July 31, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 57

I got up about 8 and Gerri slept in. I caught up on bills and played WoW for awhile. I went to see Glenna at about noon. She was still eating lunch. She had walked to the rehab area for bowling, but didn’t play. It wasn’t the Wii game she had expected. I stayed until about 1:30 and encouraged her to go to the movie they were showing at 2.

I did a cache downtown that I had missed twice before.

Back at the RV Park we relaxed for awhile. The weather forecast was for violent thunderstorms, we watched the clouds gather but nothing happened.

I went out to do a few caches and follow up on Gerri’s hunch that there should be a painted buffalo at the airport. I did two caches at the south end of the hill where the airport is located and then went there. The painted buffalo “Four Seasons” was at the entrance.

I went a little north on I-15 and picked up three more caches, I wanted to do more but it started raining pretty hard. That made six for the day and sixty since we have been in Great Falls. When I got back to the coach, Gerri was talking to Dana and the kids on Skype. Brandon was mad about something and not talking. Vanessa on the other hand was not only talking, she now calls us Papa and Meme. She blew kisses and then started to climb all over the desk. Brandon did cool off and showed us his new store bought haircut and Batman underwear.

We went back to the rehab center and visited with Glenna until 8 and then went to a Mexican restaurant on 7th St. It was ok but not as good as On the Border or the Fiesta en Jalisco where we had eaten before.

Even though it rained we escaped the thunderstorms that had been forecast.

July 30, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 56

Gerri remarked a few days ago that she was going to start setting the alarm for 8 AM every day. Ok, so that didn’t apply to today. I got up at 8 and she slept in.

I went to see Glenna at about noon, she was in the dining room. She had been served a pasta plate, which she didn’t like. She says she was supposed to get fish. The CNA got her the fish entrée, which was a fish filet sandwich. She ate most of that and some of the vegetables and baked potato.

When the occupational therapist came for Glenna, I went and picked up my computer. The tech had cleaned the dust out of the computer and had run several checks and defragged the hard drive. We’ll see if that solves the problem.

I did two caches on the way back to the RV. By the time I had the computer set back up and caught up on my blog and other work it was time to go back and see Glenna. She had already changed for bed. I stayed until about 7:45, she was really restless. She said she couldn’t get comfortable and kept sitting up and lying back down.

I did two more caches on the way back to the RV.
After supper Gerri and I drove down and took pictures of the old 10th Street bridge, which is lit up on Friday and Saturday nights.  We found out about that on yesterday’s trolley tour.

The river reflects a lot of light from the shore and is beautiful at night. 
That jaunt topped off our evening and it was back to the coach until bedtime.

July 27, 28, 29, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’


July 27, 2010;

We had planned to take the trolley tour around Great Falls, and had the alarm set for 8 AM. It was very cloudy so we decided to wait.

I went to see Glenna around lunch time, She was in the dining room. I think she is in the lunch room because that is right after a therapy session and they drop her off there. I spoke to one of the staff about getting her hair washed and set and about them doing her laundry there instead of taking it to the RV for Gerri to launder. After lunch we went back to her room and she laid down for a rest. As I was leaving I passed the occupational therapist in the hall going to get her. She probably had 3 minutes rest. After she went to therapy I spoke to the admissions lady about Glenna’s next evaluation and found out it was scheduled for Aug. 11. Earlier I had spoken to the occupational therapist about what Glenna would need in the way of equipment when she was released. I bought a walker, long handled shoehorn, a tube to help her with socks, a grabber to pick up items and a stool for the shower.

I did three caches on the way back to the RV Park.

Back at the RV we just hung out. In the late afternoon Jim and Cheryl came over for a visit. Jim had got the parts for his fuel system and installed them. They plan to leave on Wednesday, eventually getting to Redmond for the FMCA Convention.

Gerri and I went to see Glenna, we got there after she finished her supper and visited until about 8 PM.

July 28, 2010;

Again we planned to take the trolley tour. I also planned to take my computer to a shop to have it check because of the periodic stopping. I backed up my files and unplugged everything. We decided we didn’t have time to drop off the computer and make it to the 10 o’clock trolley.

After explaining the problem to the technician, I went back to the RV Park. Gerri and I drove to Ryan’s Dam. This is a large dam built on the Great Falls of the Missouri. We viewed the dam and falls from a beautifully landscaped island which had picnic areas and walk ways to viewing points. After Ryan dam we drove about four more miles downstream to Morony dam. The drive to both dams was through wheat fields and then a drop down into the gorge to the river. Morony is a small dam on a water fall much smaller than Ryan, but still scenic and worth the drive We learned there was a series of four dams and we had seen three of them. All the dams are for hydroelectric power generation.

Gerri and I went to an early supper at a restaurant downtown that had been recommended to us. The restaurant also had a lounge with windows into the hotel pool. There were no swimmers. We had good Fish and Chips before going to visit Glenna for a couple of hours.

Today we got an e-mail from Neva with an update on her left index finger which was operated on 7/11. She saw the Hand Surgeon today and he was pleased with the healing. The sutures were removed and then he proceeded to pull and cut away the dead skin surrounding the area. She no longer will have a home nurse daily but now must go to the therapist several times per week for the next month to five weeks. She also has other instructions plus two "buddy straps" to wear in the day. They are narrow Velcro bands to put around her injured finger and the middle finger next to it, holding the two side by side so when she uses her middle finger, the index will be forced to go with it--a form of exercise. She is still on all meds that were prescribed when discharged from the hospital. The antibiotic has been cut from 500 mg pill to a 250 mg Levaquin. She now can shower without bagging her hand.

July 29, 2010;

Today we finally did the trolley tour of Great Falls. We should have taken the tour as soon as we knew we would be here for awhile. There was a lot of information on things to see and do. It’s quite a pretty area and has more trees than when the town site was laid out in the late 1800’s. We were told about the area when Lewis and Clark arrived and the route they took overland when they encountered the falls. Before the dams there were five falls. The dams were built on top of four of the falls so the extra height would provide more drop for power generation. The dams are where the nickname of “The Electric City” for Great falls derives. The fifth and smallest falls is now inundated behind the Black Eagle Dam. We have now vied all the dams, two from below and two from above. They aren’t as impressive as structures as Hoover Dam but the falls under them makes quite a sight as does the water cascading over the dams. They don’t have spillways like Hoover so the excess water goes over the top of the dams. The tour of the dams is also something we should have done right after we got here. The rivers have dropped about five feet since the first of the month. The tour took us past Giant Springs and the Roe River which we visited a couple of weeks ago. After the dams and surrounding areas the tour went downtown. The older and historic structures were pointed out. Some of the saloons have been there for over 80 years and we were told that many of them have the original Brunswick bars and back bars. We went by several of the local parks, there are 57 in town, and then through what was once the ritzy residential area. In a lot of old cities these original residential areas were made up of homes with similar architecture. In Great Falls it was a wide range of eclectic styles from almost every important architectural period. All very nice and most of them quite large, especially when compared to what we were told was the oldest residential structure in town. That was a log cabin about 10’ x 12’ now located in one of the parks. During the tour we spotted two more painted buffalo. We went back after the tour and took pictures.

