July
Go to the next month.
7/31/2025.
I was pleased (again) when I found out the nicer entrance/parking spaces in front of the unicietsity health clinic building (new-ish one).
Even I informed about it to my husband saying "Yay. Hurray." No curve at all at the entrance. Enough disabled parking lots. I am grateful for that. It's a tiny happiness, I know.
7/30/2025.
We encounter some insects coincidentally each summer. It's so fun to spot them in our yards. So far, fireflies, monarch butterflies, a praying mantis, a katydid and a very unique fly (I need to ask my husband about the name, again). I caught a katydid by my hands. (I was proud.)
Our son found and caught a Luna moth(!) That was a good catch.
How about your places?
Entry#435. 7/29/2025.
We have a good view of bird feeders from our dining room through a big window. This year, we noticed something odd. It's about Cardinals. Have you seen a blueish (dark color) head male Cardinal?? Like these.
We were shocked and surprised, thinking it might has a disease or something. We worried.
Then we found several websites about it.
One site says,
"Birds’ feathers will wear out, causing them to need to be replaced. This process, known as molting, takes place once a year for cardinals, in late summer, after breeding season is over. This process typically isn’t visible to us, as most birds molt a few feathers at a time. Many cardinals, however, will molt all their head feathers at once, leaving them bald until those feathers are replaced."
It's Molting!! Did you know that? We smiled and laughed. Learning something new is always fun.
Photo: Our bird feeders.
7/29/2025.
Summer cycling/handcycling is tough, sometimes. Especially with high humidity and extra high temperature. We just need to pick the right time and right place. Plus riding makes my husband's body cycle works better. (It's true.) So we keep biking as long as the Sun is out.
See how many days we biked in July so far. His next race will be the AFM Air Force Marathon in September.
Entry#434. 7/26/2025.
Do you remember why we purchased a minivan Toyota “Sienna 2019” after my husband’s injury?
It was his pick and it had to be this model. Just because he wanted to transfer his handcycles (any type of them) using a minivan and the 2nd row seats had to be removable. That was an important element indeed.
We couldn’t buy Sienna 2020 or newer because the 2nd row seats are not removable at all after 2019 model. (Did you know that?)
I mentioned about our Sienna in 2022, Entry#47 (5/17/2022) and 6/23/2022.
I’m very grateful for this removal setting. As you can guess, these seats are not light weight. Yes, they are heavy. Sometimes I tried to handle them by myself. Using our son’s help would be great always.
When my husband’s parents came to visit us, our Sienna was transformed to the human transportation mode (not handcycles mode.) Photo 1 to photo 2&3.
After they left to Japan, our Sienna was transformed again to the handcycle mode. Does your car do that?
7/25/2025.
I was very late to notice, but I found something interesting of my Bee Balm. Have you seen them? Have you had them? I'm not sure what it's called officially. It's a double bloom. A double heads.
Next year, I will watch them more carefully and will take photos of their blooming process. I will try.
Entry#433. 7/24/2025.
Chicago stuffs etc.
Entry#432. 7/24/2025.
Chicago tour part3. Architecture river boat tour was a hit.
We really enjoyed this boat tour. I highly recommend it. The day before, we had to talk to the company person in person to make sure about wheelchair and accessibility. We needed to pick the certain docking point for both getting into and getting off. Because of his wheelchair. It was really interesting though. It seemed all crews were familiar with wheelchair users. It made us comfortable. However the actual ramps made me feel a bit uneasy. Just because of the height difference between ground level and river water level (= the boat surface level), the second ramp is short and very steep (scary steep).
Can you guess how he managed it to enter the boat? Even the helper cannot push him face forward. It is too steep that a wheelchair user would throw himself out of the wheelchair forward. (Scary indeed.) The crew told my husband “Come into the boat backwards.” He had to lean forward as much as possible and slowly moved backwards to balance himself. He made it.
It was good to know about this process.
