WE ARE FINALLY HERE!

It has been a challenge getting to Abaco, but we finally made it. We apparently missed 2 weeks of perfect weather and a huge cold front is coming early next week, but it doesn't matter because I certainly couldn't heal in the sub-zero temps up north. Time to learn how to do the many steps of the apartment. Talk about the ultimate physical therapy! What a view...soon to be trimmed so we can see more.

Thanks Barry and Barb for this photo when the harbor was empty earlier this fall. It looks quite a bit busier now!

Happy Holidays!

I think it's time to head south. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from us both.

Countdown

My latest orthopedic doctor appointment ended up being right in the middle of a snowstorm. We made it though and I am now able to bear total weight (easier said than done) with my walking boot on. I get to do this, along with more exercises, for two more weeks. Then if my x-rays are okay we will be free to leave! We have already made reservations to fly out of New Smyrna (we had just booked our tickets the day I fell) and will drive down to Florida again. So hopefully all goes well these next two weeks and we'll head to warmer weather. Meanwhile Dave had to snow blow the driveway, a rare occurrence, and he even took his 1970s snowmobile out for a quick blast.

It's Here!

Should WE be? This is definitely a new horizon for us...

Let It Snow

We are ready for snow. We woke to a coating this morning and more is expected tomorrow with even more on Tuesday. Dave has 2 snowblowers ready to go and is even working on an old (aka classic) snowmobile if the white stuff really accumulates.

His motorcycle scrapping project is now complete for the year and over 3/4 of his parts bikes are gone. Dave even got to go to a friend's family's farm and see their 14 goats that they use for milk and milk soap. Perhaps we should get some for the empty bike enclosures!

Meanwhile my ankle continues to heal and I am bearing 25 percent weight with a walking boot and walker. I can see the difference in the range of motion with the exercises I do twice a day. Hopefully I will have more news after my next doctor's appointment on Tuesday, which is ironic because of all days, it is going to snow. The office has a covered entrance but getting in and out of the house will be challenging in my transport wheelchair. Dave will need to shovel a little path straight to the car, just like we used to for the dogs to do their business. ;-)  It's all about adapting.

Anomaly

Our backyard is a haven for all sorts of critters. This fall we've been noticing a rarity...a partial albino chipmunk! It almost looks like a tiny guinea pig. It better move fast to keep out of sight of the hawks though.

Inlet Visit

Yesterday we took a ride down to the Ponce Inlet Park since it was a gorgeous day out. It was quite a rough trip in the wheelchair on the wood walkway out to the jetty, but well worth it. We came across this large land tortoise munching away on plants in the sand dunes.

We always enjoy the view back to the lighthouse and the surf was up with many surfers catching rides on the waves.

  
Now our sad and emotional goodbyes have been said and we are on the road again heading north. We sure hope the snow that's predicted in western NY doesn't affect us. We'll certainly have "tropical depression" going from palm trees and 75 degrees to bare trees and 30s. I sure hope I am healing fast!

Goodbye Beachside

We're moving our entourage a bit inland today since prices beachside increase 25 percent on the weekend. It's too bad we couldn't take advantage of the beach with all the wind, but the sunrises were great over the ocean and it's funny having the pelicans flying by at eye level on the 4th floor. When we walk out of the room, we have a spectacular view over the Halifax River towards Port Orange.

It's been convenient for visiting my mother in the memory care facility, but unfortunately her condition is failing rapidly. It will be very sad when we leave her in a couple of days.

Here Fishy Fishy

Yesterday we visited the huge Bass Pro Shop across from the newly renovated Daytona Speedway. The indoor fish tank, that looks like it's outside, was awesome!

Blown Away

It's rather windy here beachside!

Then & Now

Before we left:

This morning:

Back Seat Driver

Road trip! Since my next doctor's appointment isn't until the 28th, and the weather is literally freezing, we thought we would take the opportunity to head to Daytona to visit family in the Buick. I was hoping that the front seat would work out for traveling, but my leg wasn't too happy. So here I sit in the comfy back seat with my leg on a pillow, while my chauffeur drives on...

Day By Day

Good days and bad days. That's what healing is all about. I just got back from the doctor with another cast. I was having horrible sensations that my incisions were bleeding and blood felt like it was running down my leg. Off came the tight old cast and of course everything was fine. Apparently this happens often with the skin's nerves. The latest cast is even smaller and has more padding. Maybe I will even get to sleep in my bed or the first time in 6 weeks! Meanwhile, hello from Walmart, which is another milestone!

Healing Continues

Ahhh, I am relieved now that I have a new smaller and lighter cast! Plus 13 staples on one side of my ankle and 10 on the other side have been removed. No pink casts were available so I settled for purple. I suppose I should have asked for Halloween orange!

The good news is that there isn't as much metal in my ankle as we thought. The bad news is that the doctor said that my bones were so soft that he could put his finger in them. However he did say part of that is due to the injury itself. It is imperative that I don't walk or bear weight until it is healed and my next appointment isn't for 4 weeks. Then maybe I can get a walking boot and he said we would talk then about me possibly being able to go to Abaco. Depends on the healing I guess.

Happy Halloween from Franken-foot!