After the tour I went to see Glenna, she was sleeping. Since I knew that the therapist would be there soon, I let her sleep. I spoke to the nurse and got the dates for Glenna’s next review and her follow up appointment with the surgeon. The surgeon appointment is Aug. 6 and the follow up is Aug. 11. So we will still be in Great Falls for a few more weeks. We are hoping he allows her to put as much weight on her left leg as she can tolerate.

I went by the computer store to check on my computer. The tech told me he had run some checks and used programs and the internet several times and found no problems. Sounds a lot like, “Cannot duplicate customer’s complaint.” He had some more scans to run and said it should be ready on Friday morning.

Gerri and I did some shopping at Sam’s, our home away from home. I then went to visit Glenna. She was in the dining room eating with two other residents. She ate half her hamburger and fries. We visited for awhile with the other diners and then for awhile back in her room.

On the way back to the park I did three caches and re-photograph one of the buffalo so I wouldn’t have so much road construction visible. The cones and barriers were gone so it was easy.

After our own supper we just relaxed until bedtime. And yes, relaxing is something we do a lot of.

July 26, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 52

It was cloudy this morning after some rain before daylight.

I went to see Glenna at about noon. She was in the dining room eating with another lady. We were scheduled for a 2:30 meeting with therapists, nursing staff and doctor. It never happened as a meeting we spoke to the occupational therapist at length about what our goals were for therapy. I also talked to the physical therapist. He said Glenna was doing well just a little reluctant. A couple of social workers came around and talked with us as did the activities director for the facility. Although Glenna was better than over the weekend she would doze off after any pause in conversation. I stayed until supper was announced. She ate her lunch well, so I decided not to bug her about supper. Leaving was the best way to avoid nagging her about eating more.

Back at the RV park we visited with a couple, Jim and Cheryl Gaston, that were parked in the space we started in here at Dick’s. They have a ’96 Tradition that they bought in January this year. This is their maiden voyage where they come from Kentucky and are planning to go to the FMCA Convention in Redmond. They have some fuel line problems and the Cummins shop here has ordered the parts. Jim was in the automotive repair business for 35 years and will do his own installation.

We went to see Glenna for an hour or so before going out to dinner. She was still resting her eyes a lot but was responsive to conversation.

We had supper at the Mackenzie River Pizza Company. It is one of the few restaurants we have seen here with at least a partial view of the Missouri River. They are a small chain with locations in several Montana towns and one in Coeur d’Alene. Because of the cloud formations there was a beautiful golden to red sunset that reflected in the river. Of course we didn’t have a camera with us.

Tomorrow we plan to take a trolley tour of Great Falls offered at the nearby visitor’s center.

July 25, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 51

After finding out the webcast from Oakey Blvd. wasn’t working I went to see Glenna at lunch time. She was completely out of it. We found out last night they were giving her morphine every four hours. I spoke to the nursing staff and the morphine was on the orders that came over from the hospital. I convinced them to stop the dosing.

After leaving the Manor I did a cache on the way back to the RV Park.

I went back to the rehab facility at about 5 PM. Glenna was still pretty much out of it. She had her food but was dozing off between bites. I stayed till about 7. I made sure with the staff that she wouldn’t get any more morphine.

We didn’t do much after supper.

Tomorrow we have a meeting with doctor and staff at the rehab home.

July 24, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 50

Pretty dull day. I decided it was time to clean the filters in the air returns. I don’t know if I cleaned them all the last time. There are two returns for each A/C unit and a couple of the filters were missing. The Velcro hooks were missing from two of the covers. I hope the filters didn’t get sucked up to the A/C units. That’s something else to check. I bought new filter material at Home Depot and cut two new ones.

Although Glenna ate more of her supper tonight, I was disheartened by her attitude of just wanting to lie around. It seemed like she has regressed some. I’m hoping it is only because of the new surroundings.

Gerri and I went to Goode’s Q for supper. Good southern style comfort food.

After eating it was back to the coach for the evening.

We don’t have any more leads on painted buffalo, so we will have to ask around some more.

July 23, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 49

There was an evaluation meeting for Glenna at the Rehab Center at about 10 AM. We decided she would transfer to the Missouri River Manor, a nursing and rehab facility about four blocks east of the Rehab Center. The move was planned for about 5 PM today or on Saturday morning. When Glenna went to therapy I went back to the RV Park.

I planned to pick up Gerri and check out the two buffalo we had leads for. Gerri’s stomach was acting up again so I went buffalo hunting alone. My first stop was Chili’s Restaurant in a nearby shopping center. The buffalo was in a foyer type between Chili’s and a Macaroni Grill.

The Great Falls High School was my next place to check. I stopped on the way to find some caches. I did find one but two others eluded me.

I did figure out why we couldn’t find the high school using the map. I went to the main entrance and walking in was like a step into the past. It was so much like the high school I graduated, it was eerie. A custodian confirmed that the buffalo I was looking for was in a building on the south campus. She said it was locked up and suggested I come back Monday when someone was there to let me in. I drove to where she directed me, planning to mark the location on my GPS. I saw a man locking gates and asked about the buffalo. He not only knew about it he offered to take me there. Of course I took him up on the offer.

We now have pictures of 17 buffaloes, including one calf.

When I left the high school at about 4, I saw that I had a message on the phone. I returned the call and it was the admissions person at the Missouri River Manor. Glenna had been moved there at about 2:30. I got to the Manor at about 5 and had to go back to Benifis to get some of her things.

I went over paper work with admissions and visited with Glenn until a little after 8.

Back at the coach I just relaxed after dinner until bedtime.

July 22, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 48

At about 9:30 a couple of the therapist brought Glenna to the RV to see how she would do. She was able to make it up the steps with assistance. They had her pretend she was using the stove, shower and bathroom. She can get by but has a way to go. After getting in she didn’t want to leave. Going down the steps was a little more of a problem than getting up them. Glenna seemed to have more trouble getting back into the bus than the motor home.

After Glenna went back to the Rehab Center, Gerri and I went back on the buffalo hunt. We stopped at a couple of businesses that had sponsored them. No one seemed to know very much. We did find our first calf following a tip from one of the therapists. Our book shows that there were only four of these commissioned. It was in the side yard of a home in the east part of town.

We had heard that there was a buffalo at the Great Falls High School. We had a map, but the HS wasn’t where the map showed it. We will check that out later.

