It's been a while - it's not so much that there's no news to report from Joe's Pond - it's more that between traveling to Lebanon, N. H. to see Fred at Dartmouth Hitchcock Memorial Hospital and keeping up with things at home, I haven't had much time when I was awake and alert enough to post anything. Fred is now doing much better and will be moved to a rehabilitation facility in Greensboro for a few days until he literally gets back on his feet. He's had a pretty rough couple of weeks and the pneumonia took a lot out of him. We're confident he's going to be back in rare form soon.
     I've been sort of holding the fort here at home, when I'm here. It's amazing how complacent one gets when there are two people to share the responsibilities. I've always known and appreciated how much Fred does around here and for others, but I'm finding out there are some things I'm completely mystified about. I'm learning, though, and getting along pretty well. But it will be really, really good to have my partner in crime back, believe me!
     For example, yesterday morning when I left for DHMC to see Fred, my computer said it was updating and I shouldn't turn it off. Ok. No problem. So I left. When I got back late in the afternoon and went to check my email, everything started up normally, but when I got to the page where I log in to open Windows 10, I got a black screen. No icons, nothing to click, nothing worked. I turned the computer off manually and then started it up again, still a black screen. I fired up my laptop and Googled to see if I could find a solution. One suggestion I found was to turn it off and leave it for six hours or so. Frustrated, I ate my supper and went to bed, thinking it would be better in the morning. It wasn't. 
     Son, Jamie, is our go-to guy for almost everything, but when I called him this morning to see if he had a solution, he said he is at a loss with Windows 10. He's mainly a Mac guy. So I went back on the laptop and was about to unplug everything - and I mean EVERYTHING associated with the computer - when Fred called. He mainly wanted to update me that he was feeling much better, had been walking for the first time since being hauled to the hospital almost two weeks ago, and expected to be transferred to a rehab facility someplace. But he said they were having difficulties finding a place that would take new patients because most are closed due to the flu. When he asked how things were going here at home, of course I told him about my computer problem. He walked me through trying a couple of things and we got it going again! It made my day that he was well enough to leave the hospital and be closer to home; and the rest of my day went much better, having the darned computer operating.
     I made a quick trip to Cabot post office at lunch time, and it felt like spring. The temperature was about 41 degrees, the ice that was so hard a week ago has mostly turned to mush, and there are lots of bare spots. No mud yet, though. After lunch I had a nap in my chair - yep, I nod off a lot like any old lady, cat on my lap, TV playing. Sometimes I think I get my best sleep in my chair, in spite of cricks in my neck. But I had a lot I wanted to do this afternoon, so to shake the cobwebs out of my head and mind, I walked up Jamie and Marie's driveway. I haven't done that for a month or more, having been in Boston and then rationalizing that it was too icy underfoot when we got back. It was good, easy going, and felt good to get some exercise and fresh air. Today was Jamie's birthday, and he got home just as I was nearing the top of his driveway, so I was able to wish him "Happy Birthday." 
     Woody is with me tonight as I write this. He is never very far from me these days. He was spending a good deal of time sitting in front of the bedroom door, waiting for it to open and Fred to come out, I think. He seems to be always alert for any little noise, as if he expects someone to be stirring in the house. I've learned to expect him to be either a step ahead of me or following close at my heels wherever I go. I have to be careful not to trip over him. He's good company, but sometimes too much underfoot. He'll calm down when Fred gets home, I'm sure. Tonight he's determined to walk in front of my computer screen. I think he'd lie down there if I made room for him. He has his own bed next to me on a little side desk, and usually settles there without much fuss, but tonight he's feeling a little more insecure, I guess. I'll stop now and give him some much needed attention.