Monday, June 24, 2019, WI

It was a traumatic day for me and for Frisco. He was the victim and I was the concerned witness. I could tell that he still wasn’t feeling good - I even saw a tear in his eye. So I decided that I just couldn’t wait until Wednesday for his appointment with my friend, Claire. We saw Dr. Culham at Chalet Vet and she was stunned and appalled that he wasn’t treated for the ear infection at the 24-hour clinic that I took him to yesterday. She cleaned his ear and prescribed an antibiotic to treat it - one that should get him through until I get back here next summer.

And then we talked about the options for the hematoma: she could drain it and inject a steroid but it would probably be back in the same shape within a week or two, she could surgically put a tube in the ear, allowing it to drain for 3 weeks and then be removed, or she could do surgery to open it, clean it out, and stitch it in a manner that wouldn’t allow the blood to accumulate again. I opted for the tube, as she said it has been quite successful and she could do it yet today. So, I left him in their hands and a few hours later, I picked him up and paid them $300 and took him home with a cone on his head. I know that he will adapt but it might take a few days and we will all have to be patient. It doesn’t help that we live in this tiny place but already he has mastered getting a drink, getting comfortable in his bed, and going for walks. What a guy!

After dealing with Frisco at the vet, we set off this morning to drop a few books off at the nearby thrift store and they were closed. Then we went to the local Norwegian Heritage Center and it was closed. So we took the bag of books to St. Vinny’s to donate and shopped around for a bit. 

And then we took a drive to Edgerton to check out a couple of RV Parks - Hickory Hills (way too wooded and remote), Lakeview (a parking lot - no go), the KOA in Milton (very nice, but not worth the drive considering the price and comparing it to the convenience of Viking Village), and Creekside in Albion (no go). 

On our way back home and before picking Frisco up, we stopped to see Jonnie’s new ‘under construction’ 320 square foot tiny home, about three miles east of Stoughton. They built it in a giant shed and it is just waiting for all of the required permits to be reconstructed on a concrete slab on her son’s property. It’s a long story, with many challenges with weather and water soaked grounds, but once it is constructed is going to be a very nice home for her. I can’t wait to see it!

Sunday, June 23, 2019, WI

Today is my cousin Fran’s 94th birthday party and it was a busy morning before heading to her party. 

I made a coleslaw to take to the party and then got ready to take Frisco to the vet.  His ear did not improve throughout the night, so I felt compelled to take him in and have it checked. I went to the 24-hour clinic in Madison and they determined it to be a hematoma (blood filled pocket between the layers of skin) on his right ear and the inside has a fungal/yeast infection - the same old story throughout his life. The options were: medication to relieve the pain and reduce inflammation, a surgical procedure to drain the hematoma, and to do nothing and take him to the appointment I have on Wednesday. I opted for the meds to help him feel better now and will take him to the vet on Wednesday.

The party was so much fun, as all of those events are. It was held at my 2nd cousin, Erin’s home and all of Fran’s family was there, her sister in-law, Barb and niece, Kim from Alaska were there, and my cousin Carole and her husband Bob from Florida joined us.  Barb and Kim brought edible goodies from Alaska: Halibut, Salmon, and Moose (burgers and hot dogs).

The birthday girls - Erin, 39 and Fran, 94

   

 

 Sister-in-laws, Irmy and Fran

Sisters-in-law, Fran and Barb

              Cousin Jonnie

Cousin Carole and her husband Bob

First cousins, Carole, Jonnie, Me, and Fran 

Saturday, June 22, 2019, WI

Wednesday was laundry day and it was eventful. I went to town, as I had 3 large loads including Frisco’s bedding. His big, soft, fluffy bed exploded in the dryer and sent flakes of foam flying everywhere in there.  A fellow asked if it was my dryer and then the attendant came and helped me clean up - the base of it melted and opened up to let the foam out.  Bye, bye, dog bed.

While I was folding my stuff, my sister Rita’s girlfriend Shorty, came up to greet me and we ended u having a nice conversation. And I also met Dawn, a gal who is staying here at Viking Village for the summer. Big excitement here in Stoughton.

We met up with some of Mike’s family for lunch at Breakwater in Monona on Thursday. Karen, Sharon, Louie and Dave joined us and we had some fun conversation and it was good to see them all.

In the evening, we went into town to listen to music at the Fireman’s Park Gazebo. Neither of us were big fans of the Accoustic Collective, so we went across the street to the Whatever Tavern and had a beer. Neither of us were big fans of that place either - a lot of regulars who appeared to be heavy drinkers.

Friday was a hang out at home Day - we never left the park. The weather was very nice and after dinner, we got a fire going in the fire pit and burned the wood that I have been carrying since Idaho (I think). It was enjoyable and the sunset was fantastic.

