Mark mentioned in his guest blog that I was feeling overwhelmed a few days ago.  More on that at the end of this post, but for right now, here are some of the shots I took of the boat tour Tim gave us:

Launching the boat at Gills Rock

Tim used this instrument that gave him a picture of the lake floor. He was watching for a shipwreck he knew the general whereabouts of.

The deer we saw on the island. Tim said it was also possible that the deer had swum across to the island.

Found the shipwreck! It was down about eight feet.

The group of us walking toward the Coast Guard station on Plum Island that is opening up for the first time this year for hiking and historical purposes.

Tim among the lake flies!  They were so thick we had to cover our mouths to speak! Fortunately they only last a couple weeks. They are a bit more tolerable than the mosquitoes that will come after them.

The lighthouse and the keepers house on Pilot Island, both abandoned to the birds.

Some of the thousands of birds that have taken over the island.

Kari Velez, one of our new Workampers and our next door neighbor. She loves to do photography too!

The bluffs

Nice house!

Light path

The setting sun

Heading back to Gills Rock

Selfie; my arms are short!

Tim steering his boat back up onto the boat trailer

Kari and Joe looking back toward the dimming horizon

One last shot from Gills Rock

Now back to what overwhelmed me:

You may recall that my stepfather was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of thyroid cancer last fall.  They took half his thyroid and subjected him to radiation and the doctors seemed surprised at how well he was doing when they next tested him.  However, things have been progressing over the winter and into the spring.  My mother put him on a strict no-carb diet because cancer loves sugar.  In spite of her best efforts and lots of prayers from everyone who knows Cal, he has been losing too much weight, he’s been low on energy, he’s beginning to have difficulty breathing and swallowing, and he has pain in his back.

The day Mark did a guest blog for me, we had just learned that the doctors were recommending Cal go on hospice.  However, Mom hasn’t given up the fight.  Cal spent the night in the hospital last night getting a tube in his stomach so he doesn’t have to work at swallowing the protein drinks she makes for him.  We know that hospice is still looming in the not too distant future, but this buys some time for us to get a little more used to the idea.  Prayers for my mom, Donna, and for Cal and for those who are closest to them would be appreciated.