Sorry to have been MIA, but...
I offer this up more as an explanation rather than an apology. Earlier this year I was making a concerted effort to be a more "active" poster and participant on the board. Unfortunately life, and the events that drive me, has been anything but usual.
The most significant issue has been the failing health of my father, who through both my early years and continuing through the rest of my adult life, has been my mentor in all things outdoors. While I've done my best to juggle and balance both work and my responsibilities to my own family, I've increasingly been call on to get home and assist in care giving for my father. Many of the things are beyond my mother ability to deal with directly. My other siblings have been excellent in their support, especially my youngest brother, who carries the biggest part of this load being physically the closest to our parents home. At this particular stage he is in and out of the hospital dealing with a range of issues that just continue to cause an every tightening spiral to an inevitable end.
I spent most of the month of August back home. Between the several admission to the hospital we moved him "down stairs", primarily in a effort to keep him from hurting himself. It stung his pride mightily to come to grips with the reality that, as a former steel worker, he lacked the strength to continue at a level of independence he assumed would be available to him through the rest of his life. September has not smiled on him. He continues to weaken, is frustrated, and quite emotional about the additional steps that have had to be taken to see he gets proper care. In short, nurses and nurses aids are doing may of the "daily maintenance" chores be would normally have done for himself. While the positives are, he is still able to be "at home", there is no hope of the situation getting better.
While I feel certain my expression of this situation will no doubt bring a number of response that include best wishes and prayers, I will say thanks in advance but that was not the true intention of this post. I also know that to my friends on the board no explanation for my absence was required.
I can't promise that I'll be more active soon. The great plan on how this chapter in my life ends has not yet been revealed. I have been fortunate enough to still get to the site with some regularity and hopefully, I'll continue to do so.
To all of you new folks that I've failed to welcome and to each of you that have had a birthday pass without an acknowledgment from we, I regret not having taken the time to say welcome or best wishes.
To all of you who've posted your fishing trips, reports, photo's and flies you've tied, I've enjoyed myself vicariously through your efforts.
To Deanne, Neal and all the rest of the FAOL team and family that have continued to contribute and insure new, interesting, and informative articles are posted each week, I give my special thanks.
Life's been a little better because of all of you. Thanks for listening, see you all soon.
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