Monday

Well Sunday turned out to be just another beautiful spring like day here in central Florida. Cool temps with little or no humidity and the new leaves are filling the trees in the hood. The couple inches of rain really helped with greening the grass as well. We started the day in a quiet mode as I tried to sleep in until after 7. Our neighbors from the mountain came and spent the night with us while waiting to board a cruise ship on Sunday morning. We had decided to visit our old church because on the 5th Sunday's we have no gathering at Element and a picnic day was scheduled in it's place.

Jodi and Gabriel left around 9 then we headed out shortly thereafter to SFBC. Well it was old home week with us, the Botbyl's, the Carlson's from N.C. and the Hufzingers. It was good to receive so many hugs, handshakes and how much we were missed. Pastor Mike had a good sermon and we celebrated the LORD'S Supper as well. Afterwards the Botbyl's and Carol's mother Jesse and us headed to the Olive Garden for lunch. The food was very good but after 2 bowls of Zuppa soup and a couple bread sticks I was comfortable; but I managed to bring most of Nancy's dish home for lunch on another day.

Well we chilled the rest of the day and I vegetated in front of the NCAA basketball games. The air was still chilly as the day ended with a strong northern breeze. It's so unusual this time of the year to be this chilly but I like it as soon the oppressive heat and humidity will become a familiar topic of conversation around here, LATER

Sunday

Well I'm a little late in posting this ramble as we had overnight guest in the computer room and then we headed off to church this morning so I never got around to what happened on Saturday. The day started with cloudy skies and we for a change slept in as we had Bobby and Gabe spend the night on Friday night.

Bob got up early and headed out to Einstein's Bagel Shoppe for coffee and a chance to get in a couple hours of writing on his second book in the The Epic of Haven trilogy. Gabe stayed with us and we made pancakes for him for breakfast. He was thrilled and ate a whole one as well. After the clean up Gabe and I played until it was time for them to head back to Riverview. The skies clouded up and a storm soon settled in for the next couple hours. We were under a tornado watch for several hours and at times the way the rain blew horizontally it sure seemed as if one was close by.

We stripped the beds and got ready for more overnight guests as Jodi and Gabriel from N.C. were spending the night with us prior to getting on a cruise ship out of the port of Tampa Sunday morning

. They arrived around 7 and we had pork chops on the grill as well as oven taters' , green beans and salad with carrot cake for dessert. We sat around and visited until after 10 when everyone was tired so I headed in to watch the last of the basketball game before lights out around 11, LATER    

Saturday

Well Friday turned out to be another busy day with a big family supper to end the day and then Bobby and Gabe spent the night. The temps warmed up enough to once more turn the a/c on to get rid of the humidity but it was pleasant outside. The rain held off until late in the evening despite the gray skies for most of the day.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out and then my usual routine of a hot cup of green tea, a few quiet moments, the posting of this ramble then a lite breakfast of cereal and fruit before pedaling out to the rec on my bike for some 2 plus hours of pickle ball. We had once again 3 courts in action with another 1/2 dozen waiting to get in the game. I had a wet shirt by mornings end as the play was that good with mostly advanced players. We said good-by to Dick and Gail who had been here for a couple weeks and added quality play to our group. They were flying back home to Pennsylvania on Saturday morning.

I did a little yard work after the rec while waiting for Bob and Gabe to arrive. They initially were going camping with Tyler and his kiddo's but the rain chances and gray skies kind of nipped that idea and it's a good thing as it poured during the night. Nancy was at her Friday morning Bible Study and then Amy and Tyler came for lunch. Bob took off to have Twill Auto look at some part of his vehicle and then he went to lunch with Neil and Danielle. Gabe and Sam were in their own little world as they played together with very little discord and eventually they spent the afternoon together as Ava went with Tyler and Amy.

I grilled chicken for supper and along with fresh carrots from the garden, baked tater's, broccoli and macaroni for the kiddo's we had us a feed. Nancy also made a carrot cake for dessert which was awesome using some real black walnuts in the batter. Oh my what a delicious different in taste they make. After supper and the cleanup Bobby, Tyler and neighbor John took the kiddo's to the Treasure Island Fun Center on Seminole Blvd for a couple hours to play arcade style games. The gals with neighbor Melinda(John's wife) came over for a visit with GG, Nancy and Amy, so I headed for the bedroom and tuned into the NCAA games and it wasn't long after 11, I was watching the inside of my eye lids, LATER

Friday

Well Thursday wasn't quite as nippy as Wednesday but still the temps required long pants and long sleeves for most of the day. By late afternoon it nearly reached the upper 60's. There were lots of clouds and even a few sprinkles around but nothing major despite the looming threat at times of a storm.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out then my usual routines before heading out around 7:30 on my bike to the rec for some 2 plus hours of pickle ball. We had 3 courts going once again with good players and the wet shirts were in abundance. Afterwards I headed out to the library on the way home. I finished a good non fiction book about a couple murders that occurred in Wisconsin back in the 70's titled WINTER OF FROZEN DREAMS. It was a great read and the good investigation was what broke the case. Karl Harter the author did great investigative reporting as well.

Amy, GG and the kiddo's all came for lunch. I harvested and cleaned lettuces, kale, beet greens and basil for a huge salad. We had a couple frozen pizzas doctored up with fresh mushrooms and herbs to go along with the salad. I headed out after lunch for my bi-weekly chiropractor visit then stopped by the barbershop for an ear lowering. I was home in time to vacuum the house before heading to GG for supper. She made chicken enchiladas and Nancy made black beans and rice  along with another salad. Once again the eating was fine and even Ava and Sam loved this meal as they both are somewhat picky eaters all of a sudden. I did the dishes then we stayed and visited until nearly 9 before heading out for the hacienda. Little Eliza was having a great time with all of the attention until she finally gave into to sleep. She now sleeps all through the night which is really a big help for Amy.

I tuned into the NCAA games until it was shower time and then it wasn't long before I was watching the inside of my eye lids, LATER 

Thursday

Well it was 46 degrees yesterday morning, Wow what is up with that? I can't remember when it was that chilly in Florida at this time of the year and the government wants us to believe the earth is warming because it man made, right! Just another program for the redistribution of wealth and control of our lives with the EPA. Why have we let people like Al Gore have such an influence in our society? Oh well don't get me started.

The day started around a 6'ish roll out for me. I won't mention what time Nancy left the warm snugly covers but it was about the time I headed out on the bike for the cold windy ride to the rec after my usual routine in the morning. We had 3 courts going with a mixture of pickle ball players; some very good and a few mediocre players. There were lots of wet shirts in the crowd. Afterwards I dropped by the library to drop off some books on my way home.

Amy was picking up GG and they were coming for lunch with the kiddo's. Ava is on spring break this week so we get to see her as well. She is growing like a weed and she and Sam are playing much better together and seem to be real good buddies. Eliza slept the whole time she was here which was around 2 hours. We took GG to the post office on the way to Sam's Club to get a few goodies for this next week. Gasoline has jumped another 16 cents a gallon in the past week and I'm sure it will soon be 4 bucks a gallon by summer. What a rip off to the consumer and to think we are about to let Canada send all of their oil to China because of the pipeline this president will not endorse because he is in bed with a few special interest groups.

Well after dropping GG off at her place we came back and I hand watered the gardens and yards despite the couples inches of rain we had on Tuesday. The soil is very sandy here and then the strong  winds dried out everything very quickly. It was long sleeve weather as the north winds were still quite evident. I believe it may have reached the lower 60's for the day. It was house church evening so I grilled a couple hamburgers and along with fresh asparagus and canned Lima beans for supper.

We headed out to the Botbyl's after the cleanup around 6:30. There was a couple dips and cheeses as well as a yummy lite lemon cake and normally I wouldn't eat the cake but this was a wow one. Carol made it from scratch and it was one of the very best ever. We did about an hour video on a college type course on who is GOD. It is a little long but very well done by the Focus on the Family series. We chatted up for another 45 minutes then headed out around 8:30 or so. It was a good evening and I got back in time to watch the last few minutes of the FSU game and they were lucky to win in a real close game with Louisiana Tech. I then caught the Rays vs the Orioles that ended in a tie pre-season game. It wasn't long afterwards I was watching the inside of my eye lids around 11, LATER     

Wednesday

Well, Tuesday was a wet morning to start the day with intermittent heavy rain showers but by the afternoon it cleared off and a strong wind came roaring down from the north. The air temp quickly dropped and by this morning it's supposed to be down into the 40's once again. It's hard to believe we will turn the a/c off and possibly think of heat this morning. We must of had a couple inches of rain which was really soaked up by the gardens and yards. The new lettuces seemed to double in size overnight.