We had some items to pick up at Sam’s Club. When Glenna was being helped by paramedics her glasses got scratched on both lenses. They originally were purchased at Sam’s in Las Vegas in April, so we took them to Sam’s here for replacement. Hooray for Sam’s! The lenses were guaranteed for 60 days but Sam’s replaced them at no cost.

Sam’s is near the Montana Exposition Park so I dropped Gerri off and went to see if the buffalo they sponsored was on those grounds. The answer was no, but I was told that one was in the Tony Roma’s Restaurant, now On The Border which is near Dick’s RV Park. We had dined there a few days ago, but didn’t see a buffalo.

Before picking Gerri up I did a cache that was on the fair grounds.

We took the groceries to the motor home and went to On the Border for a snack. We had salsa, chips and guacamole made at the table. There was no buffalo in sight. We asked the waitress about it. She said she thought it was next door in the Chili’s Banquet Room. We didn’t have the camera with us and it was time to go visit Glenna. We now have tips on two buffalo to follow up.

Back at Rehab we got there just as Glenna’s supper was being served. She had already changed to her pajamas and chose to eat in her room. What a weird meal! She had ordered minestrone soup, a bread stick, baked potato cubes and chocolate pudding. Yesterday the nurse had told us that Glenna needed to eat more protein. Tonight I pointed out to the nurse that someone needs to check what Glenna orders so that she gets a balanced diet.

We went back to the coach at about 8 pm. I plan to be at the Rehab Center in the morning for the doctor’s rounds and patient evaluation. We will plan from there on what is needed to get Glenna functioning on a level that will allow us to travel.

Back in Las Vegas, Neva's hand seems to be healing nicely. The wound nurse is still coming to the house and Neva drove herself to her last doctor appointment. She seems anxious to get back to her normal routine.

July21, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 47

We woke up to a cloudy day. Not like some of the days we had storms but high general clouds. In the evening we had some lightning and thunder and a little rain.

As is my habit when we don’t have plans for the day, I went to visit Glenna just before noon. I got there during her exercise group. Her lunch was a crispy chicken breast with mashed potatoes and gravy. She ate a little of the chicken, most of her potatoes and all off her soup.. She also drank all her milk. When she went to therapy I talked to the discharge counselor, I think her name is Carolyn, about options. Gerri and I had discussed the option of having Glenna go to a sub-acute therapy facility or coming to the RV and having therapists coming to the RV. We decided that the RV was not a good choice. It is hard to get in and out of the front door while helping someone, and the emergency exits are a big drop to the ground, plus our shower does not have bench and very little room for a chair. Carolyn gave me two other alternatives. The 4th floor of the rehab center has a transitional care unit and she gave me the name of a nearby facility, Missouri River Manor. I went there and took a tour. It seemed very nice.

I did two caches on the way back to the RV Park.

When I went back to the rehab center I spoke to Carolyn again about future treatment. Before seeing her I did a quick tour of the 4th floor, it seemed more like a hospital than the Missouri River Manor. We will decide to make a decision after Friday’s evaluation and input from Dr. Galvos about which level of care would be most appropriate for Glenna.

Glenna did pretty well with dinner, she ate all her soup, about ½ her Salisbury steak and all of her potatoes. The doctor had removed her staples this afternoon and she was having some pain. The nurse gave her a pain pill and she was asleep before eight.

Back at the RV we just relaxed until bedtime. Sometime after nine in the morning the therapist is bringing Glenna to the motor home to see how she does and the obstacles she has to overcome.

July20, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 46

Not much going on today. I went to the Rehab Center at about lunch time. By the time I got there all the other patients had finished eating, for what little she eats Glenna eats very slowly. It does seem that we have convinced her to drink more at each meal and during the day so she doesn’t have to catch up in the evening.

Before leaving I did speak to the discharge nurse. She had questions about our plans. I told her that when Glenna gets to the point of being able to get in and out of the motor home and maneuver around inside with minimum assistance we will be heading back to Las Vegas. I also reminded her we were in no hurry and can stay in Great Falls as long as it takes. After the evaluation she will check on sub-acute rehab in a nursing home or having therapists come to the RV park and work with Glenna in that setting.

In the afternoon I did five caches in the downtown area of Great Falls. They were mostly micro size but one was a cleverly place ammo can. Three are a lot of caches in this area and some are very creative hiding or camouflage.

Back at the coach I relaxed for awhile before going back to see Glenna.

We took her some clean clothes and pajamas and got there before she finished eating. We visited until about eight and then went back to the coach for the evening.

July19, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 45

We slept late again today. On the way to see Glenna I stopped and found two caches along Lower River Road. One I had been by twice before. The first time there were people fishing near where I thought GZ might be found. The second time the trail leading toward GZ was muddy and through the weeds, weeds equal mosquitoes. I bushwhacked to within 20’ of the cache and saw I could have walked along the road and about 12’ down an embankment. The other cache was just down the road a ways, an easier one.

Glenna was in her exercise session, I stayed with her during lunch. She ate some but very slowly. When she finished a therapist came to take her to her next session.

When Glenna went to therapy, I went out and found four more caches before going back to the RV.

The weather started going bad, black skies, some rain and wind. Before going to visit Glenna we went to WalMart for a few items. I also did a nearby cache.

On the way to the Rehab Center, Todd called. We talked until we got to the center. We found Glenna in the day room, she had finished supper. I had her call Todd and they talked for awhile. Glenna had a card that Emma and Wyatt made for her and mailed for her to read and enjoy.

There was a repeat of yesterday’s threat of IV fluids if she didn’t drink more. I also check with the nurse about yesterday’s weigh in. They said she weighed 109, when she came to rehab she weighed in at 112. Glenna has weighed about 103, her weight for about a year now. Even with loss of three pound she is right at 100, we don’t want her to get any thinner.

Gerri had cooked beans and ham all day and fixed cornbread when we got home. Fortunately the weather had cooled so the meal was appropriate.

July18, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 44, Rehab Day 7

We slept in late. After getting up we tried to tune into the webcast from Oakey Blvd. Church of Christ. There was no sound. After some text exchanges with Scot Parchman we gave up.

Gerri has wanted to hang some pictures on the wall of the coach of the grand kids. We found some 4x6 frames she liked a week or so ago at WalMart. She picked a place behind the passenger window, between the drape valence and the slide out trim. Finding frames to fit was a chore. Gerri picked out pictures. Not an easy chore, we don’t have a lot of pictures with us. I finally got the pictures she selected printed and into the frames. I also got them mounted on the wall. I used the removable strips. We will see how well they hold. The way the adhesive works it is removable by stretching.

We also bought some over the door hangers for my hats, a la Alan Howeth. The hangers go over the slide out trim and the hats are out of the way. Thanks Alan.

