Bismarck, ND,
Las Vegas, NV, and Brian Head, UT: October 18-28, 2009
Click on the above thumbnail for a map during this time period
As we mentioned in our previous post, some 20 days after my
knee surgery I was suddenly and unexpectedly struck by a painful episode of
liquid on the knee. As a consequence, I delayed my scheduled departure
from Bismarck and began all over again the slow process of rehabilitation.
The bright side of the situation was that the delay gave me extra time to spend
with Mom and sister Zona and the subset of her family that resides in Bismarck.
During this time Mom finished moving out of her house and moved the last of her
things to Bismarck. Zona and husband Mike are in the process of remodeling
a wing of their house for Mom's new residence. It should be an ideal
setup for Mom.
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House perched on rim of Missouri River valley -- note the interesting butte in their yard
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Panorama taken on a turn of the Missouri River
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Sister Zona mowing their huge yard
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Also, the initial phase of near-total-inactivity afforded plenty of opportunity
for fiddling with the new Mac computer and its software. Very elegant,
indeed.
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At work on the new Mac
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By Oct. 24 I had long since stopped using crutches, and was
fit enough to travel to Las Vegas to join my bride and visit with her folks.
Fortunately, Barb's father was well on the mend from his surgery and her mother
was feeling quite well while I was there. Also, Barb's sister Mary and
friend Candy arrived earlier the same day I did to take over the care of their
parents. Mary and Candy spent a week with us in Antigua earlier this
year and it was good to see them again.
Son Jeff is now living in Vegas, and he joined us to show
us some of his old stomping grounds in Utah. We first stopped briefly at
the Kolob Canyons branch of Zion National Park -- in the extreme northwestern
corner -- where we admired the spectacular canyon walls and envied the hikers
preparing to depart along the trails. Then, on to Parowan where Barb's
brother Mike and his family live. Mike joined our entourage and we drove
up to Brian Head and on to Cedar Breaks, where there were more spectacular cliffs and also the
cabin that Mike is building and the land that Jeff is in the process of buying
to build a also cabin. We hope to spend time there during future hurricane
season lullls.
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Barb, Candy and Mary in back row -- Grampa Cliff (unable to shave after neck surgery) and Grandma Louise in the front
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Barb and son Jeff at Zion Nat'l Park
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Sign at overlook to Cedar Cliffs
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Panorama at Cedar Cliffs
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Son Jeff, Barb, and brother Mike
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Cedar cliffs
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Cedar cliffs
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Drought a few years ago made the pines vulnerable to bark beetles -- now many have died
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Sign at the top of Brian Head Peak
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Looking west from Brian Head Peak
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Another panorama from the Peak
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Looking southeast from Brian Head Peak toward Mike's cabin (w/ red roof)
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Jeff at rear of Mike's cabin-in-the-making
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Barb, Jeff and Mike look over Jeff's new parcel of land purchased almost adjacent to Mike's cabin
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Cliff on the road to Brian Head
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Mule deer on protected land near Brian Head
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Trophies ...
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... on the wall ...
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... of Mike's garage/work shop!
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Finally, on Oct. 28, we used our lousy connections (12 hour
layover at JFK) to return to Trinidad. It is good to be back, but there
was much to do in order to get ready for our launch. (But that is a
subject for a separate issue of "Barb and Chuck Go Cruising".
