Life Changes

The single constant in life is change.

Last December my 90-year old memory-impaired mother moved in with me. She had been in an assisted-care facility, but wasn't getting enough care, and they had decided that Santi the cockatoo, her companion of 42 years, had to go.  Instead, they both left.

You can imagine this is a big change for me. After years of living on my own, I am now almost constantly with people, and  have many new responsibilities. Mom suffers from cluster strokes - very small strokes that don't incapacitate her but really beat her up inside - that are stealing her memory. She needs 24-hour care. Living with severe dementia is a challenge, and an incredible learning experience.

It is my hope that I have adjusted well enough that I can once again share my experiences through this blog. I need to take more pictures, as the camera helps me focus in on otherwise overlooked details. I need to write more, as this helps me focus on thoughts and ideas, and to see things more clearly.

Thank you for joining me on this new journey.

The Chicken Gang

Bunny Love

My lovely mother enjoying one of my adorable bunnies.

Golden Glory

Settling In

Blue Morning

Birthday Girls

Joy Gustafson (on right) and her sister Mary Mann on Joy's 90th birthday. Mary's birthday is 3 days later.

Fog Rising

This morning dawned clear, but very soon the fog from the valley started rising. I really enjoy these low clouds that make cloud lakes, although I will be very happy to have the fog burn off sometime today!

 

Sunny, Sunny Day

After a few foggy days it is a joy to be looking down on the clouds again.

Cool Clouds

The sky seemed very sea-like to me this afternoon, filled with interesting patterns and life forms.

Foggy Morn with Raven

It's going to be a sunny day. This time of year sunny days are often preceded by foggy mornings. There is something special about fog - it dampens sound as well as air and sight, adds mystery to the surroundings. 

There are always ravens around, but they are very camera shy. Perhaps the fog dampened this one's awareness of the lens pointed at him as he preened his feathers and announced his presence.

Country Pumpkin

I love living in the country. On my way home from picking up hay (and a couple ducks) I stopped at a farm that had pumpkins stacked on the porch and under a gazebo. For $5 I got 6 pumpkins. I love pumpkin! I really love getting them for .50 to $1 a piece.

The farmer helped me carry them to the van. The 15 passenger van (all back seats removed) was filled with 27 bales of hay, a box of frozen meat, a cage with 2 ducks, and miscellaneous stuff between the front seats. As I made space for the pumpkins she said, "Oh, this van is really full! Ducks and all! You probably have a couple horses in the back."

Fun in the country.

A Moment of Sun

Near the end of a rainy day the sun appeared to highlight the colors of the changing leaves.

St. Helens in the Sun

Another Full Moon

Sunset Beauties

Black and White

Livestock Guardian Dogs tend to look at life as black and white. There are good guys and bad guys, family to protect and outsiders to keep away. Nina has taken this one step further. She thinks she should also be black and white. Every day she goes into the swampy area by a spring and lays down to cover herself up to the belly in black, oozing mud. 

Or perhaps she longs to be a Landseer Newfoundland.  

Goat Genes?

Bear, a Missouri Fox Trotter, walked into the woods on a sheep path and emerged behind a patch of blackberries. The other horses were content to stand on the road side of the patch, but they all ate the leaves lustfully. Who says horses don't browse?  

Glorious Moon

The moon is so stunning.

Ducks!

My ducklings have grown up! They are beautiful in feather and personality. They are very calm, friendly little birds - a joy to have around.