ANOTHER IRV UPDATE

 FROM CHRIS

Big day! After 3 weeks, Irv moved out of the ICU to a “step-down” unit. He will be there until they clear him for a physical therapy unit.

UPDATE ON IRV

Chris posted this update.  For those of you who do not use Faceboook, I thought being informed on the blog would let everyone know how Irv is doing.

Keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

 The doctors were certainly correct when they said Irv’s recovery will be slow. Two weeks after his successful craniotomy he FINALLY had the breathing tube removed this morning. He immediately began breathing on his own! His respiration will be closely monitored for a few hours and if all goes well, he will be transferred from ICU to a transitional unit before going to rehab.

Thank you all for your concern and prayers.

REPORT FROM FLORIDA

 It's been cool here, too! For a few of the cooler days, the natives were dressed in parkas and fur hats.  However, since I know what you Iowa natives have been through temperature wise at times, I'm not going to dwell on the weather.  I'll inform you about some of the rides I have taken.  I have not played any golf yet.  The back seems a little "twingy" at times, so I plan to try that carefully since my daughter, Beth, and grand girls, June and Mabel, gave me a gift certificate to Top Golf for Christmas, I'll try that first.

We arrived in Panama City Beach on New Years Eve day, so I was able to join the Ft. Walton bikers for a 200 mile ride on New Years Day.  We traveled the backroads from Freeport, FL, to Enterprise, AL, where we feasted at Shane's Barbeque.  For you Ruptured Rooster fans, we actually traveled through Coffee County in Alabama, but we did not stop for any brews.  It's amazing how much more scenery one gets to see when not having to lead!

We have taken a number of rides on our own, so I thought I might try to highlight a few of those.  There are a couple of things that fascinate me down here.  One is their bridges, and they have some "big ass" ones.  The other is live oak trees with their mossy limbs and their uncanny ability to withstand the hurricanes.

Here's one of the bridges spanning a large bay.

Here's one of the roads we took that the Ft. Walton gang showed me.

Another Ft. Walton road.  Not every road down here is flat and straight.

Here's some of the incredible live oaks I saw.

Another "big ass" bridge

And another one

We also passed through Tyndall Air Force Base.  New construction after the hurricane.

Do the cranes look familiar?  They are expanding this huge bridge.

This is the bridge that connects Panama City with Panama City Beach.  The speed limit is 45, but you have to go 60 just to keep up.

And the sunsets are always beautiful over the Gulf of America!

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST.....

CONGRATS TO MIKE & JOAN...A NEW GRANDSON!!