Success at today’s clinic. My labs are ok, no need for any changes in my meds. They’re still monitoring my heart and neutrophil count. My next appointment is on Monday which means a whole weekend without medical appointments. Eva helped me walk around earlier without my walker — which was amazingly freeing. If all goes well, I have a bone marrow biopsy on Wednesday which will determine if I can in fact go home on Thursday May 18.

As I was preparing to go into the clinic this afternoon, I started reminiscing about some favorite camping places Tim and I have backpacked to over the years.

One time as we were hiking along, we passed an elderly couple backpacking along the same trail. Seeing them, we envisioned some day we would be like them. Still camping and backpacking together as we grew old. Not meant to be.

My camping and backpacking days are behind me (not to mention no longer having to sleep on the ground). Nevertheless, I have such vivid memories of our camping days, always botanizing, staying up at night to watch the Milky Way or waking up at dawn to start a campfire and breakfast. Even if I don’t return to camping and backpacking, I still hope to be able to do hikes, botanize along the way and look up at the millions of stars lighting up the night sky.

I trust with all your prayers, love and support, I’ll get there.

Cascade Lake, Eastern Sierra. Catavina, Baja Mexico. Ten Lakes, Yosemite. Manchester State Park, Mendocino. Fourth Recess, Yosemite. Twenty Lakes Basin, Yosemite.