Other than that, we had a good time to listen to the guide guy talking about all buildings along the Chicago River. It was 45 minutes guide tour. Oh, it was full house surprisingly.
Note. People on board can walk around the boat during the tour, walking down to use an air conditioned room or buy drinks. Walking down = using stairs. Therefore my husband cannot go downstairs anyway. But it was just okay.
Entry#431. 7/24/2025.
Chicago tour part2. Riverwalk!! Accessible, a sort of, it takes longer than able bodied persons. Well, it was okay. I was grateful.
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/chicagoriverwalk/home.html.html
In Chicago, there are many signs of “Riverwalk”, it seemed it was very popular for everyone. Because of the Multilevel Streets, we had to make sure where “ramps” are located when we decided to walk/wheel around on Riverwalk.
As you know, I am such a wheelchair-nerd (!) now. Can you guess what kind of moments I would get excited? For example, when I see the extra spaces for wheelchairs. (Are you smiling?) Like this photo. I bet my husband’s parents were surprised thinking “why I was so happy there”.
There are many stairs that people can sit on, take a break, relax and enjoy the view from the stairs. I can see the concept about the Riverwalk and city from those stairs. As you know, most of the times, stairs are “barriers” for wheelchair users. Then the moment I saw the space in the first row of stairs, I was very excited with joy. My husband could fit in there to “sit” just like others, to see the views from there. It was so good and fun with tons of sunshine.
My husband also pointed out a unique ramp “made by cutting stairs”. (I might make you confused using odd description.) See these photos below? There is a ramp alongside stairs. Do you see it? I’ve never seen this kind of ramp before. None. So I was so curious and impressed how they made. And my husband caught it right away, faster than me, which made me smile.
How do you like that?
Entry#430. 7/23/2025.
Chicago tour part1. “The Bean” is wheelchair accessible.
I didn’t know about Multilevel Streets in Chicago much. I learned that in 2023.
There are stairs everywhere, but my husband cannot use stairs, you know.
Wherever we go, we have to be careful for these kinds of road surfaces.
7/23/2025.
When you notice the ceramic mugs by a local potter (who is one of your friends) are sold at the local cafe (where your husband's 2nd office is), you would be excited very much.
Also discovering the products that the fiancé of one of your friends makes for his business is a happy moment.
7/22/2025.
After we came back home from Bowling Green, KY, my husband showed me a video of our new friend from our gathering. Then I'm shocked, impressed, amazed all together. Mr. Mark Wellman's best friend, Mr. Mike DeCavalcante(!). Please watch the video.
I knew Mr. Mark Wellman is famous especially paraplegic climbing world. Like this video.
We had a wonderful dinner togetger very casually. Can you believe it?? Yes, we met them in person. I talked to them in person. I didn't even notice how much they were famous and how incredible person they are. (Oh boy).
I now regret not getting their autographs (three of them) deeply. I should have.
This our connection is so special and precious.
Entry#429. 7/20/2025.
Cincinnati Zoo “World of the Insect” exhibition update.
Did you make it to visit the Cincinnati Zoo to see a special insects exhibit? It was too hot to walk around outside, but it was fun to watch special booths/tables in the Insect building. To be honest, we haven’t visited much to the Cincinnati Zoo. (Forgive us, the Zoo. We should have been there often.)
We took my husband’s parents with us. We introduced his grad students (3 of them) to his parents. That was wonderful because there was not much chance to show them “my husband’s works with his crews” in person. It was a perfect timing and I was simply grateful.
Also we were able to check how much “accessible” in the Zoo area including parking lots.
There are many family with strollers in the Zoo, of course. They need accessibility for entire Zoo area. That is true. So basically the Zoo is accessible including restrooms. That was good to know. However (yes, there is always however-parts.) the Zoo property has up and down hills a lot. Some hills are very steep and long. One way (downhill) is okay but the other way is very tough to climb. Especially for a manual wheelchair. We, able bodied people don’t feel the seriousness of long uphills. It was a good realization about it at the Zoo.
