First Snow

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving......It was such a beautiful day here in the woods. It snowed pretty much all day. We had our xmas tree lit outside the window. It was a breath taking sight. We got about 4-5 inches.

By noon we were enjoying our thanksgiving meal. I don't make to much variety...It confuses Tom. But as usual he said it was the best I've ever made. He tells me that all the time....I call it job security. : ) The girls enjoyed too.

I did finally get the last deer cut up. I skinned and cut it up the day before thanksgiving. I figured out that Tom was tired of processing deer even though all he did was skin it" in the house" sooo I did it all and he was "HAPPY" Actually I was amazed he helped with three of them..........For that I am grateful!

Yesterday was "Plow The Yard" day.........I wish I was kidding. He plows most of the yard..the ditch both sides and a good quarter mile of the county road if the snow plow hasn't gone and of coarse the dive way.

If you ask him WHY he plows the yard...his answer is " so if we get a lot of snow this winter we will have somewhere to go with it."

Anyone have any idea WHY I don't have any grass on that side of the yard in the spring? Tom says it's because we need some good black dirt hauled in. I suggested maybe it was because with no snow cover.........Tom says "naw, that don't hurt that grass any"

The girls and I chased around the yard and I shoveled around the house till Tom was done plowing. Toms good about doing these things that I can't as long as he sees me putzing around like I'm helping. You know...Like I do the shoveling while he plows with the 4-wheeler and in the summer he does the riding lawnmower while I do the push mower........You have to laugh if you knew the way Tom was......The way I see it.....I don't need to get on the tread mill... ; )

Deer Camp Closed

Deer hunting has come to a close.........Reports out here where we live aren't good. This past week we haven't seen or heard much activity. There has been sightings of timber wolves right next door so that may explain it for us. We've had them strolling through our yard multiple times in the past.

We have all but one deer cut up. The girls eat Tom's jerky faster than he can make it.....That's funny to me because they have their begging performance down pat and it works every time. Next thing you know .....there's no jerky left and Tom's howling that them dirty pigs ate it all and I'm thinking who is the idiot that gave it to them!

When I cut up this last deer I will be sure to cut up extra jerky meat. : )
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Tom use to be a "let's get things done yesterday" kind of guy....Now he is a "maybe tomorrow" kind of guy. So that leaves me " I would just as soon get it done now " kind of girl who has to wait till he says "okay, let's do it now or what do you think? Wait till a nicer day?"

So as of today....I'm still waiting for a nicer day : )

8 Point Buck

Okay now he's gone and done it! Tom shot his buck from the house. YEP! Built the deer stand so he could tell a cool story about how he got the big one and he went and shot it from the house. Now doesn't that just take the cake.

I was cooking super (venison) and Tom was watching a doe strolling around the yard. She was acting weird. She was laying her tail up over the top of her back. So Tom just kept watching behind her. This was going on for about a half hour.

Suddenly Tom said "there's a buck" Oh there goes that weird heavy breathing thing he does when he thinks he sees a rack. I don't know how many times he has done that and it will turn out to be a doe. Drives me nuts! : )

So I started turning off all the burners on the stove so I can see where it goes if he shoots and it runs. But he shot before I could look. Well it didn't matter as there it laid in a big heap, next to the woods. Gosh darn, that thing had a nice rack of horns! Way to go Tom!

So that's the story................His face says it all!

Jerky

Oh Boy..... He's making jerky!!!! That's all well and good. Good pass time, something rewarding to do. We've had a dehydrator in storage. Dug it out, cleaned it up, meat marinated over night in brine.....This is something he wanted to get back into doing for the past five years. Finally the moment has come..........

"Cindy where can I set this up.....How about your shack...... Can't I do it in the house? I'd rather you didn't........Why not? Because it will make the house and everything in it smell like jerky............"

This conversation went no where as it usually does. The dehydrator was set up in the house and life went on...........I've learned from all this that you have to look deep inside your self sometimes and decide...What is really important and what is not.

