Saturday Morning

Well Friday started out like most everyday with an early morning rise and then my quiet time and a lite breakfast before heading off to the Rec. on my bike for close to 2 hours of pickle ball. I was bushed when I left there and made a quick stop at the library but that would all soon change for anything normal for a Friday.

Bobby called and said he thought they would be back to their new house a little before noon so we speeded up our plans to leave earlier as we had a good hours drive to their house in the eastern side of Tampa called Brandon Hills. We made a stop at the doctors office to pick up some paperwork for Nancy to fill out as a new patient for the endocrinologist she is seeing next week. We got to Bob's house a little before noon and they(Bobby and Katie) arrived with a few minutes and then all of the normal or usual went out for the day and evening until nearly 9 PM when we left to drive back to Seminole.

The new house to them which was probably 50 years in age from the time it was built is settled in a very nice neighborhood, huge oak trees surround the nearly 1/2 acre lot with a screened in pool and split level with 4 bedrooms and 3 baths and 2 car garage. It looks very regal from the outside but the folks who moved out had 2 bull dogs and hadn't painted the rooms in many moons. Since it was completely empty we did a major clean as well as painted all of the ceilings on the upper floor and 3 rooms down stairs with several more to go, all of the closets after a cleaning  were painted , doors removed as well for painting today(Sat) with a spray gun and then washed all of the walls upstairs as well as down stairs, all of the cabinets in the kitchen were scrubbed inside and out with cleaners and then 2 coats of paint on the walls in every bedroom. We had 4 people initially and then 4 more came to help with these jobs and while we weren't planning on going back today we decided to go and help. There is about a dozen or so younger men coming to do the moves from Katie's apartment as well as Bobby's with a rental truck so we decided we wanted to get as much done so they can spend the first night there tonight. There is still lots more painting to do as their fridge and washer and dryer are delivered today.

We want to continue with some major paint work while the house is still without furniture as the movers come sometime after lunch. It was close to 10 went we got home last night and hit the showers and then right to bed. I was whipped as I never sat down nearly all day. Bobby had sandwiches delivered during the afternoon and then wings and fries in the evening for our supper around 7 ish. It was a work day and everyone worked so well together and had fun doing it. While Katie directed her plans for the colors for bedrooms and had purchased the paint she was right in there doing her share of painting. Nancy and Lynn(Katie's mom) did the wall washings and cabinet do over's and worked great together. I did most of the ceiling's and closet with Bobby's help from time to time and Bruce (Katie's dad) did the wall paintings with Danielle and Katie's help. Laura(Katie's sister in law) helped with cleaning of the fans and walls as well. There was some major color changes to the interior of the house as well as some much needed cleaning. While they got a good deal on the purchase of the house they will have to do some work with the cosmetics to their taste. It was a fun day when all pitched in with work.

I almost forgot to mention Bobby carried Katie over the threshold for the first time as a married couple and owners of their new house. We captured that on film as well. We cancelled our small group get together with dinner out tonight to work all day at the new house, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was another hot muggy day except a gentle breeze out of the east kept it comfortable until the mid afternoon when it really warmed up. We could use rain as the ground is dry and lawns are starting to change colors. I set the sprinkler on the front yard in hopes of saving the grass and of course I've been hand watering the gardens a couple times a day as well.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out. Nancy had the band playing again which is becoming almost an every night occurrence; some nights it's louder than others, oh well!!! I did my morning routine with a few quiet moments to honor my Creator and lift up those I know and love especially Nancy as she has a lesion or nodule on her thyroid, so next week we have a visit with an endocrinologist to determine what and if this maybe and how to correct or alleviate the problem. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

I headed out on my bike after posting this ramble and a lite breakfast for a couple hours at the Rec. on the pickle ball courts. We had a good showing today and some good play and I left after two hours of continuous play with a wet head and shirt. I passed by the library as I had a couple new reads already. Nancy took off for the Rec. soon after I got back. I piddled around in the garden and noticed a couple of my large sweet onion bulbs were starting to break down and rot so I took the hand trowel and dug the remaining bulbs and then tied them up in bunches and hung them outside to dry. It seems the excess watering was causing them to rot and I saved almost all except for a couple which the green stems had turned brown. I probably have 50 or more sweet bulbs and they are so delicious especially on a tomato sandwich with lettuce and a little mayo.

I found an extra knob for the shower control so I changed out the one that twisted off last night and replaced it with one I had changed out awhile back. That was much easier than I had anticipated and cost me nothing for a change. We had a lite lunch around 11:30 and then she took off with her mom to shop for Mothers Day. She even bought me a couple new shirts as well. She and GG came back for a supper of Salmon cakes, fresh sugar peas sauteed with fresh mushrooms and onions accompanied by a brown rice concoction. The supper was delicious and we "licked the platter clean". I did the cleanup as Nancy showed GG the video of Sam doing his school project about Lemurs. He is so cute and is full of remarks about any subject he is interested in. I headed out to hand water the yards while they tuned into HGTV and then we took GG's car back for her as it needs to be driven occasionally to keep the battery charged as well as the engine in tune.

That was about it for the day as there was no local sports in action. We did tune into the O'Reilly Factor until it was shower time. Today(Friday) is a big day for us as we travel to the Brandon area and help with getting Bobby and Katie's new house in order for their move on Saturday. They close this morning so we will touch up the paint, clean and just get it ready for tomorrow when their younger friends move their belonging into the house. It's a beautiful older home in the neighborhood of Katie's folks and family which is a suburb of Tampa, LATER

Thursday morning

Well it was another hot and muggy day here in Central Florida with still no rainfall. I had to water the gardens twice today. The temps were in the middle 80's but at least there was a breeze. It wasn't a good evening in the Bay Area for our sports teams as both the Lightning and the Ray's lost to teams from the northeast.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out. Nancy had her band playing for most of the morning so I gave up and got up. I don't think there is any cure for a snorer except maybe change rooms during the night. I'm hoping once we get to a higher altitude that maybe that will help; anyhow after my morning cup of hot turmeric drink and a few quiet moments with my Creator I posted this ramble and had a breakfast of fresh fruit and cereal. I headed out on my bike to the Rec. for some two plus hours of pickle ball. We had a larger crowd today with enough players for the winners to split. I worked up a good sweat before heading out after my tank was on empty around 10 with a stop at the library on the way home.