I started the day with a 6'ish roll out. After my usual routine of a handful vitamins and supplements washed down with a cup of hot green tea, a few quiet moments, the posting of this ramble and a lite breakfast of cereal before riding out to the rec on my bike between rain showers for 2 hours of pickle ball. We had 3 courts going with some great play for the morning and the abundance of wet shirts was evident for all who played. We have 6 new players most of whom are winter visitors which have added to the caliber of play for us regulars. They will be sorely missed when they leave in a week or so.

After pickle ball I stopped off at the library for a couple new reads before heading home once again between rain showers. I could feel the change in the temps as the cold front moved through the area and the wind picked up. I headed into the reading room until it was time for the Amy and the kiddos to come for lunch. I made a guacamole to go along with our salad and sandwiches and the eatin' was fine. Afterwards we loved up on little Eliza Faye as Ava and Sam were glued to the ipads. Amy ran some errands so we entertained Eliza. She is just such a cutie with her smiles and cooing and just a good baby unless she wants the breast then she can be a little fussy. She loves for us to hold her up to the refrigerator where she can look at all the pictures we have on the door. They took off for home around 2'ish where Ava and Sam are now into the Wii or whatever it's called. It's where you can do all types of things on the T.V. which simulates the actual activity.

I spoke with Uncle Junior in N.C. as it was his 79th birthday and then with Paw Paw up in Winchester. It was snowing and sleeting there once again but the snow wasn't  measuring as of yet on the ground whereas our "mountain mom" Helen had a couple inches of the white stuff  on the ground. He received the EPIC OF HAVEN book I sent him and he and Adeline are reading it together. Bobby is the first author in our Triplett Family that I know of and he seemed quite proud of his accomplishments. We read for most of the afternoon until Amy picked up GG and they all came for supper. We had taco meat in flour tortillas with refried beans, tomato's, onions, cheese, sour cream, taco sauce and lettuce. Of course I had a jalapeno pepper with mine and they were delicious. After the cleanup Amy took GG home and we settled into the Fox News Channel. I watched a little of the NIT basketball games before reading the inside of my eye lids about 10:30, LATER

Tuesday

Well Monday turned out to be one of those much needed rain days with a light rain for most of the day. I did see a small break in the early morning as I rode out to the rec on by bike but for the most part it drizzled and fell constantly throughout the evening and most of the night(it's still raining this morning). I started the day much the usual around 6'ish then my routine before pedaling out for some 2 plus hours of pickle ball. We had 3 courts going with good players and lots of wet shirts by 10 AM.

I stopped off at the library on the way home for a couple new reads before pedaling home in a light rain shower or more like a heavy drizzle. The rain has so sparked the grass that is greening up and starting to spread and the new lettuces are loving this weather. They will be ready for the salad bowl in just a few more days. I'm picking tomato's and giving them away every day and they are just about finished for some reason as are the sugar peas. I picked enough to put in a fresh salad but the vines are drying up despite daily watering. Maybe this soaking rain will bring them back as well.

Tyler had to go up to Virginia for an overnight meeting so Amy and the 3 kiddo's came for supper. I grilled chicken breasts and we had sweet taters for us and Jasmine rice for Ava and Sam along with fresh asparagus and a garden salad for supper. I had made an earlier trip to see the chiropractor and he does wonders for my back despite having so much arthritis and scar tissue in the lower back. I feel as good as I did before suffering this set back. I spent the rest of the day and evening reading until supper time.

I was so impressed with this illusionist Brock Gill who we saw on Sunday evening that I wrote him on his Face Book page and he wrote me back. I asked him if he would be interested in doing a show at our church in the mountains and he wanted to know all of the details. I'm waiting to hear back from our pastor there if they would be receptive to having him and his venue for spreading the Gospel sometime this summer. Hopefully I will hear back from them shortly and maybe we can set something up for when we are there during the summer months.

Well that was about it as I watched the Lightning Hockey team play to a tie against the Ottawa team. It was lights out for me around 10:30, LATER

Monday

Well Sunday turned out to be a great day of worship at Element Church in Tampa and then an interesting service at our kids old Alma Mater, Indian Rocks Church(school) in Largo with the world famous illusionist, Brock Gill. Wow is he ever a master at his profession and a consummate believer.

We started the day with a sleep in for a change until 7'ish before getting ready to head to Tampa. We car pooled with the Botbyl's so I got to enjoy the scenery(wall to wall of out of state vehicles) for a change. After the service we headed home and on the way stopped at Firehouse Subs for a take out for lunch. After lunch we got ready to head down to the local nursing pavilion to assist with pushing wheelchair patients to and from the service. We got back to the house around 3 then I settled in to the March Madness NCAA basketball on T.V. Dan and I decided we wanted to see the illusionist, Brock Gill later in the evening so I picked him up a little after 5.

Well what a crowd of folks that turned out to see Brock Gill. I would estimate between 1000 and 1200 people attended the show. He is really amazing and has a great story to tell to those unbelievers. Bobby knew this guy and once met him and spoke very highly of him as well. He had an alter call at the end and I would say several hundred came forward to learn more about the saving grace of JESUS. It was an awesome experience for both his profession as well as his ability to lead folks to a life changing experience. Check him out on you tube at Brockgill.com. or the Internet.

Well I tuned into more March Madness after getting back with a big bowl of pop corn. Nancy was watching her shows and of course I was in the horizontal room watching round ball until it was lights out for me around 10:30. My old nemesis humidity is back from a brief hiatus so it's back with the housed closed up and the a/c running, oh well it was nice while it lasted, LATER 

Sunday

Well I must say Saturday was anything but a usual day. It started out early for me as I was at the VA Hospital around 6:30 in the morning. I had been scheduled for two procedures; an ultrasound of my aorta and surrounding organs for the possibility of aneurysm's of which I had to fast for and a MRI on my lower back. The ultrasound was completed in probably a half hour or so but the MRI took about an hour plus and wow was that ever noisy. This machine I learned is the highest resolution used for medical procedures as apparently there are different levels of resolutions but what a variety of clangs, bangs and deafening sounds. I was wearing a headphone with music blaring into my ears but the sounds this machine makes overrode that as well. If your claustrophobic you will not like this procedure and on top of that they put a dye into your veins as well. Well that was quite an experience and hopefully will detect or give me some indication of what I'm to expect with the cause of pain and discomfort in my back. The chiropractor has done a wonderful job in bringing me back to a position of normalcy so far.

I was on my way back home around 9'ish to a mountain breakfast of buckwheat cakes, sausage patties and cackleberries. We usually only have a mountain breakfast about every 2 weeks. That held me until we had supper around 6:30 at the Botbyl's house. We were getting together with them and the Tracy's for a day trip to the Tampa Bay Downs  around lunch time to watch the horses run. We try to go once a year for the experience and the Botbyl's have never been there. Patrick Tracy wasn't up for the trip as he is still battling the flu symptoms from a couple weeks ago, but he did join of for supper later. Kathryn rode with us to the track.

The day was perfect with low humidity and temps jut around the 80 mark. A few clouds kept it quite comfortable outside in the shade. We stayed for 5 races and Nancy took tons of photos(I will post a couple). We gambled on a few races and I cashed in 3 winning tickets that put us close to being just a few dollars down for the entertainment of the day. All of us had some winners and just about broke even. I think all of us had a great time and want to do it again before the track closes down in May until next fall. It's about an hours ride north of here.

We dropped Kathryn off at her condo on the beach then headed home around 4'ish or so. Dan put 2 nice  London broils in his new smoker and we were to meet them later for supper around 6:30. Kathryn made some twice baked potatoes along with some finger food and Nancy made a huge salad from the garden with homemade dressings. Yeow what a feast. I skipped the apple crisp with ice cream for dessert which took a lot of will power as the smell was divine. We settled into a raucous game of Phase 10 and Dan won big time with all 3 gals settling for 4th, 5th and 6th places. Big night for the guys once again in 2014. We headed home a little after 10 and after showers it was watch a little NCAA before lights out, LATER

Saturday

Well Friday once again saw us with fantastic weather; low humidity, bright sunshine and blue skies and temps into the middle to upper 70's, Yeow this is why we live in Florida in the winter. It's supposed to be like this for the rest of the week-end as well and into next week.

 The day started much the usual with a 6'ish roll out and my cup of tea, quiet times, posting of this ramble and a lite breakfast before riding out to the rec for some 2 plus hours of pickle ball. We had 3 courts going with good players for most the morning and by 10 I was ready for a break. I stopped off at the library before heading home to piddle around in the yards and gardens.

