Sisters in Goodland

Meredith flew into Denver on the 7th and we drove to Goodland to visit (check up on?) Dad. He looked much better than he did earlier in the year and has lost a few pounds. He has his own flower garden at Wheat Ridge and we helped him plant amaryllis bulbs. M wielded the shovel and I put the pots with bulbs in the hole. Dad's getting involved with more of the Wheat Ridge activities than formerly. He rode in a combine for an hour when the wheat field near the facility was cut, took a golf cart tour of the Wheat Ridge property, and participates in the weekly men's coffee group. (Though not, I think, with the coffee consumption.) Before our arrival he'd joined a group building bird houses and the activity of painting them occurred while we were there. One morning after we'd finished a chore, he wanted to see if the painting was still going on. Two unadorned bird houses remained. M asked Dad what he wanted to paint and he suggested an ornate T for Tromble. M outlined 'Tromble' with a fancy T on one side and 'Gene' with a fancy G on the other. Dad painted the capitals and I filled in the smaller letters. M used me, Dad and another participating resident as models and painted portraits on the last birdhouse. Her painting elicited many oohs and aahs from the staff. These birdhouses are just for show and will be displayed indoors. Dad had finally filled the bird feeder outside his window some days before we arrived and was pleased when, during our visit, the birds discovered it. He had a continual crowd of little birds once they found it and started opening his blinds so he could watch them.