I got a load of laundry out on the clothesline then set the sprinkler for one side of the garden as it needed a good soak. I picked a couple more cucumbers as they are maturing almost overnight. Nancy was off to the x-ray imaging facility for a picture of her thyroid to see if there was any change. She is on a thyroid prescriptions so every year they do a picture check. Afterwards she took her mom, GG to Clearwater Mall for some shopping and then had lunch out. I had a bowl of leftover Zuppa soup GG had given me for lunch and then we had grilled chicken on a bed of garden fresh salad for supper. I read the rest of the afternoon until Nancy got home.

Patrick called and set up a meeting at the Botbyl's house to watch the Lightning game on their big screen TV so we headed up at 7 to watch the game. The Lightning have been off for 5 days and they were not sharp especially their goal tender who allowed 4 goals in less than two periods. They eventually pulled him out of the game and then the team came back and scored 2 goals late in the last period but to no avail. The Ray's also gave up the long ball and lost their game on one swing of the bat to Baltimore. I spoke with my old friend Walt Hampton while we were waiting to eat and they seem to be doing fine. He is still having some health issues which go along with growing older and their grandsons are quite the athletes now.

Well that was about it for the day except I need to replace the handles on the shower knobs in our bathroom as one gave way last night after showering. Nancy is off with her mom today, again to the mall as she gets ready for a trip to Michigan in June and we get ready to head out the end of May, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday wasn't nearly as glamorous as the past couple of days with all of the wedding and birthday celebrations. The morning was much the routine and then I shampooed the carpets which kept me busy for the next couple of hours. We did get a last minute invite for supper over to GG's for Beefaroni from scratch.

The day started with my usual before 6 roll out. Nancy had her band playing sometime after 4'ish so I basically laid there waiting for the time to get up. I may need to start sneaking out during the night to a different bed so as to get a full nights sleep, oh well. After my routines with a cup of hot water laced with the herb turmeric for the joints I did my quiet time to honor my Creator and lift up in thought and prayer those whom I know and love. I then posted this ramble from yesterday's activities and then had a bowl of cereal loaded with fresh fruit before heading out on my bike for the Rec. I got in two full hours of pickle ball play and even helped or instructed a newbie with playing the game as well.

After a wet shirt workout I stopped off at the library for a couple new reads before heading home. I noticed my neighbor the military wife was out in the yard so I blessed her with some cucumbers and dug up a couple of cantaloupe seedlings for her garden. I settled into hand watering my garden which is quickly succumbing to the dry heat. The cukes, peppers, onions and okra love this dry heat but the lettuces, kale, beets, dill, sugar peas, cilantro, collards and green beans are just about gone. The carrots are doing okay for now as long as I keep the soil moist.

Well I got out the vacuum and gave the rugs a good cleaning and then loaded up the carpet shampooer with cleaner and hot water. That kept me busy for the next several hours. It was a good time to do this chore as our lunch crowd won't be around for the next week or so since Tyler's mom is visiting from Kansas. Afterwards I headed into the reading room and started a new Michael Connelly book ECHO PARK. He writes similar to Lee Child and I may even like his style a little better with the couple books of his I've read.

We were having a conversation with our "mountain mom" when GG called and invited us to supper as we were planning on left over grilled chicken breasts on a bed of salad; either one would have satisfied me but fresh Beefaroni GG style is awesome. She uses rotel tomatoes in hers and I love the heat. I even brought a jalapeno pepper with me for added heat. Before eating I did a couple of chores for her outside in the yard as she needed her fence line sprayed with Roundup as the weeds and grass from her neighbors yard is out of control.

After I washed the dishes I settled into the first couple innings of the Rays vs Orioles before we headed out for home just before dark. I hit the showers and then watched the Ray's bats come alive with a 2 run homer defeating the first place team for the second day in a row, 3-1. GO RAY'S. Well except for checking into Fox News and see were Trump has once again defeated his two establishment opponents handily. I think America is waking up and the votes for him is unbelievable lopsided. We want change to make America great again and he is promising to do all he can. Folks want jobs and to be secure from the terrorists as well as make our military strong again and secure the border. This present potus has all but tried to destroy us from within with divisiveness between the races, religion and law enforcement. He has destroyed our economy with obamacare and horrible trade agreements to weaken America and the folks are finally waking up and the support for Trump shows that. He can do no worse than this present community organizer who had no experience. Finally the crooked establishment with their big money are getting the word we are fed up with politics as usual. I think a good businessman can and will turn the economy around and now we need the support of all Americans to help defeat those who are politically correct which is ruining the nation and our morales as well as leaving us vulnerable to the likes of Iran and Russia. What is with this apologizer in the white house and I think he is even a bigger liar then Hillary,   LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday was a day which I spent the better part of at the VA Hospital at Bay Pines which is not to far from Seminole. I was scheduled for a fasting blood draw and then 3 hours later to see a doctor for the results and my yearly checkup and physical with more on that later. I headed over to Twill Auto for an oil change which is just across the highway from the VA and had the truck serviced for our trip next month to the mountains.

The day started with my usual before 6 roll out and then my morning routines of a few quiet moments to honor my Creator and lift up those I know and love and to give thanks for my many blessings. I had to skip my hot drink with turmeric as I had a fasting blood draw but I did have a cup of hot water to get the bowels moving which is usually very regular. I settled into my ramble and checked on the world news as well as our Facebook page for all of the social media.

I headed out around 7:30 and found a parking place which is usually difficult at this facility. There were 30-40 veterans already at the blood draw place, but that went rather quickly as they take 10-15 folks back at a time. It was no time I was out of there and headed to Wal-Mart just up the road to get my oil and filter as well as a couple goodies for Nancy. I headed over to Twill Auto and they soon had me on the rack for the oil change and then checked my battery. Well, last fall in Sparta I had left the lights on and ran the battery down and was going to purchase a new one there but it built back up and lasted great until this check which showed it was wearing down in volts,  and I didn't want to get stuck in the mountains this summer with a dead battery, so they replaced that as well. I checked the tires and air pressure and it looks as if we are all set to go the end of May.

