Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Tonight's photo subject caught Marie's and my eyes because of the old "red" truck in the yard. Little did we realize what else we were getting in the photo...take note in front of the house on the left side (as you are facing the pic) that there are several buzzards! Sort of creepy so near the house! Then if you look closely just over the cab of the truck that there is another on the trunk of the tree. We did not notice them when we were taking the pictures...I found them when after I downloaded (or is uploaded?) the pictures to my iPad and was playing around with their exposure that I found the buzzards and pointed them out to Marie. We did notice these in a tree close to the house.

And.this tree not too far away:

As tonight's title indicates it was quite cold today. It never got out of the 20s and the wind was blowing most of the day so that meant the "feels-like" temperature was even colder...as in the teens. We had to go out into this unfortunately! I realized that there was a pretty good chance that the ramp would be icy after all the rain and sleet that we got last night...and, I was right...again, unfortunately! One of our last icy days, Nathan had salted and used up a box of old pickling salt, but I dug around and found a container of salt hidden way in the back of the cupboard. I carefully threw some out the back door and then waited a while for it to help in the melting and then swept away the ice on the flat part of our ramp. Then I carefully salted the slanted part and later went out and swept the entire length of the ramp and reswept the part I had already swept. By a little after 11 when we needed to leave, it was not slick any more and we were able to negotiate it just fine. The ramp definitely is an example of what happens to a bridge! Our ramp is on the north side of the house which doesn't help! But we made it to and from the kidney center. We saw the nurse, the nutritionist, the social worker, and Dr. O. We found out that his potassium level is fine...he had a high reading earlier in the month and the nurse had it checked again when he came to the house to draw blood for the hemoglobin test that wasn't able to be completed due to the sample being too old when the lab got around to testing it on one of the snowy days. The doctor and nurse agreed with us that they reason that Woody is being sick after breakfast is due to Woody having extra fluid in him at times when not all drains out during the regular part of the nightly dialysis. It was obvious yesterday morning. He had an extra large amount of fluid that didn't drain out along with the last fill that happens at the end of the treatment that we are then draining before he eats lunch. Well, yesterday he had eaten most of his breakfast and all of a sudden it all came back up. I started to say something to Woody about perhpas having a smaller breakfast due to the amount that had been left in. But I also hate to suggest that he not eat when he wants to eat! But that time I probably should have said something...whether he would have gone along with my suggestion is another thing all together! Anyway, according to all the powers that be all is going along well with Woody's treatments. We did find out something of interest...both Woody's nurse and all his family had had Covid after the first of the year. And, also Dr. O and his family had Covid back in October. Dr. O told us that they had also had a bad virus after the first of the y ear and that that had been a lot worse than their bout with Covid. I keep learning of more and more that I know who have had Covid. So we are still trying to stay "sort of" isolated. Before we left this morning for the appointment I got a pot of Boston Baked Beans ready for the oven to do their slow cooking all day long. I just got them out before coming up here to blog...and tried a small amount..onc again, they are very good and remind me of Mother's (which they should since I use the recipe that she hand wrote out for me!). Woody told me that what sounded best to him was baked beans and slaw...so baked beans are done and I will get up in the morning and make the slaw. They could tell that Woody was eating better, as his protein level and hemoglobin were both in the range that they are aiming for them to be. Another sign that he is eating better is that his phosphorus level is up a bit more than they like it to be so they want him to be sure to take a phosphorus binder (pill) prior to eating each meal. Unfortuneately these are quite large...not his favorite to have to take! Most of the resst of the day we have rested after our active morning. I sat down to stitch and was just too tired to pick up the needle and/or count to the next place I needed to be on the chart! Maybe before I go to sleep I will be able to get a few stitches in. I am working on an ornament for Melany...the one that I wanted to make for her for this past Christmas, but ran out of time. Hopefully I will be able to get it stitched since I am startng it in January this year! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!