November 23 - Loss

A number of years ago, the hot water tank in our basement sprang a leak. This happened during the day and we didn’t discover it until we came home later in the evening. Lyle was unloading the car and although it was dark, I didn’t bother turning on the light as I headed downstairs. As I took the last step - surprise! My foot went under five or six centimetres of cold water.

I was thinking of that day as we heard about the devastation caused by the flood waters in British Columbia. The cleanup of the small section of our basement floor was horrible and I was upset at the loss of some treasured items that had been ruined by water. How trivial this all sounds now when put beside the loss of life, homes and livestock today in B.C.

From afar there is little that most of can do to alleviate the plight of those people who have been affected by the recent flood catastrophe. Their experiences and their losses are almost unimaginable. Perhaps we can find a way to help financially, but at the very least we hope that our fellow Canadians will know that our thoughts and prayers are with them.

November 20 - Passing Loch Ness

Last week on my virtual walk I passed Loch Ness. It was good to see a spot on the map that I recognized. Since leaving Edinburgh some weeks ago now, the scenery has mostly been fields, trees and hillsides. This is also what I remember between Edinburgh and Inverness when we were there in 2019 so I shouldn’t be too surprised. What is nice about my virtual walk is that until now, the fall weather in Alberta has been so moderate – unlike the rain and drizzle we experienced in northern Scotland when we were there in August in real time and space.

We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday in Scotland in spite of the rain. I remember our tour of Loch Ness as taking place on an especially dreary day. It was easy to imagine the possibility of a monster lurking in the depths but I doubt that I would have been able to capture a picture had Nessie actually appeared. Our camera was safely nestled inside a waterproof pack. Still the air was invigorating and the history and folklore prattled on by the guide was fascinating.

On a different day we caught the bus to the battlefields of Culloden. The sun had emerged for the afternoon although the air was still a bit cool. We did the self-guided walk around the fields, reading the plaques and trying to visualize this horrific day in Scottish history. It was pleasant without the rain but the breeze was brisk. At the end of the day we spent a good half hour or so standing at the side of the road waiting for the local bus. The timetable pasted on the post at the bus stop was obviously a work of fiction.

I loved Inverness and our accommodation there, which was very aptly named Riverside Apartments. We spent hours wandering around the streets, over the castle grounds and along trails by the river. However it was the day of our departure that really stands out in memory.

The rain began in earnest overnight and by morning the train lines back to Edinburgh were flooded. The trains were cancelled until further notice. After a couple of hours of uncertainty at the rail station, we were informed that buses would be coming instead. By the time that the first two buses arrived, a crowd of three or four hundred passengers with accompanying luggage had assembled at the station. The rush to board this very limited transportation was a bit of a comedy. At least that is what it was in retrospect. At the time it was sheer frustration. Lyle and I were fortunate enough to board the second bus and I have no idea what happened to everyone else who was left waiting.

From the bus we transferred at Perth to the train again. When we pulled into Waverley Station at Edinburgh the rain had increased to a torrential downpour. By the time we walked the mile or so distance to our accommodation we were soaked to the skin...and I mean that literally. There were no taxis available. I abandoned the use of my cane and held onto Lyle’s sleeve as we tried to dodge puddles and sprays of water and of course all the brollies that Scots seemed to carry with them as a  matter of course.  By the time we reached our flat, even the contents of our suitcase were soaked through.

I hope all this doesn’t sound as if I am complaining...far from it! The day has given us an interesting travel story to recall and sometimes recount to friends. I hope that eventually the poor folk in BC who are currently battling the floods and weather extremes there will eventually be able to recount their plight in a similar fashion. The weather in western Canada has certainly changed in a hurry.

That is where I will leave it with you. I now have less than 100 miles to the finish line of my virtual UK walk. Time to start thinking of my next goal!

There is one picture with this post. It is of the castle beside Loch Ness looking very forbidding on a dull and dreary day.

 

Sue at castle beside Loch Ness

 

 

November 11 - Remembrance Day

When I turned my calendar page to November this year, the picture was of poppies. For many people, the red poppy is certainly associated with Remembrance Day. In our town, my friend Dorothy, as a Legion representative, coordinated the distribution of the little poppies that we wear on our lapels. The money donated for this endeavour will then be used to benefit the veterans in our community.

This week leading up to November 11, Lyle and I walked past the front lawn of one of the town’s seniors centers. Outside on the front lawn, the staff had placed about thirty or so red painted wooden poppies. What a meaningful display! I have included a photo of the poppies with this post. I am standing in the midst of this artificial garden and the Canadian flag is flying in the background. 

Sue with poppies

 

 

November 7 - Blind in the Night

There are some eye conditions where loss of night vision is the first sign that something is wrong. Retinitis pigmentosa is one of these conditions. My friend, Norma, said that she has always had poor night vision. As a child, she simply thought that it was the way that everyone could see in the dark. A few years ago, another friend told me that while he could see moderately well in daylight, at night his sight virtually disappeared. Both Norma and George have retinitis pigmentosa and at this stage of their lives, both have no vision at all.

 

I have a glimmer of understanding of what it means to be blind in the night. I don’t have RP, but my eyes take a very long time to adjust to differences in light. If I emerge from a dark room to one that is brightly lit, I find that I am squinting and see only vaguely through semi closed eyelids. Conversely, if I come from bright light into a dark space, I see almost nothing.

