To fully record the day I have to comment on the sand storm. We left Weatherford about 11 and the wind was picking up. We drove west with increasing wind and dust in the air. We stopped for lunch about 12 in Eastland and the sand was really blowing. Signs were being blown down. When we left neither of us put on our sunglasses because even though there were no clouds the dust effectively blocked the sun. I expected to see trucks being blown around but they slowed a little and I saw no problems with the traffic.

This sand storm doesn't compare to the black duster that we experienced in Levelland in 1950. When that one hit, I couldn't see Lou sitting next to me in the car and drove by seeing the yellow line in the road. We got to Lubbock and went to the Jr-Sr prom where we danced and wiped our glasses often to see.

I left a message on my granddaughter, Vanessa, cell phone to ask her if she has finally seen a Lubbock black duster that she has been expecting since she started at Texas Tech a couple of years ago. Haven't heard from her.

Lou is back on the road. Thursday she gave a book review to the Sweetwater Book Club. She reviewed THE NIGHT JOURNEY by Elizabeth Crook that is based in New Mexico around Las Vegas and includes three generations. One of the characters is a woman history prof that Lou could relate to. The women in the audience liked the review, but we didn't sell any of Lou's books.

Friday we got up early to drive to Denton for a Board of Regents meeting. It lasted all day and we opted to spend the night at the Raddison. Lou thinks our soft mattress at home may not be good for her back. At the Raddison we slept on a Sleep Number bed for the first time. Lou says we don't need that bed. While Lou was in her meetings I used the high speed TWU internet connection in the Library to get a lot of work done. Thursday night I chaired a Finance Committee meeting and took minutes for the Administrative Council. So Friday I wrote my Livestock Weekly column that I always submit by email, wrote the Finance minutes and emailed them, wrote the AC minutes and emailed them, wrote the Kiwanis meeting notice and after eating lunch came back and sent a news release on the Kiwanis Carnival in Cross Plains. Then I checked in the hotel and Lou woke me from my nap with a cell phone call to come back for the reception at the new Theater at TWU.

Lou says her back is feeling a little better. She feels beat up from the back surgery and thinks they beat up her front during the operation. The surgery injection points are small and healing very well. She walked twice Wednesday and Thursday but couldn't walk very far. She doesn't have the energy she would like to have. Today her appetite returned and hopefully her energy level and strength will begin to return next week.

We came back through Weatherford where our son and daughter-in-law gave us advice on a new mattress and we will probably get a new one in the next week or so. We are thinking of a more firm top than we have now. Lou really liked the mattress on the bed at Mark's house.

Lou now has two very small holes in her back along with two Xray films to show the plastic deposits now stabilizing her spine. The pain didn't disappear completely as we had hoped it would but it is now better. She had a good night's sleep at our son's home in Weatherford last night and a great breakfast this morning before we drove home.

As she expected the surgery didn't come off on time. We left at 10 a.m. with the temperature at 24 degrees. It warmed up to 33 by the time we got to the hospital at 12:10 for the 12:30 appointment. She was taken in immediately to have the mandatory IV installed. She hadn't eaten or drunk even water since the night before, so the IV gave her a little liquid. Our son, Mark, his wife, Mary Kathryn, and our daughter, Kathy Wilcox, all arrived in time to chat with her until 2 when they wheeled her to the pre-op area for the scheduled 3 p.m. operation. We went to the waiting area. Dr. Siadati came by to inform us that the operating room was in use by someone else and wouldn't be available for an hour and a half, and that he was on call for emergencies and had to do brain surgery on an older man who had fallen and had a blood clot on his brain. My daughter said is was a scene out of Grey's Anatomy from the night before. We waited and waited and waited. Finally at 9:15 they started the surgery and at 10:30 Dr. Siadati brought the Xrays to tell us the surgery had gone well and the nurse would tell us if they had a room for her. We finally got to visit her in the recovery room at 11:30 where she was a little groggy from the anesthesia. We had planned for one of us to stay in her room, but had leave her. We spent the night in Weatherford.

Kathy and I left as soon as we could to get back Saturday morning. We took her her glasses and clothes. The nurse removed the IV and blood monitor device and let her get up and walk to the bathroom after removing the urine catheter. She got to feeling better after that, although she still had some back pain. When they brought her some breakfast at about 9, Kathy and I went to to the cafeteria for our breakfast. When we got back Lou had gone to sleep, so I read the paper and Kathy got some school work. At about 11 our granddaughter, Ashley, came to visit. Then our pastor, Jim Senkel, from Cross Plains First United Methodist Church came by on his way to the funeral of a relative in Waco. He prayed with us and Dr. Siadati came in just before noon to sign the papers to release Lou. He gave her a prescription for pain medicine.

We left with everyone including Ashley's fiancee, Ross, and drove to the Thai village on East Belknap where we were hosted to a meal by Rex and Mary Gaggino at the Pho Nam restaurant. Rex is from the South Seas and loves oriental food. While we were in the restaurant we got to see a fireworks display outside as they celebrated the Chinese New Year with a parade of Dragons. The Gaggino's were in Ft. Worth to pick up their daughter later at DFW. So we were fortunate to see them. They live on Mary's family ranch East of Throckmorton. For years we went to their book club discussion. Also on the literary side while we were waiting Mark started reading Mark Finn's book about Robert E. Howard and wants to read it when I finish with it. I am still reading MY FATHER, MY PRESIDENT by Doro Bush Koch and appropriately read the part about Marvin Bush having colitis surgery that removed most of his colon and has to wear a permanent colostomy but even more eerie was his wife, Martha, who at age 6 had ovarian cancer and had chemo, radiation and surgery to remove her ovaries. After Lou went through all of that last year we can relate to Marvin.