I said "Okay, but if I go for a walk and get attacked and eaten by a wild animal who thought I was a piece of jerky........your going to wish you did it in the shack " He laughed......Tom's reasoner is broke and mine still works. He gets stuck in his reality and I've learned to join him there. WHY? Because "I" can.

We have had a boat in the middle of the house to work on "because it was too cold outside " His plow for the 4-wheeler, boat motor, chain saw..........the 4-wheeler wouldn't fit through the door nor will the car and I don't remember how I talked him out of working on the lawn mowers in the house. : )

So the jerky turned out great. I suppose there will be more made. One never knows.....We do have two more deer to cut up first. Tom has only to skin them. Just because he did one yesterday does not mean he will or can do the other two. That's this stinking disease.........Good thing there isn't much I can't do with the Lords help! And what I can't do...God has given me a band of angels : )

? Day of Deer Camp : )

WOW...... don't them deer look nice hanging there? As nice as they look they need to shed their hide and find there way to the freezer!

Now last year didn't go so well when it came to this part. Come to think of it, Tom had trouble with everything last year from sighting his gun, to hitting a deer, to gutting one ............."Everything."

Yesterday he spent a few hours preparing to skin out one deer. (he has learned to focus on one thing at a time and time is something we have). As he mentioned things we needed for the job, I'd gather them. We work as a team. : )

I have to say that I was impressed with the job he did. Very little hair on the deer. We brought it in the house and I took over.

He kept my knives sharp while I chopped away. I kept telling him they were sharp enough but he kept switching them out and I didn't want to tell him, some of the blood from the deer had my "DNA" : (

Tom mixed up a batch of jerky and we were packaging the rest when Tom said," bet you forgot which was the tender loins and back straps." We were having them for supper. Now I have to mess with him when he challenges me like that with a smart ass smirk on his face.

I said "oh s**t," and looked bewildered. He laughs and shakes his head and says "WOW Cindy"..........with the look of "and I'm the one with the problem?" on his face. Than I go to the fridge and pull out a roaster holding the loins and straps. He laughs and says..."Your so smart. "

It's been quiet at the " Olson Deer Camp" the last few days as far as hunting goes. A few does came through but Tom's holding out to see if he will get a chance of a nice rack. We've seen them around here in the past so it's not just wishful thinking. It could happen!
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TEAM WORK in our house means.....Tom leads on a project we are doing and I fill in the rest.

#1....It may be me gathering things for the project as he rattles things off that we need.

Because: A...he forgets what he went to get.
B...don't remember where it is.

#2....Gently redirect him when his idea just plain won't work. " Do this with caution!"

He doesn't have the ability to switch from one idea that he has already planned in his head to another that I am suggesting. If I just blurt it out......His head spins around three times, his eye balls bulge out of his head and he spews green venom all over me. And I won't repeat the words that come out of his mouth that he has learned from the book........"Speaking Alzheimer by Al Zheimer"

#3.....He has lost his concept of time. How does this play a part in a team work project? I'd love to tell you.
This one blind sided me. I knew he was to the point to where if I had to run to town and I was gone more than on hour he really thought I was gone almost all day. I was prepared for that as I've read it on blogs. Well your going to love this one.

If I need to run and get something we need for our project and don't have it there....He always has a fit on how long it took me to go get it. So I tested it. I ran as fast as I could, grabbed what was needed and ran back.....SAME COMMENT! " I can't figure out what takes you so long. Geeze! " : )

I encourage Tom to lead in projects and stick with his ideas as much as I can to give him a feeling of self worth. If he takes his time he does pretty good. Knowing he has the disease and accepting it has helped him to live with it.

He finally realizes that time is his friend and time is what he has a lot of. He also is recognizing some of the symptoms he displays as the disease and it seems to put him at ease that he's not crazy. He realizes he needs to address things in steps. Only focus on one step at a time and not look ahead to the next till he gets there.

