Now I really did it :((

[rainwood]

So here's a little more of Denmark.

One evening in Copenhagen, we went to Tivoli Gardens, which I believe is the oldest amusement park in the world:

They pack a lot into a relatively small area and part of the fun was exploring the nooks and crannies and alleyways. And the gardens part of Tivoli is also taken seriously:

One of the highlights was riding this:

It's not as scary as it looks, but I couldn't take any photos while on it because they are very serious that you have nothing on you in the way of phones, cameras, bags, wallets, purses, or anything else when you're up there. It took 3 tries before I had gotten rid of everything they wanted me to take off! It's a little unsettling to leave your phone, your camera, and your purse on the ground while you're up in the sky, but they have a good system of making sure everyone is reunited with their belongings. And it offered a great view of the city. We were so proud of ourselves for doing it!

Tivoli at night is even more beautiful. I took a lot of photos but here's one of my favorites:

More photos to follow.

 

[rainwood]

We also went to a few other places in Denmark besides Copenhagen. There was the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde:


You'd never know it from this photo but the ships are in a lovely museum looking out toward the water, and they've done a great job of showing you what they would have looked like and the scale even though all they have left is fragments. None of my photos truly capture how well-done the museum is.

And ships were a recurring theme of the trip as all these countries have a strong sea-faring past. The tall ships came into port as we were waiting to take a ferry:



I'll do a few more shots of Denmark today and finish up the Danes tomorrow.

 

[rainwood]

Even their raspberries come in boats!


And while we're on the subject of food, we ate a lot of this:
I love most seafood so I was happy to do my share.

We also ate our share of this:
Although I fell off the gluten-free wagon, I tried to stay on the dairy wagon so my two favorites (yes, I ate here more than once so I could have multiple favorites) were the green apple sorbet and the lingonberry sorbet (both in the upper right-hand corner). Absolutely delicious!

Tomorrow, we're off to the island of Aero and we got there by bus, ferry and this bridge (although not in that order):

 

[canuk-gal]

We also went to a few other places in Denmark besides Copenhagen. There was the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde:


You'd never know it from this photo but the ships are in a lovely museum looking out toward the water, and they've done a great job of showing you what they would have looked like and the scale even though all they have left is fragments. None of my photos truly capture how well-done the museum is.

And ships were a recurring theme of the trip as all these countries have a strong sea-faring past. The tall ships came into port as we were waiting to take a ferry:



I'll do a few more shots of Denmark today and finish up the Danes tomorrow.

Wonderful pictures Rainwood....brings back fond memories!!!

cheers--Sharon

 

[missy]

I agree with Sharon. I am loving all your wonderful photos Rainwood. And I have to say they are making me hungry. Those ship photos are incredible. And what a gorgeous view of the city.
Thank you for sharing them!

 

[rainwood]

Rainy, great pics. That looks like it was a fabulous trip, just my kind of trip! Was it a group tour, like a Trafalgar or a Globus? I have gone on two of those and loved them. Keep posting your pics, Rainy, much appreciated.

Kristie, we did Amsterdam on our own then did the Rick Steves tour of Scandinavia then went back to Copenhagen for a few more days on our own. I'd never done a tour before (except for hiking tours) but we enjoyed the Rick Steves approach which is to be active (walking anywhere from 4-10 miles a day) with really good local guides as well as a tour guide who was awesome - she's coming to visit me in a few weeks! They hit the right mix of doing things with the group and giving you free time plus they limit the number of people so you can sit by yourself on the bus if you want some alone time. And they don't take you to any places where they want and expect you to buy stuff. Rick is all about traveling light (carry on luggage only) and shopping is not high on his list. The places we stayed were interesting, but definitely not fancy, and they rarely had air-conditioning. And they threw in some great experiences - I drank mead, I ate reindeer, I stayed in one place that was pretty close to summer camp. It's not for everyone, but we enjoyed it, and it forced me to shed my somewhat princess-y travel habits for a bit. I did book very nice hotels at either end so I could have some luxuries though.

