Category Archives: rural doctor

by

Mother and father

This is a photograph from 1963ish, both of my parents and me in the front of the canoe. This is at my maternal family’s “shacks on a lake”. Cabins, but no electricity. We filter the lake water now but we did not while I was growing up. My parents look way too young to me in this photograph. I still miss them!

I do not know who took the photograph. My grandparents?

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: mother.

by

And the wookie?

Our Sunrise Rotary of Port Townsend is selling tickets for the Running of the Balls, 2000 numbered golf balls to roll down Monroe Street before the Rhody Parade on May 18. This is from a few weeks ago. We even had a wookie helping.

Aren’t you jealous?

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: funky.

by

leaves

I am working in Grand Junction, Colorado. There are not as many leaves here as at home, but the leaves are still hiding my cat! I am mad at the leaves and sad. Elwha is still missing and it’s been a week. I have had food and the carrier out for him, put up posters on Facebook, contacted the shelters and vets, and searched and searched.

The carrier failed and the door popped off when I put it down. Elwha ran. Sol Duc was still in it, so I put the door back on as fast as I could! Then I left the carrier and went after Elwha, but could not find him. I kept going out and searching, including at 2 am.

Maybe he will show up at home. It’s only 1215 miles by car.

We had another cat who disappeared and we thought was gone. The hardware store called us a month later and said, “We have your cat.” She was thinner and scared to go outside. Elwha only goes out in carrier or with leash and harness. There are prairie dogs and a canal with low trees and bushes behind the building here. I don’t think he’s there, but I am still putting food out. There is another stray tiger who now comes out to study me from a distance.

Anyhow, I wish the leaves would send him back.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: leaves.

by

Long way

I am a long way from my ocean and from home.

I looked for a job close to home and then the temp company mentions a job in another state. “Where?” I said. They told me and I said, “I’m interested!” We started the process. I always forget what the process is like. It is hella annoying. There is miles of paperwork. We had a delay from the state, because I need a license for each state and they weren’t meeting until after the start date and then they said, “We’ll let you know in two days.” and THEN they said, “We’ll let you know in two days to two weeks.” So I had three weeks of being half packed and trying to just flow with it. I finally got word, yes, ready, two weeks ago Monday. By Friday morning the cats and I are in the car and headed out.

Now I have worked for a week here. The US currently has 500 different electronic medical records and I supposedly learned my 8th (or 9th) on Tuesday. About six hours of training on the computer and my brain shut down after four. However, the support on Wednesday was good and I started seeing patients. I was careful to say, “If I look grumpy, it’s at the computer, not you.”

So far mostly good. Except, one cat got out two days after we got to our destination. He is chipped and I am still walking miles and calling. The local lost pet group is trying to help. I miss him quite terribly. The door popped out of the carrier when I put it down. I feel like a cat mom failure, but things happen. Elwha is big and strong and I may yet get him back. Sol Duc was sensible enough not to run, but I had to secure her before going after him.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: flow.