Shades of Friday Grays

7:58

Awoke about 6:30, darken skies and cool, 54 degrees, though it's going down tomorrow to the 40's; we will see.  It's now 9: 50 and I have just returned with my last load of stones, and I have a monumental pile in my drive way, for use the next couple of months.  I also took the weeds off and raked more, as they keep coming in each day, from where we have little idea.  It's as if someone cuts their weeds each day and they wash up on our small beach.

We ended up going in to see Lloyd in the hospital for the first time yesterday afternoon.  He is in pretty bad shape, as almost everything has gone wrong and there's not much they can do, just keep him comfortable and sedated.  He did seem happy to see us though it's very difficult for him to talk and he gets tired very easily.  He is supposedly going off to physical therapy nearby today, but I cannot imagine he will be able to do much, as his muscles have atrophied and he is very discouraged by the prognosis and the way he feels, often nauseous, little appetite, and some pain.  It's unclear how bad the liver cancer is, along with his other problems.  His daughter and grand kids came in just as we were leaving and they lit up the room, great kids, 8th and 5th graders.  We took Vi out to her favorite restaurant, Palmer's, right across the street from the hospital and allowed her to vent for a couple of hours.  She's an amazingly strong woman after all she has gone through and is going through now.  We are going to try to go in at least once a week to see Lloyd and take her out, just to get her away from her routine and give her a chance to talk and laugh a little.  It's makes us so sad and feel so lucky.  Inshallah.

After a walk at the CI, we have largely spent the afternoon curled up on couches reading, though I did take another load of weeds off to the woods.  We are heading shopping around 5:00, to Sam', Weggie's and Home Depot, then we are meeting Sam and Donna Nelson for dinner at the Rod and Gun Club in Lakewood.  We have not seen them in a while so it will be good to see them.  Most of the day has been gray, like the photo above, though we have had only a spit of rain, nothing noticeable, though Buffalo has had quite a bit.