I went to see Glenna after trying to find a geocache that I didn’t find yesterday. No luck again today. I also tried another cache by the river that I didn’t find.

When I got to the Rehab Center Glenna was having supper with two other residents. She had ordered another salad with grilled chicken strips, mashed potatoes and chocolate pudding. She ate all the potatoes and pudding, but only a couple of pieces of chicken and a little lettuce. Sunday is weigh-in time; in her wheel chair she weighed 76.1 kg. She stayed in the chair so we didn’t get a tare weight. Her nurse also cajoled her trying to get her to drink enough liquid. The bottom line is if she doesn't drink more she will have to get liquid intravenously.

I took Glenna’s notebook with me but couldn’t get on the internet. One of the nursing supervisors got it working for me. We had hoped to tune in the web cast from Oakey Blvd. Even though I got on line I couldn’t get the media player to work with the webcast. I called Gerri and she was getting the webcast.

Even though we didn’t sing or have a sermon, Glenna and I partook of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice for our salvation.

I left the Rehab Center at about eight and did six geocaches before picking up salads at Wendy’s to take back to the coach for our supper.

All in all this was a good day. We got a few things done and except for not drinking or eating enough Glenna is doing well.

July17, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 43, Hospital Day 15

After a leisurely morning we went to a Farmer’s Market at the Moose Lodge in Black Eagle. It wasn’t nearly as large as the one downtown in Great Falls. We did buy some produce from a Hutterite booth, white radishes, snow peas, turnips, sauerkraut and broccoli. Where ever this colony is their kohlrabi isn’t ready yet.

After the market we drove out to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center for pictures of our 14th buffalo.

We then drove to see Great Springs. Wow! The springs are huge, ok Giant. The springs are about eight feet above the Missouri River and flow 201 feet as the Roe River to a confluence with the Missouri. The spring water is very clear and you can see it flowing with the Missouri for about a half mile before they blend.

There was a wedding party there taking pictures at various points around the grounds.

I did four caches, one in Black Eagle and three more near downtown Great Falls. The fourth one today was my 3000th find.

There is a group of 27 Airstream RVs in the park, mostly trailers. I took a couple of pictures of all the polished aluminum. One of the Airstream motor homes is old style like the trailers and the others are newer fiberglass walled ones.

We hung out at the coach until about five and then went to see Glenna at the rehab center. She was having supper in the day room with two other patients. We chatted there until she was finished with her meal. The surprise was that she ordered a salad topped with chicken strips and ate more than half of it.

We visited in Glenna’s room until eight. We made a quick stop at Wal-Mart for some over the door hooks to hang my hats on. Thanks for the idea, Alan and Joan.

We had a late supper and just relaxed till bedtime.

July 16, 2010

I decided to post the rest of the buffalo that we have found.  These were near the hospital complex wher Glenna was first treated.  I also plan to creat an album of painted buffalo on Facebook.

This one is at theUS Bank on 10th Ave.

IGlenna’s care team had a meeting in her room this morning. They reported to the doctor that Glenna is doing well. She does need to eat and drink more. Some concern was voiced over bed sores and more practice in using the tools they provide to assist her in dressing. She has been complaining of hip pain and x-rays were taken yesterday and showed there was no post operatative changes, so new plans for pain relief were made. The occupational therapist wants to bring her to the RV to see what the problems are entering and getting around. That way she will have a better idea what to work on during exercises.

I stayed for the group upper extremities exercises and then lunch. Back at her room she let the CNA put her in bed and let her lie on her side until time for her next therapy session.

I talked to the outpatient registration and had blood drawn for my INR.

I went by the Great Falls Tribune office and shot another buffalo. This wasn’t the one listed in the book.

I went back to the rehab center at about 5:30 after stopping by Arby’s and getting Glenna a chocolate shake. Glenna had eaten all her chicken noodle soup and some of her chicken salad. She liked the shake. After supper Glenna visited with the therapy dogs in the family lounge. Some are cute, some are BIGGG. Back at her room she tried lying down but couldn’t get comfortable. She ended up back in a chair after about 45 minutes. We watched Shreck 3, well I watched the inside of my eyelids for some of the movie and then I headed back to the RV park.

On the way I went by some businesses that had sponsored buffaloes, but didn’t find any. I also stopped and grabbed a couple of geocaches, 5 more and I have found 3000.

Back at the coach we just relaxed until bedtime.

July15, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 42

We decided to see some things around Great Falls today and go see Glenna around supper time.

We went to the Charles Russell Museum. He sure was a prolific artist; painter sculptor, pen and ink and watercolors. The museum featured works by other artists and also had a collection of guns made by John Browning. I didn’t know he made a Kentucky style rifle with a revolving cylinder. Russell’s home and studio are also on the grounds of the Museum. We found two more of the painted buffaloes at the museum.

We went to Hoglund’s Western Wear, I needed a new belt. I also bought a new palmetto cowboy style hat. I’m going to take another hat there tomorrow and have it steamed and shaped.

We hung out at the motor home until about a quarter after five and then went to the rehab center. Glenna was in the dining room. She ate all her soup but only a bite of her spaghetti. Back at her room she called Eddie and Lottie and we talked to them for awhile and then visited with Glenna. She was alert and talked quite a bit. Then we got a surprise, she wouldn’t let the staff help her into bed. She said she was going to sleep in her chair. When ask why it was because she had to put on the boots to protect her heels from bed sores. She was adamant even after we pointed out she needed to get her feet up because her ankles were swollen. She actually got angry when we insisted. We left at about 8 PM. I left very discouraged about what kind of progress she will really make since she is refusing help, even to the point of not wanting to do her exercises.

The staff has a meeting tomorrow during the doctor’s rounds and I have been asked to attend. I hope her attitude is different tomorrow.

After leaving the rehab center we went to the KOA to get pictures of one of the buffaloes there. We stopped bay a Best Western Mote for another Buffalo.  Then we went to supper at On the Border and we passed a 1st Interstate Bank and spotted another buffalo. This one makes 12 of the 26 that we have spotted.

Nothing is new to report on Neva’s condition. I hope no news is good news. If you want to send her a card the address is:

Neva Barnhart

5839 Hanford Ranch Avenue

Las Vegas, NV 89131

July14, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 41

Someone pointed out that I use terms in my blog that not everyone recognizes. Two examples are geocaching and travel bugs.

Information on Geocaching can be found at www.geocaching.com. This is the definition on the site; Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.

Travel Bugs or trackables are a part of geocaching. They come as tags, similar to dog tags, geocoins and promotional items. These are bought and “released”, ie placed in a cache for someone else to pickup. Each one has a unique number that can be tracked on the geocaching site. Each trackable has a web page that tells who owns it, where it is currently, the trackable’s goal if there is one, pictures if available, how many miles it has traveled and where it has been. One of my travel bugs is at this site;

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?tracker=TB3D60

I drop and retrieve this at every cache I visit, it records how many miles I have logged while caching. The number is low because it represents a straight line from one cache to the next.

