Denver.
I left Green River around 10:30, on my way to Denver, where I’ll visit Indrina and Antara this evening. It’s about 350 miles, but I decided to take a slight detour and see if I could first find Flaming Gorge, a name that shows up on a lot business and street names around Green River (my hotel, for instance, was on West Flaming Gorge Way). I headed to the Flaming Gorge Recreation Area, about 15 miles from here (it said on my GPS), seeing more and more scrub land and in the distance, snow capped mountains.
Well, maybe the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area starts 15 miles away, although I never did see an entrance sign, but after I drove about 20 miles or so, I managed to get a cell signal way out there and I could see that Flaming Gorge itself, a large reservoir, is in Utah, about 80 miles away, so after I while I turned around, tail between my legs, and headed back to Green River and from there hopped onto route 80 east, heading for Denver.
Nothing much to say about the drive, which was smooth and uneventful, and filled with my thoughts about life, Bev, Shikha, and the universe.
Part of the reason I took my unsuccessful drive into Flaming Gorge is because I want to ensure I don’t now get into the “I’m just going home” mode of driving, and do want to make to make sure I stop and smell the roses along the way. Nevertheless, I certainly do feel I’m on my way home. The weather, although still nice during the day, usually in the mid-70s, is also cooling, with temperatures sometimes in the 60’s, and cooler in the morning and early evening, and the shorter days, darkening by around 6:30, makes it less inviting to take walks. Well, I guess we’ll see as I keep driving east.
I arrived in Denver around 4:30, but first picked up a cake, as I know that’s a cake lovin’ family, and then went to 4111 Yates Street to visit.
I met Aloka, Shikha’s 10-year younger sister, who flew in from India, but sadly missed Shikha by a few hours. I’ve talked to Aloka once before, by phone, and glad to meet her, but sorry it was under these sad circumstances. The house seemed fine and stable, and life was pretty normal. Big Michael, Muniya’s husband, and their two kids, little Michael and Asha, were just here also, but left this morning. I’m sorry I missed them. Muniya is staying until the weekend, as the cremation is set for Friday.
Sadness was everywhere, and lots of flowers, but Goosey, Muniya, Aloka, and Eric were doing fine, and living their suddenly changed lives. Dev was the same lovely little guy, happy and friendly, and pretty bright, that I met last time, and when he came home he immediately spotted my car outside and told Eric that I was here. Pretty amazing for a 2-year old. And he loves his desserts!
Shikha was conscious and aware for at least some of the time she was in the hospital, and wanted to come home, and seemed to be aware of her situation and nearing passing. After returning home, it sounds like a wonderful and heart warming evening, as Shikha seemed to have one of these final resurgence moments that sometimes occur shortly before someone dies under circumstances like this. She was apparently alert and engaged on Friday evening, the night before her death, talkative and loving, eating, and fully with it. What a lovely thing for Muniya and Goosey to have as a final gift. I wish that could have happened for Bev as well.
Shikha passed peacefully during the night in her sleep, somewhere around 2 am. How sad, how very, very sad.
I visited for about 4 hours, and then headed to my hotel. Tomorrow, I head up to Deadwood, South Dakota, and Mount Rushmore.