Apropos of Nothing v.21

We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1137888/

This thread can't be derailed because there's no topic. HA!

WARNING- there may be discussion of guns, tattoos, pest removal or other potentially 'horrifying' subjects. If you can't handle that, this is not the thread for you. Disagreeing about a subject is okay, flaming people is not.
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Hi guys. Sorry I kinda jumped ship. Nothing to say lately. :-/

No worries Pony - this is the time of year to hibernate a bit. My favorite kind of day this winter has been to hunker down by the fireplace and read, or cook something savory and delicious. I haven't had much to say, either. Soon we will all emerge from our beds just like the plants in our gardens.

Cute kitty pic.

Yeah, I've definitely been hibernating. Going through lots of books, and spending waaaay too much time playing a game on Facebook. heh. Lots of tulips, daffodils and daylilies sending up shoots in the garden, but I haven't been able to work up any enthusiasm over it yet.

Thanks, WIllow- that's Henry. That shot is pretty much my typical view of my lap when I'm in my chair... hehe.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

*smooooooooch*

Well I almost died again. This time in the waters of Wrangell Narrows. While taking winter tarps off my boat I slipped and fell head first into the 39F water deep. It was dark and I started swimming, but realized that I did not know what way was up. So I blew a bubble and it went off to the left so I swam in that direction and surfaced in an open slip. The docks are quite high and I could not get out because I had last month taken off my boarding ladder and at the end of the pier no beach near enough to swim. After attempting to climb dock, boat lines, and pulling on hose that broke I started yelling for help. It finally came but as they hauled me out and started stripping me to wrap in blankets I passed out. Woke up in hospital shivering and was glad to be alive. My core temp went to 90F and still I lived. The interesting thing is Paramedics are volunteer and it takes quite a while to get them on site but not for me because they were basically at the end of the block of the marina and were studying (guess what?) cold water immersion rescue. So they had the IV bags warmed and ready as they ran out to rescue me.
The following days I had 50 or more people, some I don't know stop and thank me for the story because they were glad they still had a vet and a few who had lost friends that way and wondered why they hadn't surfaced after falling in. Most people assumed they inhaled when they hit the water due to the shock, but I told them the reflex is to start swimming and I if not thinking would have swum "down" not up if I hadn't waited to gather my thoughts.

What an awful story, but I'm so glad you kept your wits about you. I would never have thought to blow a bubble to help me get my bearings. Thank heavens you were rescued and are okay.

wow, Steve! So grateful your angels were working the scene there! (For the paramedics to be right there, with all the correct equipment, that is pretty darn wonderful) And grateful also for your own survival skills and presence of mind.

I'm mighty glad you're still with us.

Yikes! Another great story to pass on to your grandkids, luckily.

Steve!!!!! So glad you came out of that one alive!!! I guess the paramedics got on-site, real life experience training with that one. I know it makes for a great story, but you just cannot go and die on your daughter when she is going through so much keeping her daughter alive right now. So be careful. Sorry for the lecture, but my heart just fell into my shoes reading about your harrowing experience.

I'm right there with you, MHF. I got a sinking feeling. But, our GOD IS GOOD!!! all the time. So glad the drill was near you and they were ready to help with the warmed IV, etc....
We ( my DH and I) would love to meet you this summer if you are home when we are working our way home.
I'm hoping to have a more deifinte time that we will be in OR and WA so I can meet as many of you PNWers as possible.

Thank God you are alive. I bet your wife does not want you out on any more boats, especially alone. You are very brave.

Glad you are Ok and will be able to see your GD soon. Take care!

Also very happy to hear you made it out of a very tight spot. As we get older we should not do anything slightly dangerous without a companion. And never go on your boat again without having your ladder out and a life vest on. I've never met you but I do like your character and your life. It needs you alive.

I bet his wife just rolled her eyes back in her head and thought "what's he up to now..."

OMG, Steve! I can't begin to tell you how happy we are to still have you with us. Not to lecture or anything, but speaking from experience, guys are not indestructable after all. Please take care of yourself for your family and for all of us.

Steve, my advice to you is to stop being so $%^## helpful to everyone else that you put yourself in that kind of danger! What were you thinking trying to 'help' the paramedics learn cold water immersion techniques by sacrificing yourself?? (Yes, I know you didn't consciously know they were there. I didn't miss that part.) Your guardian angels are working overtime with you. I am so glad you are safe and you have the instinct to survive. Brilliant bubble trick.

PS: Mike says he's glad you are safe, too.

This message was edited Feb 22, 2011 9:30 PM

Great day. My great nephew Gabriel was born. 5 lbs 12 oz. Little like his 4'10 mommy! ;)

This message was edited Feb 24, 2011 11:56 AM

Congratulations!

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fkfsk.org%2F&ei=59plTbScI4O78gbZ15SKCw&usg=AFQjCNEtQNo8y5T7jhDIZpHx5nytLEOhIQ Story is here on NPR radio Petersburg. Scroll down on left to Petersburg news: Man saved etc.
Congrats Bea!

That's so cool, that it's on NPR! I still think you shouldn't go solo anymore, though.

I live aboard my boat so I would have to get me a mistress to share my bunk. The only trouble is I love my wife and she might be upset with my "partner". LOL

Get a rescue dog! One that can swim!

