Male bobwhite |
Wikipedia says: "The clear whistle "bob-WHITE" or "bob-bob-WHITE" call of these birds is most recognizable. The syllables are slow and widely spaced, rising in pitch a full octave from beginning to end. Other calls include lisps, peeps and more rapidly whistled warning calls.Like most game birds, the northern bobwhite is shy and elusive. When threatened, it will freeze, relying on camouflage to stay undetected, but will flush into low flight if closely disturbed. These birds are generally solitary or found in pairs early in the year, but family groups are common, in the late summer and winter roosts may have two dozen or more birds in a single covey." Well here at Mt Top RV, these birds are not shy but aggressive ala western Penny's. Wish I could have had a camera on the side flight.
I have not yet had time to snap more photos of the glorious dogwoods which I mentioned previously in bloom. But I did snap this one leaving Mt. Top the other day as Jerry drove, you can see the white dogwood in bloom in the woods.
View of the woods from car window; white dogwood in bloom |
Well Uncle's long time family doctor was on rounds and immediately changed the diagnosis and treatment for uncle. He says the skin rash is neither shingles (we knew that) nor is it a recurrence of the scabies for which he was hospitalized in March. He said there was no decision by a dermatologist and that he believes a steroid treatment is in order and this is severe psoriasis, complicated by Uncle Carl's hard scratching. I had to laugh as did Dr Ferlin when Carl declared from his bed, "when I itch I scratch!" Uncle Carl was alert and mostly in our world this AM unlike yesterday afternoon when he was so lethargic caring neither to eat nor be awake. They had done an MRI and may have given him a light sedative which reacted strongly on his weakened system. This morning he was up to eating all his breakfast and then some. Diagnosis is not good and as I have suspected he is in decline, but at 93 as the Doctor emphasized "everything is wearing out."
I have determined he will have hospice care when he returns to the personal care facility. However, I cannot discuss this with Dr. Ferlan as the other doctor's reminded me he is very old school and does not believe in hospice, but treating until the end. I encountered this in 2009 when my aunt was terminal; it was not until her release from the nursing home that we arranged hospice. Uncle Carl is wearing out and down but he has surprised us before. Classically his dementia is worse in the evenings. Friday he pulled out his IV's and took off his hospital gown because he was "discharging" himself but ended up on the floor, I made a dash to the hospital to talk sense. That did not work as he thought I was his dead sister, Jinx. His cognition vacillates as do his vitals. This morning his blood pressure was elevated so Dr. Ferlan administered lopressor; Thursday evening in the ER his blood pressure dropped very low. This is all related to the congestive heart failure which will take him on sooner or later. But at 93 all we can do is ensure his comfort and care. Friday evening I took his advanced directive to the hospital as they admitted to not giving him the DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) status. All this information is in their files from his previous admissions in November and March, but lawsuit potential and federal law requires renewing the documentation each admission; I understand this as people do change their minds but Uncle Carl, as all of my family, is vehement about this having drawn up paperwork and updated it. I was astonished to learn yesterday that they still had not flagged him DNR. I marched out to the nurses' station to remedy this once again and was informed that the doctor had to sign off to which I inquired, "well a doctor is in here daily and I provided this on Friday evening so what else must I do, see the doctor myself?" The nurse assured me it would go on his top chart while I said that if an event occurred and they did not follow the directive they would not be enjoying my wrath. So frustrating but I do have the advantage of knowledge and ability to work around and in medical systems and to take care of problems which could wear down a lesser informed individual. .
Left to right Carlie, Rich H, Me (standing), Dayna |
Big news coverage here in the Pittsburgh area is our own Steeler's Hines Ward on Dancing with the Stars. Show time approaches and I will be watching and voting. Each edition of each newspaper has something to say about this, cheering on our own. I am off line and ready for feet up. Hines has attracted watchers to the show from fans, people who have never watched Dancing. That's Steeler Nation.
Sorry to read about Uncle Carl's latest hospitalization, Pat. My mother is in a NJ hospital now, so I can understand your frustration with doctors.
ReplyDeleteGooney bird: sailor's term for the albatross. Originally gooney from ME gonen a term for a simpleton.
ReplyDeleteTom
As a child I invented my own adventure game, I was shipwrecked on a deserted island. I lay on the floor with a large dictionary and notebook and turned the dictionary page by page. By my own rules, I was permitted to take just one word from each page as something I salvaged from the wreck or something I found on the island. With these 'finds' I was able to survive, building a hut, living off the land, hunting native animals and fighting off predators etc; all in an active imagination, of course. But, in reading through those pages, looking for the most useful or needed things, I must have absorbed a whole lot of not so useful information. I still have a top of the line dictionary and it is my constant companion here, in the 'black hole' I call an office. LOL Tom
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