10 April 2025
I managed 1.45 miles today along Riverland Road and it almost killed me. My legs were tired, my hips hurt, and I was really dragging when I got close to the house.
When I first moved here, Riverland was a seldom used road except for parents in the morning and afternoon ferrying their kids to and from the middle school. It’s now like a freeway and you have to wait a while for a break in traffic to cross the road.
You also compete with the sidewalk with baby buggies, kids on electric bikes and scooters in addition to the old fashioned pedal kind. They seldom use the new bike lanes.
They have electronic signs to show your speed along the road and at most, cars and trucks slow down for the sign and then speed up when they pass it. The limit on the road is 30 mph but that is seldom observed.
You also have to be on your toes. Someone crashed into the steel fence that was part of the Riverland Preserve. They had to cross the bike lane, a small depression in the swale, then across a stretch of grass in order to wipe out a section of the fence. There was about a 10 foot section knocked down.
When I first started out on my walk this morning, I found a crimson bottlebrush tree in bloom.
It’s not native to the U.S. and is planted as an ornamental. I suspect David Fairchild (Fairchild Tropical Garden) brought it back from one of his explorations as a plant that would work in Florida. It belongs in the Myrtaceae family of plants (Myrtle family).
Another plant I always find fascinating in Jocote.
I admit, I was stumped when I first found this in fruit several years ago. I kept on the lookout for flowers and I was close a couple of times but it beat me to fruit this year. Maybe next year I can show you the flowers.
The red fruit is edible and you can eat everything but the seed.
Yesterday’s appointment with Dr. Burgers (surgeon) went well. She did a thorough touch exam on both sides of my breast and then did an ultrasound on both sides. The right side was at my request when I felt a tenderness in the area of a lymph node. She confirmed it was a lymph node and said it was fine. She then shifted me to 6 months instead of 3.
She also, in talking with me, paid attention when I said I had an appointment with a neurologist in June due to variation in my protein serum albumin test (PSA). The PSA is within normal range but it has increased over the last two tests. She made an appointment for me with my GP for another PSA test to give the urologist up-to-date information as well as three PSA tests to consider. That was exceptionally nice of her.
Last night was movie night with Chris and Tucker and we saw Uncle Buck with John Candy (Uncle Buck) Amy Madigan (Chanice Kobolowski) Jean Louisa Kelly (Tia Russell) Macaulay Culkin (Miles Russell) and Gabby Hoffmann (Maizy Russell).
The show was stolen by a very young Macaulay Culkin and Gabby Hoffman with their one liners. Uncle Buck is asked to baby sit the kids and is faced with a very rebellious teen (Jean Louisa Kelly). Of course, in the end, she comes to understand why Uncle Buck was so protective. It was a laugh a minute and we both thought it was one of the funnier movies we’ve seen. Tucker behaved himself quite well and received many treats.
I have today off. Friday is the pool and Saturday is lunch with John and Sunday is the play. Other than a dental appointment Monday, I don’t have another doctor’s appointment until June!
Stay tuned!
