Sustaining Elder Care – August 2026

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I spent an extra day in Texas this month since one of my sisters is traveling and the rest of us need to do a bit more. The two themes of the road trip were excessive heat and my dad complaining of feeling cold all the time.

When I got there in the afternoon, he appeared to be trying to get comfortable for a nap in his chair and could seem to relax – trying to adjust the blanket constantly. I convinced him that maybe getting up and taking a walk would be helpful. It was 107 degrees outside, so we walked inside the building. We only got a about halfway to our turn around place and he had to go the bathroom; fortunately, there was a bathroom nearby and a staff member to help him. When we got back to his room I realized someone had turned the thermostat down from 78 to 73 degrees. I turned it back up and he seemed to feel better although he still said he felt cold although not quite as extreme. I left him trying to nap.

The next morning, I was up before the sunrise and there were a few clouds to make it photogenic. I picked up some of his medication and watched a scheduled webinar before lunch then saw him again after lunch. This time, I checked the thermostat immediately and it was at 74. I turned it up. He felt better but when we tried to walk in the hall, he complained about how cold it was out there. He wanted to go back to his room! When I got into my car, the instruments said 122 degrees; the thermometer must have been in the sun, but it did feel very hot.

The next morning, I got there right after he finished breakfast and we walked outside because the temperature was about 80. He liked it! We walked around the courtyard twice and then sat on one of the shaded patios. The red yuccas are blooming and forming pods at the same time; my mother had planted then at their house, but my dad can’t see well enough to appreciate them anymore. My sister planted things in the mulch that are doing well even in the heat. When we went back to his room, I turned up the thermostat to 78 – again….and waited until he seemed comfortable before I left to drive back to Missouri.

Plastics Crisis: Less Plastic when Traveling

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On my recent road trip to Texas, I managed to avoid more single use plastic than ever before – and part of the rationale was to reduce my risk for encountering cyclospora!

For my breakfast on the road, I stopped at a travel plaza for muffin that was in a case (unwrapped) and retrieved with tissue paper rather than a piece of plastic. They had plastic bags, but I didn’t get one…just held it in the tissue while I paid for it! It was not a place I had stopped at previously but ,now that I know I can get breakfast plastic free there, it has become my stop of choice on subsequent trips to Texas.

I opted to not buy a packaged salad to eat at a rest stop further down the road since they inevitably have iceberg and/or romaine lettuce and come in a plastic clamshell. I stopped at Chili’s for chicken fajitas instead. It cost more and took a little more time….but there was a lot less single use plastic!

As I had done previously – I took some food with me for my evening meal and brought my own bowl to hold the breakfast the hotel provided. On one of the mornings the person monitoring the breakfast service commented favorably about my bowl while I put a little pepper on my scrambled eggs.

On the way home I stopped at the usual diner for lunch – this time getting steamed veggies rather than salad (again to avoid cyclospora). The only single use plastic was a straw (since I wasn’t fast enough to decline it).

I am getting more adept at avoiding plastic when I travel. I hope more businesses that cater to people traveling will reduce their use of plastics….making it easier in the future.

Hot Afternoon in the Forest (2)

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Continuing our hot afternoon in the forest….

It was too hot to hike so I took a few pictures of wildflowers near the cabin

And looking up from my chair in the shade.

We stayed until just before dusk when the fireflies were beginning to come out…and I took a few pictures across the field as I got into the car. The moon was up and there were some clouds in the sky. Some year I’ll stay longer to see the moths that are active at night – but not this year since I had signed up for the next morning shift in the Butterfly House.

As we made our way back on the rutted road, it got darker. We somehow didn’t notice when we passed the cemetery.  The road obviously wasn’t bumpier than when we drove toward the cabin, but we went a bit slower in the gloom and were glad when we got back to the paved road.

Hot Afternoon in the Forest (1)

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The potluck event I wrote about yesterday was for the volunteers and staff that support the Roston Native Butterfly House. It was a very hot day, but we persevered to experience the forest along Bull Creek south of Springfield. After the turn off from the paved road, the way is a rutted historic road which should not be done in a low-clearance vehicle (my daughter has an SUV, and it handled the road well at low speed). Parts of the creek are visible from the road!

