I arrived at Valley View safely, 'on schedule' early Saturday afternoon, and with the gate closed I got to use the entry code - for the first time in 40 years.  

It is definitely beyond WEIRD 

that there are no cars, no tents, no people here!  

We had a "reservation" to soak from 3-5 yesterday afternoon, so (with Cheryl here to watch Neil and Hilda) Terry, Elinor, Karen and I walked up to the party pool.  Being post-surgery Elinor could only sit on the edge and dangle her feet, but we sure enjoyed our time together.

Since it was Karen & Mark's last evening here, Richard joined us for dinner (Terry, of course, had whipped up a delicious meal) and it was quite festive.  I behaved, keeping my portion size small, and didn't even join in dessert (her baked-from-scratch rhubarb/strawberry pie) even through I remember from last year how good it is - and then got "up close and personal" when I fed Neil his slice.

Neil and Hilda have both declined since last summer, which while not unexpected is still sad.  The house addition for Hilda, which was not finished by the time I left last summer, turned out lovely.  It's a little crowded at the moment with a second bed in there because Elinor has been staying here for the duration of Karen's visit.  Karen and Mark left for Denver very early this morning to catch their flight home, though Karen hopes to return again, possibly next month.  Elinor will be meeting with her doctors early in the week to schedule her port insertion and chemo treatments.  

As of yesterday a skunk seems to have relocated nearby, so we've been getting whiffs.  I really hope Brownie doesn't meet up with it; Echo's confrontation with one years ago did not end well for her (or me, either!)  Terry has added tomato juice to her shopping list "just in case."

Currently this afternoon Terry, Elinor, and Hilda are on a Zoom baby-shower (the "party" is in Minnesota) and later we're going to start listening to the book club selection so we'll be ready for the Zoom book club "meeting" later this month.  MAYBE I'll learn how to install/do Zoom?

Speaking of books, I am really enjoying my current audio book, 

The Book of Lost Friends.

“The Book of Lost Friends” by Lisa Wingate is the dramatic and hopeful story of three young women searching for family amid the destruction of the post–Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who learns of their story and its vital connection to her students' lives.

 And finally, those pix I promised.

Sometimes Brownie rode in the front seat -

sometimes he rode in the back -

but he was always glad to get out at a pee stop, like Elephant Rocks.