This morning the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. Optimistic that the day would offer more sunshine, Attila and I packed a snack, donned warm clothing for the outdoors, and headed down the road in Tank to visit the Rideau Camp.
The roads were bare and dry through the whole route, and there was very little snow even when we got to the Camp. Tank easily drove over the small snow bank across the end of the driveway, but we only drove part way in, as the snow was deeper in the bush and we did not want to get stuck.
Someone had been on the property on an ATV. They drove from the road right into the camping area, where they turned the vehicle around and left without getting off. There were dog tracks beside the wheel tracks, a dog had been running alongside the vehicle. Hopefully it was just one of the neighbours snooping around to see what we had been doing. I estimate from the freshness of the tracks that they had come in yesterday.
Attila and I spent about a half an hour walking about and enjoying the scenery. The day was above freezing, very damp, and very windy. We soon felt chilled and returned to the vehicle, where we ate a few breakfast buns, Attila with his coffee, and me with my water. It was good to be there again, and to see what it looks like in winter. It is a place I love to visit, but I would not want to live there. Thank goodness this is way things are arranged.
Tank was still carrying the microwave oven that had broken down, and the old VCR that had broken down as well. We decided to take a small side trip into the city on our way home, stopping by the Habitat store to drop the items off at their eWaste facility.
Then we took a scenic route home, along the shores of Lake Ontario. The water looked cold, and very uninviting.
It was a nice outing, with the added bonus of unloading broken electronic devices for recycling.
By the time we arrived home the wind was picking up again, and it felt lovely to return to a warm, cozy house. And then, after we had settled into cooking our dinner, the sun came out and the sky turned blue. Better late than never I suppose.
I am happy to make note that my blood pressure readings remain in the normal range. I am taking my original low dosage of my high blood pressure medication. I continue to eat a very low-sodium, low-sugar diet, and have lost a wee bit of weight in doing so, because there is never any temptation to eat beyond satisfying hunger, food just doesn’t taste that great without the “baddies” (salt and/or sugar) when you aren’t hungry.
When my blood pressure was very high the doctor quadrupled my medication, then another doctor prescribed a SECOND medication to take in addition to the quadrupled medication. I balked. Instead of taking more medication, I started to reduce the the quadrupled medication back to the original small dose. I never did take the second medication. The combination of medication, apple cider vinegar and honey, and low-sodium and low-sugar diet, have worked their magic. It took MONTHS for this to right itself, as I began this process back in early September. Health issues are not always so easily resolved, so I am grateful that my efforts produced the desired result.
Worldly Distractions
Weather
4°C
Date: 4:00 PM EST Sunday 22 January 2017
Condition: Mostly Cloudy
Pressure: 100.8 kPa
Tendency: Falling
Temperature: 3.5°C
Dew point: -0.9°C
Humidity: 73%
Wind: NE 23 gust 42 km/h
Visibility: 24 km
Quote
“People who throw kisses are hopelessly lazy.”
Bob Hope
1903 – 2003
Getting out for a drive sounds wonderful! Seems that you had to wait until the time was right. Maybe the heavy snowfalls are done for this year.
You know what? Some enterprising writer should write up your story in some medical journal – ways to treat patients without using so many pharmaceuticals! But they they would make all that kick-back moolah!
Lucky you, that you two got to see the sun! We’ve been swathed in somber gray fog for days. The other day DH said he could see blue sky directly overhead but we never saw the sun and the ground was all fog.
Personally, I’ve been enjoying snuggling down in our warm house. I may have been raised in a damp climate with my childhood in Seattle but it was never damp with this level of cold and I do find I get quite chilled if I don’t keep warm.
Diane, it was just the right time to go, it has been mild for a week, the snow melting slowly, so that we were able to drive into the driveway, and walk around at the Camp. Heavy snowfalls in February are common here, winter isn’t done with us yet I think. It would be nice though, not see too much more snow.
Bex, I think we all have the potential to deal with some physical challenges ourselves. Knowing your body and just following your intuition can be very satisfying. Having said that, there are health issues that definitely aren’t that simple to deal with on ones own; for instance, were I to have an attack of anaphylaxis I would definitely want to be in the hospital and under a doctor’s care. All the pills though, my goodness what havoc they can create. Multimorbidity is when you suffer from more than one ailment, tough to treat and balance. Polypharmacy is when you are taking more than one medication for a single ailment, such as the multiple high blood pressure drugs that were prescribed for me. A mixture of multimorbidity and polypharmacy is a deadly brew for seniors, who often have multiple health issues. I am of the theory that the fewer medications you can take the better, and the lighter the dose of those that you take the better; as long as you are taking enough to get the desired health effect.
Teri, the fog sounds quite dreary, I hope it lifts soon for you. Fog in the winter is very damp, I find it hard to keep warm when it is damp. Keep warm and be well Teri!