Still More Flowers

OFD and I went green house hopping in the Twin Cities area on Mother's Day. (Hubby attended the third Gopher baseball game of the weekend.)

gerbera daisies, Martha Washington geraniums

and some filler plants

some hostas to replace a couple that have died

and two more perennials

vining corn flower and sun flower plants, 

purchased a couple of weeks ago here in town

and the gifted lily and gerbera daisy

the yellow tulips opened over the weekend

a few pasque flowers appearing between the pesky white

plant and the pink tulips

really like the character of the pasque flowers once they have seeded

Now it is just waiting for the threat of frost to be gone

and warmer daytime temps

Let the planting begin!

Spring Flowers, Again

It is another cool, windy, dreary May day in northeastern South Dakota. I'm posting some photos of my flowers to help brighten the day, especially mine. These were taken on May 5th.

the smaller perennial flower bed

Lily of the Valley

tulips from the larger flower bed

dwarf iris on the downside of peak

pink tulips in the smaller bed

Viola that survived

I think of my friend Diane when I see viola or violets

something pink and dainty that I planted

don't know or remember what it is

Happy B-Day!

Happy Birthday

Kari

Goldfield NV

Our first stop in Goldfield NV happened in 2013. I blogged about it here and gave a condensed history, so rather than doing that again, just check out the other blog.

We stopped again in April because it is a nice geocaching stop before reaching our destination of Tonopah, just 25 or so miles to the north on Highway 95. I enjoyed seeing the photos I had taken the first time and the changes in some of the same photos. Be sure to look at the Bottle House in the 2013 post. I have learned it is 1 of 2 built in Goldfield in 1905. A better preserved one is in Beatty NV.

I know we will stop again. The next time I am picking up a walking tour brochure to help me identify the buildings. I did learn that every standing building has an owner, sometimes it is a family member of the original owner. There are promises to refurbish some of the buildings, but as to yet, they are empty promises. (My apologies if I have misnamed any of the buildings. I did the best I could with online research.)

First Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1912

now the Community Center

don't know if these were mine entrances?

today they hold a geocache

an obsolete fire engine

Goldfield Fire Station #1 built in 1907

used until 2002

horses pulling the fire engines exited through the

double red doors

now a museum?

fire hose reel cart

the high school built in 1907

repair brick work has begun on the south side

outside repair work

new brick supporting wall

Joshua Trees in NV

arch from the 1907 Sideboard Saloon

built by saloon keeper, Patrick Mullin

some of the leftover tile pieces of the floor of the arch

was once a one story wood building on Main Street

no obvious changes to the hotel

other than I did read about some of the ghost and spirit stories

I think this house/business has even more signs

still don't know what the business is

hard to believe this town once boasted a population of

some 30,000

population of 268 listed in 2010 

originally built in 1907 as the Registration Trust Company

George Wingfield purchased the building in 1919 and

used the first floor for his John S. Cook & Co. Bankers

all of Wingfield's banks closed in 1932

the Tonopah & Goldfield RR moved its offices to the 

second & third floors after the 1923 fire destroyed their building

the RR purchased the building in 1932 and resided there until 1947

after which it became a hotel & cafe

built in 1907 by political & economic powerhouses of the time

 Senator George Nixon & George Wingfield

they controlled the main operating mines

in Goldfield

there is a Joshua Tree growing in this old car

the car is next to Northern Saloon & Restaurant

an early home moved to this location after the 1923 fire

known for years as "Still Norms Place"

restaurant was added in 2007

and finally...

the Shady Lady Ranch operated as a brothel until 

its closure in 2014

in 2009 a state law was overturned to allow male prostitutes

"In January 2010 the brothel hired a male prostitute 

by the name of "Markus" and charged $200 for 40 minutes,

 $300 for an hour and $500 for two hours.

Markus quit several weeks later after 

drawing fewer than 10 customers."

Bobbi Davis, owner of the Shady Lady Ranch closed

her establishment because "she is turning 61 

and wants to move back to her native Texas 

to care for her ailing parents."

Science or Art?