I began feeling often “Parents with strollers are tough and strong. They are also trying to do hard things everyday just like my husband.”
Anyway we love the Cincinnati Zoo insects building very much. How about you?
Everyone laughed when I said "I need a group picture, all of you together!". Well, I thought I really needed it. Because as a mother of a son, you would want a memory shot with your son's students. A photo of you with your son/his crews. Don't you think?
Entry#428. 7/20/2025.
At last, the wonderful moments happened last night in Bowling Green, KY. Yes, my husband and I drove down to Bowling Green, KY, for the first time. (About 4 and a half hours) We even didn’t know that Kentucky had two time zones until this trip. (Did you know that?)
Before I tell you the story, you have to know two incredible paraplegic advocates.
Mr. Mark Wellman
https://www.nolimitstahoe.com/
https://yourtahoeguide.com/2015/06/climbing-back-giving-back-mark-wellman-a-local-profile/
Dr. Sasha Rabchevsky
https://unitedspinal.org/sci-researcher-sasha-rabchevsky/
https://u2fp.org/get-educated/curecast/episode-37.html
And also I wrote about Dr. Sasha Rabchevsky here on8/27/2023 (Entry#150 through 151). Yes, we visited his gorgeous accessible house in Nicholasville, KY in 2023.
Now, as you guessed right, we gathered together in Bowling Green, KY. Mr. Mark Wellman was with his great climber friend and they attended Ability Expo. Dr. Sasha Rabchevsky asked my husband to meet up them. And yes, here we were.
It was honor to meet them all together. They are like “Legends” to myself literally. My eyes were wide open the whole time.
Right after my husband came back home as a paraplegic in August 2021, he reached out the company who sells a special harness for disabled people. He called that company and the company owner himself answered the phone call. That was Mr. Mark Wellman himself!
They chatted on the phone quite a long time. It was very resourceful, informative and useful indeed to my husband. At that time, Mr. Wellman suggested my husband “You should contact Professor Sasha Rabchevsky, you should.”
So he did. Then we connected together and we even visited his house. (He visited us in Louisville, KY before that, when my husband had PT sessions at Frazier rehab center. How thoughtful he was.)
Then finally we were able to meet Mr. Wellman in person this time. We also met his great climber friend (he is a climbing gym owner over 30 years long). That was even better.
This amazing connection that started with one phone call is so special and precious. We never forget. We want to keep in touch with them forever.
Entry#427. 7/19/2025.
I am not sure about the name of the injury anniversary. Some people call it aliversary. We don’t have the particular name for it. Ours is 7/16. He is now 4 years old paraplegic. Yes, 4 years passed since his spinal cord injury. 4 years.
We don’t think back on the accident day. We sometimes talk about his hospital times and therapy sessions.
This year’s 7/16 was just one of the ordinary days. He went off to his 2nd office for work in the morning. We, including our son, gathered together in the evening, being ready for evening pedaling (hahdcycle/bicycle).
Then I started a short photo shoot. Just a quick one. Just because I wanted to “document” us on this day in this year. Just in case.
This is us on an ordinary day. How do we look?
This is "the picture of the day", kind of. Our son is very creative in many ways and that is his strength, I believe. I asked him "be by your dad". Then he did just like that. Pretending he was also on a handcycle. How do you like it? I love it.
Entry#426. 7/17/2025.
My husband’s parents are younger than my parents. (Both are 5 years younger than mine.) I’m grateful for their good health and activities. They still have enough energy to fly from Japan to visit us. They are wonderful.
I love simple chatting with them no matter what theme we have.
Mother in law rides on a bicycle with e-assist in her town in Japan. Then our conversation went into cycling, bicycles, handcycles, bike trails, bike lanes on the road and so on.
She casually said to her son (=my husband) “Before I get too old, let’s go cycling Shimanami kaido しまなみかい海道 together. My e-assist bicycle and your handcycle.”
(Here, you would be surprised to learn about this bike trail road in Japan. Looks so nice and fun.)