I headed back over to the VA for my 11 am appointment and saw a new doctor. All of my blood and urine tests were in the normal range except for my total cholesterol which was 206. He said it hadn't changed since last year and that it was nothing to worry about. Everything else was fine even the prostrate check with the finger. It's been a while since I've actually had that test. Oh well!!! I headed home afterwards and had a lite lunch as Nancy got ready to leave for her volunteer job with ETC. I hung a couple loads of laundry as the conditions were perfect for drying outside and then harvested the last of my Bibb lettuces and cleaned them. I picked 5 beautiful cucumbers so now its time to start blessing the neighbors with some cukes as well. I gave some to GG and Amy. I also picked a half dozen of beautiful jalapeno peppers and noticed the okra is about an inch or more in length. I also pulled several sweet onions which had nice bulbs and cut them up for the pinto beans for supper later in the evening at Amy and Tyler's.

I read the rest of the afternoon until Nancy and GG came to pick me up to head over to Amy's for Ava's 9th birthday dinner. Tyler had two whole chickens on the smoker as well as mac and cheese, pinto beans and a salad. Nancy made her famous chocolate cake with chocolate icing for Ava's birthday cake. The supper was very delicious. I even had a piece of the cake with some ice cream. Ava opened her presents and finally got some much needed clothes instead of toys. Eliza was a trip as she thought these presents were for her. Grandma Cindy was there from Kansas as well and it was great to see her. We won't see much of them for the next several days as they will have lunch with her daily and Tyler is taking a couple days off while she is in town.

We headed out some where after 8 and took GG home then settled into the Ray's vs Orioles game and the Ray's won 2-0 against the first place team in our division. We learned the Lightning will play the Islanders from New York sometime later this week in the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was an awesome day of worship at Bridgepoint Church where we saw a friend who we invited to check us out with his three sons attended. His children go to school at Keswick with our grand kiddos and we mentioned our satisfaction with the services and opportunities at our new found church so he came was thrilled with the facility and the message and said he would be there next week. We met all of our small group there minus Patrick who is still suffering from bronchitis. After church we stopped by Sam's Club to pick up some goodies for Ava Mae's birthday supper tonight(Monday) as she will be 9 years of age. Tyler's mom Cindy flew in from Kansas overnight for the occasion and will stay for about 10 days.

We picked up our goodies then headed home to get ready for the lunch crowd of the Ross Families plus Annsley and Gabe who spent the night with their cousins and then attended church with them as well. We had deli meats, raw veggies and salad as well as fruit and left over cookies from the wedding. They stayed about an hour after lunch then headed out so the kiddos could all play with the Ross kiddos toys. We got busy and I vacuumed the house and Nancy was in the kitchen once again as we made guacamole, salads and dressings, snapped green beans from the garden and sliced taters coated in olive oil fresh rosemary and parsley. GG, Arianne and Errol came around 3 and the newly weds shortly thereafter. Eliza Faye was napping so they all came as soon as she awakened.

We sampled some vino while I grilled the marinated chicken breast and then looked at wedding pictures Errol was able to display on our TV from the computer. We all enjoyed those images and the story behind each one and commented on how well the ceremony and the evenings activities progressed. The food was very tasty and personal as Bobby prepared the pasta salad as well as the Cole Slaw and he and his friends smoked the meat and then pulled that as well. Everyone had their fill and then some leftover especially the various types of cookies made by Nancy, Amy, GG and Carol Botbyl. It was a beautiful setting and very safe for the kiddos who wondered around this yard and constantly played with the pool flowers and splashing their legs in the water as well. The raised platform saw them dancing at times to everyone delight.

Well the new Triplett Family left before dark as it was a school night as did the Ross Family. Arianne and Errol left for Miami around 7'ish as well for their long 4-5 hour drive. I finished putting the house back together and the cleanup in the kitchen and settled down for a few minutes and started falling asleep as I did not sleep well after the wedding. My legs ached from being on my feet and plus I was still hyped up from the wedding itself. I began nodding off around 9 and decided to maybe get a head start on sleep ahead of Nancy's nighttime acoustics which usually awakens me a couple times during the night. I shut the light off at 9:30 and was soon asleep.

Today I have my annual physical at the VA with a fasting blood drawn so there will be no pickle ball until Tuesday. I also want to get the truck serviced while at the VA as Twill Auto is just across the street from the hospital so I can take care of two trips in one. The time is counting day for when we leave for the cabin to just about 5 weeks or less, LATER  

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was the wedding day for our son Bobby and his new bride Katie and what a joyous occasion that turned out to be. The weather was perfect for an outside event and the ceremony found many of us with tears of joy for this beautiful couple including myself. Katie was absolutely gorgeous as she wore her mother's gown and of course Bobby was so handsome and debonair. Annsley and Gabe were beautiful together and Gabe was awesome as the ring bearer. The grounds of the home of Katie's grandmother was beautifully groomed for the 125 or more folks who were in attendance. I will post pictures later as it was late night when we got home from Tampa.

The day started with our usual roll out around 6'ish. After my quiet time and the posting of this ramble we had a lite breakfast of cereal and fruit. We knew we had to leave for Brandon by 11 so we got our clothes and the several large containers of cookies and brownies together. We met up with Bobby and the kiddos at his condo around noon. The girls had to leave for grandma's house to have their hair done by 1:30 so we boys hung out until nearly 3'ish before heading over for the 4 o'clock ceremony. There was a huge tent for seating as well as two smaller tents the food and drinks were under. There was a raised platform across from the pool area where the wedding vows were exchanged. It was just a picture perfect occasion.

The food and drinks flowed as well as the music via a soundtrack that was perfect. The younger children played around the pool area with the floating lily pads and flowers in the pool as well as kicking their bare feet in the water. There were three corn toss stations as well as croquet and bocce balls for anyone who wanted to play. It was a raucous good time in the play area while many just sat under the tent and enjoyed the ambiance. Several danced and just visited and the photographers were friends of the group so lots of pictures were taken.  Many from Element Church were there as well as the extended families from both parties. It broke up around 8:30 with a sparkler display as the finale.