The trees form an arch over the road. There were three cars in our group. I shared my insect repellent spray when we got there – didn’t want anyone to get bitten by a tick.

One of the first things I did was see how far along the spicebush fruit was (I knew where there were some female trees from a previous visit). There was one red one and the rest were still green.

The moss on the shed and well roof shingles was about the same as I remembered.

I was glad I brought plenty of water and a peas/corn side dish (cool) for the potluck….and appreciated that the food was in the air-conditioned cabin.

The high point of the evening was seeing some young bluebirds that had been rescued after their parents abandoned them in the their nest box. They were being hand fed and would fledge soon.

More about the adventure tomorrow -

Sustaining Elder Care – July 2026

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I made the trip down to Texas and back without taking any pictures. The garden around the Texas welcome center was mulch beds and woody plants (nothing blooming)…even the cone flowers that had been there last month had been removed. The pond near my hotel had no egrets or great blue herons as it had occasionally in the past; trash (plastic) had blown into the pond, and the wind dad swept it into two floating mats.  Both places were a disappointment.

Fortunately, there were some good moments with my dad.

He was asleep when I got there and I didn’t wake him immediately. I could tell he was not soundly asleep because he would move his legs to cause his chair to rock. I talked to him during one of the times he moved and he did wake up. He almost immediately commented that it was very bright outside when he looked toward me (based on where he heard me); there was a window beside me looking out to a bright sunny day. It is a small thing…but magnified since my sisters and I have been thinking that he might be blind. We now think he can see light which helps keep his circadian rhythm going even if it isn’t helpful for him to move around with his walker without running into things he can’t see.

The next morning, I got to the memory care facility when he had almost finished breakfast and was drinking his coffee. I noticed there was some orange juice and realized that he didn’t know it was there! I asked if he wanted it and handed it to him….and he drank the whole thing without stopping! My sisters and I always are concerned that he might be slightly dehydrated because he doesn’t feel thirsty. This time he looked like he did feel thirsty….or he simply really liked the taste of orange juice.

Next – he acquiesced to going for a walk. I opted to do it inside since the day was already heating up. I guided the walker and reassured him that I wouldn’t let him run into anything. He started out very slow but seemed to move easier as he got warmed up….nothing like his rapid walk that I remember from when I was growing up or when he walked in his neighborhood up until about 5 years ago. But – he is still moving with the help of his walker.

We relaxed a bit back in his room – him dozing off almost immediately….and I left for the drive back to Missouri.

June Road Trip to Texas

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My road trip from Missouri to Texas (and back) in June was harder than usual. It rained for the first two hours on the way down and again when I left Lewisville the next morning!

I was looking forward to the last rest stop on the drive down at the Texas Welcome Center on US 75 – thought I would see the bluebonnet seed pods. It was not to be. They had taken out the non-woody plants to put down fresh mulch! The beautyberry was blooming and there was one clump of cone flowers. There was a large fungus growing on an old stump – an indication that the area was getting some rain.

The stand of red yuccas blooming and forming seed pods at my dad’s memory care center brightened my mood!

On the way home I stopped at a diner in McAlister for lunch – just as the rain began to move out. The piece of pie was a splurge. It looked luscious in the case….but it was frozen! Fortunately, it was a hot day so a frozen piece of pie that tasted great was OK.

On the way home I stopped at a diner in McAlister for lunch – just as the rain began to move out. The piece of pie was a splurge. It looked luscious in the case….but it was frozen! Fortunately, it was a hot day so a frozen piece of pie that tasted great was OK.

Sophie M. Sachs Butterfly House

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The Sophie M. Sachs Butterfly House is a division of Missouri Botanical Garden located in Chesterfield MO. Our membership in the Springfield Botanical Gardens Friends group got us free admission to the Missouri Botanical Garden on our first day in St. Louis and then, the next morning, to the butterfly house! There is a large butterfly sculpture near the entrance. We arrived shortly after they opened because we were concerned that it might be a day when school groups would be there for a field trip later in the morning.