Amy and the kiddos came for lunch and then Nancy went with her to Target to do some shopping after dropping off Ava and Sam with Tyler. I just chilled and read most of the afternoon in between cap naps. I picked the last of the sugar peas as they have about run their course for this year and Nancy sauteed them in a stir fry to put over jasmine rice for supper along with shrimp egg rolls Thailand style and a hot Thai sauce, yikes was that ever tasty. After the cleanup I headed in to watch more of the NCAA finals until it was lights out around 11, LATER  Here is a "throw back to Thursday" photo of Bobby and Amy. Bobby is about 5 or so and Amy is around 3.

  

Friday

Well Thursday was much like the day before with awesome weather. I'm just waiting for the big humidity bomb to drop as I know it will soon be heading this way; but so far it has just been great weather and in the shade there is a coolness. The day started much the same as well with a 6'ish roll out then my usual's; cup of tea, quiet time, posting of this ramble and lite breakfast before heading out to the rec on my bike.

We had 8 really good players today with some awesome matches and by 10 AM I was bushed with a wet shirt as well. I stopped off at the library for a new read before pedaling home to piddle around in the garden and yards. It had really warmed up after a chilly start to about the 70 degree mark and stayed that way for most of the day until late evening when once again the temps dropped down enough I had to close the windows.

I drove GG to the hair dressers around 11 and then Amy and the kiddos came for lunch around noon. After lunch Nancy picked up her mother and brought her here for lunch as well. I had a chiropractor appointment at 2:30 so I took off for St. Pete around 2. The roads are congested with vehicles from all over the states. Wow half the country must be here in Pinellas County as it takes 2 or 3 turns to get through the traffic signals. I came back and we read until the NCAA games came on and I was in my glory until it was time for lights out. All of the games I saw were good ones with close scores and even a few upset by higher seated teams. Florida who is ranked number had their hands full until the last few minutes when they won by a dozen points.

We ate fried flounder, steamed asparagus and oven taters' for supper which was delicious and then we both headed for our own remotes as Nancy watched the Idol and I had 2 games of round ball on so I could flip back and forth, LATER

Thursday

Well Wednesday turned out to be another gorgeous day with low humidity, cool temps, bright blue skies and lots of sunshine. The gentle breeze actually kept it feeling chilly in the shade. I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out and then my routine; a hot cup of green tea, a few quiet moments to reflect and give thanks and lift up those who needed some extra thoughts and prayers, the posting of this ramble and then a lite breakfast of fruit before heading out to the rec. I needed a flannel shirt to help break the wind chill as I pedaled out just before sunrise.

We had another large group of pickle ball players with a new guy who was pretty good. He is down from Ohio for a couple weeks and he fit right in with his good play. We had 3 courts in action with a couple waiting to get on as today was a open day which meant some of the intermediate players mingled with the more advanced players. We were missing about 8 of the better players but I was still able to manage a wet shirt from all the action. I stopped off at the library on the way home to return a couple read. Speaking of a new non fiction read THE MAD SCULPTOR is a must read that took place in the 1930's, just around the time of the great depression era and its aftermath. Wow what a read and we think we have psycho's today, oh well.

I some how forgot I had a 11 AM instead of my usual 2:30 chiropractor appointment as I worked outside in the yard after my workout. It was such a beautiful day once again for working outside. I'm afraid all of the oak pollen has my chest a little congested with the new leaves forming and the fuzzies flying in the air. I picked fresh Brussel sprouts albeit they were rather small but tasty. We decided since Amy and her crew wasn't coming for lunch we would eat our big meal at noon and have a lite supper due to having our house church meeting at our place at 6:30. I grilled some hamburgers and we had fresh sprouts along with a sweet tater for Nancy and leftover pesto pasta for me. Yeow was that ever delicious and when it came time for supper we just had a salad with some leftover grilled chicken on top.

I managed to get in some read time during the afternoon and then we got ready for house church. Carol brought a chocolate ganache cake from Publix's as we celebrated Neil's 33rd birthday and of course we had an artichoke & spinach hot dip brought by Kathryn and Nancy made chocolate chip cookies which is always a favorite as well. After watching a video on Guradrails we studied the scripture in Proverbs that related to being wise and being careful about our relationships. We had a good discussion and then somehow I got into telling war stories about some of the investigations I did while on patrol with FHP. It was going on 10 before we finally said our good nights and made plans for a Saturday get together. I was a fun time together and we shared some personal stories about how we saw red flags when it came to some relationships with others over the years and how we put up guardrails to protect out hearts and our families, LATER

Wednesday

Well Tuesday's weather can only be described as spring like after a miserable winter. The birds were singing, skies were clear and there was a crispness in the air with the just a slight breeze. Absolutely great day for being outside and I spent most of the day there after my morning workout.

I rolled out around 6'ish and did my usual routine of a hot cup of green tea, a few quiet minutes, the posting of this ramble then a lite breakfast of cereal before pedaling out to the rec for a couple hours of pickle ball. I had to wear a flannel shirt as the morning started with temps down into the upper 50's but quickly warmed to the low 70's for the high of the day. We had 3 courts going with a few players waiting to work into the group and the play was advanced to the utmost. My shirt was soaked by 10 AM and I was really for a rest. The back held up nicely and I'm starting to regain my stamina as well. After a stop off at the library for a couple reads for myself and GG I headed home to change out of my sweat soaked clothing.

Nancy took off for her workout so I decided to work in the yard and gardens. I mowed both front and back yards, collecting the leaves and fuzzies from the oak trees and composting them into my gardens. I then starting pulling a weed that vines and is very difficult to get rid of unless you want to kill the grass as well with Roundup. The 2 inches of rain helped to loosen the ground so I pulled out a trash can full of the nasty weed from the front yard which hopefully the St.Augustine grass will crowd it out. I don't know where I got this weed from but it's rather difficult to pull out and the roots go deep into the ground. I worked on that project until lunch time.

Amy, GG and the kiddo's came for lunch. We had ground turkey sandwiches(from the left over turkey) that GG made and a fresh garden salad. Afterwards I retired to the reading room and played with Eliza. She is smiling and cooing and loves to be in the reading room(spare room with the computer). Sam loves to play games on the ipad and we seldom see him once he gets engrossed into a game. He did have an accident later in the day as some of his neighbor buddies where at his house and he was pushed into the trampoline causing a cut in his mouth. He was much better by the time we came by to see if he needed stitches for the cut.

After Amy left to pick up Ava we took GG with us to Sam's Club and stocked up on some goodies and then took her home. We decided to just have a frozen pizza doctored up with fresh mushrooms and a salad for supper. We are still having a time trying to eat early but the time change somehow finds us eating around 6:30. We would like to eat earlier as Nancy has that hiatal hernia and it seems to bother her when we eat later in the evening, oh well! After supper and the cleanup the temps were dropping a little and I wanted to watch March Madness college basketball. There were two rather close games on T.V.

I'm beginning to wonder about all the coverage regarding the missing airplane from Malaysia which is helping to keep away the real coverage that should be about Russia and her taking over her neighbors. I'm afraid the lack of leadership in the white house has reduced America to a whimp of a country with no real foreign policy for peace. I still believe Teddy Roosevelt was correct when he advocated "walk softly, but carry a big stick" or peace through strength. I'm beginning to think this president is ready to let those who want to destroy the rest of the world especially Israel if the Iranians develop the nuke. It looks as if we are conceding to the rest of the world's tyrants that we are no longer a viable deterrent to their agendas which is to destroy democracy and individual liberty. We had better do what is right at the polls this next election and elect leaders not community organizers.

Well that was about it for the day after a hot shower it was soon lights out around 10:30, LATER

Tuesday

Well Monday was a complete wash out that started during the mid-morning hours and lasted until after we turned the lights out around 11. At times the rain and wind were so strong it seemed as if we were having tornado's in the area. There was a watch for them for most of the day.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to cloudy skies but no rain as of yet, so after my routine of a hot cup of tea, a few quiet moments, the posting of this ramble, a lite breakfast of fruit I pedaled out on my bike to the rec. We had a large crowd of players with a couple winter visitors who will be here for a week or so. We had 3 courts going with some very good rallies and of course the wet shirts were in abundance. After nearly 2 hours I headed out for home as the skies became rather dark and the winds picked up.

