Following our Monday return to Phoenix, I made hasty arrangements for my return to Santa Barbara, California, to help my aunt and uncle following my uncle’s triple-bypass open-heart surgery. Tired from the 510-mile drive the day before, I left Phoenix before 9:00 a.m. and managed to miss any major traffic jams from Los Angeles through the San Fernando Valley into Ventura and Santa Barbara.

I arrived at 4:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. in Phoenix) in time to meet my aunt and visit my uncle. Recovery is progressing, but this is going to be tough for this 81-year-old great-uncle who probably found it easier being part of the Normandy landing during World War II. Updates to my Photo of the Day are going to be difficult for a few days; bear with me.