Category Archives: Shadow Mountain

Elk Run, Fourth Phase, Great Wheel, Holidays, Plants, Shadow Mountain, The Move

Next up: A time of rest

Leave a comment

Ah. A rainy, cool Thursday. Fall declaring itself. My neighbor and friend John went back to his hometown of Rome, New York for a wedding. A plant guy at heart he reported on the reds, the oranges lighting the upstate New York landscape.

A fiery end to the growing season. Leading up to Samain, Summer’s End. In the ancient Celtic calendar there were only two holidays: Beltane, the start of the growing season, and Samain, Summer’s End, which marks the turn toward the fallow months. The season of life abundant and the season of life at rest.

Robin came yesterday. She has her ways, honed over thirty years in senior moves. Decluttering. Organizing. Making a space both useful and beautiful. I’m her last move. She retired this month.

I’ve appreciated her guidance, her persistence in clearing out my house. She and her husband Dennie are also buying my car. I had Melissa help me figure out how to value it and sell it.

Cheri Rubin, Alan’s wife, came by for a visit. She’s high energy, already back at salsa dancing, her passion, after hip surgery earlier this year. A fun talk with her. Another instance of location, location, location. Cheri left Elk Run for the synagogue.

In the last three days I’ve seen a fox, a bear, and two elk yearlings. Love the mountains.

 

Mountains, Shadow Mountain, Wild Neighbors

Habits

Leave a comment

Discovered from my neighbor John that the red fox I mentioned yesterday comes to Elk Run often. Our wild neighbors have their habits. On Shadow Mountain three yearling does came often, crossing Black Mountain Drive to dine below a large aspen. Three Elk bucks came, for four years straight, in the first week of June to enjoy fresh dandelion blooms in my backyard,

Sighting wild neighbors bonds those of us who live in the mountains. Bears. Mountain lions. Moose. Our shared home gives delight to all of us.

The nights have gotten longer, their temperatures dropping into the high forties. Fall, so reluctant these past few years, does come. Later than in the past. Though the golden aspens appear, daytime heat remains higher than normal.

Last year’s poor snowfall and the subsequent diminished rain fall in spring and summer drove our black bear population down mountains in search of food. More trash cans spilled. More human-bear encounters. More euthanized bears.  A low visibility tragedy.

May super El Nino bring us snow. Lots of snow.

Cancer, Dogs, Elk Run, Friends, Health, Shadow Mountain

The Dark

Leave a comment

A bit of a kerfuffle right now over Shadow. Nashay, the caregiver who described the dangers of the dark-bears, racoons, rabid foxes-with such quavery passion refused to take Shadow out. l protested. She said nobody would take her out. Devolved into her “calling her supervisor.” Who has not showed up. Gonna be a bigger issue as we move toward Samain, then the Winter Solstice.

Telehealth call has me a little anxious. How far has my cancer advanced? Could be minimal; could be a lot. Affects my longevity.

Lunch with Ginny and Janice and two of their friends from Milwaukee. One of them, Janice’s former student at the University of Illinois at Champagne-Urbana, has become a well-known costume designer. Looking forward to it.

Feeling a little down today. Nashay, whom I dislike. The only staff person here I don’t like. Since she’s my assigned caregiver on certain nights… Then, come to Jesus time about cancer. As well as selling my house and still in the midst of unpacking, settling in.  A lot. Glad I’m talking to Tom today and having lunch out.

 

Cancer, Elk Run, Shadow Mountain

Elk Run: Week 2

Leave a comment

Shadow got to play with Annie yesterday morning. Ginny came to pick her up. When she got home around 1 pm, she laid down and went to sleep.

Took two naps yesterday. A sleepy Sunday. Tried to watch a football game, but the buffering stopped that. When I went in for my second nap.

Got started on documents necessary to list my house. Colorado likes forms, lots of them. I’ll be on that today as well. The house sits empty, deep clean today, painting tomorrow. Staging follows. Showings. Then a contract. May it be soon.

With the house ready to go on the market and my Long Term Care claim underway, I’m moving closer to eliminating the two most complex issues I have right now. Well, cancer, too.

Pet scan this week, Wednesday, telehealth with Christina about  it on Friday. See where things are now. Decide on next steps.

A lot of change since July 1st. Here’s yet another shout out to Mary, Joseph, Melissa, Tom, Ginny and Janice and everyone else who has supported me. I’ve needed every bit of support.

Dogs, Elk Run, Friends, Shadow Mountain, White Supremacy

She Ate With Delicacy

Leave a comment

My first weekend at Elk Run. Very quiet. Still eating meals at home so Shadow can settle in. Plan on breakfast out this morning after Shadow comes back from her morning walk. Out, of course, meaning in our dining room.

Shadow got back from her walk with Lizzy. I’m headed up for breakfast.