You really do have to be ready for a ton of walking with a Rick Steves tour though and he's very big on history so there was probably more of that than some (including me sometimes) would prefer. But I'd take another of his tours in a heartbeat.

 

[rainwood]

Thanks, Sharon & Missy! It's been fun going through my photos and picking out ones for the NIRDI's. I didn't realize I'd taken so many food shots!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Scandinavian, did you have fun shopping? I agree the new stuff always looks fresh, not picked over and so much more appealing. Yes I leave Saturday. It sounds like you'll be having some summer fun this weekend too. Nice! Love your glacier pictures. The water coming off the glaciers in Glacier National Park in Montana is green like that too.

CJ, I agree when you don't feel right it makes everything out of whack. I hope you are feeling right again soon. As you said you might go to urgent care for a quick check since your physical isn't until next month.

Missy, I was going to guess 3 carats on your mom's ring. It's hard to tell in a picture. It is so pretty. I do remember the story of your mom's ring now. That makes is even more precious. It looks like a total fireball. My mom had those spring things in her rings to get them over her knuckle but then still fit her fingers. Glad you cancelled your appointments for today. No one likes to be in a sweltering hot room. Love the new pictures of HRH.

Junebug, I am glad your sister is here. I hate to hear your mom is about the same on food but it's nice her mood is a bit better when she is alert at night. One day at a time for sure. Yes finding my EC was very fun.

Rainwood, love your new pictures of Denmark. That ride looks fun and kind of scary. The food looks fabulous!

Hi Kristie, Sharon, Gypsy and LLJsmom

It is pouring rain out right now. I always worry about melting in the rain. Not because I am so sweet but more like the wicket witch issue.

I met a friend of mine for lunch. We had snack pack sandwiches with small fries and drinks but then had a frozen custard with PB cups and ate about 1/2 of them. I am still full. We are taking Marty's co-worker to dinner tonight maybe I'll just drink.

Tonight I have to do laundry and pull out what I want to pack. Saturday morning is coming way too fast!

Have a great evening and Friday tomorrow.
Marcy
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Gypsy]

Hi All, thank you guys for the support. I really appreciate it. Drove all the way to infusion. Hand the insurance card to the lady at the window when I get there. She says, "Is this new insurance?" I am like... yeah, I told you guys that I was getting new insurance weeks ago. "We have to get a pre-authorization from your insurance for the infusion if the insurance is new and we can't do it today."

REALLY??? You couldn't tell me that last week. Or the week before? I could have taken a picture of the card and emailed it you and we could have done this.

So the infusion is now set for NEXT week.

This was me at the doctor's office (I managed not to say anything uncivil, but it was a near thing):

 

[Scandinavian]

Good morning girls

I'm assuming you are girls, but who knows, LOL
Sorry, just a bit of early morning humor. That is a good and bad thing about the internet is it not? Started thinking about it when Missy mentioned that her mother thinks posting online is crazy. I would never tell my parents. My DH is more than sceptic enough, so thus the "I'm a Scandinavian chipmunk" theory..

I have so little time today, but wanted to say hello super quick.

Gypsy, I love dragons You know the saying? Be yourself. But if you can be a unicorn, be a unicorn. So if you should be a dragon kind of depends on whether or not you can be a unicorn... ?

Rainwood, keep the pictures coming I think you are doing a really good job portraying the quirks of the people and places, so much fun to see them And also - you take really good pictures

Missy, Francesca is just beautiful. No other word for it. But I do think she knows it, just like my furbaby... LOL Little princess or queen. Might be offended by princess...

Marcy, IT IS FRIDAY TODAY I think it would be a ton of fun to be a fly on the wall when your boss works with your employees Oh I do wish you the best holiday ever!!

Junebug, I love what you write about exercise. It is always most important and needed the days when we hate it, I think Good for you !!

