Dear Cousins, Kids etal, November 20, 2000, was my last trip down to the cemetery. Then December 24, Mother fell and things went from bad to worse. We lost her on March 12, 2001. I made a few tentative attempts to get down, but things were going on with the owners and their families, and the place where they let me stay was in use. The lady, Edie, who ran the restaurant had been undergoing chemo for lung cancer, but she died in December. The restaurant is now closed. I had no place to stay. In desperation, I finally decided to just go for the day. With the cost of gas, I hated to do it, but felt I really needed to. All the recent rains brought both lovely wildflowers and millions of weeds and tall grass. I was dismayed! I worked first to make trails through by pulling weeds so I could see where I was walking. I hardly made a dent in them. Two branches of a cedar tree had broken and were dangling near where I had put the markers for Texanna and Frank. I had not thought I would need my saw, and did not bring it, so I just cut a lot of the little branches to protect the markers, and will deal with it next time. I dug a few briers, but they are rampant again! I needed to be at least three people to get it even half cleaned up. I worked until almost five and drove home in a blinding rain most of the way. I was glad to get home. I am going to make an attempt to contact some organizations like the Boy Scouts, the FHA and the Sheriff's dept, or whoever is in charge of prisoner work crews, to see if we can get some community service help here. It is just a daunting task right now and I feel overwhelmed. The Red Yucca and Rock Rose, and the Irises, all seem to be prospering, and there were lots of Prairie Verbena, Indian Blanket, Venus Looking-glass, and various other wild things growing. Well, I will let you all know if I can manage to get some help. I hope I can. It was in pretty good shape last fall. I hate to see it get taken over again with briers and other weeds. Love, Linda