Update

I'm excited waiting for this flower to bloom. Can't wait to get photos of the blooms. Like waiting on opening a Christmas present (in the Christmas Mountains). The flower has been identified from this photo as Porophyllum greggii. I'll definitely post photos of the blooms. Can't find any online but Patrick Alexander, who ID'd it, said it looks like the bloom of P. gracile. I found that online and it's lovely (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porophyllum).  Here's my P. greggii getting ready to bloom.

Patrick said those dark spots on the leaves are like "translucent internal oil glands." How cool is that!

In other goings on, my kids are coming this weekend and I hope to be able to climb the mountain with them. My illness is for sure a sinus infection. Not sure if it started as flu or not. I'd never had a sinus infection before. They last around a month and I think it's been about that long. Seems longer. I still don't have much energy and feel like I do if I get water up my nose, but otherwise haven't had the "sinus headache" now for 3 days so think I'm getting well.

One of my sisters, who winters down here, but lives in Iowa, had to have emergency gall bladder surgery here in Alpine at Big Bend Regional Hospital. All went well, and she headed back to our family's properties this afternoon. So thankful for our excellent hospital!

My son who had the airplane crash has already purchased another plane. Oh, well....