Well the rain started shortly thereafter so it was stay inside until late evening when we headed over to GG's for supper. Amy, GG and the kiddo's came for lunch and we had salad and turkey sandwiches. Amy took off and ran some errands while we entertained Sam and Eliza. Sam loves the ipad and is easily entertained and Eliza is trying to talk and is just a darling. They left around 2:30 to drop off GG and then pickup Ava from school. Nancy headed to the rec for her workout on the treadmill and I read. I started a new read titled THE MAD SCULPTOR by Harold Schechter.

GG had a corn beef cooking along with cabbage, carrots, taters and salad for supper, yeow was that ever tasty and the beef was superb with a little mustard slathered on top as it baked towards the end. That's the first meal like that in ages and it was cooked to celebrate St. Patty's Day. We stayed around until after 8 before heading home and to another tremendous rain storm. The rain blew so hard it peppered the windows. Well that was about it for Monday except for all the news stories about the Malaysian plane that disappeared without a trace about 2 weeks ago. I'm sort of getting bored with all the speculation and I wonder if that is a distraction for what Russia is doing in her part of the world and to steer coverage away from our inept government leaders and Obamacare, LATER 

Monday

Well Sunday's weather started rather nice with temps in the 60's but suddenly turned warmer and by late afternoon it had reached the lower 80's with a wind that was very strong out of the south. We could feel the humidity slowly creeping back in but for the most part it hadn't reached the unbearable state as of yet. The forecast is for rain on Monday of which we could definitely use after all of this wind yesterday and today.

We started the day around 7'ish as it was church day in Tampa at Element. After a lite breakfast we headed out around 9'ish, just Nancy and I as the Botbyl's stayed home and missed their beautiful daughter, Danielle singing with the praise band. We met our other house church couple, Kathryn and Patrick's son Ryan for the first time as he attended with them and their beautiful daughter Lauren. The Pinellas house church was well represented this morning. Our speaker was one of the elders, Kris Korte and he did a great job and there were some extemporaneous testimonies that had us in tears. It was a fantastic morning of praise and worship. Bobby will be away from his teaching and other duties for about 2 months while on sabbatical but he, Jill, Annsley and Gabe were in attendance. It was one of the most attended Sunday's in quite some time with lots of old familiar as well as some first time faces.

We ate a light lunch around 1'ish after fighting the traffic on I-4 and I-275 in Tampa. It seems every Sunday there is a bottleneck with stop and go traffic about the same place despite 3 and 4 lanes for traffic. I chilled watching the Cavaliers from my home state of Virginia beat the Duke team in basketball from N.C. The Gators from Florida had a tough match with the Kentucky Wildcats as they barely scrapped out a win as well after being ranked the #1 team in all of college basketball. The Rays were on T.V. in pre-season play and they were beating the Red Sox's pretty convincingly.

We initially were going to eat out on the way home from church but decided to take Nancy's mother out to chili's for the chicken enchiladas around 6. We had a sumptuous meal and over ate for that late in the evening; for some reason I don't enjoy eating that late anymore whereas I use to love to go down to San Francisco and eat supper at 8 or 9 at night and then dance until the wee hours of the morning. I hate to admit it but it seems I don't even like to drive late in the evening anymore. I think "father time" has arrived at the back door but I do like to get up early whereas I use to like to sleep in; so maybe that is the trade off, oh well!!

After dropping off GG from our supper out which by the way we all had the same meal except I had the green chile sauce instead of the sour cream on my enchiladas, I read until 11 and then it was lights out, LATER

Sunday

Well Saturday was just another gorgeous day with bright sunshine and the temps stayed around the middle to upper 70's after a cool start. There was a slight breeze and almost no humidity. I started the day with a 7'ish roll out for a change. Since I wasn't going to the rec we decided to have a late breakfast after our quiet times. It was after 9 before I microwaved a couple soft boiled eggs with toast and a small bowl of fresh pineapple to get the gastric juices flowing.

I headed out to tackle a job I had been putting off for several months and one that I do every couple of years and that is dig along the footer of the back of the house because I have a large oak tree that is about 5 feet back. I don't want the roots from the tree to get up and under the foundation and eventually cause trouble, so I dig down about 2 feet below the slab and cut any roots from getting started. The first time I did this I had a couple roots as big around as my leg heading under the house. Well I cut them off and now I mainly have some roots as big around as my fingers. The digging is relatively easy as it's sand and I can do it with just a shovel. It's just back breaking work in a small confined area.

That took me a couple hours to complete and while I could feel some strain on the muscles from the lack of use in that motion I managed. I skipped lunch and just had an XS Energy drink and a bag of trail mix. Wow does that stuff ever work and I was energized for the rest of the day. After hand watering the gardens and picking a large bunch of fresh basil which I would turn into a pesto later in the day we drove off to the library and then to the Millennium Park for a walk. The park has a raised wooden ramp or boardwalk that is probably close to 3/4 mile in length that intertwines back into the marshes and low land along with a 3 story tower that looks out over the intercostal waterway. It was just such a beautiful day to walk in the woods and see the different scenery. The walkway is mainly shaded with scrub oaks, pines and palmettos throughout. Its just about 10 minutes by vehicle or so from the house.

We stopped off for a quick visit with the Ross Family on the way back home. We visited for just a few minutes as Tyler had several outside projects going and Ava and Sam were into sidewalk chalks and riding their many toys. When we got home I made a really nice fresh pesto sauce for supper using of course fresh basil from the garden, English and black walnuts instead of pine nuts, fresh garlic, parmesan cheese, virgin olive oil, lemon juice and a dash of sea salt. Wow that was the first time I had ever made it and it was fantastic, when added to the penne pasta it made that dish even better. I grilled a couple marinated chicken breasts and we had a fresh garden salad to accompany it all. Yikes did we ever eat healthy today.

After the clean up I headed out to hand water the gardens as well as the front yard. The new grass is sending out runners so I'm hoping by the time we leave for the mountains the front yard will be covered with a nice grass. I stayed out in the yard until nearly 8 and then it was time for the hot shower and then I read until nearly 11.

Don't forget today is a time to take a few minutes to honor our LORD with corporate worship at a place of your choosing and with folks who you care about. Thankfully we are still able to choose that privilege and this government hasn't taken that away from us as has many government's throughout the world, LATER

Saturday

Well Friday was just nearly a perfect day with cool temps to start the day and by late afternoon we were at the beach in our suits. I started the day around a 6'ish roll out with my usual routine of; cup of tea, quiet time, posting of this ramble, lite breakfast then a ride out to the rec on my bike for nearly 2 hours of pickle ball. We had a good gang of players and the play was fast with long rallies and great points. I had a wet shirt when I said to "stick a fork in me, I'm done". Afterwards I dropped by the library before heading home. Nancy was at her Friday morning Bible study at SFBC so I hung a load of laundry on my new clothesline then work in the yards and gardens until she got back around noon.

We had lunch with just the two of us as everyone was getting together at GG's for supper including Bobby and his family. After lunch we piddled around and I headed outside to sit under the big oak and read until Bobby came from Riverview. He promised to take the family to the beach so we were waiting on them. They got here around 2:30 so we headed out to Redington Shores. Amy and Tyler  brought their 3 kids with them so the older kids could play. The water temperature to me was rather nippy after the past couple days had the land temps in the 40's to start the day; but those kids were in the water almost from the start. I for once never swam but did wade a little as they built sand castles, collected shells and chased the sea gulls. We were there about 2 hours which was plenty of time to get some sun. The beach was packed with lots of sun bathers.

After leaving the beach Annsley and Gabriel came back and took showers at our house before we met up with Amy's family at GG's for supper. She had a 20 pound turkey roasting along with 2 kinds of stuffing, green beans, carrots and of course smashed tater' and delicious gravy. What a feast that turned out to be especially after working up an appetite at the beach. Nancy made chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing for dessert. The kiddo's played hard until it was time for Bobby's family to head back to Riverview around 8'ish. After the clean up which I thought I would never get done washing pots and pans we sat around and visited until nearly 9. We headed out shortly thereafter as did Amy and her family. Everyone was entertained by sweet little Eliza Faye as she was cooing and smiling the whole time.

We had a nice chat with the author of the EPIC OF HAVEN and how he developed the storyline and characters without revealing too much about the conclusion. I'm at about chapter 15 in the book and while I try to read a chapter or so before lights out each night,I only got half way through a chapter last night, LATER

Friday

Well Thursday morning started out around a 6'ish roll out with temps down in the 40's; that's 20 degree cooler than the morning before and it being in the month of March which is seldom seen. I wonder where all of the scientists are that predict the earth is warming due to mans influence. I did my usual morning routine; cup of hot tea, a few minutes to reflect and give thanks, the posting of this ramble and then a lite breakfast of fresh grapefruit and pineapple before pedaling out to the rec for almost 2 hours of workout.

