Goodness!

Well, goodness, it's been awhile, I know. But after a successful but busy trip to Canada, we arrived back in San Diego where my body promptly informed me that I needed to slow down and rest. So I did, in the form of the flu. I think I slept off an on for about 72 hours and then convalesced in the quarantined casita at Kobayashi's house for several days after. In fact, I'm still coughing and my chest is still congested. But I'm on the mend and no longer sleeping all day. 

Letty swears by "poison tea" to get rid of the nagging chest cough in three days flat instead of a lingering few weeks. And since we are headed to Japan in 3 days, I figured "why the hell not". I prefer to call it GOLO tea, which I made up to remember the ingredients: garlic, oregano, lemon and onion, red.  According to the internet, it may work? 

• Garlic & Onion: Natural antibiotic that help fight infections and clear mucus
• Oregano: Known for its respiratory benefits, helps reduce inflammation in airways
• Lemon: Provides vitamin C to boost the immune system. 

I will let you know how it went.

Regardless, today is the first day I've felt well enough to do much of anything. So I suppose I should catch you up on the last part of our Edmonton trip.

We got into a bit of a rhythm, going to the rehab center during the day and then coming home and working on getting the house ADA compliant (as best we could, anyway). During the week we had time to fit in one more museum, the Royal Albert Museum. Yet another museum I'd never heard of. Though I'm pretty sure this one opened after I had already moved away, so I'm giving myself a break on this one.

Unlike the Royal Tyrell exhibits we visited last year in Drumheller, Alberta, these were casts and not fossils. But it was still very cool to see the mammoth next to the mastodon.

Ira spotted this interesting tidbit, yes I know, another ammonite, but they are so cool! And this one was cut in half. Apparently the chambers are added as the animal inside grows. It lives in the outermost chamber while the remaining chambers are gas-filled to provide buoyancy.

They also had a very extensive mineral and gem display.

I thought this specimen was so interesting. These halite crystals formed on exposed plant roots when mineral rich water evaporated from a pond.

I include this one for Viola Sofia, who loves amethyst. I think she could have fit inside this one. It's monstrous! Sorry V.S., we couldn't bring this one back for you.

The little boy was determined to be in my shot, so I let him. Can you see his eyes peeking through the hole in the back?

The museum also had a large taxidermy display. I snapped a shot of this Canada Lynx hunting a snowshoe hare. We both can attest that the white hares are everywhere. There were a pair at the rehab center we would see most nights and back at my parent's house, they would be running around wild. You have to have a good eye to spot them against fresh snow.

My final shot from the museum is of the spiral staircase. It caught my eye from this higher vantage point.

I did get my passport renewed, by the way, in case you're wondering. I'm hoping my new high tech one will reduce the issues I seem always to have at passport control around the world. Here's hoping.

Finally, Ira wanted me to show you the updated tailpipe photo. The icicle just kept getting bigger.

A dopo!