On the 1st, Kathy (still at Eisenhower Hospital) noticed her neighbor moved out this morning, so she grabbed the bed by the window. She spoke clearly all day, and walked about 100' in the halls outside her room with a walker, but was very weak and slightly confused. Jef again visited to about 7pm.

Kathy by her window

View from window

Eisenhower this evening

On the 2nd, after walking dogs for 1+ miles around the circle, Jef again drove to Rancho Mirage and visited Kathy in the hospital. She was walking without a walker when he got there, and had done a number of laps in the halls outside her room. She was ready to go, but waited to get a spinal tap to determine if her cancer had spread into her spinal fluid. After this test, packed her up and drove her home.

Sunrise this morning at WStar

On the 3rd, mostly took it easy at home. Jef made up a batch of Kathy's tuna salad.

Jef burned dead branches at Sewanee house this morning

Palm Canyon Drive this evening

On the 4th, Jef took doggies on a 1 mile walk this morning. Holley dropped by this afternoon with gifts for Kathy. She took us out to dinner at the Red O & spent another hour or 2 before driving home to Huntington Park.

Let go of puppies in driveway. Daisy went to the door, but Pepper had to be dragged in.

Holley with gifts

Kathy & Holley at the Red O

After dinner came

On the 5th, mostly took it easy at home. Jef & Kathy walked around the circle - Kathy used her walker.

Sun reflecting on our glass art in front yard

Elephant tree blooming across the street

New owners are not watering, so some of the rare desert plants are dying

The tallest cirio is on the order of 150 years old!

Kathy tried walking without walker. Walker ran away, but stopped at the edge of the road

On the 6th, mostly took it easy at home.

Cool sunrise this morning

On the 7th, got up super early and drove Kathy to Rancho Mirage for her 1st infusion for her new MDS diagnosis. Jef shopped while she was there.

On the 8th, Jef drove to SD for dental appt. Dentist said implant was not possible, so scheduled a "Maryland bridge" to be installed. Did some shopping & got Kathy some Thai food on the drive home.

Panorama of Cuyamacas from Sunrise Highway

Cuyamaca Peak

Fall colours starting near Mt. Laguna at 6000' elevation

Fall panorama

Briefly stopped for road work

Stopped by Big Rock house on way home - Hector had cleaned up the front yard

Weeds in back yard were about 6' tall

Attic needs insulation

Bathtub needs re-installing and lots of clean up needed in back yard

On the 9th, mostly took it easy at home.

Sunset this evening

On the 10th, Jef & Kathy took doggies around circle, about 1 mile, early this morning. Kathy walked without walker. A soaking rain came this afternoon.

Sunrise this morning

Sunrise reflected off bedroom window

Forgot cilantro, but made salsa verde including this unusually tomatillo

Rain from hurricane Rachel started this evening

On the 11th, Jef took puppies on a 3 mile walk, hitting the old country club.

Clouds this morning

Bob is back and sporting a 2008 Anza Borrego Paleontology shirt and a TIE!

Lenticulars over towards Santa Rosas

Guest house meter

Sunset this evening

On the 12th, mostly took it easy at home.

Sunrise this morning

New agaves coming up around recently bloomed agave

Walking puppies on the way home, saw a sheen from top of this palm tree, but it wasn't a leaf. Raven sitting on top of dead palm

On the 13th, Jef went over and did some work at Sewanee house - partly fixing broken irrigation line and burning dead foliage.

Still water left from last rain

Burning leaves & branches

Result of prior rain behind house

On the 14th, mostly took it easy & did some chores (including sanding/varnishing bench in front of house).

Kathy resting on our walk with doggies around the circle this day

On the 15th, Jef went over and finished fixing irrigation line and cutting paloverde and desert willow branches, filling burn barrel for next time.

After fixing broken irrigation at Sewanee

On the 16th, Jef drove Kathy to Murietta for MD visit and shopping. Strong Santa Anas caused wildfires to greatly expand and the 5 was closed, so the 15 and parallel roads were jammed! It was bumper to bumper for 50 miles from SD to Temecula. We followed Google maps to get home and had to detour to the 76. We saw much increased traffic even on the 76, but had little trouble getting home.