We had 2 pickle ball courts going for most of the morning with a couple players waiting to get on. The play was fast and hard with some awesome rallies. I ended up with a wet shirt by the time I called it a day close to 10. Afterwards I stopped by the library before heading home. The temps had warmed up a little but the wind was rather brisk out of the north which made it feel even colder. The sun was bright and it eventually did warm up to the middle 60's by late afternoon. Amy brought Sam by while she took Eliza Faye for her 2 month checkup and for her first shots. She is almost 13 pounds and over 22 inches long and she was not real happy about getting 4 shots. She was a bit fussy the rest of the morning but eventually we got some smiles and cooing from her as the afternoon wore on.

We finished up the Zuppa soup which was perfect for the cool day along with a fresh salad. I read and play with Eliza until it was time for my adjustment with the chiropractor in St. Pete. My lower back joint is showing more movement and his manipulations have certainly eased away most of the pain and discomfort. He stresses staying active to keep the arthritis at bay which pickle ball seems to really help, thankfully plus a few exercises he stresses which are much like the old hula hoop maneuvers while sitting on a what looks like a bicycle seat. I think I will purchase one of those contraptions that I can use anywhere on a chair to keep the joint loose. I do believe in chiropractic medicine.

I headed out to hand water the gardens after my appointment. My tomato's are producing 25-30 teardrop type fruit a day. I even picked a couple of the larger variety as well. The recently transplanted lettuce seedlings are doing well and I should have a new crop of romaine, black seeded Simpson and red leaf lettuces in a week or so. The sugar peas are producing in such abundance that I've given both tons of peas, tomato's and lettuces away as well as cabbages. We had fresh green beans out of the garden for supper tonight and those plants are starting to bloom again as well after the few cold nights sort of stunned them. The Brussels sprouts are still loaded but with small heads despite feeding them again with miracle grow. This is the first time I've grown them in decades and now I know why. The plants are huge but slow producing the little cabbage style heads. The one mess we had was delectable but I think in the future I will buy them at the grocery.

We had baked beer batter cod, fresh green beans and canned Lima beans for supper and after licking the platter clean and the clean up we decided to stay in and not do our after supper walk. The temps were dropping and the wind was still up so we vegetated on the couch in front of Fox News until the American Idol show came on. I headed into the reading room as I've lost interest in the show as now it's about who can garner the most votes and I'm not really into anyone in particular. I'm up to chapter 15 in Bobby's book which is now becoming very interesting. Lots of action and now I can identify a little more with the main character in his endeavors. I think once you get through the first 8-10 chapters out of the way with all of the background the story starts to show promise. Remember this is an allegory that tells a story within a story. After reading until I found myself reading the inside of the eye lids it was lights out for me

around 10:30, LATER

Thursday

Well the beautiful weather continues here in central Florida for another day or so as a cold front approaches with temps supposed to be dropping down into the 30's just north of the area on Thursday night, yikes that is unheard of for this time of the year. I started the day around 6'ish with a roll out, cup of hot green tea, a few quiet moments and the posting of this ramble before a lite breakfast and a ride on my bike out to the rec a little before 8. The birds were singing and the chill in the air was magnificent that reminded me of spring time mornings at the cabin.

We had 2 pickle ball courts going with a few players waiting to get on and after nearly 2 hours I called it enough for the day. I've been building myself back a little more each day until I work up to the daily 2 1/2 hours of play. There were lots of wet shirts evident to the good workout and fast play throughout the morning. Afterwards I stopped by the library to return a few books and pick up a couple new reads as well. After riding home in a rain shower I spent the next hour or so defrosting our stand up freezer that we keep in the garage. It close to 30+ years in age, but is not self defrosting.

Amy, Sam and Eliza came for lunch without GG as she had some cleaning to do and a couple new books. She is as a voracious reader as I am and we often exchange books. We had leftover Zuppa soup and sandwiches. After lunch we loved up on Eliza as she is getting so cute and talkative and her smiles just warm your heart plus she is becoming a little butter ball. She is off to the doctor today(Thurs.) for her 2 month checkup and shots. They hung around with Sam watching the movie Ratitouie for the third straight day until it was time to pick Ava up from school. We got word we were having "house church" at our house tonight so it was time to get out the vacuum cleaner while Nancy did other house cleaning chores.

Nancy baked a couple desserts that we had in the freezer and were they ever tasty; one was filled with apple turnover filling and the other was a chocolate custard éclair filled pastry. Yikes were they ever tasty. We watched a video by Andy Stanley titled Guardrails that Dan introduced us to. There were just 3 couples of us for tonight's get together. It will be a 6 week study and should be interesting. The Tracy's didn't attend as Patrick is recovering from bronchial distress and flu like symptoms. We hope he is feeling better and look forward to their company hopefully on Sunday at Element. After the gang cleared out around 9 we caught the last hour of the Idol. I've kind of lost my enthusiasm for the show so I showered then read on Bobby's book until I started reading the inside of my eye lids around 10. LATER 

Wednesday

Well Tuesday turned out to be another nice day with moderate temps and just enough of a breeze to keep the humidity away and still be pleasant outside. I was outside for most of the day after a nippy start that required an extra shirt as I rode to the rec a little before 8.

I started the day around a 6'ish wake up and with the usual cup of hot green tea, a few quiet moments and then the posting of this ramble I had a lite breakfast of grapefruit and fresh pineapple before riding out to the rec on my bike. The birds were in full chorus and the early morning air was delicious to the nose. As I rode by the library I noticed today was a special election day for Pinellas County to fill the seat Bill Young left when he passed on last year. Nancy and I both had already voted by absentee ballots.

We had a good group of players and after nearly 2 hours not only where there lots of wet shirts but I was bushed. I'm finally getting back to almost 100% as I'm now working on building up my stamina with the longer workouts. I'm so thrilled my back and leg are responding so well to the chiropractor treatments and finally I'm getting some relief for the cost through the VA as it's a service connected disability from a prior injury. The main part of my rehab is staying active to keep that joint loose and mobile with exercise now that I'm aware of the arthritis and bone spurs in the area.

After the pickle ball workout I pedaled by the library and picked up a couple new reads as well as I'm now into the 12th chapter of the Epic of Haven's first book the The Great Darkening. By the way if any of you want to purchase this book it's at Amazon but if you go to the Epic of Haven website and purchase the book you save Bobby nearly $5.00 as they have to share that much with Amazon; whereas they get all of the money from their website. The book is really getting interesting as the first few chapters were mainly setting up the story which was a bit boring with all the back ground information but now the journey is exciting and full of action.

Sam came around 10 AM and he helped me while I dug out the old clothesline posts and broke off the concrete from the iron poles and installed the new wooden posts. He is such a jabber mouth and is constantly talking and reminds me of myself when I was that age according to those who knew me. He is very interested in all that you do and repeats what you tell him as well as being very perceptive. He does like his snacks and we both had a couple oranges while doing this job. We finished just about lunchtime when Nancy, Amy, GG and Eliza came for lunch from their shopping trips.

Sam loves zuppa soup so he had a bowl as well as did everyone else along with some salad and deli meat sandwiches. After lunch I headed out to hand water the garden and then settled into reading until late afternoon after the lunch crowd headed for home. I picked some sugar peas and along with fresh asparagus that Nancy sautéed in olive oil and garlic over jasmine rice we had a meatless supper; of course there was a fresh salad on the side. After the cleanup I headed out to hand water the new grass in the front yard and pull a few more weeds until it was time to take a walk through the hood. We stopped at the Botbyl's to pick up them up when it was decided Nancy would stay and visit with Carol and her mother who is now all moved in with them. The new addition turned out really nice and with just a few quirks regarding the cable T.V. things should be good in a few days. There really is some adjustments to having another party living with you as they are experiencing, but things should workout plus its a lot cheaper than assisted living facilities. We will probably have to face that issue but for now GG is doing great on her own at her advanced age. Dan and I took a walk around the short block while the gals chatted up one another.