Kewl Trucks

As I sit here healing (hopefully), I came across my photos from the Ballston Truck and Tractor show back in September. I had them all ready to post, but then well, I guess I became distracted. It was a gorgeous weekend with almost 90 degree temps. The turnout for vehicle displays was larger than it has ever been. Enjoy!

Let The Healing Begin

On Monday I finally had my ankle surgery completed. Talk about a long day. I wasn't scheduled until 3 PM but the surgery before me ran long so I didn't go into the OR until 4:30. Of course I hadn't had anything to eat or drink since midnight, but at that point I was too nervous to think about my stomach anyway. Unfortunately, my doctor found that more work had to be done than expected. First of all, that extra time from me being sick made my bones heal more but not correctly. Then apparently, but not surprisingly, I have osteoporosis and they couldn't get the screws to stay put.  So they put a plate on both sides of the bones with screws all the way through attaching the plates. I compare it to a rotten wood Abaco dinghy... similar to when we repaired the ribs in the hull, we did the same thing.

My procedure was done outpatient and I got to go home that night at about 8. I was smart enough to accept the offer of a right leg nerve block which total numbness lasts 10-24 hours. This was plenty of time to get me settled in my bedroom recliner and sleep before the pain gradually took over. Since then I have been sleeping with my meds for about 18 hours a day because it sure makes me dizzy. The pain was about an 8 yesterday but so far about a 6 today. Hopefully every day will be better!

The Carrier

It figures that this weekend I started getting a sore throat. I kept telling myself it was all in my head. I couldn't get a dr appointment until 3 pm today. Wonderful, I have strep throat with a fever. I had Dave get checked too since he has had laryngitis off and on for a month. Guess what... he's the carrier! So now we are both on antibiotics and my surgery has been postponed until Monday. I feel like by the time they do it I will be healed. Oh well, we wait some more.

Waiting Game

I just found out that my surgery isn't until October 11 so just as I am becoming pain free, I will be starting all over again. I'm glad I have lots of books at least. " Tropical Depression" is setting in too, since it's raining and only 49 degrees out. It's going to be a long 6-8 weeks!

Payback Time

Four years ago, when Dave had his accident and was incapacitated, I had to help him and do lots of jobs that I wasn't used to. Well it's payback time... I have broken my ankle! I twisted my ankle and then fell on it, so both bones are broken. It was also dislocated and boy was that ugly! It happened in Ticonderoga and we went to the hospital there where they set and splinted it. Today I had an orthopedic doctor appointment and unfortunately I will need surgery to install a plate and screws. This means we won't be in Florida or Hope Town for quite a few weeks as I recover. We'll enjoy the New England fall (no pun intended) and spend more time in the south in the spring to make up for lost time. Meanwhile, Dave is taking great care of me and all the jobs I usually do, while I sit and point. I'll keep you posted on my recuperation.

Hydroplanes in the Fog

The Schroon Lake Wet Meet started out in the fog last weekend and made it even better! The sun did come out after awhile, but the eerie effect of the fog was mesmerizing. Below are a few of the sights of this annual meet. I'm sorry that you can't hear the sounds the engines made though! For more info and photos check out the Mohawk Hudson Chapter of the Antique Outboard Motor Club's website and Facebook page.

Not All Fun

Sometimes there's things that have to be done. We haven't attempted any driveway sealing ourselves since we did our quarter mile long driveway, before we moved 10 years ago. I guess that was enough time for Dave to forget what an awful job it is. At least our two driveways and pathways in Ticonderoga aren't as long...and it came out great! Thanks Dave!

Weekends of Fun

During the summer we tend to lay low during the weekends because they are so busy everywhere. Labor Day starts our fun fall activities. Even Labor Day weekend wasn't as busy as normal, because of the cool weather that has plagued us this summer. After a great lunch at Jiminy Peak, the Thunderbird climbed to the top of Mt. Greylock.

We have Hope Town friends that hiked the Appalachian Trail this summer. I did my part by walking about 100 feet of it at the summit! Our friends later told us the climb up the mountain was challenging and when a thunderstorm came through, they spent the night in the log cabin that is provided for hikers there. I'm glad we drove!

The weekend after Labor Day is always packed full of events that we traditionally attend. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate for a trip to Lake George to see the Adirondack Nationals car show, and Dave was sick and we didn't go to the last Guptill's Car Show on Monday. However on Saturday we attended the Tugboat Round-up in Waterford. Once again the chilly weather kept some people away, and it didn't look quite as well attended as in previous years. That worked in our favor though.

We came across this display of wildlife bird rehabilitators which was amazing. They had three different owls and a raven which were so interesting. These birds had issues and would never be able to be returned to the wild, so they are displayed for educational purposes. Kudos to the Whispering Willow Wild Care group!

On Sunday, despite coming down with the flu, Dave went to the Rice-o-Rama motorcycle show in Massachusetts (I wonder how many people he infected...). The show was twice as large as previous years and more people than ever were thrilled with this one day a year event.

Of course his Widowmaker ride got an enormous amount of attention.

Dave didn't take too many photos, but if you are a Facebook fan, you can see plenty of shots from other's cameras on Rice-o-Rama's page.

Our friend Jim even got a 2nd place trophy for his Honda 50 in the 0-100cc class. Congratulations Jim!

Now that fall is here, we'll be looking forward to more events, although finally the weather is summer-like...we'll take it!