Several of us stayed and helped with the breakdown of the tables, chairs and smaller tents as well as cleaned the grounds and the pool area. The kiddos were wiped out and I'm sure were asleep by the time they got to bed in the hour ride to Amy and Tyler's where they spent the night. They all will come to our house this evening for a supper before Errol and Arianne head back to Miami. Bobby and Katie will come and pick up their kiddos as well before heading back to a work week on Monday. Next weekend they close on their new house and we will help with that occasion as well. Wow what a busy time as we celebrate and get these two into their new house.

Well we got to meet most of the extended family and friends of the Korte and Miller families. They are very close and do lots of get togethers and most of them live and work in the surrounding area. We were made to feel very welcome and an integral part of them immediately. Katie and Bobby made a beautiful couple and we are thrilled he has found a kind, loving and beautiful person in Katie who is family oriented as well as a lover of Christ , LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday founded us at Keswick Christian School to watch Ava and Sam perform in their Spring Music and Art Program. We saw lots of familiar faces from different churches and our many past activities and programs our kids(Bobby and Amy) were involved when they were in school at Indian Rocks School and First Baptist in Seminole. Many of those kids they played with are now parents of the kids at Keswick. It was like old home week for us.

The day started much the usual with a before 6 rollout for me. I did my quiet time to honor my Creator and lift up those I know and love and then posted this ramble about Thursday's activities. Instead of my usual breakfast and then ride out to the Rec. for pickle ball I headed out to the garden for a fresh jalapeno pepper and a sweet onion. I made a couple of micro eggs for a burrito for my breakfast loaded fresh tomato, pepper and onion and some Chrystal hot sauce, yeow was that ever a tasty way to start the gastric juices flowing. After the cleanup I got ready to head out around 8:30 for the school program. Ava played the recorder and Sam sang a couple of songs with his class. The dedication of these teachers is wonderful and their love to see these kids come to know Christ is beautiful. The manners and desire to please is exceptionally nice to see with these students which is a complete opposite that is now being taught or exemplified in the public schools and by our government.

Afterwards I dropped Nancy off at home so she could continue baking for the wedding on Saturday and I headed to Sam's Club for some goodies for the family supper on Sunday evening. Amy came by after lunch with Eliza for and hour or so and she was better somewhat better but by late evening the sinus pain was back with vengeance so she may have to go to the walk in clinic for some antibiotics. Hopefully she will do better as this weekend is a busy one with the wedding and then Tyler's mom Cindy is coming in from Kansas on Sunday evening for a 10 day visit. They are supposed to bring Annsley and Gabe back home with them after the wedding so all of the kiddos can play together and spend the night then Bobby and Katie will pick them up Sunday evening at the family supper.

Well Eliza Faye loves to dance and so we did that while she was here after lunch. She is such a personality and grandma Cindy will be swept off her feet with her antics. We danced as well as did Nancy with her while they sampled home made cookies. The house smelled of ginger snaps and chocolate chip cookies. I did sample one of each because it was hard to pass them up. We have cookies and brownies for everyone at the wedding which is supposed to entertain around a 150 folks, give or take a few. My first cousin and her husband have flown in from N.C. but other than that most of the attendees are from Florida and the surrounding area. It will be a 4 o'clock ceremony outside at Katie's grand parents beautiful home with huge grounds under old majestic oaks. Bobby and along with his friends have prepared the food which will be pulled pork and the trimmings and instead of a traditional cake they wanted homemade cookies of various varieties. They both are entering in a second marriage and wanted little of the traditional items that come with a first wedding.

We are thrilled with his choice as we have grown to know her as a person and she is an exception in this day and time. She will be a fantastic helpmate and her love for his two children is exceptional. She is very giving, gentle and not pretentious in the least which add's to her beauty. She exudes the meaning of a Christian with her demeanor. We are excited for them as a couple and a family and look forward to their lifetime together with peace and love which will be quite the opposite from his first marriage.

I grilled marinated chicken breasts for supper over a bed of salad. After the cleanup I headed out to hand water for awhile until it looked like rain and sure enough we got a 15 minute down pour. That was an answer to prayer as its been so dry. We tuned in to see the Ray's lose their game to the Yankees after leading and I saw a play which changed the game around. A runner stole home plate, never have I seen that play but it changed the whole game which resulted in a loss for us. I tuned into the Fox news channel and once more this inept potus is trying to destroy our friendship with the Brits by meddling in their business when he can't to anything positive for America. He also is siding with the Saudis who helped in the planning of the terror attack in New York on 911. This man is trying to ruin our country and has just about accomplished it. His next move will be martial law so he can stay in power is my best guess but hopefully folks will see what a corrupt administration he leads and vote him and his cohorts out.  I know he and the Clinton's are scared of Trump if he gets elected. Trump had better be careful because I would put nothing beyond these criminal elites to stop the will of the people and it seems millions of Americans agree with his philosophy, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was much the usual to start the day with a 6'ish roll out. The outside temps had warmed up to the upper 60's and the humidity had once more invaded the area. The breeze kept it bearable but not for much longer as we quickly approach the end of April. Wow where did this month go?

I started the day with my routines of a few quiet moments and then posted this ramble before a lite breakfast of fruit and cereal. I headed out shortly on my bike to the Rec. for two hours of pickle ball before a stop at the library for a couple new reads, one of which was about the kidnapping in Cleveland titled FINDING ME, Yeow!!! What a sick perpetrator this individual turned out to be and their was no loss for society when he finally took his life. I piddled around in the garden cutting more lettuces and cleaning them for salads and then once again hand watered for nearly and hour. It is so dry and there is very little chance of rain for the area. We sure could use some of that water which is flooding Texas.

I headed out before lunch to pick up G from the hair dressers and brought her back for lunch with Amy and Eliza Faye. Amy seems to be on the mend from her sinus distress and Eliza was so cute for the day as she loves purses and anything she can carry something in on her shoulder. She is going to be a glamour girl and or a clothes magnet. She is so cute but does have a tendency to throw a fit when she doesn't get her way. We had wraps for lunch and afterwards I headed into to start this new read until suppertime.

