Larry A. Smail's Blog

I don’t attend church on Fathers’ Day. My father passed away on June 20th, 1999 which was Fathers’ Day of that year. Also, the fact of never having children gives me a saddened feeling on that day upon seeing the honor being bestowed on all the fathers in attendance.                        

I left early while the temperatures were still comfortable to hike at State game Lands 137. I always am hopeful to see bear. This is the black bear mating season so seeing a black beauty increases some.

Elderberry Blossoms

  I was blessed to see some deer, including a doe with her three fawns. I hurried the camera and failed to get a clear photo. However, I am including the pic here.

I saw plenty of birdlife since the habitat is great for nesting birds. I saw some young ravens, and some squirrels, too.               

Spiderwort

Those few hours proved to be a much needed therapy for the morning as the  memories of that 1999 weekend permeated my thoughts. Woodland time always is a great joy.

Squawroot

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  Prior to Memorial Day, my wife, began having a lot of pain in her lower back. the pain would follow the back of her leg and in the front calf. The pain became very acute to her. I find seeing her in such pain and being helpless a most terrible feeling, as well. As you may surmise my domestic duties increased thus limiting my outdoor ventures.     

We have been to a number of doctors and still we do not know with certainty what has caused the issues. There seems to be some MRI evidence of a bone fragment pushing on nerves. The neurosurgeon will not make a determination on that until after July 8th. At that time, the doctor is going to do a nerve test. A therapist and a pain clinic doctor, both, suggest a possible resurgence of Multiple Sclerosis. The MS doctor isn’t committing to that, yet.                                                                                       

One may easily see my outdoor ventures have been limited. However, now with meds to lesson the pain to a slightly tolerable level, I have been out a little for short times.

This past week I walked a local game lands one morning for some exercise.                      

This morning, June 17, I spent a couple of hours along the Allegheny River enjoying nature and fishing. I caught one catfish. I lost a nice fish, and missed three hard strikes because of either not concentrating on fishing or taking photos.                                                                      

I saw a mother mallard with a small flock of ducklings. I saw a loon. Later, I saw daddy mallard.

At home this morning I watched a doe with her playful fawn. Later, I saw some movement and saw two adult Canada Geese with five goslings. I have been rebuilding a deck over the last couple of weeks, too. A groundhog has been trying to regain lost land. The hole was under the deck.

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