No dog can get up on the docks either. Though maybe a sealion to throw me up when I fall in. I have one who kind of likes me. She bumps the boat every time she is near and I am on the boat. Her name is Thelma.

Son of a gun. I didn't catch at first that you fell into the drink in Petersburg, ALASKA. I went out to listen to the radio broadcast and then saw the banner. So very glad you are okay.

Jan, keep us posted on your plans to visit the PNW. I wouldn't be surprised if we could arrange a little get-together while you are here so that we all can meet. So far threre are no round-up (rendevous!) plans for this year.

Don't kid yourself - Thelma wants to have you for dinner.

Portland is covered with snow.

Uh. but you won't be in May. You guys have gorgeous weather. Almost too hot for me, but end of May should be okay. And the iris and peonies are blooming. Schreiner's and Adelman's -- here I come!! Have wanted to do this for years. Actually would like to spend about two weeks touring the Washington and Oregon Nurseries allowing for the fact that things bloom at different times. Even with the peonies, trees, herbaceous and intersectionals seems to pop off at different times.

Definitely, Sharon. My dad's cousin is in Sumner, WA so we will be there after we stay in Portland for a while. I will need to add on some extra days to see DGers. I am so hoping to find a few of you guys home and not on vacation.

Julie, Lynn, and I are less than 10 miles from Sumner. We seldom vacation in the summer for more than a weekend at a time as we love our worlds that time of year.

I estimated we would be in Portland through the 4th of July so sometime after that. Would a Sat. or Sunday be better do you think?

Heard your broadcast Steve. Very cool, no pun intended! I think you can continue to go solo, as long as you stop at 1 beer! Great idea to have a deep boarding ladder. that makes all kinds of sense.

Thelma always comes by eating halibut in front of me and smirks. I think she is trying to make me jump in and get the ones below my boat. I have no longer considered that invitation. I got to see a albino killer whale in a pod last week in Wrangell narrows just outside of the boat. I suppose being all white is no problem being a killer whale, after all who eats killers in cold water. No Great whites up here. I suppose there is some racial slurrs towards him though.
Yes Melissa get a ladder that extends at least 12" into the water. No way to lift your legs when your body is numb (5 min max) Tomorrow I finish my ladder here at home and take it up to the boat next trip in 2 weeks. I also bought an expensive GPS chart because with the fog and the wind you need to KNOW where you are. It tells me everything in unknown waters and I have all my routes loaded already. I already have Radar, Depth, and with the GPS I have speed and currents. Kind of cool. Oh yes and I am bidding on a Gumby Suit (immersion suit) on Ebay now. Fitswright is a good one. Then I can float for up to 12 hours in it before I freeze again.
Jan there is a great nursery near Summner. I visit it every trip, it is called Watsons. I have a West Marine, BMW motorcycle dealer, and nursery all within a few miles of tacoma dome.

Thanks, Steve, for the info.

Jan, I talked to Julie yesterday and we think that maybe planning a DG get-together here in South Prairie the Saturday after the 4th of July might work. Maybe an afternoon potluck bbq or some such. Keep that in mind and we can work that direction as time gets closer.

Yes, Steve, Watsons in Puyallup is our favorite nursery, too. The Windmill, which is in Sumner seems to have gone down hill a bit, though their spring display of blooming bulbs is still very nice.

OOOHHH, something like that sounds great, Sharon.

Sofer, Good to hear of your new possessions for the boat.

I'm very glad you didn't turn into a Sofer-sickle or Soferberg. You don't look ice-ish!

>> Thelma always comes by eating halibut in front of me and smirks.

I think my cat does something similar. When he wants me to follow him, he makes sure I see him, then he RUNS off as if chaisng a mouse.

I'm guessing that lazy predators only run when they are chasing food, and other predators know to follow them so as to share the bounty.

"Hey there, big boy! Lookit what I'm eating .. lots more fish in the sea ... jump in, maybe I'll share.
Or maybe I'm still hungry and you look tender!"

Is that Gumby suit tooth-proof?

Corey

Deep thought Rick. LOL Gumby suits are tooth proof up to 1/2 inch penetration. So Killer whales, Shark, and Walrus are still a concern. The sealion is the only animal to attack me. I was in my kayak and it threw me out by lifing my stern about 5 feet. I was in its territory while salmon were piled up at the mouth of the Snohomish R in front of Everett. I was watching killer whales feeding about 1/4 mile away. I was ready to leave when they came near and "WHAM" I am out of my kayak as it is hitting the water next to me. Freaked out thinking a killer was attacking I lunged back into the kayak and paddled like a mad man for the small sand bar outside the harbor. Then is when I saw the bull sealion barking at me and my beached kayak. Adrenaline was pumping. Since then I have tried heavy paddle slaps to deter them from being aggressive. It has worked many times and they sound rather than slap their flippers and charge. Thelma and I have gone through this many times when I paddle the harbor. She must like to be slapped, (poor joke), cause she continually swims by as she eats tons of halibut and cod with the funny stare she has.
I like you summation on cats. I have always thought that they like you to watch them feed, it lessens your social level to watch and I assumed they bolted when I moved in close threatening domination.