Well with regard to the election today our candidate was elected and we are thrilled. It was a referendum on the Obama administrations health care and I think their ineptitude in governing as well as all of the scandals and lack of respect for our constitution. The liberals brought in the big guns, Clinton and Biden to campaign as well as out spent our man 4 to 1 in T.V. advertisements. Finally we can get some relief from all of the negativity on the tube. David Jolly was born here in this county while Sink was from elsewhere in the state and the Dem's tried to buy this election and the people of Pinellas choose right for a change, thankfully. They had voted for Obama in the past 2 elections. Well that's about it for today, LATER   

Tuesday

Well Monday was once again a rather nice day with some high clouds which kept the temps at a nice middle 70 degrees. I started the day with my usual 6'ish roll out. After a cup of hot tea, a few quiet moments and the posting of this ramble I had a leftover buckwheat cake for breakfast then pedaled out to the rec for some 2 hours of pickle ball. I'm thrilled the chiropractor has me feeling so good that I'm able to run and play once again. The loosening of the lower vertebra has been wonderful and now I'm just experiencing the usual dull ache that I've had for 45 plus years in that area. I feel close to being back where I was a month ago, only I'm being a little more cautious with my activities especially on the pickle ball court. We had 2 courts going for most of the morning with a total of 10 players.

After the rec I headed home as I wanted to give my clothesline posts an additional final coat of paint and to work in the garden. Amy dropped Sam off while she shopped with GG then they all came for lunch. Sam was on the ipad so he played while I finished up my jobs and Nancy was at the rec working out. I picked more lettuce, kale and sugar peas for salads, and our supper of zuppa soup which is a creamy potato soup with sausage and kale in it, yeow is that ever a delicious meal along with a fresh salad. I took a mess of sugar peas up to our neighbors and she said they were delicious in a chicken casserole they had for supper.

Well after lunch I had a chiropractor appointment but for some reason I missed the right time and was nearly an hour late as I stopped off at Home Depot for things. Needless to say Nancy wasn't happy as the doctor's office called and wondered where I was as I'm always at least 15 minutes early. Seems the time change messed up my memory functions for a day anyhow they saw me and I called Nancy and then had to stop for items at the grocery on the way home. Luckily I had several items from the Home Depot I purchased in the back of the truck or I was in trouble trying to explain why I was nearly and hour late, oh well!

After supper we still had tons of daylight so I headed out to pull weeds and fertilize the front yard. We took a short walk then I came back to hand water the yards as the grass is starting to green up and the weeds look bad; usually its the other way around so I thought it was a good time to pull and hoe them from the yard. It was nearly 8 pm before we finally head in for the evening and the outside temps were starting to drop a little. What a gorgeous day for working outside. After the O'Reilly show I headed for the showers and then read several chapters in The Great Awakening(Bobby's book) and I'm starting to get into it. I was soon reading the inside of the eye lids about 10'ish so it was lights out, LATER 

Monday

Well Sunday was just a gorgeous day after a chilly start. Nancy took the chill off the house for a few minutes and then by afternoon we had the windows and doors open again as it warmed up to the middle 70's. The bright sunshine and blue skies reminded us of the Carolina's in the summer time. We started the day around a 6'ish roll out as we had to be on our way to Tampa around 9'ish for worship at Element Church. We had set our clocks ahead on Friday night so the wake up an hour early didn't seem to faze us at all on this morning. I think a lot of that is all in your head any how.

We did our usual morning routine before picking up neighbor Dan as it was our turn to drive this week. Carol stayed home with her mom as the cable guy was supposed to arrive and fix her mom's cable into her new section of the house. When did the cable guy start working on Sundays? We had a nice uneventful ride over but the traffic was heavy for a Sunday morning. We saw so many out of state tags on the road and can you blame them with just a couple days ago another heavy snow fall and very cold temps anywhere north of the Florida line and the threat of another winter storm is on the way for the later part of the week, yikes what happen to global warming and Al Gore?

Keith Vickery one of the elders brought the message and did a fine job as he once was a Methodist pastor before moving on into a different career and the music led by Caleb and Shana was very inspiring as well. Bobby will be on a 2 month's sabbatical in hope's that will give him and Jill a chance to work on their home life. The church council and the elders are sponsoring this move in hope's that marriage can be saved. It's very difficult for us as we love them both and especially our grand kids as we want all parties to be happy. Let's hope and pray they can resolve these issues as they are in professional counseling as I write. Keep them in your prayers as this is new to us in how to handle this situation. We want a firm family foundation for Annsley and Gabe but also want some peace and happiness for Bobby and the best for Jill as well. We had a church wide meeting with all of the owners(members) after the service today regarding this situation. I have never seen a more responsible group of folks who love both of them and want only what's best for their family.

We came back to a late lunch of leftovers for me and then I retrieved some clothesline posts that were no longer in use at Dan and Carols so I attempted to restore them by painting and caulking in some cracks to keep out the rain. I will replace my old metal ones that are finally rusting off after 35 years(one is) and replace them with these newer ones. You know what the saying is "one's man's trash is another man's treasure". I put these up for Carol about 5 years ago and they seem except for a few cracks in the pressure treated wood to be solid and worthy of restoring. Now that more of their backyard has been used for her mother's room addition she has less room for the clothesline and it was going to waste and it just so happened I was going to replace my old ones as soon as my back got better.

Nancy sat out on the sun talking to everyone up north while I caulked and painted the posts and we both got quite a bit of sun tan. I then piddled around and transplanted some lettuce seedlings and took out some of the older plants. We kind of fixed whatever for supper as I had some salmon thawed and in a marinate that Nancy thought it smelled fishy when she first took it out of the bag while still frozen so I grilled it and make fish tortillas for me but she ate something else. The salmon was delicious but she opted out anyhow. After supper which gave us plenty of sunlight left I headed out to hand water the front yard as the new grass is starting to green up and spread. The oaks are starting to put out new leaves so the fuzzies are everywhere.

Bobby handed out his new book and I started reading after my shower until I got too sleepy. I read the first 4 chapters and while fantasy is not my choice I did find the storyline rather interesting. He is a wordy author and where he gets his vocabulary I'm not sure; but for those who love this epic story that has a deeper meaning it's alright. Nancy and I are in the first part of the story and how we are written out was a shock when I read it, Yikes. LATER

Sunday (Leap ahead an hour)

Well Saturday morning was in the low 40's so we had the heat on to take the chill off of the house to start the day. The sun was shining brightly but the breeze kept it cool most of the day until the early afternoon when we opened the doors and windows. It was a perfect day for outside activities and we did a few. After our usual routines of a hot drinks, a few quiet moments and then the posting of this ramble we decided on a mountain breakfast for a change; buckwheat cakes with fresh blueberries in the batter, sausage patties and dippy eggs. Yeow was that ever delicious and it held me until suppertime with just a handful of trail mix in the late afternoon.

We put 2 loads of laundry on the clothesline then I cleaned out our gutters of fallen leaves then worked in the garden harvesting about 50 teardrop tomato's and finally 1 large tomato(my first this year). I picked about 50 or more sugar peas for supper and then hand watered the garden. We headed up to take the Botbyl's a really nice geranium hanging basket plant that we used as a house warming for Carol's mom Jesse, who has now moved into their recently finished addition. She needs assisted living and will do so with her own addition onto their house. It turned out to be beautiful and will save her some money in the long run plus she will be with family.

We then loaded up the lawn mower and headed over to Nancy's mom, GG where I mowed up 7 bags of leaves and cleaned out the gutters as well. That kept us busy until the early afternoon. We made a stop at grocery as we invited the Botbyl's and Jesse down for a supper of grilled salmon steaks, sautéed asparagus, mushrooms and sugar peas over a bed of rice along with a fresh garden salad. We tried a marinate of soy sauce, honey and garlic for the salmon and it was very good; probably the best ever. Last weekend at Patrick and Kathryn's(our other house church couple) we ate that for the first time ever and it was just out of this world good. The supper turned out to be just awesome and while Jesse didn't feel up to coming down to eat with us we sent her a plate up after we finished eating and she was delighted.

After the cleanup we settled into a game of golf  and the guys won once again with Dan's winning by a point on the last hand. So far we are racking up the wins this year over the gals. Well it's off to Tampa this morning for worship at Element Church. We will get to see our son, Bobby who is now a celebrated author with the opening of his book, THE EPIC OF HAVEN which occurred just a few days ago on the 7th. So far he has over 18 thousand down loads on Amazon for this book which is the 6th highest on their download list, AWESOME. We are proud of him and his endeavors as he is in the middle of writing the second book in this trilogy. The reviews are great but I must admit I'm not a big reader of the fantasy world even though this is an allegory. I never did care for the Tolkien or C.S Lewis's writings only because it wasn't real life to me; but Bobby was always crazy about them. Anyhow we are thrilled that maybe he has found a niche in the literary world. Go to the website and either download an e-book or purchase either the hardbound or soft cover book. If you helped with his kick starter campaign I think you get an autographed copy, LATER  

Saturday

Well Friday saw a big change in the temps from the weather front that brought us rain for most of the day on Thursday. The wind shifted out of the north and by late evening there was a chill in the air and this morning, Saturday it is 46 degrees. That's not to bad considering the cabin received somewhere around 8 inches of snow and ice which they weren't expecting. Further on up the valley towards Winchester it was cold but no snow.