Rich Levine’s coming by today. Haven’t seen him since July. I always enjoy talking to him.

Meals, Shadow, sleeping have that still adjusting feeling. No routine. Which is fine for now.

Hopefully Robin gets the house cleared out this week. Ready to get it on the market. Be completely out from under thinking about it. Once Robin’s done my priority will shift to getting this place in shape. Lots to do. Matt (realtor) will be in charge of the house.

Back from breakfast. Sat alone, admiring the mountain view overlooking Jeffco county 74. I will gradually engage Elk Run. Slowly. This is a long term stay.

Had a treat yesterday. Looked out my living room window as an Elk bull walked by. Confident. In charge. A bit later, three cows, one with a calf. The third stayed behind, enjoying hill side greens. She ate with delicacy. A mouth full or two then she would move on to another plant.

In the mountains. Still.

Dogs, Elk Run, Fourth Phase, Shadow Mountain

Elk Run. Shadow Mountain.

1 Comment

So Shadow peed, a little bit, on the carpet. Going to call housekeeping for their advise, help. Not with her, with the carpet. She’s doing so much better than I feared. This is a blip.

I’ve taken all my meals in the apartment since she came back on Thursday. Wanted to give her a few days where I was with her around the clock. Today I plan to eat lunch in the dining room. Leave her alone for a while. A process.

The staff has been diligent about taking her out though due to their other duties walk times have fluctuated by as much forty-minutes to an hour. Dogs like routine so this isn’t ideal, but it’s the best I can expect.

Most of the staff love dogs so she’s getting good care from walkers that appreciate her. Only one hesitated in the doorway, insisted I put the leash on her. An urban gal, Mashay explained that since it was beginning to get dark it would soon be dangerous, “You know. Bears. Raccoons. Mountain Lions.” Her fear was palpable. Bet she knows how to deal with a city night, one many would find intimidating.

Several of the caregivers drive up the hill from Lakewood, Denver. That means early morning drives on I-70. Right now that’s not too bad since they’re driving against traffic. Come the snow, however, it will clog up with ski traffic and/or accidents. Would not surprise me if November, early December finds new caregivers at work.

It has been a September of yesteryear. Cooling gradually. The days grow shorter. Some rain. I find it nostalgic.  A reminder of how far we have strayed from back to school, football evenings. The slow slide from cool nights to cool days, harvest weather. How wonderful it’s been.

Robin and Connie worked Friday getting Shadow Mountain organized. Move to storage. Donate. Consign. Haul as trash. Four different paths.

Marina Harris, of Furball Cleaning, my long time house cleaners, comes on Monday to see where rooms might need touch up painting. She will also schedule the deep clean that will precede staging. The locksmith who will rekey the house will come this week, too. Will be glad when the house returns money to me rather than laying out cash here and there, everywhere.

 

Dogs, Elk Run, Shadow Mountain

The Move and Its Sequelae

Leave a comment

Learned something odd yesterday. Shadow is the only dog here. Lot of cats. No other doggies. Thanks to her walks taking her past the lobby on the way outside she has become, according to Michelle, head of health services, “A big hit!” Shadow’s a friend to women and will tolerate men she’s come to know. Lotta women here.

She continues to pee and poop while on her walks. This is a great relief. l worried she might pee on the carpet. Not so far.

Having her here comforts me and she seems ok with lazing around the apartment. Her favorite spot is in front of the door. l think she’s figured out that’s the choke point for intruders. She guards it, barking at any who come near. Sort of like Iran and the Straits of Hormuz.

Been burning through money. Roof. Packers. Movers. Melissa’s last two weeks. Storage unit. Packers and movers for that. Security deposit plus other move in costs. Eleven grand on that one alone. Gotta get on the long term care insurance. As the stress level reduces. I’ve decided that Elk Run will be the best experience I can make it.

Meanwhile Robin clears out the stuff not going into storage or coming here. After. Deep clean. Staging. On the market. A lot of headwind for a home sale, but I feel good about Matt Bachus, my realtor. The house has good bones and a workable layout plus the four car garage and the loft. A short flat driveway. Near to both Conifer and Evergreen. Lot of pluses.

Meanwhile I’m learning the ways of Elk Run. Example. My caregiver J said I could have a grilled cheese sandwich instead of the weekly menu’s dinner item. Sam, the chef, grouched about it, but since I was new, agreed. There are other ways to get alternate food choices which require advance notice. Learning curve.

Next week’s focuses: long term care insurance and starlink installation.

Right now getting the house ready to go on the market is the number one priority and I have Robin and Matt to handle that, so I’ll pay attention to priorities here at Elk Run.

assisted Living, Elk Run, Family, Fourth Phase, Shadow Mountain

Leaving Home

Leave a comment

Moving day. Tonight. A new home for the first time in nearly twelve years. New bed, too. Our king size would have occupied most of the bedroom. New scenery out the window. Close neighbors. A major change.

