Some Good News Today



I sure didn't feel like goin to the doctor today after last night's injection, but I'm glad I did. Turns out I'm runnin a bit of a fever, which could explain why I've been feeling especially punky. Dr C decided to lower my interferon dosage, as I'm not tolerating the side effects very well. His decision was partly based on my abdomenal ct-scan results (finally got em), which show that my cancer is stable there, too. Is this because of the interferon, or is it just the nature of the disease? We'll never know, but he didn't seem to feel a decrease in dosage would do me any harm, and might help me to feel better. Sure hope it does. Anyway, the report gave me a much-needed lift.

I'm fightin this thing.

Back From Charlie's



Curtis has already written a post about our week at Charlie's (and posted a lot of photographs), but I'm gonna focus on a few details...

When you drive along the Trans-Canada highway that cuts through the Lake of the Woods area in northern Ontario, you pass between giant walls of rock that have been blasted open for access. On the tops and shelves of that splintered rock you will see thousands of inukshuk built by travellers and hikers. (I wrote a piece about the inukshuk over a year ago, if you're interested.) The inukshuk is a humanoid figure made by stacking rocks, and its origin is Inuit. The Inuit people of the north would leave these markers to both signal safe routes and as harbingers of welcome and good fortune. Because the original ones were mammoth in size, it took the cooperation of many villagers to balance and hoist the rocks into position, thus also making the inukshuk a symbol of community and cooperation. The mysterious thing is that, of all the years I have travelled that road, I have never once seen anyone building an inukshuk....


Look on top of the left rock wall and you'll see an inukshuk.

An interesting geological phenomenon that Curtis and I visited were the Keewatin Rockholes, formed more than 18,000 years ago by glacial action. According to an informational plaque at the site, "the erosive action of glacial ice and meltwater carved and sculpted the bedrock surface of the land and deposited surface materials such as sand and gravel....The rockholes are round rimmed shafts deeper than they are wide with internal spiral grooves...sculpted...by the action of swift jet-like streams of swirling glacial meltwater that carried a considerable amount of gravel and fine sediment. The high velocity, sediment-laden water eroded circular depressions into the rock by abrasion and grinding. The four holes in the rock range in diameter from thirty inches to several feet with the depth range from four to seven feet." Fascinating!



Curtis caught his very first jackfish (which you Murricans call a Northern Pike), and it gave him a characteristic fight that didn't end when it was landed; the darn thing flopped off the hook, and Curtis lent me a hand to climb down the rocks to net it for a photo. Good ol teamwork.

One highlight of our week, aside from a lot of good food and R&R, was something Curtis has described so well in his blog: the LOONS. What a soothing and wonderfully Canadian sound! And what a show eight of them put on for us right in front of the dock on a misty morning. We couldn't help but feel joyful.

Our sojourn at Charlie's was all too brief, but we feel very fortunate to have been allowed the opportunity to spend another restful week in its comfort and luxury.

Gone Fishin



We and our three cats will be headin out to our cottage rental in the morning. See you all in about a week. Stay happy and healthy, everyone.

Charlie's, Here We Come



This will be the third summer that Curtis and I will be renting Charlie's, a cottage on Granite Lake near beautiful Lake of the Woods. We don't have to pack much because the place is so well equipped, although there might be some changes since the people who used to own it have sold it to their son. They used to keep it as a rental property, but the son purchased it for his personal use. He asked his parents who their most preferred tenants were, as he wanted to rent once or twice a year to pay his taxes. Despite our three cats and dog (we don't have poor Max any more), I guess we left the cottage in good shape because we headed the list of desirable renters. Lucky us.



We'll be there from the 13th to the 20th, then rush home for Curtis to attend his company golf tournament. Our friend Marina is spending the first couple of nights with us, and I'm vainly tryin to stop her from bringin enough food for an army to eat the entire week.

Although we can fish right off of Charlie's dock, it's been pretty slim pickins, so we have planned to rent a small boat and motor at a nearby lake where the fishing is much better.



You can probably find us sittin around this lakefront fire pit on most evenings next week.

Chin Up



Although I have my occasional crying jag, I'm not one given to self-pity parties where my illness is concerned. Of late, though, I have felt my energy ebbing, and that is depressing me.

I have always taken great pride in my flower gardens, and this year I find myself barely caring that the torrential downpours and then devastating heat have taken their toll on my blooms. I mean, it bothers me, but only in a remote way; I'm hard pressed to do much about it. Normally, I am compulsive about any stray blades of grass or tiny sprouts of weeds appearing anywhere (between the patio stones, in the gravel borders around the yard, etc.); lately, they mildly irritate me but grow taller nonetheless.

We haven't even put out our patio furniture this year. We discussed it; most of June and the first part of July it rained all the time; we will be away almost every weekend this month, so there didn't seem to be much sense in doin all that work so it could just sit there until it was time to be put away again; but it saddens me that we'll get no use out of our lovely swing and beloved chiminea. Who knows what next summer holds? Will I be well enough (or even around) to enjoy them then? Have I missed my last opportunity?

I have always kept an immaculate home; now I hardly keep up with the dust bunnies and clumps of cat hair. I never used to DREAM about goin to the store without every hair in place; lately I find that I will slap a visor on top of my greasy head and drag myself around the grocery aisles.

I need to try harder.