The conservatory was less crowded that my first visit over a year ago. It was warm enough that the butterflies were very active. Most of them are exotics (i.e. not native to North America) and I remembered most of them from visits to previous butterfly houses. Owls have one spot on their wing…blue morphs have lots of spots. The malachite is my favorite! I also liked seeing pitcher plants in the lush vegetation….and the insect themed benches.

The enclosed garden just outside the butterfly house, features a statue of a young girl with butterflies and lots of native plants…including some larger pitcher plants….more insect themed benches.

I recognized a plant in the garden that I have at home…and it had a sign: Virginia Sweetspire. My phone had identified it as Virginia Willow and I had thought it was wrong since it didn’t seem to be willow-like….but that is another common name for Virigina Sweetspire. I am thrilled that it is native to North American since I have two of them that came with my house! I also noticed stands of Missouri Evening Primrose – another great native in my gardens too.

On the way back to the car, I took pictures of the giant caterpillar and butterfly sculptures…along with milkweed in various stages of blooming.

Since my husband was driving, I took a few roadcut pictures on the way home.

At my daughter’s house, I noticed that her miniature roses were blooming next to her driveway….an opportunity for some last photos…savoring the day.  

Missouri Botanical Garden – Part 2

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We checked into the hotel and had a light dinner before returning to the garden. We arrived while it was still light and was easy to get a parking spot close to the Visitor Center. My daughter had bought our tickets and had had them on her phone for the garden staff to scan for our entry. We visited some close gardens and smaller conservatories that we hadn’t seen earlier in the day.

And then it got dark enough for the lights to give the geometric sculptures a different look…with light coming from within.

I experimented with different angles and zoomed images…also noticing the patterns of light and shadow (or reflection) at the base of the sculptures. These were my favorite images:

Missouri Botanical Garden – Part 1

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We made a road trip to the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis to see the Patterns of Nature: Lightform exhibit….during an afternoon and then returned to see the forms at night. This post is about the daytime portion of our visit. The day was cloudy and stayed in the 60s. It was still bright enough for good photography. The first area we saw included a colorful sculpture and some native plants. We made our way around to see as many of the geometric shapes of the special exhibit as we could….even though I frequently was sidetracked by plants! I used my bridge camera (Canon Powershot SX70 HS) for the landscape pictures.

My phone (iPHone 15 Pro Max) does better with the close-up shots! I realized by the time we left to check into hotel that I would lighten my load for the evening and just bring my phone. It was good in the close confines of the conservatory for sure!

I took a picture of the wall in the visitor center that is a key for the leaf patterns in the flower of building. Most of them are natives!

Plastics Crisis – Show-me Less Plastic in Rolla

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The Show-me Less Plastic project held a workshop in Rolla. That’s close enough to where I live for me to be there and talk about how we formed a Beyond Plastics local group in Springfield.

The workshop was held on a Saturday in a conference room off the entry of the Phelps County Courthouse; it worked well on a Saturday since the building was otherwise closed.

The workshop proceeded with a Plastics Overview – similar info as I remember from last August with updated graphics; I took a few pictures from my seat toward the back of the room.

Lunch was plastic free! Rolla has a caterer that does a great job…has stainless steel serving pieces (and great food too)! The lunch for the recent event in Springfield was not plastic free although the team reduced the plastic by providing stainless cutlery and plates.

After lunch we talked about forming a group to work on plastic reduction activities….and I contributed my 10 minutes about our adventure forming Beyond Plastics Ozarks. The rest of the agenda included activities about youth programming, examples of engagement and outreach (tabling, presentations, screenings) …then breakout sessions on getting started, a simulation exercise and then a discussion about next steps.

The audience was interested in the topic and included a councilmember…I am optimistic that there will be a Rolla group taking actions within their community to reduce plastics.

Sustaining Elder Care/Road Trip to Texas – May 2026

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I made my monthly trek to Texas to see my dad last week. I made the usual stop at the Texas Welcome Center on US75 to eat my salad lunch and note the changes in the native plant garden near the building. The bluebonnets have lots of seed pods forming – with a few blooms remaining. The Texas Mountain Laurel was also producing pods.