We picked Pat up on Saturday morning and went to a few garage sales - it was Stoughton’s city-wide sales although they were spread out and we did more driving that garage sales.  

This afternoon I noticed that Frisco’s right ear was quite swollen and I was sure that it somehow related to his infected ear. I have an appointment to see a vet next week.

We had a steak and salad dinner with Pat and Tracey in the evening and then sat around telling stories and had a very nice time.  When we got back to the trailer, there was a huge red ball of sun setting in the western sky but I couldn’t get a photo before it slipped behind the trees and disappeared. Believe me, it was beautiful.

Tuesday, June 18, 2019, WI

What a nice day! Patty and I arranged to meet at JC Penney at East Towne and spend the day together. After some girl shopping and finding some good deals between there and Kohl’s, we browsed the Kirkland store in search of a cabinet for her bathroom.  By then, we were both getting hungry so we headed for Monty’s Blue Plate on Atwood Avenue. I remembered having this yummy salad there in the past and it was still on the menu - a spinach salad with artichokes, zucchini, sunflower seeds, eggplant, quinoa, fresh mozzarella, and a yummy dressing. Mmmmmmm!

Olbrich Botanical Gardens was our next stop. We strolled through the warm and humid Bolz Conservatory, enjoying the bright Orchids and Bromeliads and the many variations of tropical plants and a few birds flitting around.  A trip to the gardens just wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the living memorial tree that has a leaf for Mike, his brother Dan, and his mother Jane, who all died in 2013. And then we moseyed and strolled to the Thai Pavilian and gardens. We both had fond memories to dig up of family events and we really enjoyed an afternoon of hanging out together.

Monday, June 17, 2019, WI

We took Frisco across the road to the Viking Dog Park this morning and he had a ball. He met several dogs that he ran around with, he waded into the river, up to his belly and slurped the water, he bounded in and out of the woods, chased a critter, and just had fun. And we got a 2-mile walk in.

We went to Pick n Save to get 3 items and ended up spending $50 on groceries.

I had to take my car to Costco to have the rear driver’s side tire checked out (it has developed a slow leak) and to have the tires rotated. It turned out to have a screw in it, was repaired, and I was on my way back home.

Sunday, June 16, 2019, WI

It’s been a few days since writing and now I can’t remember the details of the last few days - must not be too important. The highlight for Thursday was meeting up with Pat and Tracey and walking to El Rio Grande for dinner and just hanging out and chatting.

Friday was spent going for walks, doing projects around the trailer, and enjoying the breezy day. Later in the afternoon, we drove to DeForest so Tom could get some mud flaps for his truck at the brand new, HUGE, Fleet Farm store. We only saw half of the store in the time that we had. After that, we met Pat and Roger, Susie and Gary, and Dick and Bobby for fish fry at The Owl’s Nest in Poynette. It was a nice time and the food and Old Fashioneds were tasty.

I went to see Fran yesterday morning and we had a nice visit. We went and had dinner with Pat and Tracey and another nice, long chat.

This afternoon, we were going to Warner Park in Madison for a Blues Fest. We got there and a Madison Mallards baseball game was going on and soccer games at the shelter on the west side of the park. I checked the event listing again and realized it was June 16 of 2018. Plan B (in case of bad weather) was to go to see the Capitol and walk State Street, so that is where we headed next. Tom was pretty impressed with the Capitol - the fine marble and, carved metal railings, and the paintings on the ceiling. We climbed the many flights of stairs to the observation tower and looked out at the rooftops of the downtown buildings and Lakes Monona and Mendota off in the distance.

We then walked down State Street as far as University Book Store, then back to State Street Brats. Tom couldn’t resist ordering a brat and I had one of the ribeye steak sandwiches that I remember being so good in the past. Both were yummy, as was the Capitol Amber beer that complimented them.

Wednesday, June 12, 2019, WI

It feels good to be settled for a while, with not a lot of plans but just enough to be able to connect with friends and family. Yesterday afternoon, I got together with classmates at their monthly meetup at Culver’s. About eight gals showed up and we had some good conversation. I picked up a Papa Murphy’s pizza on my way back home and stopped for a chat with Pat and Tracey.

Today was rainy, all day and chilly - dropping down to about 58 degrees as the day went on and the storms came through. Our coffee pot went n the fritz this morning and Tom tried to figure out what the problem was, to no avail - the heating mechanism is shot. While he did that, I did the laundry and that took a while. One of the washers was slow to fill, so the final rinse cycle took about 40 minutes before spinning. And then, I walked away without hitting the start button on the dryer, realizing that mistake when I went to check the first dryer.  All in all, it was about a 3-hour project. We had no plans for the day, so it wasn’t a problem.