What I've learned ....

is that I'm a jerk.  MPeasy's new knee is now one week old and for what I think is the first time in my post children years I'm thinking and doing things for other people way more than for myself, and it feels good. It's love. I guess it's human nature as  I've gotten so use to it that I've been taking it for granted. One of my maxims in life has been the recognition that no matter how cool a job you have, no matter how cool the spot you're living in is and no matter how big and plentiful the fish are it all becomes routine at some point....even love. So it takes awareness and insight to renew our experiences through appreciation and affirmation and I'm getting plenty of that right now....Post op.

She can't drive, She can only move with a walker for an hour a day. The ice machine has to be refreshed every six hours and all the meds are measured and laid out. She needs help into and out of the car when we go to rehab etc....in short there's a lot to do. AND then there's the things she normally does that I do also ....I guess I had forgotten or just got to be a jerk about noticing just how much she does here at Mile 14 everyday, and she makes it look easy. Cooking, cleaning, plants in, plants out, don't forget to compost and recycle....boy howdy....Here she is going to check the 'kids ' in the greenhouse.

Yesterday Dr. Reyes said she got a B for her hard work getting  range of motion. It's a painful procedure as well and she tolerates a lot now but will lose the pain eventually that she's endured for years. Of course she's doing it for herself but in our lives it's an 'us ' thing as well.... We want to live well, be active, squeeze this ol life real well until the bitter end, together. Improve her life, which improves my life which improves our life. Thanks MP, I love you.

Here's a pic of the meds that nurse Jethro Ratchet administers 3 times a day and then pain meds every 4 hours. What we've learned about pain is that prevention is the key. The health care professionals that I'm so impressed with use this term : you need to stay ahead of it.

I guarantee that real soon we'll fish mania again here at Mile 14 so I hope you all keep coming to visit. If I'm a little late with a blog entry ya know I got a good excuse, I'm busier that a 10 year old at the trout pond.

On our last walk before her surgery we came across this uniquely Alaska deal. This guy obviously has problems with a soft clay area during break-up just like we do at Stewart's Landing. One year MP suggested I just park the truck over it to keep people from driving on it and getting it all screwed up. Bad idea. The truck sunk 8 inches over night . So the second pic is how we handle that deal no, glad to see I'm not the only one with the improvisation.

So I'm looking forward to a GREAT fishing season and being able to do it like we did 37 years ago before I started to professionally guide fishermen. I'm in the process of looking for a boat with fewer seats and one of those rain covers I've kinda envied for years. ( If any of you Kenai people are interested in #003 the big black Alumaweld Super Vee just holler ) Of course there'll be some in season ADF+G management adjustments and the usual sport / commercial discourse....I'm just relieved to know the Feds are in town to take care of everything...or am I ? .....mmmmm.