Life certainly has a way of throwing the unexpected curve ball. In early May, our dear friend, Dick DeVilbiss, fell on his basement’s steps and cracked his head on the concrete landing. His injuries were so severe that he had to be flown to Shock Trauma, where he stayed for a week. A month earlier his wife, Audrey, had undergone two major surgeries two days apart, and upon her arrival home (after several weeks in the hospital) Dick tended to Audrey’s needs as well as taking care of the house and continuing his work for Alley Animals. He must have felt overwhelmed at times, though I never heard him complain.

Perhaps he was trying to accomplish too much too quickly the day he decided to carry a dehumidifier up from the basement; with his mind on the next task at hand, he didn’t pay enough attention to the job of negotiating all those steps with a heavy object in his hands. Or, maybe he just lost his balance. We’ll never know the cause of his fall, but we’re overjoyed that we didn’t lose our friend that day.

From Shock Trauma he went to a nursing home for a number of weeks to recuperate and regain his mobility. Finally, he went home. One effect of the accident is that Dick lost his hearing in one ear, and a good bit of the hearing in the other ear as well. It must be frustrating not to be able to hear normally, I’m certain I would be frustrated and probably very cranky as a result. But Dick’s spirits are good and, with his wife’s help, he is getting himself back on track.

I mention Dick’s terrible ordeal for two reasons. First, many of you have spoken to Dick in his capacity as an Alley Animals representative and you know what a terrific guy he is. We thought you would want to know what happened and that he is recuperating. Second, as well as being a wonderful friend, over the years Dick became an indispensable part of Alley Animals organization. Donating his computer skills and his attention to detail in the world of business and paper work, Dick has kept us up and running.

If you were expecting correspondence, notification, or other business-related exchange, please forgive any omission. When Dick was in the hospital we scrambled to do as much as possible, all the while wondering how in the world we could ever manage without him. We will make every effort to cover any lost ground, but we ask that you be patient, extend us leniency in business matters such as memorials for the newsletter, correspondence, and acknowledgments. We take these matters seriously and we know you do. Please let us know of any omissions and again, please be patient.