A fun thing we do is make up words. He has a problem finding words so he just lets a word fly out of his mouth instead of struggling to find the right one...and I usually know what he means and use his words and make up some of my own....and we end up laughing at each other.............

These are some of the ways we live with Al Zheimer ...................And I thank those in our lives who understand and help us along in our journey. Could not do it with out all of you!

Day 3 of Deer Camp

Nothing was moving as the sun came up this A.M. Not the deer, nor Tom, nor the girls nor I................Zzzzzzz

So we decided after we all got up and had our coffee to jump camp and mozie over to Littlefork. That's where the Hauners dwell. They all had just come in from their uneventful morning hunt.

Tom and Jason decided to go drive around and see if they could see something. Jason is the only person I entrust Tom too. He watches out for " Old Gramps " They always seem to come home with a funny story, and they didn't disappoint us!

It seems Gramps got run over by a dead deer. Yep.....that's what happened. Apparently Jason shot at a deer and it ran. There was blood so Jason trailed it and Tom went around to where they figured it would come out.

It did and Tom shot it in the neck. It dropped over dead. Tom went to check it out. Yep..there's Jason's hole and there was his hit in the neck. Grabbed it's ear to lift it's head to check out the shots. Set his gun against a tree and lit a cigarette, waiting for Jason to pick them up.

All of a sudden the deer jumped up, knocking Tom down and off across the woods road it ran. Jason came around the corner just in time to see it cross. "Why didn't you shoot it?" he says to Tom........

I can't repeat Toms reply to that......But they got the deer. Whew!

2nd Day of Deer Camp

After giving thanks to God for our food and deer hunt, last night at supper, Tom added............"and thank you God for it not being a Mom. Amen"

Yesterday the signs I was putting in the window messed Tom up because he counts on me to tell him what to do, so he didn't know what deer to shoot. Than after he shot the does, he was afraid he shot a MOM.

He felt he HAD to shoot two does because we talked about needing the meat. That's why we got management tags. So he was upset till he seen the two that he shot were dry.

He DID think it was funny when I waved a white flag out the door when I needed to let the girls out to go potty......and he thought it was funny when I put a sign in the window that said....DON"T SHOOT! We are coming out!

And this morning he thought it was funny when I put a sign in the window that said "I Love You! "

Now it is 8:30 A.M. and he is back in the house and all tucked back in bed. Zzzzzzz

1st Day of Deer Camp : )

I woke this AM to Tom pulling me out of the bed by my feet. I heard that all too familiar sound of that "I just seen a big buck" kind of heavy breathing. Yep...I was right. "Cindy, I just seen a great big buck " he said short of breath.

Aw heck, guess it's time to get up and act awake and alert. : ) Okay.....at least awake after a cup of coffee. Sorry, that's all I have to offer. Alert comes later. 6:10 A.M. Tom headed for the stand. Slight dusting of snow on the ground. The north wind is howling through the woods, through the yard, through the house.......My windows are slightly ajar.

The girls each climbed on a couch and went back to sleep. Guess they aren't into early mornings either.

A few does strolled through the yard. "hummmm......he must be leaving them for seed." Around 8:00 A.M. a fork buck came out. I watched the buck......I watched Tom......I watched the buck......I see gun barrel come out stand window......Oh good, he sees it......Gun goes back in......Now what's he doing??? Don't make me shoot the dam deer!......Gun comes back out.....I'm thinking shoot.....shoot........ shoot.......Finally ka-blamb....... The deer jumped straight up and I could see it was a good hit. A little high but still good. It bound into the woods but I knew it didn't go far.

He finally came in and were discussing how to bring the deer in.......4-wheeler or drag it.....? Than a BIG buck stepped out, crossed the drive way and went into the woods before either of us could react. ha ha ha...Go figure!

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This afternoon Tom returned to the stand. Fresh thermos of coffee in hand and full belly. It must have been around three. All of a sudden deer were coming in from everywhere. They were even behind him where he couldn't see.