Nancy had a couple yellow squash in the fridge so we decided to fry them and coat them with fresh herbs and a jalapeno pepper for me. They were marvelous in taste with fresh basil, dill and onion. I decided to thaw out a dozen or so of cooked and deveined shrimp and I made some cocktail sauce which was delicious as well. So we ate lite which was fine with me as I could make a meal on fried squash or egg plant or okra. Speaking of okra mine is blooming and setting fruit so maybe within a week we will have some from the garden. The cukes are still setting fruit and I'm up to picking at least on a day or more.

Well I caught the last of the Ray's day game and they blew out the Red Sox 12-8 at Fenway and then we settled into the Lightning game versus the Red Wings and what a game that turned out to be. We won 1-0 and eliminated them from contention this year for the Cup. What a close game and our goalie was superb with some many unbelievable saves. It wasn't long afterwards it was hot shower time for me then some horizontal lab. On a lesser note the rock star Prince overdosed on drugs and was found dead. I'm still at a loss why so many folks in the media are so enamoured with these kind of druggies that make music. I never even liked his music to be honest and I always thought he was strange as well, oh well  

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday was rather mundane except for my workout at the Rec. The temps were back on the rise again but not unbearable as the breeze kept things comfortable especially after supper as I headed out to hand water the gardens and yards. Im finally getting some grass to grow in the one area of the back yard.

The day started much the usual with a before 6 roll out and then my regular morning routines of a few quiet moments to honor my Creator, humble myself and lift up those I know and love and especially Amy as she is having some sinus issues. Hopefully its better today or she may have to see a doctor for some antibiotics as the pain has moved down into her face and jaw. All of her family has had some colds and or allergies this past week and now she is experiencing some additional pain along with the runny nose and cough.

After posting this ramble I had my bowl of cereal with fresh fruit before getting ready to ride out to the Rec. for a couple hours of pickle ball. We had the challenge court today and I never sat down much throughout the morning play. It was a good workout and by 10 my energy was gone as well as a wet shirt was prevalent. I headed home to get ready for Eliza Faye as Amy was dropping her off while she ran some errands. Nancy was planning to get her walk in prior to Amy arriving. I headed out to the back yard and hand watered the gardens. I picked another cucumber and noticed several more small ones appearing. I turned over some of the garden with my shovel and the earthworms were plentiful. I decided to sprinkle some dried marigold seeds through out the turn over ground so they will be a help in keeping the nematodes in check for next years garden as well as take a few plants with me for my summer garden.

Amy and Eliza Faye came for lunch as GG was with her singing group. I finished up the left over collards and shared some with Amy who really liked them as well. It seems she also prepared them with the stems in her last bunch but didn't cook them long enough. We use to cut the stems out but now I've decided the stems are very good when cooked enough. We also had a garden salad with some deli meat. Afterwards I headed into the reading room for the next couple of hours and finished a read about a true crime that occurred the next couple of counties east of us. I was familiar with the victims ex husband who was a former trooper friend. She was poisoned along with her whole family with thallium placed in Coca Cola bottles by a neighbor who had been imprisoned in N.C. was operating a huge meth lab at one time and was a chemist. He was upset about the teenagers playing their music too loud so decided to kill the whole family by placing this colorless and tasteless poison in a soft drink. This is a great investigative read titled POISON MIND by author and investigator Good and Goreck.

Well we ate lite for supper with a grilled Salmon filet on top of a garden fresh salad. We should be losing some of this belly fat but it sure doesn't leave as quickly as it arrives, oh well. We spoke with Bobby and he was purchasing the pork meat he was smoking on Friday and getting the last minute preps for the wedding on Saturday evening. Wow this time has suddenly appeared and within a couple days he will start a new life with a beautiful, thoughtful and GOD loving girl. We are so happy for him and her and his children absolutely adore her as well which is such a plus. Katie and her family are the real deal as well. They will live near her folks and grand parents as well as her siblings and their life is oriented around the family.

Well that was about it for the day as we tuned into the Fox news channel to learn some new an interesting facts about the 9-11 commission that indicated the Saudis have been directly involved with helping those terrorist who bombed the country on 9/11. Trump also won big in New York and seems to have the momentum once again heading into the convention which has all of the RNC elitist in a tizzy. I'm hoping the crook Hillary is indicted for her corrupt and criminal past but there are those out there who will give her a pass just as they failed to vet this present potus. The media is to blame for failing to report her misdeeds and now the country is in a big mess.

Well after a hot shower I watched the Ray's get blown out by the Red Sox after beating them the night before. The Lightning will play again tonight in Tampa and could close out the Red Wings and move on to the next step to the finals for the cup. They are doing this without two of their star players, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday was much the usual day with not much going on except for the daily routines. We did have our regular lunch crowd and the temps stayed rather nice outside in the shade. The usual humidity is no where as strong as normal so that made it very comfortable as well.

The day started for me with my usual before 6'ish roll out. I did my quiet time and then posted this ramble from the activities from the day before. After a breakfast of cereal and fruit I got ready to ride out on my bike to the Rec. for 2 hours of pickle ball. We had three courts in action throughout the morning as we have the gym for 5 hours for the sport so different levels of players came throughout the morning. We had 6 decent players for the challenge court which made for a good workout and by 10'ish I was running on empty with a wet shirt.

I headed home and stopped to visit my military wife who was sitting under her oak tree which is a couple doors up from our house. She is a gardner and is always seeking info on Florida gardening. I helped her with laying out her plot then dug up a large volunteer tomato plant from my garden and transplanted it into her garden. This tomato plant already had buds for blooms and she was delighted. She really loves growing things and already has her oldest daughter who is just 4 years old learning to grow things.

I harvested a couple heads of Bibb lettuces, kale and oak leaf lettuce for our lunch salad as well as some carrots, sweet onions and another delicious cucumber. The two plots of cucumber vines are starting to produce and I'm giving away a cucumber or so a day plus what we are eating in our salads. The herbs are doing great so I add fresh sweet basil as well as dill to my salads. I've started another rosemary plant by cutting the mature stems from my mother plant and sticking them in the ground and then keep it damp for a couple of weeks until the stems turn green and start to root. I've started 4 other rosemary plants since I've been back. I also made a jasmine cutting and some honeysuckle cuttings to see if I can get them to root in my compost pile and then I will take them to the cabin. It's amazing how easy you can start herbs from previous herbs just by covering part of the stem with some dirt and then keeping it damp. Once that part starts to root I just cut it off from the mother plant.

