Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Retirement

Visit to the Optometrist

Visit to the OptometristI had my annual eye checkup today. It was mostly the routine “Which is better – 1 or – 2?” At the end of the exam, the optometrist showed me some information about cataract surgery which, she says, ‘could’ be required at some point.

In the meantime, I still can enjoy corrected vision in the 20-20 or 20-25 range with eyeglasses, of course. I have a set of sunglasses from last year, that work just fine. I ordered a new set of single-vision clear glasses, mostly for watching TV and after dark junkets out with the dogs. I stopped driving at night after I retired.

The interesting thing about cataract surgery is that they can, with minimal invasive surgery, replace the natural crystalline lens affected by cloudiness with a new artificial lens that compensates for both nearsightedness and presbyopia. Of course, there are caveats like astigmatism and muscle range, but it sounds like someday we can get rid of contacts or corrective glasses altogether.

06 Sep 2012 by Retirement Science Technobabble

The Old Wickenburg Train Station

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We drove to the old part of town to do some shopping at the “other” supermarket. We drove past the old train station which is along the still active BNSF railroad track. I took this picture of the station next to the track.

The station is now used by the Chamber of Commerce as a tourism center. To facilitate this, the building had to be rotated 180 degrees such that the boarding platform is opposite from the track side. No matter, though, The BNSF trains no longer stop in Wickenburg.

Click on the image to enlarge.

27 Aug 2012 by Arizona Photography Retirement

More Erosion

More Erosion

We had a really heavy downpour last Wednesday night. It looks like I’ll have to shore up the front of the property with big rocks to avoid losing more of the landscape between the RV drive and the west wash. Again, I have plenty of big rocks up in the wash and around the lot, so it’s just a matter of collecting them in the wheelbarrow and burying them along the roadway where the floods wash down.

Damn! I’m supposed to be retired and all this stuff pops up to keep me busy. Ah well, It probably keeps me out of trouble.

Click on the image for the full sized panorama.

25 Aug 2012 by Arizona Environment Home & Garden Panorama Retirement

Just Another Day Of Retirement

Just Another Day Of Retirement

Most folks out there consider today to be “TGIF” day, but to us, it’s just another grueling day of retirement in our dream home. Damsel took this photo today after we finished walking the dogs, which seems to be one of the more important chores in retired life. Click on the image to enlarge.

10 Aug 2012 by Arizona Critters Photography Retirement

Trimming the Landscape

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I spent most of the morning trimming the rosemary shrubs that line the back slope of the RV drive. The landscapers put the one-gallon shrubs in a year ago and they have grown nicely – in fact so well that the bottom row were starting to cover the river rocks stacked along the bottom 30 inches of the slope.

I was lucky today, since the sky was overcast (monsoons in progress) and the temperature only got up to about 92 with 40 percent relative humidity – mandatory perspiration while working. In all, there were 26 shrubs that needed attention. I trimmed several earlier in the week, but quit after a while – it was around 105 the other day.

The composite photo above (taken after the work) shows the magnitude of the effort. Click on the image to enlarge.

13 Jul 2012 by Arizona Home & Garden Photography Retirement

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