Old and new stories

I was going through a photo album recently with Jenny (she wanted to see what pics we might have of her family). Anyway I found some really old photos of the early days of our family. I'll post a few at a time here with whatever stories I can glean about them. The 1st four were taken at the 1st place we lived in Billings right after I was born. Right after my birth Mother, Nancy, Gail, and I took up residence at a house on 26th street near downtown Billings. It was a house that Grandmother Wilson owned that had been turned into a 2 family residence - sort of a duplex, but with one apartment upstairs and one down instead of side by side. Dad was in Spokane at his telegraphy training and drove back to see his new daughter (me). Nancy and Gail were in a sandbox in the front yard when he pulled up. Gail jumped up and ran to the car yelling "Daddy's home!" Nancy glanced up - said "I know," and went on with her play.

By the way - here are a few of the photos I scanned for Jen. That's Zach and Jen in the 1st one, Jen at Christmas when she was probably almost 2, the 3rd one I call Speed Racer Zach, and the Fourth is Grandma and Grandpa Asay with baby Whitney, and Zach & Jen .

On the current front we're all very happy with mother's new walker. Jenny was here one evening and she saw how hard it was for mother to get around even with a walker (we have an old one Dad got at DI for $2 years ago before his first hip surgery). She suggested that if mother's cardiologist would write a prescription for it that Mother could get a newer one with a seat [with Medicare paying for it]. The very next day Jenny called that doctor's nurse and got the prescription written. Then she called the medical supply place that's associated with the Billings Clinic. They had one in stock so she picked it up and brought it over that evening. Dad has been after me ever since to tell you all about it here. Since I don't have a digital camera to take a picture of it here's a similar one from the internet.

Hers is all black [Oops - I posted this yesterday and I just looked at the walker again and realized that it is also blue where the one in the picture is blue -- but its a very dark midnight blue that I mistook for black]. The basket on hers is directly under the seat which flips up to access it. It's been really a great help to her to get around the house. Dad plans to puts some paving stones next to the front sidewalk to make it wide enought to push the walker from the bottom of the front steps to the driveway. The basket can also be removed so the whole unit can be folded up for easy transport.