March 29th: Off to Flagstaff to see Tom and the other Douhard "Boys"

 Note: I added to the previous blog the day after I first posted it. I took a break and didn't mean to post it the first time.

I was able to complete cataract surgery after Randy and Cindy left. I was looking forward to it because I was also getting my nearsightedness corrected as part of the procedure. It was a long process because I had to refrain from wearing my contact lenses for three months so my eyes returned to their normal shape. My doctor did one eye at a time. I was amazed at the difference. I didn't  realize that the cataracts were blocking some brightness and colors. Having one eye only done I could tell the lamp in my place was whiter and brighter when looking through my completed eye. Once both were done I was amazed at the difference. I've worn glasses or contacts since I was 8 years old. Now I only needed reading glasses. My vision is more clear than I ever remember. I wear bifocal reading glasses so I don't need to be putting glasses on and off. Wendy said I needed frames that were bright and fun. She suggested I get a pair of frames and paint them. (She has several multi colored frames.) I decided to go for gold! 

Next on the agenda was a visit to Flagstaff, AZ to see my brother-in-law Tom. Tom is the brother that gave Linda a kidney that lasted 35 years. I dearly love Tom and will be forever grateful for his wonderful gift to our entire family. I want to point out that all of Linda's brothers were willing to donate a kidney.

Linda, her Mom and Tom

These are pictures from our ten year kidney anniversary party. It seems like it was just yesterday!

The Drouhard brothers and I all decided to visit Tom together. We stayed in Phoenix Friday night and found a steak house that was still open for supper. Prime rib was their specialty and some of us were going to go for it. I was saved from myself. They had just served their last prime rib! It was 9:30PM and we were all hungry. No prime rib but the food was great and plentiful. Dick in particular enjoyed his 23 ounce porterhouse steak! I would have been up all night!

Steve, Pat, Warren and Dick

Our rental vehicle was a huge Dodge Ram pickup truck. There had been several feet of snow in Flagstaff a couple days previous, but now the skies were clear. The rental agent informed us that they don't plow the roads down to the pavement in Flagstaff. He strongly recommended the four wheel drive truck and waived the additional upgrade charge. Nice!

The ride to Flagstaff was gorgeous. I've done it many times and I always enjoy the scenery. We start in the desert.

Then we head into the mountains. 

Next we start climbing the mountains. We went from Saguaro Cacti and desert, to scrubby little bushes, to trees up into the mountains.

We arrived at our hotel in Flagstaff. Pat and Becky did a great job finding us a place to stay. The view out my window was wonderful.

We spent the day telling old stories and catching up on the latest. Someone found this picture on Tom's bulletin board. The Drouhard family grew up on the Drouhard family farm in Loudonville. Linda, probably 10 years old or so, was walking in the woods and came upon an injured young deer. Linda to the rescue. She held the deer and started yelling for help. Fortunately her brothers heard her and came to assist. They wrapped the deer in a blanket and put it in the barn hoping it would recover. Linda fed it every day until it was healthy again and could be released. I remember Linda saying it was fun at first but having to go over to the barn to feed it every day before school got old! But when they thought it was cured and released it, and happily it hopped over the fence and ran away!

Linda's deer, she's in the back. Warren or Pat are the "Ghost"
in the upper left. Tom is on the left and Dick is on the right. 
I can hear Linda saying, "Sure, I caught the deer and
who's not clearly in the picture?!"

Tom and Warren in Tom's family room

We went out to dinner at a nice restaurant. We were looking forward to the prime rib which Tom and Pat enjoyed at Pat's last visit. It was  reportedly superb, which is why I wasn't going to order it the night before. We started with cocktails. As you might know, Tom seldom drinks alcohol but he clearly enjoyed joining in with an Old Fashioned. (I guess that's a good named cocktail for this crew!)

Herb & giant burger

Time to order. Alas, once again, no prime rib. It was no longer on the menu. But, there were other good items to choose from. Not the same, but okay! No one went hungry, especially Herb. He got the biggest hamburger I've ever seen.

From left: Pat, Dick, Steve, Warren, Tom, Medge, Rob, Herb & Sherry

Herb and Sherri live in the downstairs unit at Tom's house. They've been together with Tom for a long time and take good care of Tom. Also Edgy, her daughter Santana and her kids, are also part of Tom's Arizona family. They are wonderful people. They make certain Tom gets to dialysis 3 days a week and his basic needs are accommodated. Santana's kids are cute and keep Tom entertained.

I've always enjoyed the wildlife at Tom's. He has raised chickens, pigs, turkeys, goats, fish, ducks, and  many dogs. Currently he is down to geese, ducks and dogs. Most of the ducks are sort of wild, 50 - 100 on any given day. He feeds them 30 lbs. of bird feed per day so they don't migrate! I suggested a few years back that maybe they were supposed to migrate. He said, "They don't seem to think so!" 

Snow goose and mallard ducks

Other birds stop in on their migration. I saw 4 snow geese that had stopped by on their way south from Northern Alaska or the Arctic.

The snow goose is the light colored/gray goose in the middle.

Pat made a great leg of lamb dinner Sunday. He has his Mom's recipe that was a family favorite. It was wonderful and we all enjoyed it. I know it was always one of Tom's favorites. I'm going back out for another visit on my way to Cleveland March 31st and plan to make another leg of lamb dinner. It is almost Easter!

From left: Medge, Pat, Tom, Steve, Edgy
(The rest of the group was at the dining room table in the other room, no picture.)

We talked to Tom about coming back to Ohio for a visit. Given his diabetes and dialysis it is becoming difficult for him to get around. We of course offered to travel with him to help him. I think it will be a lot easier for us to go see him than for him to make the trek across the country. Pat and others are planning to go out in May. We know he enjoys the company and he is entertaining. As always he has a great sense of humor and many "stories."