Various things

This is why I love the window hummingbird feeders:  I stand inside as still as possible, like a statue, and within minutes I get a nice shot of a hungry hummer.  It would help if I'd wash that window!  

There was thunder to the south of us earlier, enough to make Iris head for the safety of the bathtub, and enough to create a lovely sunrise.  
Someone expressed surprise, after reading the previous entry and watching the video, that Iris reacted to dogs on TV even when they weren't making any doggie-noises.  I'll tell you a better one than that:  Iris has been known to react to a still picture of a cat or dog on TV that has no movement whatever!  In the evening she curls up across the room and watches the TV for any excuse to attack; believe me, she seldom misses an opportunity.   
I am finally back to my normal energy level this week.  Before surgery I gave blood for myself, in case it was needed after the knee replacement.  The doctor had me start taking iron tablets then, because she said I would need them after giving blood two weeks in a row.  In fact, she told me to take two a day, which I did.  After surgery, they kept finding out I was still anemic, so they gave me my two pints of blood and kept me on iron.  Before checking out, I was still slightly anemic, so I kept taking iron pills until the ones I had at home were gone.  Then I stopped.  
I've felt fine since surgery, but my energy level (which is never anything to brag about) was low.  Last Monday I picked up some iron pills at the drug store, thinking perhaps I shouldn't have stopped taking them when I did.  Well, either those pills really work fast or the timing happened to be such that on Tuesday I felt like my old self, and I've continued to feel fine ever since.  I've never had a problem with anemia before, so this is new territory for me.  
I had one little glitch before I went to the hospital:  Five days before surgery my doctor's office called, informing me that the pre-surgery tests had revealed a urinary tract infection.  Antibiotics were called in and I immediately started taking them, because the operation would be postponed if I had an infection of any kind.  
Several times in the past I've been plagued by bladder infections, but I always had definite symptoms.  This time I had no idea there was a problem until I got the phone call.  Of course, this caused me some concern, because here I was prepping for surgery, but I didn't know if the infection would be gone by the big day.  Thank goodness it was, although we didn't find this out until I had checked into the hospital that morning for surgery. Then things proceeded as expected.    
Things seem to be going well for me.  I'm able to meet the demands of my therapist.  I've walked our full course with Cliff twice this week.  I've done a lot of garden work, pulling up the peas and getting rid of weeds, little by little.  I have very little pain in my knee, although I can tell it is somewhat swollen after a forty-minute walk; but I think that's normal.  
We'll see what the doctor says next Wednesday.  


Meanwhile, poor Cliff is worrying himself silly about retirement.  Yesterday he said, "You know, if I changed my mind, they wouldn't have a problem with that; I could keep right on working."  
He's always worked, he's always been the provider, and he just can't imagine not going to work.  He's driving me nuts!  If anyone ever needed to retire, it's Cliff.  It's been over five years since his open heart surgery, and who knows what tomorrow will bring?  I don't want him to end up dying at work because he was afraid to retire and enjoy himself.  
Oh well, if we can get through one more week, we'll have it made.