So I started holding up signs in the window. Arrows➔ pointing behind him with words like....Deer ➔.........SHOOT........BUCK? ➔ I didn't know it but I had him so confused as to what to do and what to shoot, he said his head was spinning. " OOPS!" I forgot myself. It's just there were so many deer it just didn't matter. It was just plain FUNNY.

He ended up shooting two does with NO fawns.......I was aiming my gun at one through an open window and I guess the girls thought we were squirrel hunting. They climbed over the top of me, knocking me over and both had there noses out the window. I was still on the floor laughing as the girls were still attacking me with kisses, when Tom came in.

He was a LITTLE crabby till I pointed out all the humor in what transpired. He ended up laughing with me. Needless to say...he's is bed and it's 7:00 P. M. All he said was, " What a day!" : )

GOOD LUCK TO ALL HUNTERS!

We are as ready as we are going to get. Tom was in his stand most of the day practicing. The girls and I were in the house practicing. OH....to be quiet I think? : )

We had deer running and chasing around for a couple of hours. Than Tom came in after he figured they were done. He no more than got in the house when a good sized buck came walking down the drive way and than cut into the woods before he reached our yard. This was right at dusk. Now we are pumped!

Ready!!!!!

I went to town and did all our shopping. Licenses.... √ Cigarettes...√ Groceries....√ Pop...√ Dog food....√ Propane.....√ Gas....√ I really hope I didn't forget anything. He has shells...............
While I was shopping Tom shot his rifle. "Good thing!" he said..."It was off by a good foot! But she's dead on now." We walked out together and looked at his target. " OH MY! " I said silently to myself. I looked for the hole on his target that was so far off. Wasn't there. I was so impressed with his cluster.

Yesterday we got all the fine details done on the stand. washed windows, vacuumed flies, weather striped the door, set up the propane heater.........
yep...I think we are ready! There hasn't been a lot of deer activity. They are around, but this time of year they start coming in and "play" around in the yard....Right before rut.

Last night they started. I know Tom was getting nervous as they usually are doing this by now, or so it seems. It's so fun to watch. Does, fawns and small bucks come in. Every body is running around silly, fawns tease the bucks and run fast, in and out of the woods they run and chase and back in the yard.

There were six here last night and Tom thought there were like 15. I would try to explain they were in and out of the woods. The same deer, not new ones each time. He didn't get it and I let it go. Didn't matter. He was so excited.

One fawn was intrigued with my flower bed right in front of the house. He also had himself some peanuts that were on the ground by the bird feeder. Lilly watched him out the window and than looked at me..." MOM..he's in your flower bed..Aren't you going to yell at him? Gee Whiz ...I always get yelled at."

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The past two years Tom has been all over the board when sighting his gun. He'd get so frustrated that I dreaded that time of year. And he always wanted me there to walk back and forth to the targets? He'd go through a box of shells easy. He never could shoot a cluster like this. He said he used six this time.

Once again he is in a better place within himself, now that we know what's wrong, he has accepted it, instead of just blowing up and getting mad and frustrated, he slows down, reflects and does his best. It doesn't always work like this but lately it's been more times than not. He knows he's not who he was and accepts who he is TODAY.....and he knows it changes day to day. His abilities is what I mean. Today he can do that but one of these tomorrows that ability will be gone. That's why we live one day at a time.

I have to admit that sometimes he gets mad at me, because it's my fault that he's all mixed up. This is common with Alzheimer. And because I know that, I have to chuckle behind his back and tell him later when he says he's sorry, that I thought it was funny because it's ridiculous. Than he laughs at me.

Yesterday when we were doing finishing touches on the stand...I said." Your choice but if I were you I would drill a hole in the bottom of the stand and run your electric cord through there instead of under the door and hang the electric box on the wall instead of it sitting on the floor.

He said "good idea" Than he couldn't find the drill bit he used to drill the hole for the gas line. ?????? This time he couldn't say I hid it because this time he knew he had it last.

