In January of 2026, it had been a year since Linda had surgery to replace a faulty heart valve. She had done a lot of physical rehabilitation and was recovering nicely.
Darel, on the other hand, had noticed a downturn in health and was having balance problems. Physical therapy failed to make a noticeable improvement. During a beautiful afternoon walking with Janet and Allen through a Loveland sculpture garden, Darel was having a lot of trouble keeping up. We quickly decided that it made more sense to spend the rest of the afternoon at a local brewery.
Each month, several former math teachers and professors meet for lunch . In February, several cancellations gave us an excuse to make a quick trip to Las Cruces rather than attend the math seminar. We joined Diana for a tour of museum.
That evening we shared a take-out dinner with Carol and friends. Carol was able to feed herself and contribute to the conversation. The next day, Carol had a turn for the worse and never recovered. She died later that month. We were fortunate to have one last chance to say goodbye.
Brendon and Jess invited us to attend a baby shower in late Februauy.
Linda and Darel were scheduled to take a river cruise along the Danube in April. We thought about cancelling the trip, but finally decided to give it a go. We landed in Budapest on the day of the national elections that saw Peter Magyar defeat Viktor Orban. There were celebrations all night long, but only a few broken booze bottles were visible the next morning.
It quickly became evident that Darel was having more and more difficulty keeping up on the walking tours.
After four days, we took a flight out of Vienna and flew back to Denver. Carol’s celebration of life was scheduled for early May. On our way to Las Cruces, we visited Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands National Park. Allen and Janet took the long option at Carlsbad, Linda and Darel were happy to take the elevator in and out.
Carol’s celebration of life was held in the Carol and Elbert Walker Lecture Hall on the New Mexico State University campus. Speakers ignored Carol’s academic achievements in favor of stories that illustrated her love and support for those around her. Her strength was her ability to listen and to avoid quick judgments.
Tragedy struck soon after our return to Fort Collins. Days before the expected birth, Brendon and Jess were informed that no heartbeat could be detected. We attended a ceremony at a local cemetery where the body of baby Selah was laid to rest.
We received more sad news, learning that Mary Ligon had passed away. Lee hosted a dinner where we met many of Mary’s close relatives.
The annual Mill Creek Fish Fest was probably the largest in the history of Mill Creek.
Darel’s condition continued to rapidly decline. An MRI of the lower spine was not helpful. Darel was unable to maintain his balance, even with two walking sticks. The surgeon suggested a second MRI focused on the cervical spine. After viewing the results, he suggested surgery as soon as possible. Less than two weeks later, Darel underwent seven hours of surgery. Now, two months after surgery, Darel has regained his balance and has progressed from walker to double hiking poles to cane to walking without assistance. Strength and endurance are slowly returning. The cone of shame that Darel wore for two months helped start a lot of dialog with others who had had similar surgery. The stories were encouraging and have offered lots of hope.
During the rapid decline in June, Darel and Linda decided that living in a five-level house no longer made any sense. We quickly found a house nearby and made an offer. The closing coincided with the day Darel went to the Northern Medical Center for surgery. Needless to say, Darel was worthless observer who watched friends and family do the actual work of moving from one house to another. Now we still need to sell a 1985 house with five levels.