I started the day on the computer and then went to see Glenna. I got there in time to watch the upper extremities work out for the group. I stayed during lunch, Glenna still isn’t eating much. She did eat all of her soup but not much else. Back in her room, she planned to rest but the therapist moved up her two o’clock work out time.

On the way back to the RV Park I did another cache off the river walk.

Earlier today I got a call from Sam’s Optical, they needed her frames before making the new lenses to replace her scratched ones. After Sam’s I took some things back to WalMart. I did another cache on the way back to the coach.

Gerri and I went back to see Glenna at about 5:30, she was still in the dining room. We visited there and back in her room. Gerri asked the nurse about getting a larger room. She got a definite maybe.

After leaving the rehab unit we went to another buffalo statue one of the CNAs told us about. It was in the back yard of a private home overlooking the Missouri River. I had to climb an embankment to get a picture that still had a chain link fence in the frame. This may be one of the more elusive buffaloes in Great Falls.  We know where one more is located, that one will make eight buffaloes we have in pictures. 

We just hung around the coach until bedtime. We plan on doing some sightseeing tomorrow which may include the Russell Museum or the shortest river in Montana.

Back in Las Vegas, Gerri’s mom is resting. Her doctor contacted the home care nurses and gave them explicit instructions for care of Neva’s incisions. Everything has to be sterile, including the water used to clean the wounds. She says she doesn’t need any help, but kids and grandkids are helping her anyway. Hopefully she will get better very soon.

July13, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 40

This morning I cleaned up the Jeep again. It doesn’t look like rain today but the wind has been blowing for two days. There is a chill in the air this morning.

Gerri stayed at the motor home to catch up on the wash and I went to see Glenna at the same time the therapist came for her for group exercise. The group met in the dining room and afterward lunch was served. Benefis was making a promotional video and we were in it. I have no idea when or where it may be shown. I took Glenna back to her room after lunch and another therapist came for her.

I had some shopping to do, so I went to Sam’s. I am a terrible shopper, Sam’s had no lemons or limes and the bananas were too green to buy. I had to ask where the hummus was. I left Sam’s and did a geocache nearby. I then headed to Smith’s to finish my shopping. Smith’s had limes and nicer bananas.

I think I mentioned before that our space in the RV Park is very unlevel and has a very high step when the coach is leveled. I had been using a portable step and a cinder block. It was not easy to get up to the coach steps and enter. The park manager let me use some concrete blocks he had. They were 15” square and 4” thick. I laid down four of them in a square and put my portable step on top. That still left a giant step up to the coach steps. They have been doing some cosmetic improvements around the park and I saw a wooden pallet that came with some landscaping stuff. I ask the park management if I could use it after some hesitation and saying he had to return the pallet to Home Depot. He then said to go ahead and take it, Home Depot would wait.

I put the pallet down as a first step and put the concrete squares on the pallet and my portable step on top of that. Except for the spaces between the boards on the pallet I now had steps that were easy to navigate when entering the coach. A trip to the scrap pile at Home Depot got me a piece of particle board to cover the spaces between the boards of the pallet.

I got back to the rehab center after supper. Glenna was back in her room, she said she had macaroni and cheese which she ate a lot of. Why do I doubt it? I know she’s feeling better, she wants to come home. I told her she has to stay in therapy until she can master stairs. I left a little after eight, she told me it would be a long night there alone. I had to leave, they lock the doors at 8:30.

On the Las Vegas front, Gerri’s mother is home from the hospital. Hollis got her prescriptions after taking her home. Hopefully she will get some rest and not set an alarm to wake up early. A wound nurse will come to her home to clean and change the dressings each day until she can start driving.

July12, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 39

Even travelers to exotic places like Great Falls, MT have to do mundane tasks like balancing check books and credit card accounts. I spent some time this morning on this kind of financial stuff.

I went to see Glenna at mid morning. She was dressed and had been to occupational therapy. While I was there a therapist came for her for physical therapy. I left, I’m not sure if my presence helps or hinders the sessions.

I went out and did four geocaches. I dropped travel bugs at each one of them. I also went back to a geocache I found yesterday and dropped a travel bug. I had eight of them that I was saving for the trip to Canada and Alaska. I found a couple of cachesthat I had tried earlier in the week. They were much easier with the wind keeping the mosquitoes away. Three of the caches I found were among the cleverest I have ever done, a lot o fork went into the design and placement..

On the way back to the rehab facility to see Glenna we stopped and took pictures of another buffalo. This one is on display at a realty office on 10th Avenue.

We visited Glenna during supper, she ate very little. The CNA helped her to the bathroom and back to bed. Later Glenna was complaining of pain. They had put a patch on her to deliver pain medication instead of her having to ask for the medicine. They may need a stronger patch. We left her at about 7:45; she has three hours of therapy tomorrow.

After leaving the rehab unit we went to some other buffaloes on display in the area to take pictures. You will see them later. We also stopped to take a picture of the welcome to Great Falls sign near the RV Park.

I have been describing our time in Great Falls in chronological order, but I need to include news from Las Vegas out of time. I believe I included the information on Neva’s operation in yesterday’s blog. She had an operation that involved three incisions to remove infection that spread from her ice pick puncture. Gerri’s brothers and their wives and Neva’s grandchildren are pitching in to help her out. They are taking care of her car and other chores around her house while she is hospitalized. Chris and Cassie are taking care of her yard and Jeff is on call as needed. Gerri talked to her Mom several times today. She will be in the hospital at least until Tuesday and possibly Wednesday. Hollis will be helping her out until he goes on a business trip. Tyne will be home on Thursday and of course she will pitch in until she has to fly again. Neva spoke to a case manager today and a wound specialist will come to her home. That will save her having to be taken to a clinic or doing the dressing changes herself. Hopefully therapist will also be arranged to come to her, she can’t drive until the hand gets better and she is off the pain meds.

So that you know who these people are; Hollis is Gerri’s brother, Tyne is Gerri’s sister, Roger is Gerri’s brother, Chris is Tyne’s son and Cassie is his wife, Jeff is Hollis’ son. You may see other names in future blogs. I’ll try to identify them as the names come up. Getting a head start; Wendy is Hollis’ wife, Roger is Gerri’s brother and his wife is Michelle. They and other grandkids will be helping as needed.

Please continue your prayers for both Glenna and Neva’s speedy recovery.

July11, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 38

I got up this morning and went to a local Church of Christ.

