Enough Winter

Photos
Left: Ashuwillticook bike path in northwestern Massachusetts. It's really a multi-use trail but all I care about is bike riding. I long to get back on the bike therefore I post pictures.
Right: The same bike path coing into North Adams. What a great trail. Too bad it's so far away from me. It's an 85 mile trip one way.


The coldest yet
We are about to experience the coldest temperatures of the winter. That is to be expected and in another couple of weeks we should experience the January thaw. February and March can be prolific snow makers, so don’t think we are out of range of the snowmaker.

Mother’s continuing problems
My mother has been hospitalized since January 2nd. It’s the same old problem…blocked small intestine. She was operated on last October 28th and all her doctor found was adhesions, which he freed up and we all thought that was the end of it.

This time he saw something new on the CT scan and had to operate again. The section of intestine that had been an ongoing problem had since withered to the diameter of a pencil. He had no choice but to operate again.

She is 96. At this time she is no longer experiencing excruciating pain. The nurses get her out of bed, but she is still extremely week. She has no strength in her legs and cannot even feed herself. She has lost her hand to mouth coordination. Hopefully this is a temporary condition. Her response to questions is very slow and sometimes she makes no response for whatever reason.

She has surprised us before by bouncing back. Pray this is yet another time.

If you are squeamish read no further
At least once a year, sometimes twice, some dawn-prowling critter deposits half a mouse on my back patio. One year the front quarter was left looking back at it’s hindquarter. That was hard to take. Yesterday I was the recipient of the front half only. I appreciate that I have a friend in the animal world looking out for my emotional wellbeing. I’m not sure I like seeing the proof of prowess any better than I like the thought of having mice around.