 We started the day out much the usual with a 6'ish roll out for me. We got the jump on the time change as for some reason it always leaves us tired so we moved the clocks up an hour before retiring for the night which will help us on Sunday morning; as we will head to bed an hour earlier Saturday night. Oh well it's all confusing and did I hear a rumor that DLST will now be permanent! I did my usual morning routine with a cup of hot tea, a few quiet moments and the posting of this ramble before a bowl of cereal to start the day.

 One of my pickle ball players from the rec called me and asked if I wanted to accompany her to St. Pete Beach to play down there as she knew Nancy used the truck and I had no transportation. Well we headed out a little after 9 and we managed to get in 5 or 6 matches of which we won handily together. We left there around 11:30 with a wet shirt. They have a nice facility with a new floor which is awesome. They had 3 courts going of players and 4 or 5 stacks of paddles(players) at any one time waiting to get on to play. They really had a good turnout of 30-40 players throughout the morning and you can play as long as you want into the afternoon. We were made to feel welcome and their best players all wanted to play Cheryl and I as we brought a new level of play. Their 2 best male players finally beat us the last game as we had beaten them twice already.

Amy, GG and the kiddo's all came for a lunch of pizza and salad. Ava had a half day of school and she received a character award in the morning assembly at school. The whole Ross Family was there to see her receive this medal and ribbon. She was very honored and proud as she worn her medal at lunch and afterwards. After they left we took GG with us to Sam's Club to stock up on paper products as well as a few goodies. We stopped at Publix on the way home as well before dropping GG off at her house. The temp's were really starting to drop from the 60's down into the 50's and the wind made it feel even cooler.

We spoke with Paw Paw and Helen and learned the snow had finally stopped in the mountains but left a considerable amount on the ground. To the north of her up the valley they got no snow but the temps were colder. I headed out to pick sugar peas which have just gone crazy this year in producing. I picked the fattest ones and still tons left on the vine for another day. We sautéed them with fresh onions and mushroom and put that over a bed of brown rice cooked in chicken stock and along with shrimp filled egg rolls. It was an oriental supper with a spicy Thai sauce for dipping the rolls. That is a very good meal and somewhat healthy despite the rolls being frozen in a box from Sam's.

Well that was about all to report on this day except for Bobby got back from his week long chef's gig in the mountains of New Mexico. He said that area is about 8500 feet in the mountains where this hunting ranch is located and is loaded with elk, mule deer, turkeys, mountain lions as well as bobcats. It a very rugged area and just about 10 miles from the Colorado border and the closest town of any size is Pegosa Springs, Co. Today also was the release of his first book in the trilogy EPIC OF HAVEN called THE GREAT DARKENING. He is excited about this endeavor as are we for him. He certainly has a dedicated group of folks who believe in this project who are very talented and giving of their expertise to make this successful. If you want to purchase the book go to Amazon and enter the name of the book as it's now available for purchase, LATER

Friday

Well Thursday was pretty much a wash out with heavy rain and thunder storms at times. The wet stuff tampered off by late afternoon and we actually saw the sun just before it set. It has stayed rather warm considering the front was supposed to bring us temps down into the 40's but so far that hasn't happened.

I started the day with a 6'ish roll out to a cup of hot green tea then a few quiet moments before a lite breakfast of cereal. I had a chiropractors appointment in St.Pete at 8:30 so I headed out a little before 8 as the morning rush hour plus the heavy rain made for severe traffic backups. After my adjustment I stopped by the VA at Bay Pines Hospital to clarify about getting some non-VA assistance for the chiropractor visits. I finally got that taken care after a couple phone calls to the right person in charge. I got back to the house around 10 then due to the rain we just read until lunch time. Amy called and said she wasn't coming for lunch with kids because of the weather and Nancy had taken her mother to the beauty parlor for a perm so it was just the two of us for lunch.

After a lunch of leftovers we continued reading until GG called and needed a ride home around 1'ish. Nancy picked her up and drove her home in the rain. I just took one of those days and layed around reading.  I started a new non-fiction read titled THE SECRET RESCUE. Its about a plane load of nurses and medics who survived a plane crash behind the Nazi lines in WWII in the country of Albania and how they were rescued and kept safe by the locals. So far its a page turner with pictures to boot.

GG came for supper and we grilled some of her sirloin steaks from her ribbon gift and I cut Swiss chard from the garden and sautéed that along with Nancy's infamous oven taters. Yeow what a delicious supper. Those mid-western sirloins were fabulous grilled medium rare. The next time our team leaders put the ribbon gifts on special, 2 for the price of 1, we will stock up on the Delicious Ribbon Gift. You get (8) 1/2 pound steaks and (8) 1/4 pound burgers individually wrapped for about 30 bucks and they shipped free to you in dry ice. That is a great buy especially with the price of beef at the grocery.

Well after the cleanup Nancy and I drove GG home and returned her car as we had to use it for our separate  appointments. We came back and settled in to the American Idol and was surprised the girl from Florida was voted off as she was truly a better singer than a couple of the others, oh well. Now I think it's become a personality contest as the public votes. I tuned into the Lightning hockey game and they were getting trounced by one of the worse teams in the league; especially after they traded one of their star players. Oh well there seems to be no honor among management. It wasn't long until I was reading the insides of my eye lids, LATER

Thursday

Well Wednesday was another nice day with lots of sunshine until late evening. The humidity is starting to show its ugly head once again but we managed to keep the windows and doors open for another day as it stayed in the 70's. The morning was much the usual routine with a 6'ish roll out to start the day. After a cup of hot green tea, a few quiet moments and a bowl of cereal for breakfast I pedaled out to the rec for nearly 2 hours of pickle ball. We had a large crew today with 3 courts going and I managed to attain a wet shirt from the workout.

After the workout I stopped off at the library for a new read before heading home. I cut lettuces and cleaned it for fresh salad's, picked tomato's and then made a guacamole for our lunch gang when they got back from shopping. Sam and I were buddies while they were gone and he is easily entertained with the ipad. I never heard a peep from him for an hour or more.

After the girls got back we had dip and chips, smoked turkey sandwiches and salad for those who wanted greenery. Little Eliza is growing like a weed and is making all kinds of cooing noises along with smiling. She is really holding her head up and is so aware of sounds and people when they come into her presence. I got a call from neighbor Gerald in the mountains and he is giving up his chickens and chicken house and wanted to know if we wanted them. He is giving up on eating real eggs and staying with a substitute called eggbeaters. He is into a healthy eating phase and is losing some weight as well with daily workouts at the Wellness Center in Sparta plus playing pickle ball a couple time a week. I'm thrilled he has helped to keep the interest for the sport going through the winter months and hopefully I can join them in the spring with a group of new players as well. I told him sure we would be happy to have his chickens and his really nice house he built for them. We would have to give them up each year when we head back to Florida, but sounds like a plan to me as Nancy and I both enjoy having them on the property.

After the gang left for the afternoon to pick up Ava I headed out to pull and hoe weeds from the front lawn. The new grass is starting to green up and many of the winter weeds are dying and with a cold front moving in and the forecast is for rain I thought it would be a good time to fertilize the yard. I dug up a trash can full weeds and old dead grass to make way for the St. Augustine grass that is making a come back. Nancy headed out to do her rec workout and then we got news our house church was being cancelled due to most everyone being away. That means I didn't have to vacuum and do house work for one day.

I transplanted some new lettuce seedlings and pulled weeds in the gardens as well until it was time to start some burgers on the grill. We had fresh bakery buns and the burgers came from the mid-west from one of our delicious  ribbon gifts along with tater tots and a fresh garden salad to top off the meal. After the clean up we settled in to the Fox News channel and then watched 2 hours of the American Idol show. Afterwards it was time for the showers and then shortly thereafter I was reading the insides of my eye lids, LATER

Wednesday

Well Tuesday started with a 6'ish roll out to warm temps but with some low clouds. It never rained but sure looked like it for most of the morning. By late afternoon it was clear skies and had reached the upper 70's . There is rain in the forecast for today and Thursday and some what cooler temps but nothing like what is happening in the mountains and further up into the northeast. They have snow and cold temps once again.

