battle?

 Norm Macdonald

last trip south...

Exit plan team member...

Found this article when I started investigating my options 2 months ago.  Finding any kind of care in remote areas is always tricky.  My PCP got the ball rolling after my appointment yesterday.  Spoke to my case worker Tiffany this morning and she is already on the job.  First hurdle to overcome was the dreaded "out of network" threat from my insurance company.  In just 4 hours she got BCBSTX to grant me an exemption so they will cover the nursing costs.

family...

Heading to an Airbnb in Alpine on Friday for a week.  I am overwhelmed by all the positive messages from my readers.  I never imagined that this blog would create an extended family that would offer such support in my time of need.  Thank you!

Back in Alpine...

Appointment with my PCP tomorrow to discuss hospice options.  Booked a couple of nights at The Antelope Lodge.  I stayed here this week 16 years ago right before I headed south to start building my TFL hut.

sweet...

Proverbs 3:24  When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. 

on to a new adventure

Ever since the first CT scan found a tumor on my pancreas, I pretty much resigned myself to the fact that my time was up even though I had more tests to go through.  I tried hard not to get my hopes up because I know that pancreatic cancer is always death sentence.  My recent surgery on Friday confirmed what I have already come to accept.  The cancer is inoperable - stage 4.  I have been "getting my affairs in order" and I already made arrangements for Ben to be relocated to his new home and owners in a week.  I am opting out of meeting with an oncologist to discuss chemo and will be going straight into hospice care soon.  The blow of an early departure is softened by the fact that I retired and have been living life completely on my own terms for the past 15 years and won't be leaving a family behind.  While people die all the time, it's pretty hard to wrap my head around the fact that my turn is coming up.  My only fear about it is that I am undeserving of God's grace... 

50/50

In case things go wrong tomorrow...

thanks for following along with The Field Lab journey.

on countdown

 

Heading to Lubbock Wednesday.

Go under the knife Friday.

To be continued....

seek

Psalms 9:10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. 

So here's the scoop - for now.

They found a small malignant tumor on the tail of my pancreas.  

No evidence (so far) that it has metastasized.

I am scheduled for surgery back in Lubbock on December 1.

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Thanksgiving

Thankful for the time I've had...and the time that's left.

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back with my boy...

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search me

Psalms 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  

lake road

photo taken Wednesday by a neighbor...

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Back in the big bend...but

Still too muddy to make it all the way home - 

so camped at my friend's highway house north of TFL.

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Heading home tomorrow...

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Seasonal...

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Lots of tests...

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Scoped...

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enter into peace

Isaiah 57:1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. 2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. 

Landed in Lubbock...

Hotel Wi-Fi has gotten a lot faster than it used to be...

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better safe than sorry...

Turns out there probably wasn't enough rain over the past couple of days to swamp me in for a Sunday departure but I'm glad I didn't take the chance.  Been quite comfortable where I have been encamped just off the highway and now I am planning to head to Lubbock tomorrow.  Will be staying within blocks of the doctor's office and the hospital.  49,57,50, .10",B

too smart...

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Farewell party...

As I left ahead of the rain due tonight...

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Just My Luck

Of course, there just has to be some rain in the immediate forecast that could throw a wrench in my departure plans.  I AM NOT going to hike out in the mud again - so if the forecast holds, I will leave tomorrow night and stay at a friend's easily accessible highway property until I head to Lubbock on Sunday.  Good thing I have a neighbor who will tend to Ben while I am away.

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Home again...

but on the road again next week for more tests...

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better...

 Psalms 118:8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. 

extended...

day 2

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unplanned trip

Hopefully just an overnight stay...

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a sunset...

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On the horizon...

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Dove Day

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Lazy...

Matthew 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 

more zoom

Top photo is the view with the stock lens.

The 25mm lens I added worked so well I thought I would reach out 

further by getting another lens at double that focal length.

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road fix

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WobbleStopper

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luminous

Just happened to notice a couple nights ago that two of my pocket watches still had a little glow life left in them.  Only lasts for about a minute after I turn off the lights.  Those two were manufactured in the 70's - after they stopped using radioactive paint.  77,86,65,0,B

Brutal Tuesday

Had rain in the forecast yesterday so I left my truck at the highway Sunday night and got a ride home.  Set this up because I had 2 appointments in Alpine today that I had to attend.  Good thing because I ended up with a road swamping yesterday.  My truck was waiting for me this morning as I spent an hour huffing it to the highway.  Left at 6:45AM with a flashlight (and an extra pair of shoes) and this was the muddiest part of the trip.  Got everything accomplished in Alpine and drove back south to walk the last 2.5 miles home.  I'm bushed. These were my morning footprints on the way out.  I managed to avoid this swampy section in the light of day on the way back.  Chance of another shower tonight but hoping just a sprinkle so my road will be good to go by this weekend.  80,85,65, .32",B

A CLOUDY DAY

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written...

Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.  

Coming next week...

Ethology experiment with the burros.

How will they react to me wearing a donkey mask?

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rapid prototyping...

Housing for the wifi servo controller.

Design/Print/Assemble

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10 MINUTE PROJECT

Wanted a quicky project for today.  Decided I needed to be able to pan one of my Wyze cameras using a servo motor controlled over wifi and found these down and dirty instructions that worked like a charm.  79,86,56,0,B

sliver...

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MPU-6050

Accelerometer

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Lens replacement...

The lens in my oldest Wyze Cam got fogged from moisture so thanks to YouTube I was able to replace it with a new telephoto lens.  71,80,51,0,B

watch...

Mark 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.  

content...

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It's alive...

Got the hand moving after about 20 hours of 3D printing parts. I have some metal gear micro servos coming next week but was able to scavange enough plastic gear servos off other projects for this test. 82,90,59,0,B

handy

Waiting on metal gear micro servos...

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five new fingers...

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It's a boy...

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3RD HAND

I think I finally found the perfect robotic hand.  This finger was pretty easy to print out and assemble.  79,87,54,0,B

getting...

Proverbs 4:7  Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 

Saturday

1.  burro visit

2.  claw hand

3.  wyze cam telephoto lens

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servo bonanza

Came across an old spider robot project I started 30 years ago 

and extracted 12 servo motors from it for future projects.  75,77,64,0,B

from the "art"chives..

Unearthed an old project from my high school days - a crude model of a hand with fingers that moved when the crank was turned.  Since I have been doing a lot of animatronic experiments lately, it got me to thinking that I should make a 3D printed version that I can animate with a microcontroller and servo motors.  76,85,71,0,B

in front of the kid...

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Immersive...

Pretty happy so far with the new Fire TV.  I think I made a good choice with the size as the scale of it works quite well with where it is mounted.  I considered going bigger, but I think that would just be too overpowering for my little hut.  Was wondering how my nightly movie viewing would go and I was pleased to find that there is a substantial positive difference in the viewing experience between watching a 5" screen from 12" to a 32" screen at 60".   92,97,71,0,B

screens...

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The way of evil...

4 1/2 years...

The brutal summer heat took its toll on my 4+ year old tomato clones.  These two 6th generation rooted cuttings may be the last hope of keeping the dream alive.  88,92,67,0,B