So this is going to be a health-related post, boring to many and thankfully, without photos. That was your warning.

While geocaching in NV I had an angina attack. This was not the first one I have had. In fact, I didn't know what I had (maybe once a year, usually after eating fast food) had a name. In the past the attacks usually lasted an hour, at the most, and were relieved with over the counter antacid tablets. This attack lasted longer and the usual remedies did not seem to help. I felt fine the next morning. For the first time ever, I had another small attack the next day. So Hubby and I started talking and trying to 'diagnosis' the cause. Gluten? Maybe? So I decided to go gluten-free for the rest of the day. The next day, I was quite careful; egg whites, spinach, tomato, two slices of bacon. Another attack. This one severe enough we drove through Utah to reach Grand Junction CO; a community with a good-sized hospital and emergency room...if necessary. It wasn't as the pains and cramps finally subsided by 9 pm. Amazing, but I did sleep well as I had all the other nights.

While driving across UT, Hubby and I had more discussions about what is causing the attacks. I remembered a comment made by the reflexologist just two weeks ago. That led to some online research.

Reflexologist? The massage therapist at our winter resort offers reflexology as one of her options. I had talked to her about my hesitancy with a reflexology session. She had been working an area on my right foot which led to the discussion in 2015. We agreed that I would try a session this season. Since our AZ stay was around 3 months again, I booked a reflexology/massage session the last week in March. She worked my feet and found the thyroid area which led to a discussion of my thyroid cancer and the removal of the thyroid. Then she worked awhile longer and asked if I was having problems with my gall bladder. Me? Nah! She said eat more fresh fruits and veggies. Avoid fat. OK.

So while traveling across picturesque UT, that little comment jiggled around in my head. Research.

Below are common symptoms of gallbladder conditions:

• Severe abdominal pain
• Pain that may extend beneath the right shoulder blade or to the back
• Pain that worsens after eating a meal, particularly fatty or greasy foods
• Pain that feels dull, sharp, or crampy
• Pain that increases when you breathe in deeply
• Chest pain (angina)
• Heartburn, indigestion, and excessive gas
• A feeling of fullness in the abdomen
• Vomiting, nausea, fever
• Shaking with chills
• Tenderness in the abdomen, particularly the right upper quadrant
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
• Stools of an unusual color (often lighter, like clay)

So 9 of the 13 symptoms are probably a good indicator the gall bladder is full of stones and not doing its job. To survive the rest of the trip home, I ate crackers and drank 7-Up. I called my GP on Monday while driving in rainy NE and got an appointment for 9AM Tuesday morning. A short discussion led to an ultrasound. Yep. Gallbladder full of stones. Met with the surgeon on Wednesday. Laparoscopic gallbadder surgery on Monday, April 25th.  

I am doing well; healing nicely. I have been told to stay on a soft diet. Soft diet???? Jello. Potatoes. Chicken Noodle soup. Eggs. Fresh fruit. I sort-of went off the soft diet on the weekend. Bad decision. 24 hours of major discomfort. I am back on jello, potatoes, chicken noodle soup & eggs. No dairy. No legumes. No broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower. No fats. No chocolate. Lean meat, but very little of it. No major fiber foods. I will survive because I have been through the worst.

So back to the title of this blog. Science or Art? Reflexology, toe ticklers, whatever the name, I am now among the legions of believers. She nailed it.

Oh, I do have the DVD of my gallbladder surgery, should you ever want to see it. The docs no longer give a jar of the stones to the patient. Bummer.

Miss W Turns 6!

Miss W had a Fiesta Celebration on April 30th to celebrate her sixth birthday.

pleasure over a figure from G'ma Liz

M and G'pa Bob

showing off his new Minon Bob bank

getting mustache rub from G'pa Curt

the bling to go with the new clothes

books for reading

and her own ballet barre in her redecorated bedroom

Hard to believe she is six. This G'ma's buttons burst as Miss W was able to read the 3 books she got for her B-Day. She also read to us the story she had written in Spanish. She wrote about a colorful school bus on Thursday after school. I told her she was an author. Quite proud that she can read Spanish and English.