After church I went to visit Glenna. She was sitting up and her lunch came shortly after I got there. It was a good looking turkey sandwich, chicken soup, pudding and milk. She quickly ate almost half of the sandwich, all the soup, and over half the pudding. It was good to see her eating better. I stayed until about 2:30 and then went to Home Depot to see what I could do about the high step to get into the coach. I didn’t find anything. I did find a cache in the parking lot.

I lounged around the motorhome until about six and went back to the rehab unit. Glenna had been given a unit of blood to try to overcome a low blood count. Her nurse told me she ate well tonight, a little over half a cheeseburger. When I left at about eight she was watching a movie.

On the way home I did two quick geocaches.

Gerri and I had a late supper of leftovers from last night with shrimp, tomatoes and kohlrabi added.

I spent the rest of the evening hanging out at the motor home.

We received update from Gerri’s brother, Hollis, who relayed the following message: “Saw Mom. She's getting what she needs. Rest. Talked to her Dr. He put 2 incisions in her finger and 1 in her palm. Bandaged her entire hand up to her elbow. Won't be doing much with her hand like that. She'll need new wrappings
daily and physical therapist along with that. Her room is private and huge.  Great care given. New Hospital. People are wonderful. Dr called me on a Sunday. That's different.”

Gerri talked to her mom several times during the day and also talked to the surgical doctor and it looks like she will remain in the hospital until Tuesday. Grandson Chris and wife Cassie are making sure that Neva’s plants are taken care of.

July 10, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 37

I started the day early since we planned to go to the Farmer’s market. We got there and were surprised how large it was. Besides produce there were food and craft booths. Most of the produce and baked goods were being sold by families from nearby Hutterite colonies. Gerri bought some gifts and we signed up for a drawing. She also bought a vegetable that looked like a green turnip. The seller called it a Kohlrabi and said it tastes something like a turnip. Another vendor compared it to a small cabbage. We will see. I googled kohlrabi and there are several articles on it. 

After the farmer’s market we went to visit Glenna. Shortly after we got there the nurse came with her pain medicine. She got Glenna sitting up to take the pill and then helped her to the bathroom. After the bathroom it was into a wheel chair and off to the dining room. In the rehab unit they prefer patients eat in the dining room instead of in bed. True to form Glenna ate only a small portion of her food. After she was finished and everybody else had left we wheeled her back to her room. She was tired and a nurse helped her back into bed. We left so she could rest.

Earlier we had stopped by the visitor’s center to see if there was a map of the painted buffalo statues we have seen around town. There wasn’t a map. One of the lady’s at the center told us generally where some were located. The buffalos were sponsored by the Russell Museum and many were sold as a fund raiser and taken away by the owners. Others were bought by local businesses and are scattered around town. We were also given some restaurant advice.

After visiting with Glenna we went back to the park and I cleaned up the Jeep. We visited with Alan and Joan till a little after five, when we decided to go to supper. It started to rain, remember I said I cleaned up the Jeep. Alan and Joan followed us to the restaurant, the Skyline near the airport. We drove through a thunderstorm on the way, wind, thunder, lightning and driving rain which rocked the Jeep. The rain slackened as we arrived at the Skyline. The restaurant sits on a bluff overlooking a large part of the valley. We sat near a window and could see the storm cell moving off to the north east. The food and company was good.

After dining we said our goodbyes to the Howeth’s. They are planning to leave early in the morning.

We went to visit Glenna again. There were more storm cells visible and we got rained on some more. Glenna had already eaten dinner when we got there. We visited until the nurse came to give her a shot and then take her to the bathroom.

We decided to check out the locations where the visitor center lady told us there were buffalos. We spotted six and plan to return when the sun is out.

Backing up a little to yesterday and news from Las Vegas: Gerri talked to her mother on the phone and learned that she had punched one of her fingers with an ice pick. She was making holes in an avocado seed to insert tooth picks when it slipped and it stabbed her. This happened on Monday or Tuesday and the finger still hurt and was red. Gerri told her she should go have it checked. She went to the hospital on Friday evening and was admitted to Centennial Hospital. She had blood poisoning and they put her on intravenous antibiotics. She may face an operation to drain the wound. Gerri has talked to her mother a couple of times checking her condition. Neva thinks her finger is better but is scheduled for an MRI tomorrow.

We now have a mother each in hospitals nearly 1000 miles apart.

July 9, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 36

I got a call this morning that a doctor wanted to talk to me about Glenna’s transfer to a rehab facility. I got to the hospital at about 10 AM. I met with Dr. Galvos and he explained the rehab program, which was pretty much like what she has been through in the past. We signed the paper work and Glenna was set to be moved at 1 PM.

While they were preparing her for the move and making it, I went back to the RV Park. The front shades were down so I didn’t see Alan and Joan arrive. We joined them before we went shopping. They showed us some cabinet and electronic work they had done in Oregon. Very nice.

We went to both Sam’s and Albertsons for groceries and arrived at the rehab facility at about 5 PM. Glenna was set up in room 205, sitting up in bed. She didn’t seem groggy at all, even introducing us to the nurse when she came in. She had also told the nurse about her past operations and what had happened during this stay. I still have a hard time realizing how much better Glenna is only three days after this surgery compared to the last two. We are hoping it’s a good sign of how well she will do when therapy begins. We left about seven after talking to the doctor again. The rehab people want their patients to get a lot of rest. They plan to do 3hours of therapy every day.

Back at the RV Park Alan and Joan came over and we visited until about 10 PM. It sure is good to see them again.

I finally got the ladder out and took the Adventure Caravan stickers for the Alaska trip off the coach. 

July 8, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 35

In the morning I puttered around the coach for awhile and then walked over to a cache I had found a few days ago. The log was wet. So I printed up a new one and put it in a zip lock bag. I dropped a travel bug in that would fit the cache container. I have eight other traveler’s and since we aren’t going to Alaska I decided to drop them in this area.

I stopped by the office to ask if anyone else had commented about the poor quality of the cable reception or not getting all the channels listed. One of the managers came to check it out. Before getting to the coach she asked if we had a black cable or white and if I had turned off the antenna booster. I didn’t see why either would matter. She said their cable system often had problems so there must be some differences in white cable and black. I checked and our antenna booster was on, I turned it off. I’m not sure at this point if that was the problem or if the manager did something at the cable box outside. Either way, we now have a better picture and more channels.

I went to the hospital around noon. Glenna was up in the chair and she had just finished lunch. As usual she only ate a few bites. The nurses helped her back in bed and had her lay on her right side for awhile. They move her to help avoid bed sores. I stayed until about 4:30.

Gerri and I went to Michael’s and bought picture frames to hang pictures of the grandkids on the wall behind the passenger seat window. We also bought some fabric coloring pens to fill in a flag of states that we have visited. We bought the flag in ’08 at Farmington, NM and hadn’t done anything with it. After shopping we went downtown to see what the “Alive at Five” activity we had read about in the paper was. It turned out to be a one block street fair with food booths and very bad loud music. It also looked like a chance to drink in the street. We also saw several WalMartians there. We only walked the block and went back to the car. We had supper at the Fiesta en Jalisco restaurant, not bad Mexican food and a lot of it.