An hour later…I found my dad in the activity room with a lot of other residents. It was ice cream sandwich day! He was soundly asleep! I decided that I would wake him up for the treat since ice cream has always been his favorite dessert. He enjoyed it --- but made no attempt to feed himself. Afterward we walked outside. I guided the walker since he can no longer see well enough to stay on the sidewalk. He moved very slowly but did make it around the courtyard and back to his room without stopping for a rest….and then he wanted to go back to sleep in his chair.

The next morning, I arrived after he ate breakfast. He was asleep in the chair! I noticed that he hadn’t taken his medications, so I woke him up for that. He managed to take them with a little assistance and then agreed to go for a walk. He had more difficulty getting up from the chair than he did in April. We walked indoors since the morning was wet and cool outside. He managed a normal walk, but when we got back to his room he wanted to go to sleep. He seemed to listen when he was awake but the only clear comments he made were about not being able to see.

My sisters are noticing his decline as well. We’re trying to keep him moving on his own (with his walker)…but we all are aware that it might not be possible for much longer.

Sustaining Elder Care/Road Trip to Texas – April 2026

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I made my monthly trip to see my dad in Lewisville TX a week ago. It was a pleasant sunny day for the drive down. I bought a salad at my last stop in Oklahoma and ate it at the Texas Welcome Center on US 75. The temperature was perfect to park in the shade, roll down the window and eat my salad. There were still bluebonnet blooming and other flowers had appeared as well – I took pictures as I walked around a little after lunch.

My dad was sleeping when I arrived…but he woke up after about 20 minutes, and I was able to convince in to take a walk around the courtyard. He can’t see very well so I keep a hand on the walker to set the direction but let him set the pace. He seems to move slower than he did prior to last month’s hospitalization, but he still enjoys being outside. We sat in the shade on the patio for a while afterward.

Once I got him back to his room, he seemed exhausted, so I left to meet one of sisters. She is cleaning out her mother-in-law’s house (she moved into an assisted living apartment). I got there a little before my sister and enjoyed seeing the large trees in the front yard; one was an oak (progeny in the flowerbed) but its trunk was not nearly as large as the ones in Maryland and Missouri; the heat stress in Texas probably causes them to grow differently. I got some botanical artwork my sister’s mother-in-law had done years ago; I got several different sunflowers that will look good in my office.

Some of my plastic reduction strategies worked better than usual this trip. My tin with stainless forks worked well for my lunch salad the first day and my breakfast the next morning. I put the used forks in the ice chest so that I could easily put them in the dishwasher when I got home. Coffee filters (left over from when I switched from a coffee maker to an electric kettle (glass and stainless) work well to hold microwave popcorn for my evening snack. A Pyrex bowl that had carrots and celery in the ice chest on the way down was emptied the first evening and then used to hold my breakfast the next morning – avoiding a Styrofoam plate.

The season is warm enough now that I am realizing that I need to put my cosmetics in the ice chest since the suitcase stays in the care when I am visiting my father. It avoids melted or separated products. It takes as much room as food stuff.

I saw my dad just after he finished breakfast in the morning and he was keen to go for a walk. It was a little cooler, so we did a walk that was part inside and part outside…and he was a little tired by the time we were back in his room. It wasn’t long before an aide came to give him a shower…so I headed toward home about 30 minutes earlier than I had planned.

I got to the diner I wanted to try in McAlester OK about noon. It probably will be the place I will stop on my way home from now on. I was glad I had a good lunch since the middle of the drive was full of rain which made it a bit more challenging; the road in the small towns often has curbs but no drains so water accumulates quickly. I had expected rain closer to home but it cleared off for the last couple of hours. Still – I just wanted to relax when I got home.

Bluebonnets

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The bluebonnets were blooming when I was in Texas last week. I stopped in the Texas Welcome Center on US 75 to see them. They are not at their peak bloom…but enough are blooming to be noticeable.

As I left the welcome center headed south, I saw more along the sides of the highway, but construction (current and recent) had taken out a lot of the areas where bluebonnets and other wildflowers bloomed in previous years. The wind was fierce and it often sounded like sand was hitting my car; I turned my attention from noticing the flowers to keeping my car firmly in the lane!

