Quince and I have had a very nice weekend in Delaware. We had Sunday dinner in Felton with Lawn and George. Yesterday we saw more family: nephew Christopher, his kids Alex and Riley, and mom Jesse. They are all doing well.

Also spent time yesterday at Longwood Gardens. Despite good intentions to see more, we barely got out of the Conservatory. Kent (left) is in the Children's Garden, where we (me, Quin, and Kent) spent more time than is maybe seemly for, really, people our age. Also saw their pipe organ, which had 10,010 pipes and an absolutely beautiful ballroom for the console. Kent and Dad seem to be doing well.

Today Quin and I hop the Amtrak for the Big Apple. We have theater tickets and have studies NYT reviews for others we are interested in.

Long time, no blog

Stu and I on a Sunday hike. Annie (age 11) and Rosie (age 10) are still happy to go walking with us, if they appreciate 4 mile hikes now more than 6 or 10 mile hikes.

Back from Summer travel part 1: Kid travel. Quincy needed to be in Ashland in Late July, and Jake needed to return from Pullman (summer job) about the same time, so we did a grand circle up the west coast, east to Pullman, and down the Rockies to home. Long days in the car, but we had good conversations with the kids.

This weekend, Quincy and I head east for a visit to my dad and brother, then on to NYC for her graduation trip. We have a studio apartment about a block from Times Square, and it should be a good time. Stu will join us for a long weekend.

Then at the end of September, Quincy heads to college, and we officially become empty-nesters (although Annie and Rosie are hoping to step into the void).

The end of an era

My mother died July 5 in Delaware. Stu and I arrived home from Delaware just yesterday from the family gathering. We saw lots of family and friends at her viewing, and that part was good, but it was a sad occasion. She will be missed by many people.

For two weeks in a row, Stu traveled to Delaware on a Wednesday and home again on a Saturday. I was in Delaware for a visit two weeks ago, but the Tuesday night before I was to return to New Mexico, my mom was taken to the emergency room with pneumonia. Her heath was very fragile, and Friday, before I left on Saturday, as a family we decided to transfer her care to Delaware Hospice. In the meantime, a doc in the same emergency room as my mom confirmed that my stomach ache was appendicitis, so had an appendectomy while I was east. The whole situation seemed kinda surreal. Stu came out Wednesday the 30th (appendectomy day) to help me recover and to get home on Saturday. The surgeon did a great job, and I recovered quickly from the surgery.

My mom died the following Monday, and we were back in Delaware by Wednesday. The rest of the year is packed with travel, but we will squeeze in one more trip to Delaware over the Labor Day weekend to visit my Dad and Kent. They both are handling this with great strength.

A taste of Avondale

Logo from the side of an Avondale, Pennsylvania emergency vehicle. What southern New Mexico is to chile, this part of the world is to mushrooms.

So what do mushrooms grow in? Avondale might be taking the mushroom for its logo, but they surely included the dung-derivative that give the town its distinct aroma.

My dad visited the rehab centers we found on Friday and mi madre will move to one of them tomorrow or Tuesday. I am staying in Delaware until then and hope to see her settled into the new place. Today was her birthday, and a call from her brother brought a big smile to her face.

Delaware in June

Tried for about ten minutes to photograph a lightning bug in Delaware tonight but had to settle for a volunteer inpatients instead. Also, this is the first photo upload from my new phone.

I am in Delaware mostly to share my dad's pain. My mother had a stroke a week ago Thursday and was pretty severely affected. She seems to be pretty aware of what is going on around her but her communication is very limited and she has no mobility. She is in a rehabilitation center and progress is very slow. Her condition is complicated by diabetes and lung cancer and a clotting condition. She is eating very little. There seems to be little to be done for her, and I share her pain, too. She sleeps a lot and it is difficult to tell what that pain is.

Kent and I spent yesterday morning looking at long-term care facilities. If my mother fails to make progress at her current rehab center, she will need to move to another facility. I can't think that schlepping around the countryside is what she wants.

Thanks to all for the kind words. It means more than I can say.

Fire in Achenbach Canyon

Apparently the house is right on the flight path from Achenbach Canyon to someplace on the other sthe mountains.  Tankers just flew over, dropped a load, and headed north and east.  The spotter planes are still circling over, so I assume the tankers will be back.  

It is still warm.  Almost 7 and 89 degrees.  Stu and I had dinner on the deck as we watched the planes.  

Spotter plane just led a tanker back to the canyon.  now he is taking his second pass, which presumably when the pilot drops the load.  It takes about 20 minutes for the round trip, reload, and dump.



Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide

It's a dry heat.

It is a little warm here today. Book club later, and I do think I will cycle in. Downhill all the way in, and it might be cooler by the time I need to come home. But I am also just stubborn like that. Friday it was 100, and that ride home seemed a breeze.

Anniversary yesterday -- 27 years. Never would have thought it would go so fast. We went out (me, Stu, and Quin), taking advantage of the decreasing availability of a designated driver.