The heat is starting to take its toll on the garden with the leafy green veggies but the green beans are going crazy as is the peppers and sugar peas. They too are starting to show signs of heat damage and not as many blooms for new pods. Nancy stir fried sugar pea pods, fresh mushrooms and zucchini and yellow squash with onion and placed that over brown rice for supper. I added a jalapeno pepper to mine with a little fresh ginger on top and wow what a delicious combo with just a drop of soy sauce. We try to go meatless a day or so a week and this supper was fantastic with everything out of the garden but the squashes. Squash takes up so much room and the fungi from the humidity usually rots the baby squash before you can get them big enough to eat, so it's easier to just get them from the market.

Well after the cleanup I headed out to hand water the gardens and the back yard until it was time for the Lightning vs Red Wings game in Detroit. We won the hard fought game 3-2 and now have a 3-1 lead in the best of 7 series in the Stanley Cup playoffs. What an exciting game and the next game is here in Tampa on Thursday night. I flipped back and forth to the Ray's game which was still no score in the bottom of the 9th. I will read who won in the news.  It was 10'ish so the sandman calleth and it was lights out for me after a hot shower, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday started out with temps in the high 50's, that's unheard of for this time of the year here in normally hot Florida. It did get up into the low 80's by late afternoon but the dry air made it very comfortable. I actually opened the windows and doors once again during he day time hours as the breeze was so nice. The forecast is for it to be this way the rest of the week with little or no humidity. Hopefully it will hold as we have an outside wedding this Saturday at 4 PM when Bobby and Katie get married.

Well the day started much the usual with a before 6 'ish rollout. After my daily routine of a few quiet moments to honor my Creator, humble myself and lift up those I know and love in thought and prayer. I posted this ramble then had a bowl of cereal with fruit before heading out to the Rec. on my bike for some pickle ball. I never sat down for the next 2 hours and left around 10'ish with a wet shirt. After a quick stop at the library I headed home to piddle around in the garden. I hand watered  and fed my cucumbers which are really starting produce. I picked a mess of collards, carrots and a cucumber for my military neighbor's wife and shared some points on gardening with her. She loves to garden and I helped her with her site in their backyard as well as what and when to plant.

I  picked a mess of collards for myself and got them cleaned and chopped for the pot with a sauted onion and some smoked bacon with some chicken broth. I let them cook for the next 4-5 hours at a low heat and were they ever delicious for our supper. This recipe is the best ever and I hit on it by chance. Everyone I've given collards to just say its the best ever way to prepare them and I think they are actually more flavorful left over, anyhow we had them and left over pot roast for supper, yeow!!! My king of eatin'.

Nancy volunteered the afternoon at ETC so I was free to read and relax and the gentle dry breeze made it quite comfortable especially under the big oak in the back yard. We spoke with our "mountain mom" and they too had a beautiful day in the mountains with lots of sunshine but the wind has really dried things out. They and we could use some rain. All is well in the mountains and we are looking forward to getting back and getting our gardens in. I'm hoping to start some seedlings here in a couple weeks to transplant there. The garden is slowly winding down here due to the heat as well as most of these plants have been producing since I started the garden last November with the exception of the cucumbers and lettuces. The beets and Swiss chard are gone as the nematodes have taken a toll on their roots. These were two veggies I had brought back from the cabin last November. The green peppers were also ones I brought back and they are loaded with peppers. The use of epson salt really helped them to produce fruits.

Well after the supper clean up I headed out to hand water the gardens as well as the front yard until nearly dark. We never got a drop of rain over the weekend or the last week or two so we are dry. Thankfully the shallow well produces all of my water needs except for drinking. I headed in to watch the O'Reilly Factor and once more Bill gave a great and factual opening statement on what is happening to our culture and the sad state of affairs our nation is in. The lack of education for the young millennials is appalling and we wonder why the nation is in such disarray. Our inept leaders in both houses of congress are as much to blame as well as this incompetent potus who was pushed on us by the media. It's such a shame we have lost our system of values due to political correctness and now we are about to lose the incentive to work hard and produce for the future if the democrats get elected. Socialism doesn't work just look at the mess Europe is in and the lawlessness of this executive branch of government is now trying to make laws when its supposed to enforce laws made by the congress. The debt for social programs for the illegal immigrants is astonishing. We now start businesses for those illegals when they are returned to their land of origin to the tune of 40-50 K per illegal. It's unbelievable.

The ghettos in America are there because there is no incentive for the young blacks to earn money legally so they resort to crime, selling drugs and terrorizing those who do want to make a difference. The black on black crime is out of control in the inner large metro cities and the lack of leadership by the party they vote for is unbelievable. There is no way this will ever stop if the democrats in the congress don't quit looking out for themselves and quit aligning themselves with the race baiters like Jackson and Sharpton. It's disgraceful. I certainly hope someone takes the lead in the black community like a Dr. Carson and Condy Rice. They are truly honorable and patriotic people. Well I guess I will step down from my soapbox for the moment and I can see why Trump is making inroads in the American political landscape. While he wouldn't be my first choice initially but at least he is bringing out the corruption that has infiltrated our political parties and in the system. There is no doubt that big money is in control of the candidates which continues to pollute America. We need successful big money folks that want America to succeed and not destroy our values upon what the nation was founded on which was basically individualism and hard work and honoring the laws that made us unique and free! We need to get rid of the greed in the government and employ term limits for every elected official, oh well. LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday found us with tolerable temps despite it reaching the low 80's. The humidity was there but not ravaging and the wind was ever present with strong gusts at times. We actually slept in until 6:30 after the late night from Saturday. We were volunteering at Bridgepoint Church for the 10 AM service so we had to leave the house by 9:20 at the latest.

We did our usual morning routines of a few quiet minutes and the posting of the day before's activities in this ramble. We each had a bowl of cereal with fresh fruit to start the gastric juices flowing before getting ready to head out for church. Of course it does take Nancy quite a bit longer to get ready so I vacated the bathroom for her "putting her face on". The Tracy's and Dan were going to ride with us as I have the only vehicle where all 6 of us can ride together but the Tracy's cancelled as Patrick was having a coughing spell and just Dan rode with us as Carol was still away on a retreat.

