The difference a day makes!

Lo-o-o-ng exhalation of relief...we went to the doctor today to get my mom's knee checked. Diagnosis: A sore "pez ansarine bursa," or "goosefoot bursa," a small one on the inner front part of the knee. Probably from overuse, that week we went out on two walks a day for two or three days. I told my mom she was suffering from an honorable "jock's" problem! She decided to try a small injection of a steroid, and it seems to be helping pretty quickly. We also received feedback from a woman who runs exercise classes for adults; she said the trekking poles are perfect, and will help Mother's posture as well. This condition, without steroids, could last as long as three months. If the steroids work, it could be 4-6 weeks or less.
Our son called today to report from Yosemite! They had climbed Serenity Crack, Pillar of Frenzy, and East Cathedral Spire - or Rock, not sure which is correct. They also hiked up, climbed, and set up a Tyrolean Traverse up to the top of Lost Arrow Spire, a spectacular mass of rock that's been photographed many times. The road up into Tuolomne Meadows is still being ploughed - there are 60" of snow up in that area! - so they can't get up to some places they wanted to climb, but there will be other trips. Yosemite is so huge it isn't possible to do it all in a couple of weeks.
The days have turned paradisical, at least through Friday. I'll be hanging around here over Memorial Day weekend, enjoying a wet holiday!