I wanted to let you all see the view I had this morning as I was drinking my cup of coffee. This is what makes the long, dark winters well worth living here. I wouldn't give up this view for a Million Dollars! (Well, maybe $1.2 Million.)

Here is a close up on one of the many dahlias we look at from our Living Room Window.

They even have a display UNDER GROUND!! We had no idea they did this, but, they have an area showing cut flowers in huge displays.

The fields almost take on a fair like feel. There's hot dogs, soda, kettle corn and snacks. Of coarse, you can purchase bunches of Dahlias.

Here I am........WALKING!!!! 

Here is a view of the house from the field looking towards the west.  

Sorry I haven't been writing in a few days. Just so all that know who emailed me this last weekend, things are going very well. I do believe this has been the best weekend since my surgery 6 weeks ago. I think I walked the whole 40 acres of Dahlias this weekend!. The farm has been in operation for over 65 years, and the Gitts family has been operating the business for the last 41 years. We met Margaret Gitts last night and talked with some of our friends, from the farms around our house, for about an hour. It was right around 7:00pm and there was not a breeze to speak of. The temp was right around 80 deg and the sun was at the point were everything turns a soft gold color. The crickets were singing there songs and as the sun set in the west, there was a full Moon to take it's place in the east. As the moon rose above the horizon, it looked as if it was on fire. Just a huge ball of fire glowing in the dark. I must say, this was the nicest and best weekend I have had in a long time. Walking is getting better every day and the pain level just keeps going away. I hurt at night, but, it's because I am doing more during the day. Thank you all for your phone calls and emails. I am doing much better and the attitude is healing with the knee. Hope you all have a great week and enjoy the pics of the Dahlias and please, don't be jealous just because we over look the whole 40 acres and see nothing but a sea of lovely blooms all summer long!

WHAT'S UP WITH THIS WEATHER?????? WHAT'S HAPPENED TO SUMMER????? THIS SUCKS!!!!

Sorry I haven't updated for a few days, but, I over did it on Saturday and I hurt my leg a little. I went to the Doctor today and was told I had ripped one of my stitches and that I had some blood in my knee that was causing pain and swelling. He told me I HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY FOR 3 MONTHS!!!!! I also told him I was walking without a cane in the house and he got mad at me for that too. He told me this is just a minor set back and there should be little problems with the recovery and I have done no damage to the new knew, thank god. I have been a good boy since and have been sitting in my chair, icing and taking it easy. It's so very hard to sit all day long and then sit all evening as well. I am such an active person that it really feels like torture to sit all day, all night. Day in and day out. I do know that in the end I will be so very grateful I did what the doctor has told me and will do my very best to conform to all the rules and regulations he has set forth from this day on. I am to continue to take it easy for the remainder of the week. I am to go to physical therapy as if nothing has happened and I am to ice it several times a day. All in all I do feel better. I have ZERO pain in the joint and I know this surgery was a complete success. I just cant wait to take my new knee out for a trial run............ Yea, right.......... Just testing to see if anyone really reads this stuff!!!!!!!

Ok, here is all that's going on this weekend. I don't understand what ever happened to the Goodyear Blimp, it seemed it was around all the time when I was a kid in the summer, but, This has been flying around for the last couple of weeks. There was a storm moving in on Saturday and it looked as if this was getting caught in the high winds. Every time it would try to go back to the airport, the winds moved it farther up towards Portland! Looked as if it was loosing a mile for every 1/4 mile it would move forward! We are kind of cool, dark and rainy today. I guess we can't have the 90 deg weather we have been used to all summer the whole time! Oh well, there's still plenty of sun before the dark gray skies take over for the winter.

All in all we just had a great time. The weather was just great, right around 85 in the day and right around 75-80 during the evening and night time. Vera, we had an elephant ear for you and some corn on the cob, thank you Bob. We didn't run into as many people as we usually do, I don't understand. Oh well, in a small town we see them all the time anyway. The fair missed you, Vera. Hope one year you can come back and enjoy the sights, sounds and smell of all the food with us. I'm sure the kids would love it. ( If we could get them off the rides!)

here is Stan and Hailie just goofing off. Man, they sure can have fun together. Hailie is getting so tall too. See, she has passed her Dad up! 

Karen and Leslie screaming as the ride comes to an end. Hailie is stuck on the side and cant be seen in this picture. 

Fun and noise of the midway!

The Two Bob's. Sponge Bob and Little Bob! 

Well, we went to the County Fair last Night and a great time was had by all. Here I am in my new car, at least for the fair grounds! I thought just old crippled people used these....... Hmmmmmm. Oh well, the food and the lights were just what I needed to get out out of the sulking I have been doing for the last few weeks. We ate, walked the exhibits and looked at all the entries made by the little kids and adults alike. I cant tell you what the smells of the food and the excitement of the midway does to me. It just seems to take me back to being a kid again. No, I didn't go on any rides this year, but, I would have loved too! (This was the only ride I got all night!) Oh well, there's always next year. If you look, and you don't have to look to hard, you will see the scar on my knee from the surgery. It's healing up very nice and just cant wait to be walking normal again. I will post some more pics on the blog.

P T went well today, spent an hour in the pool doing stretching exercises. Things are getting better with the knee every day. I'm not using my pain meds as often and I know that's a good sign. I just wish I could walk normal! Oh well, that will come, I know that for a fact.

I have been sleeping allot better at night, therefore, my moods have been pretty good this week. I have only been getting up 1-2 times a night rather than the 4-6 times I was getting used to doing. So very happy that parts done!

