Health, South Africa
Susan Colby
Accentuating the Positive

With the Russian madman causing mayhem in the world, I am really trying to maintain a positive outlook.

The war news is dominating and it’s difficult to avoid. But am very aware of how my mental health can affect my physical health, so I am attempting (and so far succeeding) to limit my news watching/viewing. I look at just enough to get a very superficial overview but even that is more than I want. I feel so sad for all the people affected by this megalomaniac!

Accentuating the Positive
Health, South Africa
Susan Colby
Chemo is Doing its Thing

Time flies by, even the chemo treatments. Yesterday was #5 of the planned 6. The results of my blood tests continue to be good. The cancer marker went from 301 to 187 this week. But not low enough to move on to the next stage. Dr. McCleave said they want to see it at around 30 which is quite a long way yet.

Chemo is Doing its Thing
Susan Colby
There’s Hot, and Then There’s HOT

When I came back to South Africa in 2019, I naturally gravitated to where I was born and grew up. And actually ended up in the what we used to call the village of Kloof. (It’s no longer a village!) Kloof is about 18 miles/29km from Durban and just on 1600ft/500km above sea level, giving the area a more moderate climate than Durban, usually being a good 10F less which was the case when I took Rodney to the park this afternoon. Plus less humid.

There’s Hot, and Then There’s HOT
Health, South Africa
Susan Colby
Chemo #4 Done, 2 to Go

The fourth treatment went as planned. Mick came with me so he was able to meet my doctor. It’s always good to have another set of ears in a consultation but this one was very straightforward because everything is going so well.

Chemo #4 Done, 2 to Go
South Africa
Susan Colby
A Massive Immune Booster

November 16 last year is the fateful day I got the definitive news that changed my life.

By then I ‘d been in hospital for 8 days going through tests and everything else that goes along with a cancer diagnosis. I’d just had laparoscopic surgery for a biopsy and the GYN/surgeon came to visit me after I had very gently been given the diagnosis. He’s a lovely man and from reading his bio, a pretty religious one as well. He said to me as he sat at my bedside, “Have you considered end of life?”

A Massive Immune Booster

adventure

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The Next Big Adventure

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It's Time!

Bainbridge Organic

When I came back here from South Africa 4 years ago, I had no intention of staying here. But one thing did NOT lead to another and so here I still am, in the Pacific Northwest, vowing to never do another winter here.

But the Universe works in mysterious ways and my departure is set for November. In brief, I go from here to South Africa for a family reunion and four months of fun before pretty much moving to Belize. There I will research where Ryan can buy some waterfront property, then oversee building or creating an Airbnb situation where I would live.

That all sounds quite simple put that way, but there are still a lot of blocks that need to fall into place to make it happen. And all of a sudden, that is happening.

As you know, I am fascinated with craft distilleries. I love the look, feel and smell of them with the enormous copper stills and weird and wonderful pipes linking to more stills and more piping. And I love the enthusiasm of the distillers, themselves! Oh, and of course, the tastings! There are so many variations to a spirit and all reflect the individuality of the master distiller!

One of the blocks that recently fell into place is a solid connection with American Distilling Institute (ADI), the group that has become the "governing body" for craft distillers in this country. Through them, I have hooked up with the newly-forming South African Craft Distilling Institute (SACDI). They have welcomed me with open arms and introductions to the distillers down there. So now, besides the family reunion, I will be doing a lot of traveling to write articles for the ADI magazine, Distiller Magazine! I am SO excited about it and there is the possibility of going Australia to do the same thing at a later date!

Hardware Distillery

Click, click, click go the blocks.

My main focus now is to get the house taken care of, the cats re-homed with Ryan (holding thumbs) and getting out of here before it gets cold and dreary.

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Not Everyone's Choice of Adventure

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I've lived down here for almost 12 years now, and in all that time, I haven't taken the time to watch an operation that happens down here far too often.

This location is pretty remote, at the end of a dead end road which ends where the old ferry dock used to be. It was, at one stage, the only way to get across the Hood Canal. And not that many years ago, while the floating bridge was under repair and closed to traffic, a foot ferry operated from there. Before my time, there was even a local saloon. Now, all that are left are large, paved parking lots.

Large and unobstructed. Perfect as a helicopter landing site, which it has become for emergency airlifts. An ambulance ride to Seattle for major medical care is a couple of hours; by helicopter, a mere 15 minutes.

So a few days ago, as a large Airlift Northwest red machine swept in low over the house, and after hearing numerous sirens screaming down the upper road, I decided it was time to see how this system works. Speed walking the half mile or so along the dirt road that runs above the beach to the landing site, the helicopter had landed and three emergency vehicles had the road blocked off and were unloading someone from one of the ambulances. There are only 5 or 6 houses down there, so very little traffic, but of course just when things should be shut down, a Fedex truck had to get through!

The transfer took a few minutes and it was a surreal scene in the late afternoon, the  vehicles red flashing lights illuminating the bush alongside the road. The helicopter and its light reflected from the enormous puddles in the parking lot. After several minutes, the pilot did a pre-flight check, climbed in and rotated, lifting straight up, then banking east, headed off over the Hood Canal, becoming a tiny speck silhouetted against the sky and Cascade mountains.

I think we are all grateful to have the service so handy. However, it is not one I plan to make use of any time soon!

[su_box title="Airlift Northwest" style="glass" box_color="#cde3ed" title_color="#0f0d0d"]Airlift Northwest, a program of the University of Washington School of Medicine and Harborview Medical Center, provides flight transport via helicopter and fixed wing aircraft for patients needing intensive medical care in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.[/su_box]