Later in the day, I noticed that the city of Flower Mound has bluebonnets along some of their major streets. My sister told me that there used to be more before construction projects, but there are more every year since the projects have completed. Once bluebonnets are established, they do very well – natives thriving where they have been forever.

George Washington Carver National Monument

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Last week my husband and I made our first visit to George Washington Carver National Monument. It is south of Carthage, MO and a bit over an hour from our house near Springfield….a good choice for a day trip.

It was a sunny and cool spring day. I took a few pictures of plants in my yard while I was waiting for my husband to be ready to go. The dandelions are blooming and there was one seed puff already! My Missouri Evening Primrose is coming up from last year’s roots and the maple is already forming seeds.

On the way, I noticed that the redbuds along I-44 were beginning to bloom. The flowers were probably not fully open, but there was enough color to identify the trees as we drove. The redbuds at our house were not quite so far along.

I enjoyed the walk through the woods at the monument. There were some wildflowers – and clumps of daffodils (not wild, obviously) in the woods.  A few insects were out as well so the flowers will be pollinated!

There is a statue of a young George Carver in an area of stream/forest. He was born to a slave family on the farm…almost died when he was young (illness and kidnapping)…managed to survive and was able to become educated…he became head of the Tuskegee Agriculture Department in 1896; he taught there until his death in 1943. He is buried at Tuskegee University.

The woods were greening with the wildflowers, but the trees were mostly dormant. Some of them were probably ashes and would not be leafing out again. It is a common occurrence in Missouri right now; the emerald ash borer that killed the ashes in Maryland before we moved to Missouri is now killing the ash trees in Missouri. There is water in many places along the Carver Trail (loop) – Williams Pond/Branch and Carver Branch.

There were lots of birds, but I only managed to photograph a Dark-eyed Junco. We heard several woodpeckers.

We were at the monument on a Saturday, and I was pleased that there were other people that were there – many with children. The place is closer to Joplin so I assume the ‘regulars’ are mostly from Carthage or Joplin. It is a good place to visit in the spring….and maybe even better in the fall. In the summer, it would be very humid.

We opted to drive to Carthage for lunch at Iggy’s Diner. I am trying to find places other than fast food that my husband likes…and the diner seemed to be a hit with him. The quality of food is better than a fast food chain!

Road Trip to Texas – February 2026

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I made my monthly trip to Lewisville TX to visit with my dad near the end of the month. It was a more structured road trip than my usual. I stopped to meet my sister that had prepared his tax filing on my way down – since I am the one that must sign for him.

Once I got to the memory care facility, I had a meeting with a couple of staff members to work on some outstanding issues. He is starting his 5th month at the place, and I am a little frustrated that there are a few things that seem to not be as easily resolved (for example, they can’t seem to help him shave daily…and the stubble on his face is something he doesn’t like). On the plus side – they consistently cut is food so that it is easy for him to feed himself (something we had been unable to get done in his previous home).

I managed to visit with Dad too. We walked around the courtyard because the day was very pleasant – and then I accompanied him to the assisted living side of the place to visit with a friend and then do some PT in their gym.

Later in the day – about the time he went off to dinner, I joined a group of other families in a dementia support group. There were three other families…and a facilitator. It was a bit of a disappointment. My dad is about a decade older than the other residents that had family members at the meeting! I am realizing that, while he needs assistance for daily living, he is very easy to work with compared to some other situations.

The next morning, he seemed tired when I saw him after breakfast – maybe a result of the amount of activity from the previous afternoon. It was too cool to walk outside in the courtyard, but we did walk in the hallway. I noticed that there are a few St. Paterick’s Day decorations, but they are relatively subdued compared to the Thanksgiving – Christmas – Valentines decorations of the past few months.

I noticed some framed botanical prints in the hallway that I hadn’t noticed before. I wondered how many of these things he can appreciate with his eyesight declining so much in the past 6 months.

That thought continued when we got back to his room – does he know there is a pinwheel in his potted plant…that the tractor and beagle figure are on the dresser. There is a large screen television that we use to play a slideshow of outdoor places; he seems to notice that the picture is changing but can’t tell what the picture contains. The visual appeal of the environment is likely not as important to him now – but it does make it more pleasant for us when we visit!

