Bloody Tie Guy

Dear Daddy,
I can tell what the weather is like outside even before I leave the covers of my bed. Our air conditioning unit is on so much at our house that the moment it is no longer needed, even the air smells differently. 
It is perfect hiking weather now and the desert seems to be breathing again, shaking off the 115 degree temperatures of its record breaking summer.  Our porch is decorated with the usual fall seasonal fare. Our only son,werewolf Harry , is dangling from tree branches while our glorified mummy swings upside down from the bars of our upper balcony. I had the mummy in a tree too, but we caught a mischievous 8 year old trying to unwrap her.  We had to place her in a higher position, further away from side walk Halloween looters. Her neck and head wrappings probably need reglued but her white skull creeping out from the bandages, does seem to add something to the overall mood of the stoop. Our big teen Halloween party is next week and the kids are busy planning ghoulish delights and scary games.

Dani, Syd and I took a brief hike up "Ice Box" canyon last Saturday. It is one of the many trails in Red Rock Canyon. I only took a couple of pictures as the trail was so rocky, I had to concentrate on staying upright. Syd was a good sport! She is not always the most coordinated hiker, but she has the biggest heart. We made it about 3 miles and then we decided the boulders were getting bigger and our legs felt like jello.
We have been on a couple of bike rides this week and even Jess has gone. Just around the block, but at least she made it outside. It feels like we are all emerging from the den of our summer heat hibernation.
We painted a couple of walls "Revere grey" this week. Please do not tell Tia we painted over her 15 coats of fire-engine red in our entry way. We might've done a pinky promise that we'd keep that color forever. I guess that forever lasted 6 years... not bad by today's standards.
My work is about the same except lately we have had a few people come in and do a fast-track delivery.  I can always tell they are in this state if they arrive on the unit in a wheelchair with their legs out like toothpicks and their backs not pressed against the chair. This is the default position the human body assumes when trying to hold  the bowling ball of a baby's head inside. When out of the wheelchair, the last thing these women want to do is stay still on a hospital bed attached to monitors and IV's. They hot foot it around the room like the floor is alive with hot coals or burning lava. One woman finally made it on the bed but assumed a kneeling position and could not be persuaded to lie down. We attached the baby monitors to her while she was kneeling. It was kinda like adorning a standing statue except this statue was writhing and squirming. Starting an IV on a moving target is not a feat for the faint of heart.  After my friend tamed the wriggling snake of her right arm, we finally got it in.  All the fuss and muss was soon forgotten when a fresh new babe arrived and snuggled comfortably into the crook of her arm.  It is fitting that the greatest task of our lives, that of parenthood, begins with such labor and work. Ask any new mom, though,and they will say the pain is definitely worth the gain.
Dave found out he can no longer wear scrubs to work at the Urgent Care and his heart was all in a dither. I knew even before he said it that, "I might have to quit over this". The meager 2 pair of dress slacks in his closet bear witness to his inherent dislike of dress clothes. His real excuse was, "I don't want my tie getting in someone's wound while I'm stitching them up". The image of a bloody tie reminded me of the time you bought that side car for your motorcycle and found a bloody tie in the compartment. We figured the former occupant of the side car had not fared well. Even though you hammered and welded that side car back into shape, I was always worried I was going to meet the same fate as "the bloody tie guy" when I was riding in it.
Fluffy has to go to the groomers today. She has some weird price tag stuck to her beard and she nips at our fingers whenever we try to remove it. Georgia will need to go too as her toenails are so long she skates down our laminate stairs.
We hope you are enjoying the cooler temps and fall colors of Idaho. Looking forward to seeing you at Thanksgiving!
Love,
Coley, Harry, the mummy, the kids and bloody tie guy !

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