Blanca arrived from Smyrna with her friend Martha, Martha's daughter Claudia and her friend Amanda. Mary served them a late lunch of goulash and rice.

The ladies gabbed for a good while in the kitchen. At length, Mary served coffee with Gansitos.

I retired to the outpost, but wasn't there long. Chilling winds sent me to the shelter of the garage.

The ladies took their leave in a good mood. Amanda was a little girl again. Collected brightly colored leaves that had fallen from a nearby maple.

Watching the trees move, I felt a gentle wave of peacefulness pass over me. It intensified with two recitals of The Sorrowful Mystery from my iPhone app. I stayed for my little supper, but was eventually forced inside by the evening cold.

61.4 °F, overcast.

Without energy all day.

Mary was delighted with a scene this morning. Two deer amidst a gang of turkey, just in front of the garage, all quietly browsing.

Swai fish for lunch, with potato salad, tomato and a steamer of broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. Apple and pear appetizers.

A little time at the outpost. Driveway strewn with hickory nuts, persimmon fruit and leaves. Pleasant fall winds.

Supper in the garage. George drove up for a chat. As soon as he left, a big rainstorm blew in.

72.2 °F, rain.

Andrea couldn't make it this week. Busy with the festival, I think.

Mary made some of her special potato salad for lunch. It went with ham, cranberry sauce and green peas. Cantaloupe appetizers.

I thought brother Marion more at ease today. Mother had an occasional moment of clarity. And, many lost ones.

About 3:00 pm, Mary and I took our guests home.

From the shelter of the garage, I watched a light rain build. Ate my supper. Watched eight turkeys promenade through the trees of the front yard. Some ran, took off and flew high upon a branch to roost. They thought night had fallen.

I ignored the damp chill. Breathed in the clean air. That was enough.

65.2 °F, overcast.

Darnell called early. His prospects balked at paying property taxes on #2 and #3 warehouses. Sigh. Never hurts to try.

Fought a driving rain on my way to my 11:30 am appointment with my pulmonologist in Columbia. We arrived just in time for my chest x-rays at Core Physicians before going up to see Dr. Heflin. Went smoothly. He realizes nothing can be done about my scoliosis. Cheerful banter is what I needed.

Mary and had a late lunch at the nearby Hardee's. Shared an order of chicken tenders with fries. Before heading home, we stopped at Lowe's where Mary bought air filters for the house a/c.

When we arrived home, we found a check from Teledyne in the mailbox. Headed back into town. First Farmers, then back home for our afternoon coffees.

The Goats Music and More Festival began today. We headed to Rock Creek Park. Left the Durango at the VFW. The first thing we noticed was that pretty young ladies occupied the park benches along the path. Local beauty queens, I learned. They were to judge a procession of families/children that was about to start. Mary and I took up position near the big bridge, ready for a photo-op.

Who should be first in line but nieces Andrea, Denise, and their families. They had a good chance of winning first prize. This was a new event and no other groups were visible behind them.

Our main objective is always the food area. Each year we have to sample Margarita's gordita's. She was busy in the "kitchen" of the Mr. Q's Casa stand, but took a few minutes to greet us. Mary and I ate two gorditas a piece. Mary took six more home with her. Two dollars a piece.

On our way out, we ran into nephew Joel and his Tabitha.

Passing Moro's stand, we stopped to talk with his children Ifrahim and Joanna who were taking orders for drinks.

Just then, someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was Joe Martin who served with me for several yeas on the Board of Equalization. I could tell he had forgotten my name and at first his name was lost to me. How time flies.

Mary drives when it is local, but still doesn't like to drive at night. So, we quickly took in some of the booths before ending up in one of the goat tents. We might have done more but those tents stink like the devil.

Nevertheless, it was dark by the time we arrived back at the house.

It was along day, but a good one.

119 lbs.

73.5 °F, partly cloudy.

Cumbia Radio on Pandora lifted me last night.

12:00 pm appointment for me and Mary to get our teeth cleaned at the dentist's today. Dr. Rector was not there. I learned that his son Evan was injured in a motorcycle accident Saturday before last in Columbia. Lost control in a curve and collided with a car. Still in Vanderbilt's trauma unit after losing his left arm and leg.

Mary and I lunched at Rafael's, up the road. Mary had a ham and cheese calzone. I ordered spaghetti, child's plate.

During my cleaning, I had mentioned that I was headed there. So, guess who came into the restaurant behind us. The better part of Dr. Rector's staff.

Back home, Mary and I had just enough time for our afternoon coffees before meeting Mike Darnell of Keller Williams Realty at the warehouses. 3:00 pm. He had prospective tenants for my #2 and #3. The meeting went well. I'll know how well in two weeks.

