Early in the month of November Marie and I flew down to Florida for four days to visit with Dad. We drove to Plattsburgh airport in New York after a quick visit with the kids in Montreal, arriving late at Lyn's that night after picking up our rental car at St Petes. The next day we went out to see Dad, the day unusually hot even for Florida this time of year. We met up with the owner Barbara at the family care home she and her husband run. He was sitting in front of the big screen TV, dozing, when she took us to him, and, as he wasn't expecting us, was quiet surprised. We took him out to his favourite spot in the sun by the swimming pool afterwards and he appeared well and glad to see us. He told us he was very happy in his new surroundings. Lyn and Don had moved him from the Grande assisted living centre in Brooksville where we had last seen him to this quiet location close to Weeki Wachee. He enjoys the obvious peacefulness and the fact there are only two other residents with him, is eating better and gaining weight. Lyn had given us a doom and gloom story of how he had only a few months left to live but he seems much healthier than when last we saw him and happier too.
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| arriving St Petes, Florida |
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| Brenna |
The next day we took Dad to Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park twenty minutes away. He was glad to get out and quite happy to have us spend the afternoon pushing him around in his wheelchair. He was very interested in seeing the variety of animals there native to Florida, especially Lu the 6000 pound hippo (the only exotic resident) who had just turned 57 and is the oldest living hippo in captivity in North America, the alligators, and the many birds. We missed the manatee display but it was hot (91 degrees!) and Dad was ready to return home. When we first arrived at the parking lot we had the opportunity to take the train to the park and the boat back. It was a slow and peaceful 15 minute cruise on the still waters through the forest where we spotted ducks and turtles sunning themselves and I think it was the highlight of the day for Dad. While we were in Brooksville this time we had the opportunity to also take him out to lunch and we could tell he looked forward to getting out again. On one visit we spent time talking about his brother Harry and his family and his children's children so I decided to make a family tree chart so he could see the names of all his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Our four day visit went fast and after saying goodbye again we spent one more night with Lyn and Don before catching an early flight home. We had promised Dad we would be back and hopefully he will still remember us as well as he did this visit.
gws
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| Lu |
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| Dad and his family tree |
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| Brenna |
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| me by the fire with Lyn |