After my cup of tea, a few quiet moments and fruit for breakfast I pedaled out for about and hour and half of workout at the rec on the pickle ball court. I decided it best to abbreviate the workout until I get completely back into shape. We had 1 court with about 7-8 players at times during the morning with some really good games. I had a wet shirt for the first time in several weeks. I was a little bushed afterwards and could feel the strain in the back muscles but no pain. I took it easy the rest of the day except for garden chores and holding little Eliza Faye.

Amy brought Sam and Eliza by while she headed for her 6 weeks checkup. She looks as if she never had a baby, especially after having 3 at 9 pounds plus. Sam played on Nancy's new ipad and I loved up on the baby. Amy picked up GG after her appointment and they came for lunch. GG brought some spinach pie Greek style that Betsy had given her and my was that ever tasty. That is very good but rich in calories with all the Feta cheese. After lunch I settled in to reading while Nancy played with the baby until Amy and GG returned from shopping.

 After they left to pick up Ava from school Nancy took off to the rec for her workout and I cut romaine lettuce for a Caesars salad for supper along with some fresh Brussel sprouts. They are about half the size of the commercial ones found in the store but oh were they ever tasty. I have 9 plants that are up to my waist in height and are loaded with the little ones but so slow in filling out for some reason. That was our first mess to go along with grilled salmon steaks. We licked the platter clean as everything tasted so delicious. After the cleanup I settled into the Fox News channel while Nancy worked on her Bible study questions.

 Once more our Potus is showing his lack of leadership with regard to the people of the Ukraine and the forceful movement of the Russian military into their sovereign country. He gave into Putin over the missile defense shield in Poland and left those governments with egg on their face and now I don't think the Europeans feel we are good allies. What a sorry state of affairs this Potus has left American foreign affairs in after his failings in Syria and in Europe. His advisors are as incompetent as he is as he alienates Israel once more. The world sees what happened in the Benghazi fiasco with Clinton's lack of leadership as Sec. of State and now the America media wants her to be the next leader after this Potus. John Kerry is as bad as she(Hillary) was if not worse and that no one respects his leadership abilities along with Chuck Hagel at the Defense Dept. All of this at a time when the budget is calling for a reduction in our military, wake up America, LATER

Tuesday

Well Monday once again saw us with spring like temps. The highs were in the 70's and lows in the 50's overnight. The humidity is staying away for now but I'm sure by the week end it will be back to where the a/c will need to be on. The garden loves this weather and I'm giving away; cabbage, collards, lettuces, sugar peas and tomatoes. I have new lettuce seedlings that are about big enough to transplant as well. The salads are just delicious with 5 different lettuces along with beet greens and kale. The Cole slaw is very sweet with the home grown cabbage and a few carrots from garden added for color.

I started the morning with a 6'ish roll out as I'm back on the pickle ball court. I did about 2 hours with some really nice play. We had one of our better women players back after suffering from a tumor in the stomach. She hasn't played in 4 months and did really well despite being away from the game for such a long time. We had 2 courts going with about 12 players for the workout. My back held up rather well but I could feel it by the end of the session. The rec is only open 3 days this as the local Pow Wow festival is in town and they use the rec facilities for the carnival setup, etc.

I came home to hand water the gardens while Nancy did her workout at the rec. We had a quiet lunch as it was just the 2 of us today because we were heading to Amy's later in the evening to celebrate Sam's birthday. Tyler grilled some whole chickens after marinating them overnight and the flavor was amazing, along with collards from his garden and dried pinto beans. We brought a Cole slaw made from our garden and there was mac and cheese as well. Nancy made another chocolate cake with white icing and there was vanilla ice cream as well. Once again it was a delicious supper and a great birthday celebration. Sam loaded up on toys and clothes once again as well. It's hard to believe he is 4 years old.

We had picked up GG and brought her then Betsy and Braden came for the supper so they took GG home after the cleanup. We stayed around and loved up on the kiddo's until nearly 9 before heading out for the house. After a shower I read until nearly 10:30 watching a little of the news which is not all that wonderful with the Russian Bear on the prowl in the form of Putin. The USA and our Potus has let this beast out to once more become a threat to stability for democracies in that region of the world. We have become milk toast in the eyes of those who looked towards the west for stability and keeping the freedoms necessary for many who were once subjugated by tyranny. This administration has no idea or plan to keep the world stable and now they want to further reduce our military with their ineptitude, LATER

  

Monday

Well Sunday was just an awesome gorgeous day with no humidity and temps that reached the high 70's with bright sunshine and blue skies. A nice gentle breeze kept it comfortable even in the direct sunlight. I sat out in the back yard for a couple hours in the afternoon and read.

We started the morning with a roll out around 6:30 'ish as it was a church day. After our hot drinks, a few quiet moments and a lite breakfast we got ready for worship at Element Church in Tampa. While our son Bobby who is the lead pastor at Element wasn't there this Sunday due to a cooking engagement in New Mexico; Blake filled in for him and did a really nice job. The praise music was excellent as well and led by Caleb. We rode with Dan and Carol as it was their turn to drive and we were back home around 12:30.

We had a fresh salad for lunch as we knew we were in for a large family meal around 6 at GG's to celebrate Nancy's birthday. GG fixed a beef roast, smashed 'taters and gravy, carrots, cauliflower and we brought a salad and GG made another chocolate cake with chocolate icing. The meal was very good and Nancy opened presents and cards from all. We had a fun time and over ate again. We have to do it all again tonight as we go to Amy and Tyler's to celebrate Sam's 4th birthday. By the way his grandmother is 57 today as well. He and Nancy share the same birth date. It was a fun time with Betsy and Braden attending as well. Little Eliza Faye is growing and is just such a very relaxed baby and you would never know Amy had a baby 6 weeks ago. She is back to being her stick figure and we wonder how that can be after delivering 3 babies at more than 9 pounds. After the cleanup we headed home to read and watch a little T.V. while Nancy played on her Air Ipad.

Well just an update on the back and leg and I'm thrilled to report the serious pain is gone and I'm almost back to being normal if that's possible with my back history. I will probably have bouts where the arthritis is more painful at times but with the way it is now I can certainly still maintain an active lifestyle and I'm more than thrilled, especially since I'm not using any pain meds. I'm still being adjusted and limbered up by the chiropractor a couple times a week and if that's what it takes then I'm on board for the long haul. I just wish I could lose some of this spare roll of fat around my belly but with the way we have been eating lately that's not going to happen anytime soon, LATER

Sunday

Well Saturday was another very nice day that started with Nancy running the heat to take off the chill and then by early afternoon we had the windows and doors open and by late afternoon closing them again due to the coolness. The humidity was gone which really makes for a splendid day. Amy and the kiddo's came by after lunch and they sat and played out in the back yard for a couple hours.

I started the day with a 7'ish roll out and a cup of hot green tea before a few quiet moments and then a breakfast of soft boiled eggs, ham and toast. Afterwards I headed out to water the gardens then I decided to mow up all of the oak leaves and mulch them for the garden. That kept me busy until lunch time. Afterwards I pulled weeds and did some piddly chores before setting in to read for a couple hours.

We were getting together at Kathryn and Patrick's beautiful condo on the beach for supper around 5'ish with Dan and Carol. This weekend is both Carol and Nancy's birthdays so a celebration was in order with our newest and great friends the Tracy's with great food, a little vino and games were in store for the evening. Patrick grilled marinated salmon steaks after hor'dervers of shrimp and dips. Kathryn had twice baked 'taters, green beans, croissants and Carol brought a salad and Nancy made the chocolate cake with white icing. My what a feast that was and after the cleanup we settled into some heavy action at the game table while listening to fabulous music on a Bose acoustical machine. Yikes does that bring music to life. The guys once again prevailed with wins in sequence(2 out of 3) and Dan won the dominos going away. That makes for 2 in a row for 2014 for the guys!!!

We headed out around 10'ish and then it wasn't long afterwards it was time to put the lights out but when that occurred the chocolate cake seemed to awakened me. The caffeine had me sleeping very little for most of the night. I think I will forgo the cake this evening at GG's as she is also making Nancy's favorite birthday cake for another birthday dinner celebration at her house. This weekend with be one of gastronomic delights as we celebrate this Sunday evening and then again on Monday evening at Amy and Tyler's for Sam's birthday dinner and cake, Yeow!!!

Well this morning we are heading over to Tampa for the gathering at Element Church. Bobby is away to New Mexico for a week as he takes another week's vacation for a chef gig at the Timbers of Chama. The place looks fantastic in the Brazos Mountains near the Colorado border where he will rest, write and prepare meals for a special group for a week. Keep him and the family in your thoughts and prayers, LATER