Weekend Fishing Trip to Greys River, Wyoming

On August 16, Greg and I took a long weekend trip to Greys River, Wyoming. We rented the Deer Creek Cabin, a Forest Service Guard Station built in the 1930's by the CCC. The cabin has a stove/oven, refrigerator, lights, and water heater (all propane as there is no electricity). In the summer, there is also a shower and indoor toilet available. The cabin is also equipped with bunks (sleeps 6), table, and cupboards (bring your own bedding, cooking utensils, and TP). And it is pet friendly!!!! Having all this made for a really mellow weekend, allowing us to get away to the woods without having to stress about packing a bunch of camping gear.  This was the first time we had used a recreation rental from the Forest Service, but it certainly won't be our last.

Deer Creek Cabin

The cabin faces west. We really enjoyed sitting on the front porch, drinking our coffee in the morning. There is also a fire pit and picnic table on the grounds. We used that every night. Greg brought his guitar, and of course, we made s'mores.

Deer Creek Cabin interior (we were unpacking, so it is a bit messy)

The cabin is right across the road from Greys River. It had been far too long since Greg and I had gone fishing. The Greys River has easy access and eager cutthroats (Snake River cutts). But before we could go fishing, we had to take the dogs swimming.

Although we did go fishing quite a bit, and we caught several fish, I did not get any pictures. I have a lot more pictures of the dogs swimming than I do of our fishing. I was so focused on the fishing, I didn't have time for photos. I did well with an elkhair caddis with a beadhead nymph dropper. I caught cutthroat on the caddis, and I caught mountain whitefish with the dropper. Feeling the tug on the line after such a drought of fishing was an absolute thrill. Being on the river in the evenings was so relaxing. Hearing and watching the water flow by, reading the river to determine the likely trout spots, casting to those spots, feeling a tug on the line or missing a rising fish...for me it is a moving meditation.

If you go, know the Greys River is really busy since the access is so easy. Even with that, we had no trouble finding spots on the river to have to ourselves. The cabin is behind a locked gate and away from the road, so it offers some privacy. The cabin rental is a bargain at $40/night, but you have to reserve it months in advance. The cabin is open year round, but it is sometimes used for Forest Service crews and isn't always available. The cabin is 13 miles down a well-graded gravel road, and there is no cell service, so plan accordingly.

Greys River is only about 3 and a half hours away from us, making it an ideal weekend getaway, although spending more time there would be even better.  I have concluded that we need more of these extended weekend getaways. I can't wait to plan our next trip to the area.

Surviving Winter

I am not a winter person. I grew up in Southern California, where winter was a few months of nighttimes in the 30's to 40's, punctuated with days that hit 70 degrees in mid-January. Utah is the first place I have lived year round which has an actual winter with snow.  I enjoy winter for about a month, and then I am ready for summer. I do not wish for spring, with its wishy-washy weather, teasing me with warm temperatures, only to return grey skies and cold weather the next day. I am a summer person, and winter is mostly a drag for me. So I have developed a coping strategy. My strategy consists of positive thinking about winter (tough), and planning for the future (fun!). One of the things I enjoy planning during the winter is future travel.

This year, Greg and I are taking a late summer trip to England, Wales, and Scotland. We are having a lot of fun preparing an itinerary, deciding what we would like to see, and researching different areas to visit.  I like to be well prepared when I travel, whether the trip is one day or multi-week. I also like to keep things simple and easy.  I am always on the lookout for items to make travel smoother and that fit my travel style.  With that in mind, I made several purchases to test out before our trip, which I will review here over the next few weeks: the Chloe Hoodie and Women's Trench from Scottevest, a handmade iPad cover from 2 Sisters Shoppe on Etsy, a handmade leather wrist wallet from Sewlutions by AMO on Etsy, and some other miscellaneous items.

As I type this, another cold front is passing through Utah and is forecast to dump another 6 inches of snow. As I cuddle in my blanket next to the fire, I will be dreaming of summer and planning adventures, at least until I have to go shovel the snow.

Thanksgiving--freedom from pain

A friend blogged about what he was most thankful for this last year, which prompted me to do the same. I pondered this last year and considered what was I most grateful for. One thing stood out from everything else--freedom from pain.

Around 2006, I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis (IC), sometimes called painful bladder syndrome. Basically, it means that the lining of the bladder is fractured, and that urine can leak into the surrounding tissue, causing extreme pain and muscle spasms. This condition, and the pain it causes, has ruled my life for the last several years.

It was like I had a never ending bladder infection. Holding urine in the bladder was painful, so I had to urinate frequently. Sometimes, I was urinating every 15 minutes. If I had to hold it, the pain would grow so intense, I thought I would pass out. If I held it too long, I would be wracked with painful bladder spasms for hours afterward. I had extremely painful flare ups, which could last for days. These were usually triggered by my diet, or by standing too long, or by exercise. Sometimes I couldn't figure out what triggered a flare up.

This affected every aspect of my life. Nearly everything I loved to do in life caused me pain. Hiking, fishing, walking, traveling, everything was painful or caused me hours of pain afterward. I never went anywhere without carrying pain pills. I would inwardly panic in public places if I did not know where the restroom was located. Standing was painful. Walking was painful. I hated to share rides or travel with other people if the trip was longer than an hour. Meetings and presentations were pure hell if I was in the midst of a flare up. How do you explain why you are leaving for the bathroom every 15 minutes? If I dehydrated myself to avoid urinating, I would cause a flare up and my bladder would spasm painfully for hours. On the other hand, if I drank water, I would would have to urinate frequently which was also painful. It was a catch-22 of pain and embarrassment.

Every year the pain grew worse. About a year ago, I decided to find a urologist who specialized in IC to see if there was anything new I could try. She prescribed some medications to try. These medications helped with the bladder spasms, but I was still never sure when the pain would flatten me. The urologist then suggested I get an ultrasound to check to see if the fibroids in my uterus were pushing on my bladder. Sure enough, the fibroids had grown substantially and were pressing hard on my bladder, reducing its capacity by half. My urologist was confident that they were in large part responsible for my pain. I scheduled a hysterectomy, which I had last January.

After my surgery recovery, everything started to slowly improve. My bladder started to heal. I was able to sleep at night, since I no longer had to get up every hour. I could hold my urine without causing hours of bladder spasms, which freed me to once again enjoy things I had given up. I could watch an entire movie in the theater without having to leave for the bathroom. I could go hiking again, without having to spend the next day in bed with a heating pad and pain meds. I could do my work, and not panic during meetings. It was like the world once again opened up for me. Things which were impossible became possible. I had my life back. I was finally free from the pain which had come to define me and had ruled my life.

I still have IC. I still have to watch my diet. I still have flare ups, and occasional bouts of pain. But instead of controlling me, I can control the pain. That is freedom. We never really appreciate what we have until it is gone. I am very blessed, because I now have a second chance to enjoy things which I lost for years. I strive to never stop appreciating what I have and what I can do, because I never know when I might lose them again. The IC could worsen, and there is a possibility I could be back to where I was. Every single day is a blessing, and that is easy to forget. I am so grateful that this last year I got my life back, and I want to enjoy it to the fullest.

I am so thankful to have my life back. I am so thankful for my family and my husband, who have supported me through all the years of pain. I am so thankful that I can once again enjoy doing things with them without pain. I am so thankful I have a second chance to appreciate all those things I took for granted.

It is easy to be thankful for the big things in life. What I have discovered through all this is this. Be thankful for the little things, because you can never be sure when you might lose them and realize they are not so little after all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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