BEAVER FEVER???

Northern Dancer

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This is my last little report on this year's canoe trip. It's been a funny summer or as I have recorded - the Lost Summer of 2020; the year of COVID 19.

I trust everyone is doing super well and enjoying good weather in your region. It's chilly here though very bright and cheery.

Beaver Fever?

Giardiasis, popularly known as "beaver fever", is a parasitic disease caused by Giardia duodenalis [also known as G. lamblia and G. intestinalis]. It's a common cause of waterborne disease in humans. About 10% of those infected have no symptoms. When symptoms occur they may include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss. If left untreated, the symptoms can persist for one or two months before gradually improving.

So what's this all about?

I chugged down a mouth full of Red Pine Lake water as I frolicked off the rocky shore. Not a good thing to do if you can avoid it. Apparently I also gulped down a "bug" I didn't know I had until the wee hours of Sunday morning two days after returning home. I didn't have a fever or chills and for the most part, felt okay and then I didn't. Like, big time didn't. I called for an ambulance that sped me off to the emergency ward of our new community hospital and after waiting a few minutes for them to open my file I was in a treatment room. I felt like I was going to explode. Nurse Darcy gave me a quick cat-scan and said that I had a lot of liquid not being released and he immediately hooked me up to a catheter. Big Time relief!

Blood tests confirmed that I didn't have Giardiasis but there was definitely something lodged in my gut. I was given medication but had to keep a leg catheter on for a week. I was transferred to the Nursing Clinic and they closely monitored me daily for a week. I'm still on medication until it runs out and now under the care of my family physician. I'm feeling fine and the prognosis is good.

What did do I learn from my experience? Well...even a fish wouldn't get hooked if it kept is mouth shut. :Frown2:
 

Grandpa

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Ouch, I feel your pain. We've all taken that drink of water, fortunately, I've never found the bug. Glad your feeling better.
 

ppine

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Getting sick is no fun.
I get beaver fever every time I paddle a wild river. I love being around the critters, and hearing them splashing around and slapping their tails. Muskrats often show up in the same country, but I get excited seeing river otters and mink. The fur is always a good indictor of water quality and a balanced ecosystem.
On the Sacramento River in the fall the king salmon are running. These are some big fish. I love to hear them at night leaping in the air. It sound like someone is tossing cinder blocks off the bank.
 

ppine

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This reminds me of my only winter canoe camping trip on the lower Colorado River in Feb. One of our last nights we found some wood and built a warm fire which is not easy in the desert. We watched the full moon rise over the water. There were no lights visible. The wild donkeys were calling to each other, the coyotes were howling, and there were two Great Horned Owls in the Russians olive trees near camp. The main entertainment was watching the beaver and one otter swimming by in the moonlight. A night that is hard to forget.
 

Northern Dancer

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This reminds me of my only winter canoe camping trip on the lower Colorado River in Feb. One of our last nights we found some wood and built a warm fire which is not easy in the desert. We watched the full moon rise over the water. There were no lights visible. The wild donkeys were calling to each other, the coyotes were howling, and there were two Great Horned Owls in the Russians olive trees near the camp. The main entertainment was watching the beaver and one otter swimming by in the moonlight. A night that is hard to forget.
----> Now you see...that's exactly what I was talking about. You arrested my attention. I was instantly looking for more and ended, "The night that is hard to forget." I was just ready to get the coffee perk on and it ended. :Frown2: More...more...
 

ppine

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ND,
I love your enthusiasm. My willingness to tell stories often exceeds the enthusiasm of my audience.
Last week I went camping in the local ppines near home with my dog Ruby Begonia. My heart rhythm is normal again, so we did some good hiking and found evidence of western bark beetle in the campground. We cruised the area, found some dead trees and evidence of bark beetles in many more trees. I came up with a management plan and explained it to the local park dude. I enjoyed watching the full moon rise over the Virginia Range. I had some close friends come down from Reno to join me for dinner both nights. We had beef stew with red wine and good bread, then spaghetti carbonara with Cesar salad. It was like old times, and we made some plans for future trips.

The last day I took my dog deeper into the woods and sat on a ridge and felt the silence. It was all a form of woods meditation. I reflected on the loss of my uncle recently, the status of Democracy in the US and plenty of other things. Being in the outdoors has always been the most important thing in my life except for a handful of exceptional people. From here on out the plan is to get outdoors as much as possible. We have mild winters in the deserts around here, so planning makes it possible to get out all year. It puts a bounce in my step.

We were ready to head for home after about 3 days. A bobcat crossed the road in front of the truck on the way home. Home Means Nevada.
 

Northern Dancer

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ND,
I love your enthusiasm. My willingness to tell stories often exceeds the enthusiasm of my audience.
Last week I went camping in the local ppines near home with my dog Ruby Begonia. My heart rhythm is normal again, so we did some good hiking and found evidence of western bark beetle in the campground. We cruised the area, found some dead trees and evidence of bark beetles in many more trees. I came up with a management plan and explained it to the local park dude. I enjoyed watching the full moon rise over the Virginia Range. I had some close friends come down from Reno to join me for dinner both nights. We had beef stew with red wine and good bread, then spaghetti carbonara with Cesar salad. It was like old times, and we made some plans for future trips.

The last day I took my dog deeper into the woods and sat on a ridge and felt the silence. It was all a form of woods meditation. I reflected on the loss of my uncle recently, the status of Democracy in the US, and plenty of other things. Being in the outdoors has always been the most important thing in my life except for a handful of exceptional people. From here on out the plan is to get outdoors as much as possible. We have mild winters in the deserts around here, so planning makes it possible to get out all year. It puts a bounce in my step.

We were ready to head for home after about 3 days. A bobcat crossed the road in front of the truck on the way home. Home Means Nevada.
-----> I could feel your exuberance and sense an increase in your heart rhythm as you contemplated new possibilities. Our Father Superior delivered a paper a few years back. His message was simple on the one hand but profound and perplexing on the other. "If you are alive", he said, "live life." I'm beginning to get the message.

Ruby Begonia - now isn't that an original name for a dog?


Oh...the red lettering? It's just the teacher coming out.
 

ppine

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What a wonderful thing to have a fan.
It reminds that spending time with the people that accept you for being yourself is really important. I miss it. I have been going on adventures with these friends that came for dinner for over 30 years.
Seek out the people that appreciate you.
 
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