Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Retirement

Room With A View

momviewpan.jpg

Today is my Mom’s 93rd birthday. Damsel and I went to visit her today at her retirement ranch. While we were there, I took a couple of images of the view from the window of her room and merged them into this single panoramic image. Click on the image to enlarge.

Mom looks out the window and sees some mesquite trees, other cabins around the ranch, birds of many varieties and the cottontail bunnies that graze out there. She has been resident at the ranch for a little over a month now and has made many new friends and seems to be enjoying her new habitat.

23 Apr 2013 by Arizona Panorama Photography Retirement

A Recliner for Mom

ReclinerMom’s 93rd birthday is one week from today. Damsel and I decided to get her a recliner to replace the straight chair in her room at the retirement ranch.

Image – the new recliner – Click on the image to enlarge

I went on-line and found that Amazon had recliners in their vast inventory and picked out the one seen in the image. It should be delivered in time for her birthday, but the seller says it can’t be gift wrapped. I guess I understand that. We already leaked out the hint that she might be getting a new chair, so it will be a nice gift if not entirely surprising to her.

As for Mom and her adaptation to her new living arrangements, she seems to be getting used to the place and says she isn’t too homesick since we’re here in town and see her often. She misses her cats, but understands they can’t be with here in this place. We hope the chair will reinforce the notion that this is where she belongs and that she will be comfortable and happy in her new place.

16 Apr 2013 by Arizona Retirement

A Colorful Prickly Pear Flower

Red and Yellow Cactus Flower

Bob and I went to visit Mom at the retirement ranch today. I noticed this small prickly pear cactus with a beautiful two-tone red and yellow flower near the entrance to the ranch. We stopped at the entrance on our way out and I took this image. Click on the image to enlarge.

11 Apr 2013 by Arizona Flowers Photography Retirement

Roses for Mom

Roses for Mom

We dropped over to the retirement ranch this afternoon to take some roses to Mom. Earlier, we went grocery shopping and bought flowers, as usual. Damsel took a couple of the roses and some baby’s breath and put them in a little vase for Mom. Click on the image to enlarge.

When we got to the ranch, we found Mom and a half-dozen other seniors playing a game of crazy eights in the lobby of the care center. Damsel took a photo of them engaged in the intense battle of cards. Click here to see that image.

04 Apr 2013 by Arizona Photography Retirement

Retirement Ranch Livestock

livestock

Mom’s new home is really a ranch. There are a couple of horses and a llama (maybe an alpaca?) that graze in the pasture that is in the middle of the ranch. This horse was by the fence next to the road as we drove into the ranch to see Mom this morning. Credit Damsel for the photo. Click on the image to enlarge.

30 Mar 2013 by Critters Photography Retirement

Bringing Mom Home

traffic.jpgOver the last two days, I have made a marathon trip to California to fetch our Mom to her new accommodations here in beautiful Wickenburg, AZ. Overall, the traffic was not too terrible, but the usual watch your @$$ factor for the California Crazies on the road did apply. There were a couple of instances where I got cut off by inadvisable lane changes where the other driver’s rear bumper was a mere four feet in front of my front bumper.

Luckily, the trip was without incident and Mom is safely spending the night here in beautiful Casa Casandro. As I write this, she is all settled in on the sofa in the great room with the TV and some of her favorite word puzzles. (Note to self – get more word puzzle books.)

Tomorrow, we will enroll her in the assisted living program at our local retirement ranch. She is sad about leaving her cats and daughter in California, but looks forward to meeting new friends and getting quality 24/7 care. She really likes our house, so we can look forward to having her over for visits and food from time to time.

20 Mar 2013 by California Retirement

Categories

Archives