Monday, 9/12 – at the farm.

We made it to my sister’s farm this morning and had a good day visiting with Betty and my Mom. If you’d like to see more about my sister’s place, click HERE.

Oh, go ahead and click. They spent a lot of time and effort putting up that web site.

Thank you.

My mom is doing great for an 89-year-old. She is unsteady on her feet, but can get around OK if she has something to hold onto for balance. She says her vision is slowly fading, and she’s concerned that she’s lost a few teeth and some of her hair since I last saw her. But her mind is as sharp as ever, and although she’ll acknowledge that she may not have a whole lot of years left, she’s not ready to cash in her chips just yet.

She’s very interested in what’s going on with her two children, and their children, and their children. She is aware of world events, and although she’s seen an incredible amount of change in the world in her lifetime, she embraces and appreciates what the new technology can do. I think she’s pretty amazing.

Betty’s farm is much the way we remember it, except she has more horses (16, including several she’s boarding for others), fewer dogs (down to about 5, although I may have missed one or two), and cats without number. Betty’s cats are like unsecured wifi hotspots in a population center – ubiquitous.

Speaking of that, she is currently contributing to the plethora. Her own wireless router (called “homefires”) is unsecured. I will be using it first thing tomorrow to post this message to my blog.

On tap for tomorrow is more catching up with all the family affairs and news, and a trail ride in the afternoon to check out the surrounding area from horseback. I haven’t been aboard a horse in a number of years, but I’m looking forward to it. So is Carol, believe it or not. She is also a pretty amazing woman, as I’ve made clear in earlier posts.

For those who have expressed interest, our dinner tonight was a standing rib roast (medium), baked potatoes with all the fixings, peas, salad and Key Lime Pie for desert (along with fresh coffee).

By the end of this trip I’ll have gained 20 pounds at the rate we’re packing in the food.

Oh, and for Christina – in reply to her comment on yesterday’s post – I was aware of the double entendre in my last line, and was also expecting that “someone” might “rise” to the occasion. But not YOU!