How sweet she is.
In fact my husband already looked it up through YouTube before. He showed me several videos about Shimanami Kaido. しまなみ海道
As you can see, this whole route is very long that would take at least 2 full days.
If we could make it to pedal together on this Shimanami Kaido, that’d be very precious and wonderful! I smiled huge when I heard she talked about her future wishlist to my husband.
I know it’s not that easy at all, planning to ride his handcycle in Japan. From the preparation, air travel with his handcycle, to a long distance handcycle with staying a hotel. I understand that mother in law wouldn’t imagine about making actual real plans. She has no idea.
However I felt so grateful that she expressed her thought to her son honestly and naturally. It was sweet. And I do hope that we will figure it out somehow someday about this plan.
You would like this video below. Because handcyclists in Japan tried to do cycling Shimanami Kaido. Yes, real Japanese handcyclists! See? Interesting, isn't it?
And, yes, we are aiming to be there and pedal there someday in future...... maybe.
7/17/2025.
I know the flower name “Amaryllis”. However I’ve not had it by myself in my life. Do you have it?
My wonderful next-door & Hefner museum director https://miamioh.edu/profiles/cas/hefner-museum-natural-history/index.html (yes, he and his wonderful family live next door of our house.) brought me his Amaryllis the other day. I was impressed and surprised at the size and color of his Amaryllis. Photos here.
He generously handed it to me, saying “You can have this in your house till the blooming is done. You will enjoy them!” How sweet he offered like that. Of course, I thanked him and I was able to observe them blooming. It was fun to watch it. It’s very interesting to me, as well. I learned about Amaryllis. I found a video about it and how to care.
It looks a little bit complicated to me. I will return the pot to him so that he will continue to take care of it and culture them more.
I was wondering though. I knew the name of Amaryllis very much. But why? Then I figure it out. Funny. In Japan, every kindergarten teachers teach kids the song of "Amaryllis", all over Japan(!). That is why I knew the name of Amaryllis even though I have not seen the real flower at all. Well, how do you like the song?
See? Again, Japan is quite an interesting country indeed.
7/15/2025.
In the big city, sometimes you find something new or rare. This time, something caught my eye quickly.
"Personalize a Nutella Jar"(!).
There was a long waiting line in front of the store. This is something different. I love Nutella. Do you? If the jar has your name on the label, that'd be so fun. See? Now, are you feeling you want it? (Do I sound like a little girl?)
The big city is so fun. Wow.
7/13/2025.
I am simply grateful for my husband's parents' support and efforts to visit us from Japan.
And an additional bonus for them was "their grandson spent time with them at the last part."
7/11/2025.
Did you check the events schedule at the Cincinnati Zoo recently??
It is "National Insect Week".
https://cincinnatizoo.org/events/national-insect-week/
Also the website says "🌻 Special Guests This Weekend".
"On Saturday and Sunday, we’re excited to welcome special guests from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Osmia Bee, and Miami University, who’ll be sharing cool science and conservation stories from around the Cincinnati region. Be sure to stop by their booths to learn more about Ohio’s wild bugs and the people working hard to protect them!"
Now you see "Miami University" is involved. Yes, my husband's grad students have the table for this event in the Insect world building.
My husband will be there on one of the scheduled dates. And yes, as you imagine, he will bring his parents to the Zoo to show them "how his grad students do this kind of event". How fun!
I do hope they enjoy the visit to the Zoo.
7/10/2025.
I think I surprised my husband's parents more than ever. I had to pose in front of the Chicago Theatre imitating as a real dancer. Just because I love anything related to "dance". They were surprised like "what are you doing?". There were good laughs.
How do I look??
7/09/2025.
I know what the Chicago style pizza is. (Personally I love the Detroit style pizza the most.) A looooon time ago, I had a chance to eat a Chicago pizza in Chicago at my husband's conference "Fly meeting". I almost forgot the taste from that time. Then I had a real Chicago pizza again in Chicago this time! It was more joyful and pleasant than I expected. Yes, I was way too excited and happy obviously, as you can imagine. I ate three times of pizza(!) of my husband and his parents had. It's true.