Sunrise this morning

On the 17th, got parade stuff ready, rousted Kathy & got her to our usual spot at the parade. Set up a table & put ice chest with bloody mary & red beer supplies, but Kathy slept thru the whole affair and noone asked for any drink. Kathy could not be awoken during the parade, so had to move car to Kathy & transfer a very groggy Kathy into it - several bystanders helped. At home, transferred her to wheelchair & got her into living room. After sort of waking up this afternoon, she thought something was wrong, so called 911 and she was shipped to JFK, where she was admitted. Jef drove there that night, but the hospital was in lockdown, so couldn't see her and he drove home.

Fred Jee announced the parade in our area across the street from us

These 4 planes started the parade with 4 overj-flights

Kathy slept thru the whole parade

The local fire department started the parade

The American Legion

Heavy duty artillery

Martha was the grand marshall

Local girl scouts

Meals on Wheels

Holtville junior high band

BS High alumni - the '69 representative at left, Mr. Tater, is who we bought our white Jeep from

2 representatives from my class of '71. Don't know who, but possibly Debby Hibdon & Tony DeDomenico, as they still reside here in borrego

Class of '73

The girls from Julian

Looking east

Ramona trash people

Girls & Boys Club

Dave Farley & Sylvia the chiropractor in town

Basic

The state park

Miss Borrego & court

The guy with a bicycle frame made out of air

Michaels (Borrego's newest restaurant)

This Jeep can come in "handy"

Borrego Film Festival

Note the red carpet trailing from the float

Calicos announced they plan to stay open (they've been closed a lot during past 2 years)

Holtville high skool band

Wonderland?

Marge manning the Bargain Barn float

Fredericks

Back home, Kathy had very unual blood pressure readings

Santa Annas from prior day caused 5 pots to blow over in our front yard

Jef drove to town to briefly check out what was happening - Ricardo brought this pumpkin sculpture

One of about a dozen cars on display at the circle

Outside the BAI - met Stef & John inside and talked for about 15 minutes before this

Rain!

Kathy being wheeled out to ambulance during a great sunset

Waited for over an hour outside JFK, but it was still on lockdown at 10:30, so decided to drive home before I fell asleep

On the 18th, drove to JFK with supplies for Kathy. Stayed about 5 hours until she was released and drove her home. She had gotten 3 units of blood and lots of tests while there.

On the 19th, woke up around 2am to some banging on the side of the house. Went outside and couldn't readily identify the source, but noticed it was also coming from guest house. Determined something was wrong with the irrigation line, so went out front and found a leak in the line. Turned off water to irrigation and banging ceased.

Finally after several weeks, my sweet potato experiment has yielded some leaves

On the 20th, got reminded that the irrigation was not working, so "fixed" what I thought was the leak, but failed, so shelved it until late that afternoon. Tried again, replacing the pressure reducer this time, and sort of succeeded (but there was still a little leak).

Replaced section of irrigation

Nice sunset this evening

On the 21st, Kathy went to local MD here in Borrego. While there, they did a stick test that determined her hemoglobin was dangerously low, so we arranged to go to her hematologist the next day for a possible blood transfusion.

Cool clouds this day

On the 22nd, got up early and drove Kathy to MD in Rancho Mirage. Visit was quick and after measuring Kathy's blood, it was determined that local clinic's reading was way off and Kathy could go home without a transfusion. We shopped on the way home and took it easy the rest of the day.

Sunrise this morning

Raven flying over house this afternoon

Nice blustery day

Sunset this evening

On the 23rd, took it easy at home, preparing for Jim Rickard Memorial the following day.

On the 24th, attended Jim Rickard's Celebration of Life at La Casa. Then stopped by for an after party at Borrego Springs Resort.

Linda & Rose signing people in with name tags for Jim's memorial. Melanie, Grace's niece who organized this event is standing in the door at the right

Kathy & Jef inside

Panorama showing most of the 50 people in attendence

3 Clark Lake alumni - Grace & Will worked for University of Maryland, Will worked under direction of Stan Shawhan, University of Iowa, along with Jef

Replica of original Glorietta Canyon madonna

Jef & Kathy walked doggies about 1 1/2 miles this afternoon

Kathy with Grace at after-pary

After pary

On the 25th, took it easy at home. Will & his girl came by that afternoon. Will rides an e-bike & is pretty unstable. They stopped for appetizers & a couple beers & we had a good conversation. They leave for SD tomorrow.

Our guest and us in the living room

On the 26th, made waffles for Kathy.