[jdviole2]

Just a short story today. If you had Helena for a friend then you really didn't need anyone else. As an animal lover at one time we had five different neighbors that would regularily give us their house keys so we could take care of their dogs and cats while they vacationed. Helena did most of the work during the day and then would go over at night with me to finish up for the day. She loved caring for the animals. She also took in the mail for the people so they didn't have to stop having it delivered. But the best example I can give you of Helena as a friend involves the woman that moved in to the house behind ours. She worked for the same company I did but not in the same division. We were back fence neighbors, if you know what I mean. We talked whenever we were both out working but never visited back and forth. We were busy and the woman had her mother living with her. A few years after she moved in the mother's health started to fail. One day when we were both out working the woman mentioned to Helena that she was getting worried because her mother would insist that she was eating lunch but when the woman came home the food was still in the refridgerator. She didn't want to have to put her mom in a home but she was getting just bad enough that she was worried about her mom not getting the right nutrition. Helena asked her if she could come over and make sure her mom ate. The woman was very surprised. She told Helena that it would be every work day. Helena told her that wouldn't be a problem. She could come over to make lunch and then would sit with her mom while she ate. The two of them could then watch a couple of soap operas. Helena said that way her mom could have company for a couple of hours a day. Our neighbor started to ask Helena how much she would charge her for that. Helena stopped that conversation quickly. There would be no charge. The woman didn't know what to say. Helena told just to say yes. Helena did that for about 18 months until the woman retired and moved away. We talked it over between the two of us a couple of times. Helena told me you didn't charge friends for favors. Period. That was my girl. Pictures for today. The first is another "butt" shot. It shows Helena at the top of a ladder on the way to Corona Arch in Utah. The next shot is a different shot of Helena in a formal garden. Third shot is Helena holding up a rock so I can hike under it. Next shot is Helena resting. Seems like we have a lot of shots of her resting but when you are hiking that is about the only time you have for photos. The fifth shot is Helena petting a rather large stone dog. Don't know where or when this was taken. The last is one taken in my parents back yard.