 

There are some situations where this is very noticeable. For instance, when I come from normal lighting and enter a dimly lit restaurant, it is as if the lights were completely turned off. The pupils of my eyes don’t adjust and I see next to nothing. I am indeed blind in the dark.

 

Another place where night blindness is an issue is at the optometrist office. Have you ever noticed how poorly lit those offices are? I remember one of my first visits to an ophthalmologist. I sat in the waiting area feeling like a bit of a fraud. What was I doing here? I could see. However, when I was shown to the examining room, the lights were seriously dimmed and I couldn’t find my way to the chair. I knew then that I had a problem.

 

Unfortunately, there is often little to be done about night blindness. My eye condition has no cure and to date there is no cure for retinitis pigmentosa. However, night blindness is a symptom and sometimes a precursor of several debilitating eye conditions, some of which might be stalled or surgically corrected. Being blind in the night is a good reason to make an appointment with  an eye specialist. If you are experiencing night blindness, don’t put this  appointment off.

October 24 - White Cane Practice

Instead of White Cane Practice, I possibly should have titled this post White Cane OUT of Practice. Over the past eighteen plus months, Lyle and I haven’t really gone anywhere, and so I haven’t been using my white cane much either. Instead, when I have walked the familiar river trail in our local area, I have often used a pair of walking sticks. The sticks are just like the poles used for cross country skiing. The sticks are good for arm exercise and balance. Also, when my sticks hit the dirt at the edge of the asphalt, I know that I have ventured off the trail itself.

The downside is that being blue the sticks don’t alert anyone else to my vision issues.  This is when I need a white cane – not just to alert other walkers on the trail but also to give myself a heads up if there are obstacles in my path.

I was reminded of all this last week when Lyle had an appointment in the city and I decided to go along for the ride. When we arrived in the parking lot, and as it was some distance from the office building, I had half thought that I might use my walking sticks. However, I had only taken a few steps away from the car when I realized the error of my ways. What had I been thinking! The walk in the city was definitely not my familiar trail by the river.

The parking lot had those cement blocks separating parking spots. On the street, there were fire hydrants and sloping driveways. The sidewalk was also obstructed by little decorative trees and the latest horror for someone with limited sight – electric bikes or scooters parked at random intervals and not necessarily pushed off the sidewalk. I always have my cane with me in the vehicle, and boy was I glad that I had it with me that day!

So now I had had an instant refresher course in white cane use. The experience has reminded me that I should continue to practice using my white cane. I am looking forward to the time when I will once again be able to travel beyond my own familiar area and for that I will need the use of my cane. Hopefully, next time I write of this, the title, White Cane Practice will be a legitimate subject line.

 

 

 

October 15 - Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

One of our favorite “go to” meals while Lyle and I are travelling is spaghetti and meat sauce. It is a relatively simple meal and the ingredients seem to be fairly easy to come by wherever we happen to be. Together we have cooked this particular meal in various spots around the globe – Stuttgart in Germany, Nice in France, Inverness in Scotland, Darwin in Australia, Reykjavik in Iceland, Sorrento in Italy, and so on. I smile as I remember the different kitchenettes in all these places. Some have just provided hot plates, such as the ambulance style RV we rented in New Zealand, and other have had combined stoves and ovens that have been far beyond my sight capabilities.

Last week at home, Lyle and I cooked up a batch of spaghetti and meat sauce. No biggie, you might say. Actually, for me it is always a biggie. It has to do with frying the meat first. I simply don’t see when it is done. This is why I say that it was the two of us doing the cooking. I nearly always call on Lyle to check the doneness of the meat.

When I think back, I know that Lyle and I have made a number of accommodations in the kitchen. For instance, I like to prepare meals that I can time in a casserole dish in the oven. I also like to use a slow cooker. Lyle and I both like the taste of barbeque meat and it usually falls to Lyle to stand outside at the barbeque and to me to prepare the vegetables. Learning from another friend who is totally without sight, I have found that I can tell when a potato or a carrot is peeled by running my fingers over the outside. The original skin is usually rough to the touch while the peeled vegetable is smooth.

I am fortunate in that Lyle is willing to accommodate my visual challenges. I have also learned that for me to be successful in the kitchen I should take my time. Even with simple meals like spaghetti and meat sauce this is important. I do remember the surprise on our granddaughter’s face when, in a rush, I broke the spaghetti over the boiling water only to miss the saucepan altogether.  Most of the pieces landed on the floor, but some managed to get between the rings of the burners. It was another lesson learned!

For someone with partial or no sight, the kitchen can be a dangerous place – cuts, burns, spills, etc. even when the meal is simply spaghetti and meat sauce.

October 8 - Happy Thanksgiving

Last Thanksgiving, Lyle and I ate our Thanksgiving dinner out on our back deck. Our family from Calgary had come for the weekend. Because of the restrictions that were in place at the time, Lyle and I camped in our motor home on our driveway and our kids stayed in the house. We ate all of our meals outside. That included the turkey dinner. Fortunately, our daughter and son-in-law are very adept in the kitchen and Lyle and I simply waited outside at our separate table waiting to be served. Fortunately also, the weather was mild, although I seem to recall that we were wearing our jackets while we ate. None of us dreamed that there could be a similar situation one year later.

Still, here we are again! At least this year the adults are all vaccinated. We will continue to be cautious and to look for responsible ways to celebrate Thanksgiving 2021.

My best wishes to all of you for a happy, safe and healthy Thanksgiving weekend.