Air quality

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I’ve been noticing that the air quality where I live (as reported in The Weather Channel app) has not been good during the recent cold weather. The primary pollutant is always Micro Dust/PM2.5. Since transportation sources of pollution (cars, trucks) are, if anything, a little lower during cold and snowy weather – I am assuming that the uptick is from the electricity generating coal plant or wood burning stoves/fireplaces.

I notice that my eyes are the first to register air quality issues. They start to itch or feel gritty – not as bad as a floating eyelash but not comfortable. Saline drops help but time consuming to do frequently. I find myself just forging ahead with my eyes itching and trying not to rub them. Recently I have been wondering if some of my ‘allergies’ (runny nose and sneezing that comes and goes over the course of the day) are PM2.5 related rather than pollen since there isn’t pollen in the air in winter.

If the day is orange – like shown in the screen shot – I try to stay indoors with the filters of my HVAC and some room air purifiers between me and the ‘bad air.’ That is possible for me most of the time since I am a post-career person. I do sometimes have things I do away from home, but they are mostly indoors this time of year and presumably well filtered/ventilated. I am a little anxious about some ‘winter wellness’ hikes I have planned…hoping that the air quality will be ‘green’ when those occur.

I enjoy being outdoors and realize that air quality will impact when I will be comfortable as time goes on (i.e. air quality will deteriorate since there is less being done right not to reverse the trend). Working in my yard won’t be impacted too much since I can simply check the air quality and only go out when it is ‘green.’ I hope I can get through a few more years of volunteering in the Butterfly House at the Springfield Botanical Garden during the summer months; signing up for shifts is done well in advance and the air quality could be problematic when the day arrives…I want to be a dependable volunteer but do I go even if the air quality is poor?

The air quality in Lewisville TX (where I go monthly to visit my dad) is considerably worse than in Springfield MO. This winter it has been orange or red most of the times I’ve been in the area. It’s been too cold to take Dad for a walk outside – and I will always check the air quality before taking him for an outdoor walk even when the weather is pleasant again. There are times that Oklahoma smells smokey (grass fires or power plants?) as I drive through. I am adding a small air purifier to the inside of the car and not doing a lot outdoors when I am there unless I check and the air quality happens to be ‘green.’

I find myself wondering what contributes to the air quality being ‘not green,’ but it is hard to tease out that information. The measurement just reports how much PM2.5 there is. I hope that some organization begins to make the contributors more visible to the public (and it would be great if The Weather Channel added that info in their app). Would it spur more people to push for changes to utilities….to retire coal burning plants a quickly as possible?

Note: To find the hourly air quality forecast on The Weather Channel App, scroll down on the Home screen to find the Allergies – Breathing – Cold & Flu block and select ‘Breathing.’ Scroll down to see the Air Quality Forecast.

Zooming - January 2026

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The zoomed imaging from this month were taking in my daughter’s yard in Springfield MO, my yard in Nixa MO, Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield MO, the Lake Springfield Boathouse and the Texas Welcome Center on US 75. It was not a big photography month. I expect February will have more if the weather does not cause cancellations of winter hikes I have planned.

Road Trip – Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge

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The day after Christmas was a great time for a road trip to Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge. I had noticed that the latest Waterfowl and Bald Eagle Survey showed over 500 bald eagles at the refuge!

We headed out after breakfast…stopping in Springfield to pick up my daughter. I took a few pictures around her yard while she put her luggage in the car. A magnolia pod, sun shining through azalea leaves, yucca seeds, a leaf with dew drops, and colorful oak leaf hydrangea leaves.

I got some pictures of overpasses as my husband drove through Kansas City.

And then there was the dramatic bridge across the Missouri River.

On the way home the next day – the bridge looked darker with the clouds…still dramatic.

Road Trip to Lewisville – December 2025

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My road trip to Lewisville in December was just two days. When I left home at 5:30 AM it was dark, cold, windy, and wet. The sun wasn’t up until my second stop of the trip – at the  Big Cabin Loves off I-44. I took two pictures to celebrate the light and that the rain had cleared - even if the wind had not and was making for a more challenging drive.