Nancy and I checked in with the volunteer coordinator and put on a necklace like blue strap with the Bridgepoint logo which signifies to others we were part of the production team and then we headed to the balcony where we monitored 4 doors, assisted with the offering collection, gave out programs and assisted folks in finding a seat as well as greeted them with handshakes, hugs and smiles. We got to know several other volunteers and a couple of staff members and one who is in charge of security for the church. Russ is also a civilian member of the St. Pete Police Dept. There are several uniform officers from his department who direct traffic outside during the three morning services as well as several volunteers directing folks in the parking areas. Parking is a great problem to have but still a problem. We are finally getting to know many who attend and work there as well. So far it's been an exciting ride and of course Pastor Tim is very concise and to the point with his messages and the worship music is endearing.

Well after the service we decided to skip out on our original planned place to have lunch as it was just the three of us. We decided to check out a new eatery in Seminole called Trips Place but the line was out the door to be seated as the breakfast crowd had showed up since it was around 11:30, so we made a U-turn and stopped at Culver's which is also brand new and just a couple buildings away. Well we still had a couple coupons and they still honored me with a veteran's small discount and we dined on great double cheese and bacon burgers with fries and in place of the soda they substituted a shake. Wow, the fast food was very tasty, prepared on the spot and delicious and they serve you at your table with your order. We ate for less than what we usually would pay for one person and it held us for the rest of the day until late evening when it was just a salad for supper. I would go back there again as it was that good.

Well we tuned into the Ray's game and they won with a close score of 3-2 over the White Sox, but the Lightning game wasn't a win for us on their home ice in Detroit. We are still ahead 2-1 in the overall games, which is who ever wins 4 out of 7 games goes on in the hunt for the Stanley Cup. We are still on their home ice for the next game before coming back to Tampa for at least another game or two, oh well. It wasn't long after the game it was shower time and then some horizontal lab for around 10'ish, LATER

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was a work outside kind of day and I spent all morning and a couple hours after a lite lunch outside. There was a hint of rain with clouds and a strong breeze and the clouds helped to keep the high humid heat bearable. Then around 5' ish we headed over to the Tracy's for a delicious supper and a game of cards.

Well the morning started with us actually lounging in the sack until nearly 7. We had no plans for the morning so after my usual quiet moments to spent with my Creator and then posting this ramble and of course checking the social media and what was happening in the world on the internet I made myself some burritos for breakfast. When I went out to the garden to pick a fresh jalapeno pepper I noticed how nice it was outside and I decided to get in some yard and garden work after eating. I know I needed to get the fence rows cleaned out which will make it easier when we leave in about 6 weeks for the summer.

I edged the entire property, pulled weeds and raked as well as fertilized the yards. On a sad note in my garden I lost a collard plant overnight as the stem on one of the 5 plants rotted into, yikes I'm not sure what caused that but I still have 4 healthy plants. I want at least another mess before the heat takes it toll on the other 4, oh well its that time of the year when despite watering daily the heat is just much for the leafy green veggies. I picked a couple more cucumbers giving one to my neighbor and the other Nancy put with the salad we took to the Tracy's. That whole salad was made from my garden; green pepper, sugar peas, bibb and oak leaf lettuces, kale, sweet Texas onions, carrots and tomatoes. Wow it ever tasty as we dined on chicken stroganoff and some finger foods and dips before setting down to this delicious gourmet meal with a little vino before and with supper.

After the clean up we settled into a game of OH -ELL which is a fast card game Nancy's folks taught us many years ago. We watched the Ray's beat the White Sox 7-2 in between plays. Finally the hitting gave the pitchers for the Ray's some back up as their bats have been silent for most of the season so far. It's early in the season but still they are playing below .500 baseball despite this they are still drawing a decent fan base which helps the home team.

We headed home after both games(Dan won the card game on the last hand)and dropped Dan off as he went with us. Carol was off with her fellow staff from ETC on a retreat to Lake City so Dan was a bachelor for the weekend. We had a fun time and the food was marvelous.  Today we volunteer at Bridgepoint Church as a greeter during the 10AM service. They are such a coordinated staff with lots of dedicated volunteers and we are thrilled to be plugged into the program in helping folks draw closer to GOD. It's such a privilege to be a small part and to be involved.

Well that was about it for the day. My muscles were tired after being on my feet for most of the day and the bed felt good by 11'ish LATER

Here is a pictures of the harvest for the day from the garden.

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was a busy day and much warmer but there was the threat of rain during the afternoon and evening but we saw none of the liquid fall on our little piece of the earth. There was some thunder and black clouds but no rain in our area. We had a family supper with GG and Amy's family and then watched their kiddos while they shopped for a suit for Tyler in the upcoming wedding next weekend.

The day started much the usual for me with a 6'ish roll out and then my quiet time before posting this ramble and eating a lite breakfast before getting ready for my workout at the the Rec. I headed out on my bike about 7:30 and got in two good hours of workout on the pickle ball court. We had 2 courts in action as the attendance was down due mainly to lots of the winter visitors leaving during the week. We still have a good core of players who will be here for the summer. I stopped off at the library on the way home for a couple new reads as well.

I piddled around in the garden and then cut a couple heads of Bibb lettuce as well as picked another cucumber. They are starting to mature and are they ever so delicious. I also cut a Texas sweet onion which had grown to the size of a baseball and they too are so sweet as well as picked a colander full of sugar peas. I noticed the okra is blooming and they have such a beautiful bloom. I cleaned all of the greens and made a huge salad for our lunch but GG brought a chicken salad and Amy brought some leftover meat loaf for sandwiches so we ate the salad sparingly.

I took GG after lunch to Home Depot and then to Sam's Club as she needed a few items as did I. I wanted to make sure I bought some Kentucky Wonder bush beans for the mountain garden as they have such superb taste. I need to pick mine again today (SAT)as they just keep producing here in the garden. I noticed in the compost pile some what I thought were cucumber sprouts about 2 inches high and when I thought about what I had recently dumped in there I determined it was cantaloupe seedlings. So where I had just recently pulled up the bolted lettuces I transplanted three hills of the volunteer cantaloupes. Hopefully they will make before we head out by the end of May.