While we were at the warehouses, sister Deborah drove up with Mother. She had a jar of honey she bought me and a check from at&t to deposit for Mother.

Back home, brother George drove up to ask if I had new renters. He had seen me at the warehouses. I told him what I knew.

Mary and I watched Broken Flowers (2005) from Netflix. Jaded Don Juan learns that he may have a nineteen year old son and goes looking for him. Bill Murray puts the timing he learned as a comedian to good work here. He's spot on. The directing is near flawless, as well. I could watch this again.

Finished off Mary's calzone for supper. Spent a little quality time at the outpost. Watched a flaming full moon rising from behind the distant hills. A satisfactory end for a more than satisfactory day.

69.9 °F, mostly cloudy.

With both my leg-braces on, had to ask Mary to help me up from the toilet this morning.

Light rain, on and off, all day.

Sausage Egg McMuffins and coffees for breakfast.

Mary had a 10:30 am with her ophthalmologist, Dr. Hamilton, in Columbia. Went smoothly.

Back home for lunch: Goulash, tomato and a steamer of rice with vegetables. Avocado on the side. Apple and pear appetizers.

All the air has been let out of me. I feel that I could rest if only I didn't have to breath in ever so often.

76.7 °F, mostly cloudy.

Slept well.

Gloria Einhorn paid us a visit. Mary fed her and cut her hair. Gloria brought apples and sugar-free cookies in exchange.

Chicken for my lunch, with a steamer of asparagus, garden tomatoes and a very spicy chicken tamale. Gloria's diet allowed her Mary's goulash minus the beef. Mary had the best of both worlds.

Mary gave Gloria a farewell tour of her garden and loaded her up on mint plants to set out.

As Gloria was leaving, sister Deborah drove up and gave me some of Mother's tax papers to process.

Mary and I watched Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) from Netflix. Klaus Kinski's take on Dracula is interesting, but I didn't like Werner Herzog's directing. The result was campy.

Too windy/chilly for the outpost.

54.8 °F, clear.

Began my Medic series last night.

Andrea couldn't make it this morning.

Deborah brought Mother late. Had problems getting her up and dressed.

Steve Lewis of Edward Jones came by to pick up a check. We moved some of my and Mother's investments around.

Mary's goulash for lunch. Cornbread and avocado on the side.

Mother was really lost at cards today. Had to be prompted more than once to make a play.

Mother threw up once. Mary suggested it was caused by the hard candy Mother sucks on continually. We tried to deny Mother more candy. Offered potato chips instead. But, she was as insistent as a heroin addict.

We played later than usual. Mary and I took our guests home afterwards. Picked up a prescription at Kroger on the way back.

Mary thinks Mother should not be left by herself at night.

I was taking supper in the garage/patio when brother George drove up with a few more tomatoes and okra. We chatted. Traded stories. Hashed out a few problems. George told of his dream: He arrived at Mother's where Deborah announced that she had just passed on. Mother lay in her bed. Her sister Katherine was at her side, holding her hand.

Aunt Katherine passed away twelve years ago.

I took sundown at the outpost.

117 lbs.

66.5 °F, clear.

Woke up worrying about needed repairs to Warehouse #6.

Cheerios topped with strawberries for breakfast.

Rotisserie chicken for lunch, with stewed butternut squash, steamed carrots, creamed spinach and tomato. Avocado on the side. Gala apple and Bosc pear appetizers.

Town run. We parked the Durango near Bank of America. Mary deposited money into grandson Johnny's account. From there we walked/scootered on the park trail toward the library. Our little drought hardly compares to California's, but all looked dead enough. Mary counted fifty Canada Geese vying for positions along the dwindling stream. I saw one stubborn turtle taking it like a man.

We ran into Cecelia. She worked for a while with Sandra. Now works at Cosmolab.

From the park, we headed to Kroger to get refills on prescriptions. I decided Kroger is better than Walmart when it comes to fresh/frozen produce and little dinners.

Cantaloupe with a re-heated pizza slice for supper.

Outpost. Back in blue territory. Watched two deer, after sundown, bed down near me in the field.

79.4 °F, partly cloudy.

George brought a check early to be deposited for Mother.

Deposits at First Farmers and First National. Gas at Murphy. Club sandwich and chips at Subway. Joanna, Moro's daughter, was there with a companion.

Walmart.

None of my snaps were worthy of a post.

Back home, Deborah brought me what she thought were two bills for Mother. One was not.

At the outpost, I drifted sweetly into the night. So peaceful.

72.8 °F, clear.