I have two projects to finish SUPER FAST now. And then I'm driving FAR FAR away to look at a terrain we consider renting for bird practice for my little furbaby. Who knew dogs were so expensive??? And then back again tonight. And to the summerhouse with guests tomorrow... Oh my. Oh well. I get what I ask for...

Hugs to you all!

EDIT: forgot to say that I bought a lot of new underwear yesterday. And a new bikini. This one:
http://www.seafolly.com/tropic-coast-reversible-slide-triangle-bikini-top-reversible-brazilian-bikini-pant.html

Shopping is too important to miss mentioning, don't you think?

 

[missy]

Good morning girls! It's Friday!

Marcy tomorrow's V Day woohoo! So excited for your beach vacation!
Your lunch with your friend yesterday sounded very good especially the custard and PB (is that peanut butter) cups. Yummm.
HRH (or princess as she goes by either/both names LOL) thanks you for enjoying her photos. She graciously allows her loyal subjects to take pics of her whenever they like. She just loves posing for the camera and public.
LOL abut melting in the rain and the wicked witch of the East. That's my line.
Good luck packing tonight and finishing all the laundry.

Junie, so glad your sister is with you and I hope that helps lessen the weight of all you are carrying. Hoping everything is going smoothly and really hoping your mom's appetite improves and that you are getting some much needed rest. (((HUGS))).

Gypsy, Arghhh I am so angry for you. Why does it seem that everywhere we go there are so many incompetent people (not) doing their jobs. That makes me furious and it isn't the exception but more often the rule where you check and double check and yet they still make a mistake that costs you time and energy and delays you getting the medical attention you need. I am so sorry honey and I hope somehow you are feeling better anyway and that your infusion next week makes everything much better. (((HUGS))).

Scandi, I love your new bikini. Just my style. Not that you will catch me wearing a bikini these days. No way no how but I appreciate those who can wear them well. Good for you. And don't worry about having to cut your hair when you get older. You don't have to. Anything goes these days when you know how to wear it and I know you will be a smashing older woman with gorgeous long hair. You can and will rock it! Have a great weekend with your houseguests.

Rainwood, my favorite type of vacations are active and walking vacations seeing the sights as you did with your sister and everything about your trip was wonderful even the "roughing" it part and I like that you sandwiched that b/w the luxury part.
And traveling light is the only way to go IMO. I am looking forward to your next installment of photos. Loving everything you are posting. Thank you for sharing your beautiful trip with us.


Have a great Friday girls! And Scandi yes most of the NIRDIs are girls though we might have a guy or two reading and occasionally chiming in here the great majority are us girls.

 

[LLJsmom]

Hi All, thank you guys for the support. I really appreciate it. Drove all the way to infusion. Hand the insurance card to the lady at the window when I get there. She says, "Is this new insurance?" I am like... yeah, I told you guys that I was getting new insurance weeks ago. "We have to get a pre-authorization from your insurance for the infusion if the insurance is new and we can't do it today."

REALLY??? You couldn't tell me that last week. Or the week before? I could have taken a picture of the card and emailed it you and we could have done this.

So the infusion is now set for NEXT week.

This was me at the doctor's office (I managed not to say anything uncivil, but it was a near thing):

Gypsy, haven't been on this thread in a while. But I gotta say. Love the visual. I get it. I'm sorry it's been such a PITA to make this happen.

 

[canuk-gal]

Good morning girls

I'm assuming you are girls, but who knows, LOL
Sorry, just a bit of early morning humor. That is a good and bad thing about the internet is it not? Started thinking about it when Missy mentioned that her mother thinks posting online is crazy. I would never tell my parents. My DH is more than sceptic enough, so thus the "I'm a Scandinavian chipmunk" theory..

Touche!!!


Gypsy: I am feeling for you with your struggles with RA and getting your needs met. Healing breath to you and positive vibes your way.