We are going to walk the fair tonight, have to go look in the pavilion and snack on the food, but, instead of walking this year, I am going to use a wheel chair. Yehaaaaaaa! Oh well, it's either sit back and pity myself because I cant walk through it or find a way to make it work! So, I am making it work!

See you all soon!

I just have one question.................. Why does life never turn out the way you have planned? Even when you do things right, things never turn out the way you wanted. Does this mean I have turned into a 5 year old again saying "That's not fair?" No, I don't think so. I feel that as you grow older you expect things to be a certain way and when there not, "It's not fair." I wish, and I know it's silly to want to even think about this, but, do you remember what it was like when you were 10 years old? Not having a care in the world. The only thing you worried about was if your best friend was still mad at you for tricking him into eating that worm! Remember staying out until dark playing "Good guys / Bad guys"? Or "Cops and Robbers"? Then your Mom would call you in to have your bath and get ready for bed. Everything was provided for you. There were no worries. You had a house, water, electricity and everything else anyone on the block could possible want. Your parents didn't have to sacrifice anything for everything you had............................................ Or did they?

Now that I am in my parents shoes............. I wonder........................ Did they ever think life was unfair? Did they ever want to be 10 again? And then I wonder, when my parents were my age.......... Did they ever wonder if there parents ever thought life was unfair and wish THEY could be 10 again.

I guess all I'm saying is no matter how much of life I think is unfair, everyone has or is going through it, or will go through it. It's a part of life. It doesn't make things any easier or any better for that matter, but, at least we have the ones who love us and care about us. We have the ones who know that we are doing the best we can and that sometimes, no matter what you do all your life, your thrown a curve ball..................................

Even in saying all that and believing what I wrote................................................

Damn it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's not FAIR!!!!!!!!!
It's just not fair at all!!!!!!!

You've been blogged!!!!! Be warned, anyone within the reach of the camera, you may be next!

Ok, Sally. Youve been Blogged...........Again!

Here, Brandi. This one is for you. Look who was here over the weekend. Just thought I would give you a little lift first thing in the morning! 

Sorry, I didn't write yesterday after P T. I was so sore and tired that I didn't spend much time on the computer yesterday. The good news is I am starting to sleep better. I have been getting up once a night for the last couple of days!!!! The bad news is I have been so damn grumpy. I think most of this is due to the fact that I just sit on my ass most of the time! I'm getting so tired of sitting there when it seems like I'm getting better, but, I know better than that. Every time I go out and do to much, I am in pain for days, so, I know it's not worth it. Even with knowing that things are healing and I know my leg is getting better every day, it doesn't make it any easer sitting in that chair. I have been going outside from time to time and sit, so, I think I need to do more of that so I dont go to Loco. You really can only look at the same 4 walls so long before going a little crazy! Ok now that I have that off my chest.............................................................

Our friend Sally went into the hospital Monday morning for surgery. We went to see her last night and she was so drugged up. It was so funny and I don't really think she will even remember us coming up there. She was just staring at the drug button waiting for the 10 min mark so she could push the bottom again. I don't know if she put that thing down the whole time we were there, but, I do know she started getting cramps in her finger from holding on to it for so long and so hard. She was told she was going to be blogged, so here it is!!!! Get well soon Sally!!!!!

Ok, to all you Allen's Blog Junkies, I will be posting again tomorrow and I am so sorry for not writing yesterday. Please, Brandi, forgive me!

Here is one just a little closer. This is one of three that flew over the house and fields on Friday Morning that Stan woke up to. 

Thought I would post a picture of what Stan woke up to in the back yard on Friday Morning. He said it was so low and so close to the house, he could see the people inside. It's so cool out here sometimes!  

Life has been rather hard this weekend. I really don't know what has happened, but, I have been so tired. I slept most of the day, on and off, and just felt shitty!

I start the advanced P T tomorrow and hope things go well. I don't see how it wont and can't wait to get off these crutches. (Yes I'm still on the crutches and hope to move back to the cane very shortly. )

Stan spent the entire day on Saturday cleaning and scrubbing the pool to make it nice and clean for Hailie. Our pump had gone out a few days ago and the pool has been turning some funny colors. Sally and Dick brought over an extra pool pump they had from there pool and now ours looks nice and sparkling clean. We thank you and I'm sure Hailie thanks you too!

I would like to thank all the friends and family that have called and sent well wishes through emails. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I will be writing again Monday after P T and hope to have good news about my progress. Until then, have a great rest of the weekend!

Here I am getting measured. I MADE IT!!!!!! 3 weeks and 3 days after surgery, I can bend my leg 120 deg. This is a huge step on the road to recovery and I am VERY excited. Now I need to make sure I am walking correctly and bending my knee the way I have been told. This was a fantastic day!!!!!!

P T wipes me out! This is how I stretch out the knee before I get measured for flexibility. It really feels good to stretch it out after doing my workout. Oh, and look. The scar is getting much better!!!!  

This is the one I hate the most. CRUNCHES! OMG They hurt!!! I can't wait for them to work, though. Maybe I will have some muscle tone back in my legs again!! YAHOOOOO! 

Well, I am told that this is one of the best ways to get the knee to work right. Ashleigh says I look like a Dancer warming up. I could'nt dance before I hade surgery..... I wonder........ Will I now???? 

This is not my exray either, but, it shows what a knee like mine looked like before surgery, ( on the left.) It also shows the front and the side views of the knee now. The only difference in this one and mine is the fact that I only have one screw going into the upper part of the knee. The one I have is right in the middle, the smaller one is not there. 

This is not my exray, but, this is exactly what I had done to my knee. The upper part is the new joint and the lower part is the cartilage. You can't see that part as well because it's made from plastic. That will more than likely be the part that will fail first. Hopefully that wont happen for 10-15 years!