After lunch we went to Mark's home where Lou and I napped. Lou took a pain pill and it helped her feel better. But what really made her a lot better was the special chicken noodle soup that Mary Kathryn made with a dessert of banana pudding pie. We watched a little college basket ball and a movie and went to bed at 9. We slept well all night until 7 which is unusual for Lou. After a great breakfast we went home and by 10:30 I was feeding the birds and foxes and checking the deer feeders.

I forgot the literary post. Last night we had dinner with the Library board and got to talk to Mark Finn and his wife, Cathy, from Vernon. They haven't met Sylvia Mahoney but will now. He spoke to Kiwanis at noon, to high school students in the afternoon and was our author at the Meet the Author event. He just published BLOOD AND THUNDER: a biography of Robert E. Howard stressing his Texas and Cross Plains writing. He read from his boxing and cowboy stories that use Texas protagonists illustrating how he used Texas humor and tall stories to create his characters. He only wrote 22 Conan stories in his production of over 300 stories and 700 poems in seven years. He was focusing on western and Texas themes in his later years before his untimely suicide.

In the question and answer period we got a complete briefing on the history of REH's papers and the legal battles over copyrights from Jack and Barbara Baum who enherited the papers from their aunt, Ella Mae Morris by way of John's mother Zora Mae Bryant. They finally released the copyrights last year in order that the manuscripts could be marketed better. REH's popularity is growing. U of Nebr press is publishing his cowboy stories in two volumes that I have and I really enjoyed them.

Mark Finn has just moved back to Vernon to establish a museum like the Howard museum to commemorate Jack Teagarden, the jazz trombonist from Vernon. He is remodeling a theater and plans to offer 3-D movies to entertain. Should be open in the next couple of months.

Today went much better than expected. Snow was predicted but all we had was low temperatures, 24 when we left at 8. Got to Texas Oncology at 10:15 for the 10:45 meeting. Lou got her blood tests and met with Dr. Hancock who gave her a great report. He also commented that his father had had kyphoplasty 3 years ago and it fixed his back immediately. We keep hearing these stories and plan for the best next Friday.

We got to Macaroni Grill at 11:30 before the crowd and had an excellent Valentine's lunch. Of course I had to have chocolate cake for dessert. Took most of it home. It was dropping snow flakes as we drove back to Harris for the CT scan. Completed that by 2. Waited for a while and I checked with preop and they took Lou early. She got in by 2:30 and we left the hospital by 4:10. No snow and a smooth ride home. I lit the fireplace and we are enjoying watching Andy Griffith and Mash.

Yesterday after Kiwanis and setting up for our Meet the Author event the deer feeders I ordered online came in. After my nap I got them installed so that the deer would have food today. I put a new controller on the feeder here at the house and installed a new self feeder near the picnic table. Monday afternoon I put 5 bluebird boxes up. We saw several bluebirds at the bird bath this week.

The weather is supposed to be good for the trip to FW for surgery Friday. Our daughter, Kathy, called to say she would be there for the surgery. We will probably both spend the night with her. Saturday will be a joyous trip home pain free. God willing.

For Valentine's Day I have increased my gifts to Lou. I was going to take her to a doctor's appointment, but today we met with Dr. Siadati and now I am taking her to 3 appointments Wednesday, 2/14. We start with her scheduled checkup by the oncologist, Dr. Hancock in the morning. After a nice luncheon Lou will have a CT scan and later she will go to Harris Hospital for pre-op testing to prepare her for surgery Friday afternoon 2/16. She will have the kyphoplasty procedure to stabilize her vertebra. She will spend one night in the hospital for observation and to let the plastic injection solidify.

She is still in pain and has to go to non-blood thinning pain medicine until the operation. She is taking Norco and Tylenol in place of Bufferin that she prefers. It is painful for her to move. She cancelled out on the book signing at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame tomorrow but plans to go with me to the 25th Anniversary Kiwanis dinner in CP.

Lou felt pretty good driving back from FW Wednesday. Thursday we went to the dentist in the morning. In the afternoon, I dropped some trash on the rug and while I was taking it out to the garbage, Lou got out the vacuum cleaner and injured her back. It was bad Friday. Saturday we drove to Dallas for Lou to participate in electing new members into Texas Institute of Letters at their board meeting.

I had finished COME SUNDOWN and started the new book that my son gave me for Christmas, MY FATHER, MY PRESIDENT by Doro Bush Koch, George W.'s sister. The Forward is by her mother, Barbara Bush, and I am enjoying learning more about George H. W. He went to Odessa after graduating from Yale in a 1947 Studebaker. Our first car was a 1950 Studebaker Champion with the jet nose. We moved to Odessa about the time they moved back from California to Midland after being transferred from Odessa. Back in Midland he left the supply company where he started as a clerk and formed a production company that he later extended into an offshore drilling company named Zapata.

We came back Saturday. Sunday Lou woke with a really painful back and stayed home from church. Monday it was really bad so we called Dr. Siadati's office and after a day made an appointment for noon Friday. He wants to take some Xrays to see if there are more disk problems and will then decide if kyphoplasty will cure the problem. Lou has been taking pain medicine to contain the pain. Today Lou wrote the Cowgirl Hall of Fame and opted out of her book signing scheduled for Saturday. She was supposed to participate with the other contributors to the book Texas Women on the Cattle Trails.

Due to the nice warm weather and a little moisture in the ground, I planted some winter peas for the deer, fertilized with cottonseed meal and cornmeal and today planted some pansies for a little color this month. In the office I finally got started on bookkeeping update to work on my taxes.

I should be reporting on all the books that Lou is reading for the new author Spur award. She has found several that she likes. She is trying to finish that project early.