We got to the hospital after Glenna’s supper tray was removed. She said she had eaten spaghetti, but I’ll bet it wasn’t much. When we left I ask the nurse to get her a snack later.

Back at the coach we had to run the AC’s for awhile, I think it got to 87 today. My computer locked up and I had to reset it to another date. I also started coloring the Traveling North America map flag. I’m not much of an artist. Some of the colors ran from one state to another. The weave of the nylon is loose and the problem seemed to be with the blue and purple.

July 7, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 34

After TCB this morning I went to Home Depot hoping to find a two step stool or ladder to make getting in the coach easier. Nothing. Back at Dick’s the manager gave me a cinder block. I put it on the folding step, works fine for me but Gerri didn’t like it. So I’ll keep looking.

Last night the doctor told me he would be making rounds after 3 PM. We got to the hospital at about 2:30. Glenna was up sitting in her chair and said she had lunch that way. She was very alert. I never seen her this active and alert a day after a hip replacement. She was helped back into bed about 3 and slept off and on until her supper was brought in. We spoke to a patient service rep and made arrangement for her to go to acute therapy after being released from the hospital. For dinner she had Swiss steak, mashed potatoes and broccoli, with chicken noodle soup on the side. She ate a little of the broth from the soup and I fed her some of the noodles and about a third of the steak and potatoes. It was the best I had seen her eat since being in the hospital.

Gerri and I left about six and went to eat at Tracy’s 24 Hour Diner. We had Tracy’s special hamburger. A ¼ pounder that was oblong on a sub type bun topped with bacon and cheese. Incidentally Tracy’s isn’t open 24 hours a day anymore, most nights they close at 10 PM.

I took Gerri back to the coach and went back to the hospital. I missed Dr. Pike as he came by at about seven. I stayed until 10 PM. I’m amazed and encouraged by Glenna’s alertness and being awake as much as she has been. I pray it continues like this.

We aren’t out of the woods yet but I am very encouraged.

Remember; James 5:16 “ Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” That include righteous woman too. Thanks for your prayers, past and future.

July 6, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 33

The caravan left this morning. I heard the first diesel fire up at what I thought was 4:30 AM. Turns out my clock had reverted back to PST from MST. The tail gunner left at about 10:30 AM. I guess I should take off our stickers that identify us as part of a caravan.

I visited Glenna in the hospital in the morning. When I got back to Dick’s our new space was ready. We moved the coach. Leveling was a problem because of the slope of the Space. When the coach was level the front wheels were off the ground. I didn’t like that. I tried leveling manually with the same results. The park manager brought me several pieces of 2x6. I put them under the front tires and leveled the coach again. The front is still high but the front wheels aren’t just hanging there, they have some support. The first step going into the coach and the last coming out is very high, even with the portable step in place. I’m going to check Home Depot tomorrow to see what I can get in the way of a double portable step.

The trees in the rear of the space blocked the satellite, so I hooked up to the park cable. Also the trees blocked the use of our flag, bummer.

We went to a Laundromat to catch up on that chore faster than we could in the coach washer and dryer. I left Gerri and went back to the hospital. Glenna was pretty much out of it due to pain medication. I went back to the Laundromat to help Gerri fold the clothes.

At about five PM I got a call that Glenna was being taken to the surgical unit. I went back to the hospital at about 7:15. The surgeon, Dr. Pike, came and talked to me at about 10:15. He explained the surgery and told me that Glenna had gone through it well. He said that she might be at the hospital until the weekend and then taken to a rehab facility. I had previously given out the hospital’s address for cards. It would probably be better if they were sent to her in care of me at Dick’s RV Park, 1403 11th Street SW, Great Falls, MT 59404. That way we can get them to her where ever she is.

I left a message for Todd and talked to Curtis to tell them about their grandmother’s condition. At about eleven PM she was brought back to her room. She was awake and more alert than when I had seen her earlier today. She was also smiling a lot, so I figured that was due to the anesthetic.

I left the hospital before midnight so I could stop at Wendy’s to get something for Gerri and me to eat.

On another note, I spoke to Joan (pronounced Joann) Howeth and she and Alan will be at Dick’s this weekend. We met them last year in Decatur, IN, saw them again in Charlotte, MI and again in Oklahoma City. Alan is the one who got me started making a daily blog. I made reservations for them to be sure they got a space. Another Adventure Caravan will start coming in this week to leave one Tuesday the 13th.. I wanted to be sure there was a space for Alan and Joan. This is a busy place, most of the spaces filled up late today, probably overnighters.

July 5, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, ID N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 32

We had a lot of rain during the night and off and on all day.

We got a phone call from the surgeon that will do Glenna’s operation, Dr. Pike. He explained how serious this operation is for someone her age and the alternative. The alternative is to do nothing to repair the break. That would result in her being both in bed and in pain for the rest of her life. A life filled with trying to cope with pain and immobility doesn’t seem like much of a life. Her life expectancy would be shortened to months without the repair. Glenna and I have discussed this in the past and she has a health care directive as part of her will. We will proceed with the operation, even considering the risks attached. It is the best alternative.

After taking care of some other business I went to see Glenna at the hospital. She hadn’t eaten anything and it was after noon. Her nurse, Sherry, ordered a tray with chicken fingers and fries. I managed to get her to eat about 1 and a half of the pieces of chicken.

Before leaving the hospital at about 3:30 I ask the nurse to ask that her supper tray not be taken away before I got back. When I did get back Glenna hadn’t eaten, the staff warmed up the stew and Glenna ate some of the stew, about a third of a biscuit and about half of an ice cream cup.

At about 9:30 I went back to the coach. It was still daylight.

July 4, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, ID N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 31, Caravan Day -1

Maybe I should drop the Caravan Day count and start a Hospital Day count.

Hospital Day 2

The first thing I did was talk to the management at the RV Park and arranged to stay another thirty days. We will move to another space on Tuesday. The space we are in is a pull through and the longer term spaces are back in. The one we will move to is nearer the highway. On the monthly rate we have to pay for the power so the space has a meter, it is also between what looks like units of permanent residents.

We tried to tune into worship services at Oakey Blvd., but the sound wasn’t coming through.

I went to the hospital and helped Glenna eat as much of her lunch as she would eat. She was groggy but fairly responsive and drank quite a bit of water. I stayed for a couple of hours but she was sleeping most of the time.

After leaving the hospital I went by the only Church of Christ that came up on Church Zip. I hope to go by there for Bible study on Wednesday. If it seems to be a sound church we will go to worship service next Sunday.

