Steve and Judy's Travels!

  The weather continues cool and rainy through tomorrow; then we’ll be back to our 70s and 80s.  Town is crowded by the Spring Breakers.  When the weather warms the beaches will be crowded too.   Meanwhile, our friend John went flyfishing in Argentina…    

  Who knew South Texas would be such a home to virulent infections?  MRSA. Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus.  It’s not like Colorado here.  Different infections.  Different antibiotics.  The wound wasn’t getting any worse, but it wasn’t getting any better either.  Today we stepped it up a notch.  I’m now on the oral antibiotics.  The doctor cut out the mat of dead skin and live bacteria with a scalpel and scissors.  I have a quarter sized crater a quarter inch deep in my leg.  No skin left there; down to the subcutaneous fat layer.  We left with detailed instructions about packing and dressing.  If we’re good about following directions, I could be healed up in a month or so.   Had the exit conference for the carry-over job we’ve been trying to finish this week.  Good to get that one done.  Nice job, Janis.   Cold and rainy today.  We were lucky to get such great weather for Matt’s visit.  Not much fun for this week’s spring breakers for the first couple days.  After that, though, it will be warm and wonderful again.   Louisiana Waterthrush at the edge of our pond.  First of the year for us.  The start of the migration.  He must’ve just landed from a 600 mile flight across the Gulf.    

  My leg blew up like a balloon last night.  Guess I shouldn’t have run on it.  I just wanted to see how it felt.  Didn’t hurt at all.  I only ran a little .  Mostly I just rode the Trikke.   It’s better today.  The swelling has gone down to pre-run condition.  I’ll have to find an exercise to do that doesn’t involve that leg though.  I could hop in place maybe.  No calisthenics; can’t do pushups.  My left shoulder fell off a while back.  Maybe I can just walk a little.   Cold and windy today.  Stayed warm inside and worked.  Maybe, finally, we’ll get some rain.  It hasn’t really rained in months.  Maybe Paradise Pond could be a pond again.   Called and talked to people at the Denver Office.  I can tell they’re all over their heads in busy-season when they start to giggle uncontrollably in the middle of a sentence for no apparent reason.  It’s a cyclical business, this CPA thing we do.  This is the OhmygodwhathaveIgottenmyselfinto part.    

  I apologize for not sending out many bird pictures lately.  I try to find a little time each day to at least think about birds, but I’m not always successful.   The cankle remains an issue.  It’s not any better yet.  I don’t think it got any worse in the last 24 hours though.  That in itself is an improvement of sorts.  Soaking, scraping, topical antibiotics.  Maybe tomorrow it will be better.   It got so warm today we almost had to turn on the air conditioning.  Got out the floor fan instead.  Doors and windows remain open.    

  The story has evolved.  Now the wound on my leg is the result of a giant rattlesnake grabbing me by the ankle as I rode past, and throwing me to the ground.   Of course that story isn’t really true.  He’s actually way too little to have knocked me off the Trikke.