Spring Soccer

We got to SD on Friday afternoon to greet the g'kids when they got home from school! So good to see them and their parents! Saturday afternoon was spent watching soccer. 50º, damp and a wind out of the north...spring in SD!

Miss W and g'pa playing a little soccer

until she left for the playground

diving the yellow team into 2

Dad coaching M's group

finally shirt over the jacket

so much fun to watch

and see the improvement since last fall

notice all the adults with blankets!

G'pa and M trying to stay warm

By Sunday afternoon it warmed enough to have the doors open at the house and to be outside playing in the dirt. All those AZ tubs can wait for another day...

Hubby Update

Hubby is now 7 days from completion of the EECP (Enhanced External Counter-Pulsation) 35 session therapy and just as the doctors, staff, websites and brochures stated, improvement will be noticed as the patient nears the final two weeks.

There is no formal test to evaluate improvement. "The patient will know when EECP has done what it says it will do."

Hubby is using the treadmill as his measure of circulation improvement. Prior to EECP and during his cardiac rehab sessions, any elevation gain while on the treadmill brought on the symptoms of angina. He has been adding elevation to his workouts this week and has NO ANGINA symptoms. This is awesome news and means we can finally head home on May 9th.

We meet with the cardiologist next Friday. That appointment and these last therapy sessions will make 70 medical related appointments, sessions and procedures this winter. It will all be worth it if he can mow the lawn without experiencing angina this summer.

Miss W is 8

It is with sad hearts we are not with Miss W on her 8th Birthday. We will sing Happy Birthday and Skype with her after school today. Here are some photos from her past birthdays...

1st birthday

2nd birthday

3rd birthday

4th birthday

5th birthday

6th birthday

7th birthday

We love you Miss W and wish you

many more Happy Birthdays!!!

The Colors of Cactus Flowers

I had the loan of a golf cart last week and took advantage of it to check the blooming cacti around the resort. The blooms you see are from varieties of prickly pear, pin cushion, a barrel, and some others I do not know. I just may have to stop at a nursery and get a book to identify what I am photographing.

the javelinas found this cactus quite tasty

Guest Photographer

OFD visited for a week in February. She accompanied Hubby and Lil' Red on a trip to the desert. Here are some of her photos from that bumpy excursion.

interesting scarring on the trunk of a saguaro

isn't that just the coolest??????

we could all title this one!

and another with some title opportunities

This just goes to show not all saguaros look alike!