So the rest of the day I heard.....You always have to start. Everything is fine and than you have to start in. Can't just leave things alone. Now while he is saying this he drills a hole and reams it out so the cord will fit through and mounted the box.... Still looking for every chance to recite those words to me. (Typical AD symptom)

Later he said..." I can't figure out what I did with those drill bits." I had a light bulb moment and said...are they in the case with the other drill? He said "why didn't you tell me before they were in there?" I replied with "I just thought of it."

Than he was fine. He was just messed up over not knowing where those bits were. He checked and sure enough that's where they were. : )

Trapper Tom

This morning, Tom came riding in on the 4- wheeler after checking his traps. Mag had to stay home because she tries to sit on his lap while he is setting them. He said she is way too much help......

As soon as the girls heard the 4-wheeler they ran to the window. They are always curious to see if he has brought something home. Okay...I'm usually in the window with them for the same reason. I know he's excited to show us all if he has something. And sometimes it's just a story about a moose or a bear.............But it's always something and it's always exciting.

Oh Girls.......He has something big on the front of the 4-wheeler!" I let the girls out. They were so excited to see what he had. Tom's beaming and grinning ear to ear as he shows the girls something they have never seen or smelled before. "Ooooh......what's that?" he says to them.
He caught himself a BIG beaver in the pond he was trapping. He was so proud and so excited. So I told him to come in and have some hot coffee and some home made oatmeal cookies fresh out of the oven. mmmmm he say's as he steps into the house.

He was cold, wet and hungry, so the coffee and cookies hit the spot. The girls stayed outside to do more sniffing. Then they came in for their snack. Tom dips cookies in his coffee for them too.

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Tom's done a lot of trapping in his time. All before I met him. But it goes back to when he was so small that his dad carried him in a pack sack on his back with leg holes cut out to the winter he trapped hard and steady through spring. Stayed at the shack never coming to town. He said..." I stunk so bad...oof-ta." Than he laughed.

This is Toms third season to try and trap. He has been struggling to remember how to do it. After setting a trap at an active beaver pond this fall, he was feeling pretty confident that he finally got it right. Next day he had a muskrat. He sat on the edge of the dam and thought about it. It was a beautiful day. So peaceful and quiet. He was reflecting on all that he was thankful for in his life. Than it came to him. The last detail.

I think it has a lot to do with him coming to terms with the way he is. He's learned to laugh at the little things. He quit stressing over what he can't do and be grateful for what he can. He said it has made a huge difference.

Before he got upset when he couldn't remember, even got mad, frustrated. It made it worse. He's learned to let it go, relax, reflect. If it doesn't come and he doesn't remember...It's OKAY.

Granny's Got The Gun.............

Tom was off in the woods and I was picking up the house thinking about what to make for lunch as Tom would be home soon. I looked out the window to see what the girls were doing and I seen Lilly had a squirrel in the wood pile.

I could see the darn thing teasing Lilly so I opened the door and told Mag, who was lazing in front of the door, to help her sister get that squirrel. Mag took off lick-i-ty shit to help her sister.

The squirrel seen Mag come barreling over there and headed up the nearest tree. I figured no fair. Lilly kept the hole at the bottom of the tree guarded while Mag watched the top. I ran and got the 22 rifle. Told the girls to keep it there.

I got back with the gun and the squirrel took one look at Granny with the gun and made a bee line down the back side of the tree and headed into the tall grass.

I hollered to the girls......"He's in the grass"......they scurried around with there nose to the ground. I was right behind them, yelling......"get 'em girls...get him in a tree".....I stumbled, tripped and fell a few times in the holes in the ground. But I'd yell "get him......I'm coming"!!!!!! Finally, they got it in a tree as I was getting back to my feet from falling in another hole. I aimed, shot and it dropped to the ground.

Mag was on it like bees on honey and Lilly with no experience said "no fare"....... So all the way to the house Mag held the squirrel with a firm grip and Lilly walked beside her holding the tail hanging out of Maggie's mouth.