I have wanted to get the trailer out for some camping but I did not want to get somewhere, have a complication with my medical problem, and be unable to pull the trailer back. It IS still a little cool during the day right now and the nights are certainly chilly and in the 30s to lower 40s F. I also woke up to snow a few mornings ago so it all worked out.

I am in the process of getting set up with doctors here. Once I get the medical stuff set up I can hit the road some when I am not covering for Meghan. The weather is still full of surprises but I think it is calming down. I set up an appointment in a few weeks with a new Primary Care doctor. My other major one is a Cardiologist so I can find out what they say about any restrictions from a more local view in the mountains. I had a referral sent over to a new one here so I just need to hear back on an appointment. I trust my previous Cardiologist’s advice very much and abide by it, but they may think differently here where they deal with altitude all the time. I just need to know what to NOT do…and I need meds refilled.

I have some places up at altitude I want to check out and hike if possible; I will be happy to just drive to a few spots. I think I will be okay for some hiking at a little altitude as my stamina builds back up; I flew to Europe and hiked in Ireland and never had any problems so I feel optimistic. I won’t be going to climb Everest, but it would be nice to get back up high in Glacier National Park.

Which leads me to the Garmin watch that came today. This is a damn nice watch. As I mentioned previously, I had thought of returning it but I think I will keep it. Many people have more than one watch so I can too. This thing is pretty amazing, with lots of health-related monitoring that is put together and presented to you in a morning and evening report and you can see how your night and day were with sleep, activity, heart readings and many more metrics all compiled into useful, understandable information to help you understand what your body is doing (or not…).

It is a whole different beast than my Apple Watch Ultra…and I do mean beast. I bought the biggest one so the maps are easier to see and it is pretty big – it is 51mm, and my Ultra is 49mm. The Garmin looks much bigger since it is round but it is big…like a cowboy belt buckle. I do not really care much about getting email and the like since my phone is always with me; I used it mainly for health monitoring, but it is very handy with turn-by-turn directions and Apple Pay.

And it is those last three things (and maybe more) that are used in most everyday life. I was thinking what I might do is buy a regular Apple Watch since I already have the Garmin for outdoor stuff. They are half the price of the Ultra and I could still use it for the things I mentioned. For travel, the mapping is priceless – in a new city or a foreign land I can keep my phone put away and get notified on my wrist. That is handy while towing in traffic or a city – I can by it telling me when to turn in my hearing aids and buzzing on my wrist to find my way through traffic easier. And now that my truck has CarPlay I can see the maps on the screen.

In a foreign country you won’t look like a tourist looking at maps on your phone as you walk. Less likely to get it stolen too. I have been in some really busy places where it could be easily snagged but the watch keeps you walking a bit more inconspicuously. Apple Pay can be used everywhere so your wallet stays secure with your phone and your card numbers are protected.

👩🏼‍⚕️

Tomorrow is the kidney stone removal – part of the reason I am posting is I cannot sleep, but the bigger part is the surgery. Let’s hope it is the ONLY stone they remove! I am so ready. My kidney was hurting pretty good today along wth some other symptoms (good thing I did not go camping!) so it cannot get over with soon enough.

🐾

Rider passed his dentist check up in Missoula after five teeth got pulled two weeks ago. Unfortunately, I could not get any stops in along the way back with my kidney issue. I wanted to, and nearly did stop, but the places will involve walking more than I could deal wth so I will try again in a few weeks after this will all be done.

I guess I should try to go to sleep to be rested up for tomorrow’s festivities. See you soon.

Shawn