I listened to Christmas music as I drove….and tried to notice birds (there seemed to be more gulls and crows than usual…not as many vultures as on previous drives…perhaps the wind caused the activity change). There was a truck with a big bale of hay wrapped in plastic (bits of plastic flying off…I’d rather have bits of hay than plastic!). As I drove over Lake Eufala, there were sycamore leaves blowing across the highway – big enough that I could easily to id them.

I made the longest stop at the Texas Welcome Center – eating a grilled chicken wrap that I bought at one of my previous stops. I checked the beautyberry and noticed that there were still a lot of leaves on the oaks, unlike where I live in Missouri where the trees are bare. I picked up another bur oak acorn…and realized most of that oak’s leaves were on the ground.

My sister had left some home baked goodies on the bookcase in my dad’s room. I left her a bag of special teabags (in paper/cardboard packaging) and enjoyed walking around the room noting the seasonal decorations my sisters had added. I remember the fabric tree from many years…and wondered what its history is; maybe one of my sisters knows.

As I walked with my dad in the hallways, I took pictures of the decorations added in the shared areas of the facility.

The hotel was a short drive away and I was on the 4th floor this time…on the side toward the water retention pond and the great blue heron was there again; I took a picture through the window.  I also noticed that the Bradford Pear trees were very colorful.

The next morning, I took some pictures of the sunrise over the highway.

My dad had some medical appointments later in the day, so I didn’t encourage him to exercise as I usually do. One of my sisters arrived just as I was leaving so I got to visit with her a little before I headed toward home.

I stopped in Prague OK for lunch – the town where one of my grandmother’s was born and grew up. She would not recognize it today! The café was excellent and I might stop there again….think about our family history.

I made it home just as the sunset – which was my goal. This is the hardest month to do that because the days are so short!

Road Trip to Lewisville – November 2025

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My dad moved from Dallas to Lewisville TX, so my monthly road trips have shifted to visit the him at his memory care place in Lewisville. I made my usual stop at the Texas Welcome Center pm US75 along the way – noticing that the leaves have fallen from the beautyberry. I noticed an insect on the berries; it was a cold day so the insect did not move….easy to photograph.

It was the first time for me to visit the memory care facility since my dad moved there. They were holding their Thanksgiving dinner that afternoon – the Friday before Thanksgiving. The day was warm enough that Dad and I walked outside in the enclosed courtyard beforehand. I noticed the decorative patterns on the roof of one of the pavilions.

The dinner itself was tasty, and Dad enjoyed it thoroughly because everything was cut up already – easy for him to eat; there was ice cream for dessert. A live band provided country music – a little loud for me but great for him and the other residents. He stayed for the whole show!

The next morning, I was up and looked out the window a little after sunrise. My hotel window overlooked a storm water pond; on the other side of the pond was a Costco…and then a cluster of overpasses – an intersection of big highways. I was just far enough away that the highway noise did not overwhelm the white noise of the heating/air conditioning fan. A great blue heron was at the edge of the pond. Next time I will bring a better camera and maybe walk around the pond.

I was with my dad for a second Thanksgiving meal on that Saturday – with the assisted living side of the facility. It was similar but my sister had to cut up his turkey and ham. The music was a little different and he wanted to leave before the end. The loudness of the music made it impossible to have a conversation with our 6-person family group…but I did enjoy the pecan pie at the end.

Afterwards I enjoyed several hours with my sister and her daughters/grandchildren. It was a treat to see them!

The next morning, I looked out the window a bit earlier – before sunrise. I left the hotel about 7:30 AM and drove around to the closest parking lot to the storm water pond. There were two cormorants there.

The memory care facility had decorated with a lot of pumpkins for the holiday. I photographed one of the displays on my way in to see my dad. At 8 AM he had finished his breakfast and was working on his cup of coffee! I’m glad I ate at the hotel rather than planning to eat with him!

I opted to go back via I35 going north. It was an adventure and about 15 minutes longer than the other route – but a lot less stressful. For the next few months, I am planning to continue that alternate route to get home. I already identified a café I want to try in Prague OK (along the route); my paternal grandmother grew up on a farm near Prague.