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.



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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.

LCHS class of 2010

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Gray and rainy

Quintessential Delaware: gray, rainy, and unseasonable. It is mid May and the high today is predicted to be 50. And rain. Tomorrow's prediction is 54 and showers. Is there a difference between rain and showers? I thought showers were just rain inside your bathroom involving shampoo and soap.

Kent and I were out last night for a stroll around the local mall. Must more upscale that it was when my ilk were of mall-rat age. Fact I learned at the mall: Bose has more outlets in the Philadelphia Airport than they do in my entire state. This astonishes me.

Lesson learned from a day at my parents: there is a tv station that has fake court cases on all day. Again, astonishment.

Stu has texted asking mysterious questions like should he use a flame thrower to get rid of Apache Plume. (see rattlesnake post below.) Not sure what I will return home to...