I am pretty sure that my husband's parents thought "I am a crazy old lady" because I loved the tshirts which the restaurant crews wore. I took pictures of them.
I want to buy one of them "Go Deep". How do you think?
7/08/2025. Yellow Marigolds update.
It is blooming "safely". I put fences up just in case. It's a good day.
Also my Bee Balm is full blooming 100%. They are ready to have my husband's parents here, I assume. I'm super happy that everything is just in time for them here in my garden. So as pink Coneflowers.
BONUS: From inside my house, it's a nice "red" view of Bee Balm through the window. Then my hummingbird is flying by to stay at Bee Balm garden for her breakfast. What a treat. We can see her so closely.
It is just right height indeed.
Do you think my husband's parents will see my hummingbird on Bee Balm during their visit?
Entry#425. 7/07/2025.
My biology-professor-friends (my husband’s colleagues) have a significantly good effect on me always, in many ways. I’m grateful for that.
One of them gave me several Ohio native plants from her garden. Her garden is super gorgeous and grow well + healthy. I’m jealous.
I learned about Ohio native plants from her as well. Very interesting. It’s really good to know. And it’s great to have Ohio native ones in my garden. But, you know? If they grow well, right?
Just because “Deer live in my backyard with fawns”, they eat up anything even its Ohio native plant.
“Wood Poppy” is always so cute and vivid yellow color. But it surely seems tasty for deer.
“Virginia Bluebells” are good to survive from deer. I’m happy about it.
7/06/2025.
I just coincidentally saw this image. It's been a while since we started Spinal Cord Injury life. Every time we plan to travel, I want to make sure if we have everything. Yes, it is very different from the time I packed minimal stuffs.
Entry#424. 7/05/2025.
My husband had a chance to attend Triathlon event at the Queen City Triathlon on 6/22 in Cincinnati.
https://ohiotriathloni71.com/cincinnati-triathlon/event-details/
Actually the organizer had adaptive relay teams for the first time ever in this year. (I guess they had an amputee athlete before.)
So it was kind of “pilot” settings for everyone.
Also the Ohio river water quality was not good enough to swim and the swim leg was canceled two days before the race day.
Are you wondering how the event happened? I learned that part, too.
Every triathlon athletes started at the swim-in area running to the gate into bike rack area. Then they started bike leg. Then run leg was next as the final leg.
There were 2 relay teams. Each team had 1 handcyclist and 1 racing wheelchair (rim-pusher).
They had to improvise several parts of the race protocol. In my husband’s case, he was ready riding on his handcycle to start. He couldn’t start “running” from the very starting line. So his teammate (amputee athlete) wheeled to his position with his wheelchair.
Triathloners use “timing chip bracelets” that they have to wrap it on their right ankle. That’s the official rule. In my husband’s team’s case, especially an amputee athlete cannot do it. My husband cannot wrap it on his ankle from his hahdcycle seating position. So they did with creative ways.
I think both the organizer and adaptive participants (that’s us) saw some problematic parts and felt things that had to be discussed. That would be a good start, I assume. We learned something new, as well.
One of the exciting things at this event was “meeting Mr. David Whelan” for the first time. Do you know him?
https://www.david-whelan.com/about-me
He says in his website,
“I also aim to give back to the adaptive community that has helped me out so much when I needed it and to also help promote an adaptive community in my new home of Cincinnati and expand from there.”
He competed by himself. We saw his amazing cool bike. We saw how he rode and ran with his prosthetic.
After the race, we chatted about each other’s “machines” (his bike and my husband’s handcycle). That moments were precious indeed.
7/04/2025. Our cycling update.
We try to pedal outside as much as possible in the summer. The heat (feels like 90F and over) makes us go pedaling later in the day. But we try anyway.
Do you bike for fun?
