Bits and Pieces and Some Advice

Most of you know my only sibling, my big brother Pete, has been 

in a nursing home since last January.  He lives in Liberty, Missouri, 

in a very nice older nursing home, well-run... and he is okay there... not happy, really, 

but okay.  The big parts of the day there are breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Here is my cautionary tale. 

My brother did not have a Durable Power of Attorney for his wife, or 

anyone else.  He did not do an Advance Directive.  

He is not able at this point to make clear his wishes, 

and therein lies my caution to all of you.... 

Get your affairs in order.  

Today, Keith and I signed our wills, Durable Powers of Attorney, and 

Advance Directives. 

We do not want to get caught unawares. 

As it is, my sister in law will need to go to court... I will go with her, 

and we will be appointed (eventually) Pete's co-guardians by the court in 

Clay County, Missouri.  This is an expense that could have been avoided. 

My dear old brother.  

How I wish things could be different for him.  Dementia is a terrible thing... it 

takes the mind and leaves (mostly) the body. 

And now to totally whip around and change the subject, 

I think this above picture is so cool!  See the new house on the 

left being built where there had been an old farm, about two miles from us?  Well... the 

building in the forefront began to go up two weeks ago.  It is a huge new barn... see the "lean to" portion on the right?  It has not been tar-papered yet.  It is being built on the foundation of a 

much older barn... there is a silo off to the right.  Well done, new owners!  

This is down almost to the levee on Tonganoxie Road, County Road five. 

It is an abandoned house that is slowly being devoured by the vegetation.  In the summer you cannot see it at all, and from the front, it is no longer visible. 

Cultivated fields wrap around it. 

Here is another farm I go by frequently... there are at least seven barns 

here, and one that is down.  They are in decent repair, and as you can see, someone is still 

using the farm regularly, though it does not look like anyone lives in the house.  In one of the other pictures I took, you can see a hay truck parked in there between the barns. 

You know I love barns. 

Here's our dark, shy hawk, over on Donahoo. 

He did not come closer today. 

But look who was around the corner?

This is our hurt juvenile from last Wednesday. 

I was so glad to see him looking perky. 

He got ready to launch. 

And.... 

He flew rather lumberingly two poles down the road. 

As long as I knew he could get around, I quit worrying. 

The point is, he FLEW. 

Whew. 

I have been away from the house the better part of the last two days, so 

I am going to relax with little Jester now, and except for chicken chores tomorrow, 

I'll be home... bliss!