Hello ya'll!!

cheers--Sharon

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Gypsy, OMG what a hassle with your new insurance card! They couldn't call and get it approved while you are standing there? Next week will be here soon.

Scandinavian, Marty posts more personal stuff on FB than I ever would so I guess he isn't worried about what I tell you ladies. I will be very interested to see how things unfold while I am gone. Time will tell. I hope you likes the the bird practice place and have fun this weekend.

Missy, that is pretty funny HRH likes to pose for the camera. She wants her loyal subjects to admire her.

Hi LLJsmom and Sharon!

I did get most of my packing done last night. I made a list of what I still need to do. Looks like we'll need 2 suitcases but that's fine.

Marty is too busy trying to finish his work project to go to our astronomy meeting so I made handouts for everyone last night - took me about 45 minutes and about 60 sheets of paper but I won't have to haul my laptop over there and hook it up to the TV. I sometimes thing Power Points have gotten boring anyway.

My plan is to be in bed by 9 pm tonight. We will see how that goes!

Have a fabulous Friday and a lovely weekend.
Marcy soon to be a beach bum



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[rainwood]

Missy, I'm so sorry it's so hot and that work was without A/C. It sounds like you did what you could and made the right decision not to have either you or your patients suffer through. I hope things work out better weather-wise. Also love your kitty pics. Their personalities come through so well!

Marcy, have a great vacation at the beach. Check in when you can.

Gypsy, sorry your infusion has been delayed. It's so annoying when people don't do what they are supposed to do, and you're the one who suffers.

Scandi, glad you like the photos. It's hard to choose which ones. And you sound very dedicated to working with your dog this summer. I hope she realizes what a lucky pup she is!

Sharon, I'm assuming all is well up north.

Junie, I'm sorry your mom continues to do poorly, but it sounds like you're handling it as best you can. It's hard to stay hopeful, I know, but it's also hard not to want to hope for the best. One day at a time, sometimes one hour at a time, is the way forward. Hang in there!

CJ, fingers crossed your medical issues resolve themselves. It's good you have an appointment if they don't. It's hard not to worry and doing research online is both helpful and totally scary. You'll figure out what's going on.

Hey, LLJ, is life treating you okay?

I hope I didn't miss anyone. More Denmark photos to follow.

 

[rainwood]

We spend two nights on the Danish island of Aero. It's not actually spelled like that in Danish. The A and E are attached and the O has a slash through it. I'm not sure I can duplicate that here. It was a lovely time away from the big cities, but I also wish we'd gotten to spend a little more time there too.

Here's a shot from the first night:


And this is one of the streets in the village of Aeroskobing:

The whole town is a photograph waiting to be taken.

And speaking of charming, this is an island of duck huts so an island for the island ducks. I'd never heard of duck huts, but there are ducks hanging out so maybe they do stay in the huts which are so adorable and so Danish with their red and white.


And here's a shot of one of the island churches:

 

[rainwood]

One of the best known landmarks on Aero are the small beach cabanas that have been around for a long time and get passed down through the families. They can't stay overnight - no electricity or plumbing - but they are quite charming as well and were being used as we walked by shortly before sunset. Rick Steves calls them the "monopoly houses" and this picture shows you why:


We also saw a few larger residences. We went to a production of 'Hamlet' at Kronberg Castle - supposedly the inspiration for Shakespeare (though that seems hotly debated by many):


And this is some furniture from Fredericksborg Castle that I was eyeing for my living room. I could sit there with my laptop while discussing diamonds on PS, don't you think?


