March 26

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A thick dusting of snow overnight turned the pavement white.

(Dad -- see the faint reddish circle on the street and the snow pile, not too far above the bottom of the pic, in the middle?  That's another of those sun-on-the-lens effects....)



Here's a close crop of a place just below center in the above -- much-shinier dots on the road.  They caught my eye particularly, but are barely visible above.....

Here you can really see it was a dusting.

We spent most of the day driving, springing my father-in-law from rehab, and taking him back to his independent-living apartment.  He is more and more frail.  His days of being able to bathe and dress himself are numbered.  Of course none of us knows the number....

He worked hard at his rehab, and is determined to keep up with his exercises, which will help him be as strong as he can be.

Getting old sucks.

Trying to figure out we can or should do do that is helpful, but not too bossy and intrusive, is difficult, as we watch his grasp on time and facts slip -- along with easy ability to hang up a coat in a closet, or get out of a chair......... 

At what point does "a right to make bad decisions" become "inability to make one's own decisions"?  To what extent does the fact that making bad decisions is totally out of character influence recognition by the powers that be that someone is closing in on "shouldn't be unilaterally making important decisions"...............

We have no idea............

The good news is that he was welcomed with open arms back to his community.  Staff and other residents alike were effusively glad to see him.  He was very reluctant to make the move out of his house into a retirement community, but is now glad that he did make that move.  We were very happy to hear him say "This is really home" after yet another person came over to his table at lunch to give him a hug and tell him "Welcome home!"

He is a friendly, gregarious guy.  We were sure he would be better off around lots of people than sitting around alone in a house, and we are glad that he is experiencing the benefits of being in a retirement community.



We walked, after we got home, and then I walked Burt.  It was another beautiful, bright blue, COLD day.  Just under freezing, and too windy for comfort.

It wasn't actually warm enough to hold a book with bare hands, but because I was all warmed up from a brisk mile, I did it anyway.

Snow levels don't go down, much, when the highs are about 30 (F) and the nights are 20 degrees colder....

Closeup of melting snow. 

Burt was pretty trotty (as opposed to draggy).  For the last week or so he's been interested in going around a whole block (as opposed to just going a few properties' worth, then turning tail for home immediately after pooping, which is what happened for most of the last several months).

I think the extra exercise is good for him.  He's been seeming a bit more spry in the house, too.

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