On being a farm girl in West Texas wind and sun

 I love feeding Rio and Jenny when I am home.  I just had to whistle once this morning for him to come in from the pasture and head to the gate for his treat, then over to the food bin.

While Jenny took her treat last night--and it was the first time she had seen me since the first of August--she would not take it from my hand this morning.  I was being patient, waiting her out when it rolled out of my hand and that ended patience.

One of the chickens squawked under his feet, and Rio raised up startled.  Not much can distract him at feeding time, generally speaking.

We woke earlier this morning than usual for Dad of late, but still later than in all the years before Dad got sick.  I went out to get the paper, take Tinka out, and feed while Dad shaved.  It was still cool and pleasant, and boded a beautiful day.

 I thought about walking over to the pasture later in the day, but the day and its errands took too much time for me to make it before I ran out of energy!  Pharmacy run, grocery store run, mail run, and coffee run.

It has been mine and Dad's habit for years when I came home to sit on the deck in the morning for coffee.  We just had them re-stained and sealed before winter rains and ice got here, and got some new heavy, metal deck chairs.  I was in my pajamas still, but Dad needed his wrap--he said he was cold!

I have not been home at this time of year in all the years since we moved to Mississippi, always having to come during semester breaks and spring break, so I was surprised to see the front yard full of these red "rain" flowers.  I don't know what they are, perhaps some kind of day lily, but we always called them rain lilies because they usually bloomed right after a rain in the early fall.

Now it's evening, so we do our sitting on the east deck out of the sun.  The wind has been blowing like crazy all day, but it is slowing down a bit now and as it is cooling off in temps, it is pretty nice out here.  I am loving this wi-fi, and it has been great to be able to deal with work issues today, as well as keep up  with my sister and brother.  My brother and his wife are on their way in right now, and will be here through Sunday.  These days, we never know when we can all get here at the same time, and it has meant so much to Mom and Dad that we have been able to do it twice in the last year.  When they found out I was coming back in this week, they decided to take off and come for the weekend.  My sis will be back tomorrow night, along with my niece, and a couple of my cousins are supposed to be here.  We plan a simple meal and some family time.  There is nothing my dad likes better than all of his kids around, and if he could, his grandkids, too.  That doesn't happen much these days, but we do the best we can.

Dad is getting his strength back, and this morning I went in the kitchen to see him dancing a few steps with the day-time caregiver/nurse.  She has been good for Dad and can get him to do things no one else could--eat regularly, stay hydrated, shave, keep his legs and feet elevated.  She's been doing this work for a long time, and she is very good at it.  We are fortunate to have her, grateful to have her, and blessed that she loves working here.  We hope as soon as Dad recovers fully from this last bout that they won't need the night time help any more, but one thing about it, as long as they do, one of us will be here to do it.  My sister is retired, and lives a few miles away, and since she lost her husband last fall, has been the primary one to do everything.  That's the main reason I have come down so often since last fall when Dad got sick, to give her some break time to see her kids and grandkids and not have to do everything all the time.  My sister-in-law will come the last week of October to give her a break since I cannot come that week.

I am stocking up on items to just leave here so it is easier to pack and travel, especially for the times I fly, like this time and last time.  These days with the airlines charging you for everything (I am fully expecting soon to have to pay for the oxygen mask" in the event of a loss of cabin pressure" and it drops down), and soon, we'll probably have to pay for a carry-on if it is more than a 3x5 inch handbag.  I am trying to get it set up so I can literally pick up my purse and laptop and camera, all in one easy to carry tote bag, and not have to bring anything else with me.  That is especially important on the DFW to Wichita Falls leg of the flight, where we are on a "Regional jet" and the overhead bins will hold a wash cloth if it is tightly rolled.

That's right, American Airlines, I do still have my sense of humor, and you cannot take it away from me, not even when I get the personalized TSA pat down again in Wichita in full view of the entire airport because my new knee joint sets off the metal detector...and I remind you, that I told you it would.  But hey, I have been x-rayed and ya'll have seen all my business in Memphis already, right?  I love the world we live in today.