There are raccoons in the swimming pool!

Friday, September 26, 2014

I just woke up & looking outside at the pool (closed now for the season, until Victoria day 2015), missing those raccoons. We had 2 raccoons in our swimming pool last fall (Oct. 13,2013), they've been seen in the courtyard by other tenants, but this was the only time anyone has ever seen them in the pool. We were getting ready for bed when Robert looked out the window & saw them in the pool. I got dressed, grabbed the video camera & took a couple of videos, Robert took 2 with his I-Pod. I joined them all together using a freeware program called All Free Video Joiner, which you can get for free (along with a lot of other useful audio & video software, all freeware as well), at:  http://www.allfreevideoconverter.com/products.html

There were 6 raccoons all together, 4 of them were hiding in the bushes, they left when I tried to get them on film. I generally check at least once every evening, hoping they will come back, but I never saw them again. A couple of days ago I realized why they might have left the area. Next door to our complex is a house, next to them is a big lot, which used to be wild, trees, blackberry bushes, etc. But they have cut most of the trees, they are putting up some condos. So perhaps the raccoons were living there & got scared away. Or if they lived in the wooded hillside behind our complex, the noise might have scared them away. Or they might have chosen to leave if their normal food sources left, because of the building racket.

Share a coke & a bee sting. Quite a day

September 12, 2014.

Yesterday was an interesting day. I woke up in pain as I often do. Took my medications & went back to bed for 1/2 an hour. After making coffee & getting my sweetheart up, I jumped on a bus & went to the University of the Fraser Valley Abbotsford campus, to get 2 free cans of Coke. If you are curious about the share a coke program, you can get more information here: http://www.shareacoke.ca/#comeAndShare
A lot of the dates are already past, but not all of them. 

Because I have a fairly unique name, I can't get the cool personalized pens or Christmas ornaments, that people with more regular names can easily do, at the dollar store. There are places you can special order them, but that can get expensive (I usually wait for the deals!)

Then I went to the women's food bank, & missed a bus & couldn't make it in time to go to the Salvation Army for free veggies. But overall, a pretty good morning. Except that I managed to gash my wrist on the sign at the bus stop at the University.

Then hubby & I did some shopping. One the way home from shopping, we were waiting for the bus home at 7 Oaks mall, when I got stung. I am not sure by what, as it stung me in the back & Robert was a ways away & didn't see it. All he saw was a tiny bump (like a mosquito bite), so I took another Benadryl & we went home. About an hour later, I started noticing that my breathing was becoming laboured & my lips & tongue were swollen. I called the nurse's hotline, they recommended calling 911 & going to the hospital. The nurse told me to get Robert to give me my shot first. I freaked out & couldn't do it!

At the hospital they asked questions, examined my vital signs, observed me for a while & gave me another anti-histamine. Then they let us go home. So, all in all, an interesting day. Mostly good, but. I learned something new, while at the hospital. If I take an anti-histamine & my reaction is getting worse, I can take a different one (say for instance, Zyrtec & Benadryl). I never knew that before, so it is handy information to have.