I’m a little numb from packing day. Way too much activity in my normally quiet house. Joe took over for me. So glad he’s here. Not excited yet. Depleted. That will change as we get deeper into the day. Joe’s going to help me unpack.

Yesterday there were four packers. They worked for six hours, carefully packing my arts and craft lamps (4), books of course, games. As George Carlin would remind me, my stuff.

Today Cowboy Moving sends a moving crew. They’ll load and unload, putting my chairs, bookcases, lamps where Robin designates. I’ve already approved the locations.

I’m buying padded folding chairs to accommodate multiple guests. Plus a beefed up card table for paperwork, games. I want to continue having guests as I do now.

Still a bit hard. Knowing about the change, yet writing in the same location I’ve used for years. The familiar lodgepoles out the window. Artemis. Reality will seep in as the day progresses.

Until tomorrow from apartment 308

 

 

Aging, assisted Living, Fourth Phase, Health, Shadow Mountain

Need

1 Comment

Lasts. Last Thursday, Friday, Saturday on Shadow Mountain. Next to last visit from Melissa. Last meals. Joseph as the last guest. Ruth and Gabe coming up Sunday for their last visit here. Selling the last car I’ll ever own.

A change in address does not reveal the life change that made it happen. Shadow Mountain to Elk Run. Descending 1,600 feet. Permanently. But why?

In Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, at the base of his pyramid, are the absolute necessities: oxygen, food, water. The second set of needs that come when those are met is safety: “The need for physical, emotional, and financial security, protection from harm, stability, and health.” Gemini

After my hospitalization I got shaken to my core. Weak and depending on others for essential activities, I lay in my bed in rehab. Nothing intruded except lunch, my next P.T. or O.T. session. No uncut grass. No need to make a meal. No worry about a wildfire forcing Shadow and me to flee. I liked that feeling, a decompression after five plus years managing on my own.

Maybe I don’t have to stay on Shadow Mountain? Before the pneumonia I wanted to leave Shadow Mountain in a hearse. Die in our bed. Remain in place until the end.

I never questioned this resolve. An expression of loyalty: to Kate, to Ruth and Gabe, to memory. A way of asserting my agency, my independence. Sovereignty over my life. A mountain man.

But then. Huh. I could live without that set of concerns? How would that work? In itself this insight about the option to live in a different way would not have jostled me loose. It was not the only motivator.

When I came home from rehab, I tripped and fell at the front door. Not a great start. As I lived into life at home after a full month in hospital beds, my level of weakness, of dependence on others added itself to my thinking.

I realized that once Joseph and Mary left, I would be alone. Something I had reveled in felt like a burden. I could no longer count on myself if I fell. Grew suddenly ill. What had been a mark of my aging, alone but not lonely, now had the feel of rationalization.

What did that mean? Projecting into life with only me in the house, I identified the source of dis-ease. Safety. I no longer trusted my physical safety, even with my Life Alert medallion.

That critical need could no longer be met alone. I did not feel safe, physically safe, living alone. No matter the memories. My living situation had to change.

On Wednesday, September 16th, it will.

 

assisted Living, Fourth Phase, Health, Mountains, Shadow Mountain, Wild Neighbors

Elk. Elk Run.

1 Comment

A week from today is packing day. Yikes! Just kidding. I have confidence in Robin and in the work done up till now. We’ll be ready.

A week from tomorrow I’ll be outta here. Hard to imagine. Eleven years plus on Shadow Mountain. Living on a mountain peak. All downhill from here. Evergreen, for example, sits 1,600 feet lower at 7,200 feet. Should aid my O2 saturation.

Elk Run’s main road passes the Life Care Center and the synagogue before ending at the entrance to Elk Meadow Park. This huge open area remains an Elk dense area as it has, I imagine, for centuries. I’ve seen herds of hundreds in it. Not often.

As a result, the synagogue, Life Care Center, and Elk Run have numerous Elk Bulls, Cows, and Calves on their property. Eating grass. Lounging under a bright blue Colorado sky. I look forward to seeing them.

 

Over to Elk Run today for an assessment that will determine what services I’ll need upon moving in. Shower help. Light help dressing. Rides to appointments. A walker for Shadow. That’s what I think I’ll need. We’ll see.

I will also sign a contract for my stay and any other documents necessary. A full morning. Ginny and Janice pick me up at 9:30.

They came over yesterday. Luke was here, too. Great conversation, laughing. Leo, Luke’s 13 year old Belgian Malnois, creaked around on arthritic legs. In spite of them he wanted to play with Shadow. Great to see his inner puppy.

 

Meanwhile, Dopy Don breaks ground for his triumphal arch. Please let this be one that can be stopped.