He will start his third cycle on Tuesday. I am sure that my week will be totally messed up in my head...by not going to Vanderbilt on Monday...by Woody being home on Monday...and by us going to Vanderbilt on Tuesday...I doubt that I will know what day is which all this week!

Day 27, Cycle 2

Wow!!!!!! What an end to our evening walk...this is the view we were presented just before we rounded the corner that put our house back in view. We walked about 2 1/2 miles this evening...so you can add that to Woody's twelve-mile jaunt early this morning. Woody went to the library and ran a couple of errands for me this morning. This afternoon he worked out in the yard and also watched a DVD that he got at the library. He has also done some reading. It has been a pretty typical Saturday.

Last night I went out to take some more pictures of the moon, since last night was the night for the full moon...I did get several more...but decided to come in when I saw three raccoons run across the road just a short distance down the street from me. I decided that I didn't know what other little creatures might be running around in the dark (like skunks)!

Moon over...Tullahoma...& News!

Let's see...I guess you would like the news...Woody's Vanderbilt research nurse called just as I came in from grocery shopping this afternoon. And...the word is..."GO" for the third cycle in the chemo drug study! I did ask about the scan. She said that Dr. Sosman would go over it in detail when we come in on Tuesday, but she said that it pretty much showed no progression in the growth of the melanoma areas. Which is a good thing, as each scan prior to this one always showed that the melanoma areas had grown at least by millimeters. She told us to come in earlier than our appointment time on Tuesday...so Woody can get his lab work done...so that the results can be read...so the drugs can be ordered from the pharmacy. Looks like another long day at Vanderbilt. But going early should help get things going. He has to have lab work prior to getting the chemo drugs and then more lab work an hour after he takes the drugs. And, somewhere in there, he has to meet with Dr. Sosman and the research nurses. I was right about the clue that they had made an appointment for October...it sounds so good that we won't be going to Vanderbilt weekly...now it switches to monthly...and it sounds so good that just "maybe" this chemo drug study is helping!

The moon was absolutely phenomenal last night. I guess I stood out in front of our house in the road for about an hour last night taking pictures as the moon rose over our neighborhood. I was glad that the clouds rolled in as they made for more interesting pictures than just a circle in the sky! I hope that this collage proves clickable as these pictures need to be seen larger. The upper right is just as the moon got above the trees across the street so that I could see all of it...it looks like the tree leaves are framing it/holding it up...but it's hard to see in the small picture. The picture on the bottom left is when the moon went completely behind the clouds. I just checked and the collage is clickable and scrollable...so you can see the pictures in more detail.

Woody got up early, went to work, walked at lunch, came home, is working on the lawn, soon we will have supper, and I think that we will probably take a walk this evening after it cools down a bit...rather warm today. Woody is looking forward to the long weekend...and he will have an extra day, as he is won't be going to work on Tuesday due to the early hour of his appointment at Vanderbilt.

Day 25, Cycle 2

Woody has had pretty much a usual day...got up early, went to work, walked at lunch, got a hair cut on the way home from work, came home and relaxed, ate supper, and shortly we plan to take an evening walk together. I thought that I was going to be saying that we hadn't heard from Vanderbilt today...but a few minutes ago the phone rang...and it was Vanderbilt...but not the research nurse...instead our "friendly" automated appointment reminder/confirmation for our appointment on Tuesday. Oh, well, maybe we will hear tomorrow. I did check online to see if his scan results had been posted, but they hadn't yet. Usually the scans take at least a week for us to be able to see the results so I'm really not expecting to see them before we go to Vanderbilt on Tuesday. There is one clue at the online Vanderbilt appointments...they have added an October appointment for Woody that hadn't been made when we were there on Monday...so "maybe" that means he goes on to the next cycle...time will tell!

Day 24, Cycle 2

Woody woke up at 2am and couldn't get back to sleep. He went to work at his normal early hour, walked at lunch, came home, worked on the lawn, ate supper and now we're heading out for an evening walk.

No news yet from Vanderbilt about Woody's scan, but this was the day that the scan was supposed to be reviewed by Dr. Sosman and his research nurses. We may hear from the research nurse tomorrow.

The Highways, Bi-ways, One-ways, & Freeways of Our Life!

Here are pictures of some of the roads that we traverse when we head to Vanderbilt each week. We start out on a back road that has two-way traffic...there is even a one-way bridge pictured at the top. There are times when we get slowed down a bit by getting behind tractors and construction vehicles. We take this road till it gets us to Murfreesboro. Then we are on a four-lane divided highway till we get to the interstate. The interstate picture is of yesterday's rush-hour traffic on I-24 as we were heading home. The last leg of our trip to Nashville (or first leg on the way home) is picturesque 21st Ave which is pictured on the bottom left...a very pretty street...but also quite congested...a street that blends old and modern...college students and professionals.

I'm trying something new tonight. I found software that will let me collage my pictures. I was telling Woody on our trip yesterday that I wished that I could do that so it would be easier to share several pictures at a time...and not have them just lined up. So last night I went searching and found this free software (Picasa) that is associated with Google...it lets me get the pictures ready and then I can send them directly into the blog...so I am trying it tonight. I tested it last night and the pictures were clickable so we will see if they are tonight so you can see more detail of the highways, bi-ways, one-ways, and freeways of our life!

Today is Day 23 of Cycle 2 and as far as I can tell Woody has had a good day. He got up early as he usually does, went to work, walked at lunch, came home did a little yard work, ate supper, and then we went on about a two-mile walk (no camera this time so we could walk a little faster!) I think that he might be helping me with the dishes at the moment...if what I think I'm hearing is correct! All-in-all a very good day on this beautiful low humidity first day of September in Middle TN.