Entry#423. 7/04/2025.
I’ve not thought that my friends in town were champions of Speed puzzle competition. It seems they are really great at it.
You should watch the video in this web page. They look amazing and outstanding really.
I had a chance to chat with one of them at grocery store the other day. She said she practices for the competitions. Wow. Practicing for jigsaw puzzles! That’s what I don’t even think about. It sounds there are several strategies and skills that they need to master. Very interesting.
Then coincidentally the new store just opened in our town. Puzzle and Putt Oxford.
https://www.puzzleandputtoxford.com/
They said they have a jigsaw puzzle competition in this month. See? Our town has always something interesting.
Will you try the Speed Puzzle?
7/04/2025. Happy 4th of July!!
It's sunny and abandoned sunshine. A perfect day because I cannot stop smiling. How's your garden flower doing? Oddly I still have larkspur blooming at this time of year. Bee balm joined in. And orange coneflower as well. One part of my garden has three colors together, blue+red+orange with green-background. Looks neat and festive for July 4th, I guess. You like it?
I need to add this yellow marigold here. It's already tall enough and buds are emerging huge. I was looking forward to seeing big bloom. I was careless about protecting them because deer never ate marigolds before in my yards. However right after flower opened, it was gone(!) sadly. I think deer ate it. These buds in this photo are coming up next. We will see if they can survive.
P.S. I guess the height is tall enough that rabbits cannot munch them. So the suspect is a deer, maybe a fawn.
Hmmm, your deer eat marigolds?
Entry#422. 7/03/2025.
I noticed something the other day during Time Trial cycling race on 6/10. My right eye. Only right eye. I felt strange because I thought there were some things in my eye. Maybe tiny bugs, dusts, leaves or something. However I had no pain and it didn’t bother me at all.
After I was home, I looked at the mirror to see my eye’s surface. Nothing. I didn’t find anything in my eye. However those things didn’t go away. I was thinking I had parasites in my right eye. Those things moved independently (non related to my eye movement). Sounds scary?
As usual, I googled about this symptom. Surprisingly it did hit quickly. It says “Eye Floaters”. Are you familiar with it? In Japanese, 飛蚊症 (ひぶんしょう). I haven’t heard of this word in Japan. I didn’t know about it at all.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eye-floaters/symptoms-causes/syc-20372346
The website says “This is a normal part of aging and usually doesn’t threaten vision.”
Okay, I’m getting old for sure. I am 51 years old.
Also it says “Most people simply learn to ignore them, and over time, your brain may adapt to their presence so they become less noticeable, though they generally don’t completely disappear once they form.”
I was impressed at the fact of “brain” part. It sounds “brain will adapt well”.
After I learned about Eye Floaters, I went to see my eye doctor. She confirmed that I had eye floaters. We had a good conversation.
Aging is interesting. I’m going to live with these eye floaters for the rest of my life.
Then I wonder. If you are over 50 years old, do you have eye floaters?
Do my parents have them? I just didn’t know for a long time? (In that case, I am a bad daughter.)
I still feel that I have parasites in my right eye. Strange.
P.S. To be honest, I had to think about the worst case scenario. What if I had to have an eye surgery? What if I lost sight of one eye? Can I still ride a bicycle? Can I drive with one eye? And so on and on….
I am glad that I have a common aging symptom and that is all. I’m relieved.
P.P.S. My new yard sign. It says "I will be in my office." Do you like it?
7/02/2025.
How's your July's start going? It's been a bit strange here with more thunderstorms than usual. This week looks without any indication of thunderstorms. Fingers crossed. So our July started nicely, it's like an "everyday-cycling". Hope we keep it that way.
Today was a special day because I got invited for "UNO party"(!) My wonderful neighbor ladies gathered and played "UNO". It was fun. I love this gathering very much.
7/01/2025.
Please laugh. When I see fresh paintings at parking lots, it makes me feel so good. I'm talking about that BLUE/WHITE paintings. See? I believe you feel it in different ways.
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