And I call this photo 'Monet in Motion' taken from the bus as we went by:

 

[rainwood]

Our favorite museum of the whole trip was the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, which was a half hour train ride out of Copenhagen. We loved that some of the art was interactive:

And they had a wonderful, wonderful dinner buffet where we saw several people rushing outside to get a shot of this double rainbow:

This is a little different view of Copenhagen from the Round Tower:

And no trip to Denmark is complete without a shot of The Little Mermaid which took some doing as everyone on the planet wanted to take their photo with her:

 

[rainwood]

And my posts aren't complete without at least one food and flower shot from our favorite food hall:


This is an older couple we met at the Glyptotek Museum in Copenhagen:


And I "Think" I'm finished with the Denmark part of the trip:


Next up will be Norway. It will probably take a few days as I have a LOT of photos to go through.

 

[CJ2008]

rainwood I cannot believe how much beauty you have seen. Loving these pictures. I'm so happy for you! And it makes me really really want to go away on vacation!

Hi NIRDIs!

Hope you're enjoying your Friday.

It's almost pizza time! Yay!

 

[LLJsmom]

rainwood, these pictures are stunning. Thank you so much for sharing. And you've got a great eye too.

 

[Gypsy]

Wow Rainwood your pictures are so amazing. They are really bringing your trip to life. You have some serious talent. Thank you so much for sharing.

 

[marcy]

Hi Ladies!

Rainwood you pictures of Aero are fabulous. The shot of the bay at sunset is picture perfect! Absolutely beautiful.

I should be asleep as I am getting up in a little over 6 hours. Ugh. Our flight was delayed 30 minutes but that doesn't help much.

My astronomy meeting was great tonight. I did a real basic key to the sky and sky motions which generated a lot of discussion. Good call to take handouts and skip the power point. An old friend of mine from work showed up with her husband. I probably haven't seen her for 8 years. I stayed late and talked to her.

Marty passed on going to the meeting he is kind of fried from working so much this week. Sadly his project isn't done so he is taking his laptop on our vacation. Good deal I might be able to use it for posting on PS and checking my pictures. SWEET!

Okay, got to move a tablecloth to the dryer - silly guys got coffee stains on my off white table cloth. What were the thinking?

Laters,

Marcy

 

[Scandinavian]

Hello from Scandinavia
Drove for hours and hours yesterday to look at a terrain for little furbaby. The terrain was OK but have not made up our minds yet. A bit concerned over reindeers. Not that they bother me, but need to check that any hunting will not interfere with or training.
Going to the summerhouse today (and back home tomorrow), have invited guests for dinner + breakfast. And probably lunch, lol. Always hard to let people leave when you are having a nice time. Hmmmm need to remember to buy some good food for lunch too.

Missy. Re bikini. Thank you for liking it But you can wear a bikini too !! A friend told me that having a bikini body is easy. You just have a body and you put on a bikini and voila! Bikini body I really hope the AC problems are resolved at your work place before Monday. That sounds really bad and very varm. I'm not too good with that kind of temperatures either. On holiday in Athens once, I thought I was going to melt or start boiling from within. 40c (104F?) in the shadow, burning sun and no wind. LOL I went from water bottle seller to water bottle seller, drinking half and pouring the other half over my head... My DH thought I was kidding until I almost fainted. He thought it was nice and warm..

Hello Sharon

Hello beach bum Marcy, my DH doesn't even have FB The bird practice place was very nice. The terrain is good and we found 3 birds in 1 hour, which is OK. My only concern is the reindeers or more specifically any hunters that want to eat Rudolph for Christmas dinner..

Rainwood, my little furbaby angel is a little princess and she is very spoiled in some ways. In others, she is a perfect dog She has only a few rules - don't chew on house stuff / shoes / ect, don't steal food, sit when I say so, come to me when I say so. These she is forced to abide. The rest of the time, she is completely unaware of how we try to make her life as nice as possible. But you know, I think that is my responsibility. She is "forced" to spend her life with us, and she will never have an alternative. So as we have "stolen" her from her mother and pack, I try my best to give her a nice life Gonna stop ranting now
Btw, the the village of Aeroskobing and its houses are typical for a lot of the smaller cities in Scandinavia The letters are ÆØÅ. Three more than in the English alphabet. Æ sounds a bit like the first a in actually, bad, sad. Ø sounds a bit like the first o in thorough, or u in burn. Å sounds a bit like o in born.