Back at the coach we got ready for the pot luck being held for the caravan participants. There was a lot of good food. I grilled some apple and chicken sausages from Sam’s Club. It is amazing what some of the other RVers came with in the way of dishes. One couple made a tray of three varieties of chocolate dipped strawberries, milk chocolate, white chocolate and a third with coconut, walnuts or M and M’s.

After the potluck we went to the hospital. Glenna’s supper had already been taken away so we have no idea how much she ate. She had a bowl of chocolate pudding there and would occasionally eat a bite. I have warned the staff to be aggressive in making her eat and keeping her boots on to prevent bed sores. She seemed to drift off to sleep a lot. She has a button for pain killer that will dispense every eight minutes.

We returned to the RV park about eight o’clock. We mostly just hung out listening to the increasing volume of fireworks in the area. Apparently Montana has unrestricted fireworks, we have heard small fire crackers to huge explosions and a lots of rockets, some with huge sky bursts. Our ears are still ringing.

Please remember to keep Glenna in your prayers. If you want to send a card, send to:

Glenna Wisnewski

c/o Benefis Health Care

Room 824-2

1101 26th Street South

Great Falls, Montana 59405

Glenna’s nurse confirmed that it is unlikely until Tuesday afternoon for her surgery.

July 3, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, ID N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 30, Caravan Day -2

Today started good. We got our caravan instructions, the Milepost Alaska Travel Planner, our Trip Log Book, pins and sweatshirts

In the afternoon Gerri and I went to WalMart and Sam’s Club for more supplies for our trip.

We got back to the coach about 4:40 and found Glenna on the floor, she had fallen and couldn’t get up. She said she had been there for about half an hour. We called an ambulance. They and the requisite FD paramedics showed up very quickly. She had a lot of pain in her left hip.

After several hours at the local emergency room it was determined that the prosthesis in her left hip had been pushed further into the bone and fractured it. The fix basically is to replace the hip replacement prosthesis with another one with a longer shaft and cement it in. Glenna was finally transferred to a room just before midnight.

In talking to the orthopedic doctor it will be about the same recovery as the original operation. A week or so after the operation for recovery and then two- three weeks of inpatient therapy, so it looks like we won’t be going on the planned caravan. Instead we will be here at Dick’s RV Park for the duration or at least until Glenna can progress to the point of being able to travel by RV.

Keep Glenna in your prayers for a speedy and complete recovery.

July 2, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, ID N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 29, Caravan Day -3

We got our Adventure Caravan stickers today from the tail gunner, John. The stickers identify us as a member of the caravan. There is one on the front and rear of the coach and one on the Jeep. The sticker also shows this is our second adventure. We went to the Rose Parade this year with Adventure Caravans. We are unit number 3, whatever that means or is worth. John said he will be back tomorrow for an inspection.

As of about noon today 16 of the 20 units have arrived and I believe more came in later. There is a social hour everyday at four. We may make it tomorrow.

I took Gerri downtown for a hair appointment and did one cache while waiting for her. I went to the location of two others with no luck finding anything but mosquitoes. After the hair appointment we went to WalMart and picked up several items.

Supper was cleanup leftovers again, very good.

After supper I walked to two nearby caches. Before leaving the coach I found some insect repellant, Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard. I didn’t find an expiration date on the bottle. When the first mosquito landed on me I lathered it on all exposed skin. After that the drillers came by but didn’t land on me, so I guess the stuff is still potent.

Our mail was here when we arrived so I got it sorted today and will deal with the bills tomorrow.

July 1, 2010

From Great Falls, MT, ID N47°29.386’ W111°19.942’

Day 28, Caravan Day -4

I unplugged everything but the electricity last night, so the outside stuff was done shortly after I got up this morning. We left Libby at 9:30 after a stop at McDonalds for some breakfast.

We headed east on US-2, well as east as you can on a highway that wanders around so much. We stopped in Kalispell for fuel and continued on to US-89. We traveled through West Glacier, a corner of Glacier Park and on to East Glacier. A beautiful drive mostly along the Flathead River with forests and snow covered mountains in sight all around.

After passing Browning, MT we were on the rolling plains. It was very green and I was surprised how few cattle we saw. Just after leaving the Blackfeet Reservation we came to a sign that said to take the quickest way to Great Falls by taking the turn east on Montana SR-44 to I-15. It was 28 miles to I-15 and as it turns out it was 12 miles shorter than staying on US-89.

We stopped at a rest stop near Dutton, MT and I tried to find a cache. The GPSR pointed into a brushy area. There was a warning sign in the rest area warning of rattlesnakes. Between that and several mosquitoes landing on me I quit searching without finding the cache.

The weather forecast for the Great Falls area was for thunderstorms and we saw several really black areas of sky as we got closer to Great Falls. We arrived at Dick’s RV Park at about 4 Pm. It was raining a little, large drops but not real heavy. We got set up and I went to a mixer at a room in the park. I met the wagon master and the tail gunner and a few other people going on the caravan.

I decided to clean the Jeep. The little bit of rain we had come through made it too dirty to see out the windows. I finished that job about dark. There were a few mosquitoes buzzing around, the breeze kept them at bay, so I only got a few bites.

Our caravan activities don’t officially start until Monday afternoon, but 12 of the 20 RVs going are already here. We don’t plan to do a lot between now and when we head north on Tuesday. Maybe a few caches and some shopping.

Obviously the picture was taken in the winter and only permanent units are shown. Imagine it with trees and every space full. The red highlight is our spot.

June 30, 2010

From Libby, MT, ID N48°23.793’ W115°34.121’

Day 27, Caravan Day -5

When we got up we realized it was an hour later, MST. We have to adjust.

Glenna’s right eye was bothering her. Mary Chasey, our friend here in Libby, called her eye doctor. Even though he was out of town the office staff had me come by and pick up some eye drops they recommend. We will see if they help.

Around noon Mary came by and we went by their house and then for a short tour of the area. The highlight of the tour was the Libby Dam and a few stops along the Kootenai River. It is beautiful country, but snow is in the back of my mind.

I went back by the coach and picked up Glenna for supper at the Chasey’s. Mary grilled steaks and chicken. After supper we had cake for desert.

Tom showed us a toy that I now want, SPOT. Satellite personal Tracker. Check it out http://www.mypilotstore.com/mypilotstore/sep/6636

After more visiting I dropped Glenna and Gerri off and went caching, I bagged three today.

Just as the sun was going down I hooked up the Jeep and unhooked everything but the electricity. It shouldn’t take too long to get ready to roll in the morning. We decided to cancel the stop in West Glacier and go all the way to Great Falls. That will give us some downtime there for laundry, etc. It’s 315 miles but with a reasonable start and no delays we should be there in the late afternoon even considering it is two lane all the way.. No matter it doesn’t get dark till after ten PM.