Friends...49º

I have many things on my mind this morning...Friends at the top of the list...We had chicken in wine sauce for dinner last night thanks to the culinary skills of friend Pat...As Rusty finished his second helping he said, with a twinkle in his eye, "Tell Pat this was almost as good as Kentucky Fried." Seriously it was very good and we have enough left for someones lunch today...Neighbor Marsha and her granddaughter Haven arrived this afternoon with a bucket full of fruit from the Oregon grape bushes growing near the  abandoned Boise Cascade Office...This morning I will sort and wash the berries, Herb will set up the gas stove and juicer and we will watch the dark purple juice flow into quart jars and later make it into jelly for our morning toast...Another friend and neighbor, Jane, is in my thoughts this morning...She is nearing ninety and not well, living in assisted living for a few years, she has had a series of falls and her mind is in a state of confusion...she was hospitalized on Monday, I visited her briefly as I left the hospital after my surgery on Tuesday...She was scheduled for more tests as her family and friends waited anxiously...The MRI showed a series of strokes happening in her brain, nothing to be done but keep her as comfortable as possible...Another long time friend, Margaret is also close to ninety, still lives alone but is having severe back pain...She has been hospitalized and a procedure done to alleviate the pain...Our thoughts are with these two dear friends who have enriched our lives over the past forty years.

Now on to daily happenings: Rusty enjoyed a plane ride with Brian yesterday, on a beautiful morning they flew over the Cache Creek fire where he goes with John in the winter to check on horses, maintain the buildings etc...Herb and Rusty sighted in rifles as buck season starts this morning, Russ also has a bear tag...I went to physical therapy, had my bandage changed to large bandaids and Aaron said, "It looks very good so keep your leg flexible and let it bear more weight just so it is not painful." I will see Dr. Burgoyne on Tuesday with more instructions and renew the PT...I have the ice machine humming this morning, advil taken, time to start another day...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

P.S. Heard from our girls in Portland, Cienna scored a point for her water polo team and last night she and friends were at a HS football game, yelling for their team.