Jimmianne, how are you? And Pom? And DD?

Gypsy, hope the insurance gets cleared fast.

 

[Scandinavian]

Todays picture: Grapes in the garden at the summer house last year. Do you think there will be any today?

Someone had actually STOLEN all our berries the last time we were there! So SO rude!! The children almost started crying. I can not believe the nerve of some people! I'm going to hang up a notice that if it happens again we will report it to the police. Seriously, one apple is OK but ALL THE BERRIES??? Raspberries, currants and black currants.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Marcy, have a safe flight and you know I am sending you buckets of safe trip dust. You will have an amazing beach vacation honey and you deserve it! I am picturing you now sitting on the beach with the cool ocean breeze and waves breaking at the shore while you are relacing on a chaise lounge sipping your margaritas. Ahhh, that's the life.
And yes don't forget about us. We are living vicariously through you this vacation and please drop in and say hi every now and then. XO.

Rainwood, LOVE the latest photos and I agree with everyone. You have a real talent for taking photos and thank you so much for sharing them with us. I feel as if we are there. Love the Little Mermaid. Such a romantic figure. And Kronberg Castle. Wow. The Danish Island of Aero is breathtaking. All of your photos are. One more beautiful than the next.


Scandi, LOL I like your definition of bikini ready body. That is awful someone took all your berries last year. I am sorry the kids were so upset about that too and hope that doesn't happen again. People can behave so awfully. Have a wonderful weekend with your friends and I know the temps will be cooler by you than by us where we are still in the 90s F. At least the heat index is less than 108 this weekend. I hope.

CJ, how are you feeling honey? Hoping you have a good weekend planned are are feeling better.

Junie, how are you? Hoping your sister is providing you with comfort and relief and that your mom is doing as well as she can and that you have a peaceful weekend. Is Zoe back home with you yet? (((HUGS))).

Hi LLJSmom, Sharon, and Callie and Kristie and Gypsy! Hope all is going as well as possible and hope you have a nice weekend planned. Gypsy I hope you are feeling OK and that relief is yours very very soon. (((HUGS))).


Ann took Shasta and Rootbeer to get spayed/neutered yesterday and guess what? We finally got a boy! Shasta is a boy! Woohoo! Maybe he is the kitty who has been impregnating the soda gang though I have my doubts as he seems so young. But anyway finally a boy in the group. 7 girls have now been spayed and one boy. Shasta had an eye issue i.e. sand under his lid or something like that and the vets took care of him there too and now everyone is doing well. Ann is releasing Rootbeer and Shasta this Monday afternoon after the heat wave finally (hopefully) breaks.

We found out big news about our difficult neighbors when we got to the beach house yesterday. They have a For Sale sign up on their property. Fingers crossed they sell it and to a nice family. That would be wonderful. Fingers crossed because the devil you know but it could be a big improvement so I am hoping! Any NIRDIs in the market for a beach house next door to Greg and me?

Another piece of big news that might affect me more directly very soon is that our Clinic Director called me late yesterday afternoon. The take over of our clinic is happening August 29th and she emailed me forms to sign and she said the new corporation will want me and all the other clinicians who are staying to sign a new contract and take some of their corporate HIPPA courses etc. yada yada yada. We are no longer an article 28 Non Profit Clinic but now an FQHC.

Way to bring reality into the weekend yanno? I am uncertain about what I want to do right now and just taking it one week/one day at a time in general and seeing how work goes next week. This means we are moving to our new office spaces the week of the 29th and surprisingly I don't feel ready though we had months and months and months to get ready mentally. What I don't feel ready to do yet (emotionally) is stop working but I think I better get ready. Things will be different and I am trying to prepare myself to leave if I feel the need to leave. Greg fully supports my decision either way and that helps me tremendously though I am still anxious about it either way. It's a big change and I think most of you know by now I am not a fan of change but I also know that I must adapt to change since I cannot control it. So either way I will be OK but I am a bit nervous about the whole thing.

