Glory of creation

I woke this morning at 4:00 in Nyack, where I overnighted on my way back to Salt Lake, and saw Orion wheeling overhead with his companions as I seldom see him at home. Far from the light pollution, the nebula blazed clearly, even to my feeble eyes, and many more stars were visible. I regretted not having my binoculars with me on this run.

With John Denver singing softly in the background, I sit in Verdi, Nevada, at 8:19 AM, following a powerful conference call with my mastermind team. The outside temperature is 54 degrees, and there is a fresh breeze blowing. The car is facing East, looking at a beautiful double ridge of pines past a dew-covered meadow. I watched the sun rise majestically over the past hour, and now quail are scuttling around in the yellow-topped sage just in front of me.

I have recovered fully from the brief bout of Gomboo, and feel in excellent fettle. It is a Good Day.

Safe at home, but...

Got a call from my mom's doctor while crossing the salt flats - she was in yesterday to have 4 basal-cell carcinomas removed, two of them quite invasive involving Mohs's procedure. She needs to go in tomorrow for reconstructive surgery, which will involve a forehead flap - and general anaesthesia. She's 91, and for obvious reasons I'm concerned - 1, for how she will tolerate the surgery, and 2, for how she'll feel about looking like an alien for a month while the thing heals, followed by another surgery to remove the flap. I have to be gone for a week and a half in the middle of all this... it's going to be a bit dicey.

I almost wish they hadn't done the initial surgery while I was gone, but I guess basal-cell carcinomas, while non-metastatic, can be very aggressive locally and could have eaten her entire nose off. Let's hope for the best.