Just a quick question for those with metal in your body...I am still getting swelling and discomfort off and on in my ankle and I have a feeling that will be forever and it has only been a little over 25 months since my surgery. But just wondering if any of you know is this just something I will be dealing with for the rest of my life? And it's OK but I just want to know. It's funny I cannot remember what my surgeon told me but I do think it is normal to deal with swelling forever with an injury like this. Of course I would love if it got less with time to the point where it didn't cause me any more discomfort but I am guessing I just have to deal with the swelling and discomfort forever but I am so grateful that I can do almost everything pretty much that I did before the injury so no complaints. Very very thankful.

OK we are off for a ride shortly and just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful weekend and lots of fun in store for you all. Big (((HUGS))).

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIS.

Scandinavia, sounds like you found some good prospects for training your fur baby. I hope you have a nice weekend with your company. Marty had reindeer in Finland and one of our friends little girls cried because they told her Marty star Rudolph. She slugged him even. BTW those grapes look delicious. How rude of people to steal your berries.

Missy, we made it here okay. Hot and humid for sure. The view if fabulous though. Saw a nice orange moon rising over the ocean tonight. Everyone is outside swimming but I feel like I've been up since 3. Good deal Ann got Shasta and Rootbeer. Finally a boy, huh? I am glad to hear your neighbors are selling their beach house. Sweet. Darn it for more changes at work and taking classes. You will figure out what is right for you. I hate to hear about the swelling and discomfort with your hardware in your ankle. I know nothing about it. How was your ride?

I've been up since 3 so I think I will head up to bed. It's a beautiful view here. Sadly this fairly new rental hasn't been taken care of by the renters. Lots of things kind of trashed and in poor shape. My MIL called them 3 times today and has quite a list for tomorrow. It's overall really nice but wow. The 2 weeks was almost $14,000 for 8 bedrooms and 9 baths.

The flights here weren't too bad. My rings survived being worn all day and getting washed. I might look for windex in the kitchen. Their brand is dish soap is something generic.

Take care.
Marcy

The view from our decks.

 

[rainwood]

Missy, I'm glad that one of the Soda gang that's been TNR'd is a boy. Good for you and Ann for sticking with it all this time. The ferals are very lucky to have all of you.

As one of the 'Metal Gang,' here's my experience with swelling and pain. I have a little area right where the pins are that always stays a bit swollen compared to my other leg. I think that's there forever. My repaired ankle can swell quite a bit either when I've been sitting a lot and not getting much walking in or if I'm doing a lot of walking or standing in shoes that don't have support right at the ankle - mostly sandals like flip flops and lower-cut dress shoes. In those situations, I sometimes get kind of a dull ache too. I occasionally get a little soreness or pain where the plate and pins are, but it doesn't last very long and I'm not sure what causes it. Hope that is helpful.

Marcy, great photo - so pretty. That must be one HUGE house. And it's so hard to know with a vacation rental what you're going to get. You want it to be nice, but some renters aren't very careful or respectful of other people's property which makes it hard for the owners to want to have nice things in the house. We've had some that were great (usually when they hadn't been in the rental pool very long) and some that were well-used by the time we rented them. Always a bit of a crapshoot. Have a great time, and traveling east with the time change can be hard to get used to for awhile. A great excuse to sleep in and let someone bring you breakfast in bed!

Scandi, thanks for the info. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to find those extra three letters on Pricescope, but you did so I should be able to, right? Where did you find them? And I'm sure you'll find the right place to train with your fur baby. And those beach cabanas are so cute and such a great idea, I'm not surprised they are in other places as well. Hope you enjoyed your company at the summer house and they didn't overstay their welcome.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Marcy, gorgeous view from your beach house rental. Sorry it is not as well kept as you were hoping. I have never done a rental but for that much money I sure hope the owner can make it right for you. She should have a cleaning crew in between rentals. Hoping your weather cools down soon. In our area it is cooling down in a few days so hopefully that will be coming your way too. Thank goodness your vacation didn't start 2 weeks ago because this was quite the long stretch of hot and humid weather we have been having.
Thank you for letting us all know you arrived safely yesterday and I got the biggest LOL from that photo of your bunny and bear on the windshield hahaha. We saw a Macan yesterday and Marcy what a beautiful car in person. Really a knockout. I wanted to stop and take a pic but it was getting so hot and we just wanted to get back from our bike ride and shower. But if I see it again I will take a photo for you. Hope you had a great night's sleep and are adjusting well to the time change.

Rainwood, thanks for the info. That's what I thought but just wanted to make sure. I don't remember the surgeon telling me that I was going to have swelling forever but it makes sense. I wonder if the metal had been removed after the first year if it would have been better. I know going back in and removing it would cause more damage to my lymphatic drainage system and might result in more permanent swelling so I don't think there is any right or easy answer.

Hope you are having a good weekend and I am very much looking forward to your Norway photos!

Callie, I am hoping so hard you have internet today. Fast and efficient. Those darn cable/internet providers are the same everywhere aren't they? Hoping it is working and working well today. And that you enjoyed some good pizza last night too!

Jimmianne, miss you and hope all is well.


So last night we saw Sprite out on our deck enjoying the last bit of the sun before it set and just relaxing. Made us so happy and I e-mailed the photos to Ann and she was thrilled that Sprite is getting back to her routine and seems happy. Then we saw a cat we thought might be Fresca but turns out to be an un-neutered male. Sigh a fertile male cat on the loose. And this is a cat that has been around for months but they all look so much alike that if we don't see them up close during the day it is easy to mistake them for another which we have been doing. SO we have more cats than I thought left to spay and neuter but more importantly this cat is probably the dad of all our cats or at least many of our soda gang cats.

I think last night I finally realized we are never really going to get this situation under strict control and truly we can only do what we can do which isn't going to be enough but going to keep doing the best we can. I know I have said that before but I think last night seeing this male cat that we have not yet trapped and neutered made me realize the situation is never going to be over. And we are always going to have newborn babies and some will survive and some won't and life won't be easy for these cats. All because of careless ignorant uncaring people. Vent over and no need to respond. Just getting it out. I know Greg and I are making the lives of some of these cats better and I have to accept what we cannot control. Sharing some pics from last night. Sprite and then the Fresca look alike. If you look at the male cat you can see his head is big and round/squarish. That is how you can tell he is an un-neutered male. The shape of his head is a tell tale sign he has lots of testosterone and is a fertile male cat.


First 2 pics are Sprite.








And this is our un neutered male who has been around all these months but we have been confusing him with the others. These pics clearly show he has not yet been trapped and neutered.








We had a good bike ride yesterday albeit hot and skipped a party last night because we were both too tired. Greg got to work on his workbench when we got back from our ride and here is the progress. I am so happy his basement workshop is finally finished and he can enjoy hours and hours woodworking. Once this bench is finished he is going to get to do lots of projects on the honey do list.
And first up on that list is a more sheltered feeding station for the soda gang cause the bad weather will be here before we know it.

Have a great Sunday girls!

 

[Gypsy]

Missy, hugs. It's very overwhelming, I know. But you are doing the job of 5 other people in what you are accomplishing. And yes, it feels like it's a war of attrition if you look at how many neglected animals there are out there. But when you save just ONE cat by TNR you are saving a whole life, not to mention generations of kittens. And you've done so much more than that!! So first of all hugs. I can hear and imagine how discouraging it is to see Mr. Smug Tom Cat, I really can. And I totally get the anger!! OMG do I get that.

But just remember : One day at a time. And for you: one cat at a time. That is all you can do.