Nancy had a 5-6 pound chuck roast in the oven roasting for supper. I pulled a dozen or more carrots from the garden and she added a couple onions to the mix along with some red taters. Wow what a tasty meal that turned out to be and I added a fresh jalapeno pepper to my plate as well. Little Ava Mae loves the taste of the jalapeno as well. They sure do wake up your taste buds and add such flavor. After the cleanup I took the kiddos over next door to play with Roxie the small pup who is a bundle of energy. The kiddos wore her out and Carol was thrilled for that. We came back and got the kiddos their baths and Eliza wanted popcorn. She is such a cutie. After we got them settled with a movie I headed into watch a thrilling game between the Lightning and the Red Wings. Wow what a brutal game that was with such hitting and fights. The Lightning now has a 2-0 lead on them but we must go to their home ice for the next 3 games. The Ray's lost again 1-0 with great pitching but no hitting.

Well after Amy and Tyler got back somewhere close to 10:30 with a new suit for him I headed for the showers and was soon into some horizontal lab, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was a typical Florida spring like day except for the humidity which has us with the windows and doors shut and the a/c back on. I know some who would like to have some of this warmth as it was freezing once again this morning at the cabin. Oh, I long for some of those chilly temps.

The day started much the usual with a before 6 roll out for me and then my morning routines of a few quiet moments to honor my Creator, humble myself and lift up those I know and love and then pray for some competent leadership for our nation. Our society is declining so quickly and never would I have envisioned so much divisiveness between folks as of today and that is why we need some great leadership that wants America to be successful again. I really feel for the law enforcement family as well as those who come here legally and assimilate into our culture. After my quiet time I had my bowl of cereal with fresh fruit before getting ready for my ride to the Rec. on my bike. We had all three pickle ball courts in action and I never sat down for the next two hours. My tank was on empty by 10.

I stopped at the library for a new read before heading home to hand water the gardens. I found three more cucumbers about ready to be picked and we are thrilled for these succulent veggies. The Bibb lettuce needs using and that will be the last of the lettuces for awhile as the others have bolted. I'm still picking sugar peas, onions, kale and green and japaleno peppers. The green beans are still producing and just loaded with blooms. We had green beans with chicken in a oyster extract sauce for supper and they were delicious especially with a little soy sauce and fresh ginger. This in one of my favorite dishes.

Amy, GG and Eliza Faye came for a lunch of quesadilla's of cheese and ham and a fresh garden salad. Wow what a treat that was as we have tried to stay away from cheese but these were grilled to perfection. Afterwards I headed into the reading room and started the O'Reilly book KILLING REAGAN. Wow is this not ever a detailed account of this man's life and a very interesting read. I'm about a third of the way through and have learned so much about this very great American and his influence for America and the world. After they left Nancy took off to shop for Ava our oldest grand daughter's birthday which is soon approaching. She will be 9 and we wonder where did that time go?

The Ray's were playing the Indians in a day game which was not televised so I caught up with the score via the internet and maybe its a good thing no one could see it as it was ugly with a 5-0 loss. At least they salvaged one out of three games.  We watched the Fox News channel after supper and then I found a couple playoff games for the Stanley Cup and wow were there ever so hard fought action. The Lightning once again play tonight(Fri.) here in Tampa. We are having everyone over for a pot roast supper and then we will watch the Ross kiddos while Amy and Tyler shop. Well that was about it for the day as I did set the sprinkler in the front yard to give the grass a drink. It was supposed to rain and not far from here there were severe storms with hail the size of a quarter, some flash flooding and high winds. We never got a drop of rain, oh well, LATER

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday wasn't exactly a busy day except for the evening when we headed over to the beach area for supper with Nancy's first cousin who was visiting from Pennsylvania with his wife. He picked up GG, Nancy's mom and we all met for a 2 plus hour supper.

The day started out a little before 6 for me as I awakened and couldn't get back to sleep. After my usual morning routines of a few quiet moments to honor my Creator and then post this ramble I had a lite breakfast of cereal and fresh fruit before heading out on my bike to the Rec. I met up with several other decent players with a few B players mixed in for a two hour work out on the pickle ball courts. I managed a good sweat before heading out close to 10 for a stop at the library where I was able to pick up the Bill O'Reilly book KILLING REAGAN. I'm excited about reading that story as he was one of my favorite people, both as governor of California when I lived there during my military and college days and of course he changed the world to respect America again when he was our Potus. I had the privilege of being on Nancy Reagan security detail when she came to the Bay Area with her "just say no to drugs" nationwide tour while as first lady. What a class person she was.

Well I did some garden hand watering as the forecasted rain never appeared and then fed the okra, onions and peppers. I picked my first cucumber which was delicious for lunch and shared it with Amy and GG as they also came to eat with us. It was so good we never even peeled the skin. I have a couple small ones coming on as well but it will be a few days before they are big enough to eat. We dined of course on fresh garden salad loaded with fresh tomato's and fresh basil, yikes do I ever love that combo with homemade Greek dressing. After lunch I retired to the reading room while the gals watched the DVD's of Anna Greengable in the living room with Eliza Faye. She would come in from time to time to show me her lipstick and purse with her high heels. She is such a cutie but oh can she throw a fit when she doesn't get her way. The terrible two's are upon us. Amy is trying to potty train her which is also a bust at times.

Well Nancy took her mom home and then we read until it was time to head over to Kegan's Seafood eatery on Indian Rocks beach. It's a small place which the star of Diners, Drive In's and Dives from the TV reality food show visited a few years back. We met Tom, Kathy and GG there around 6'ish. I had the grilled octopus as well as a bowl of Louisiana chowder, Nancy had the grilled Mahi-Mahi and the others their grilled grouper sandwiches and salad. Their prices are comparable to the Bone Fish Grill with the neighborhood ambiance. I actually like the chowder better at the Bone Fish but the octopus was very tasty and well prepared. That is only the second time I've eaten it and I wasn't disappointed. We chatted and visited for a couple hours before we made a stop at Aldi's where I noticed the grille pan for veggies we bought at Bass Pro Shop for 19.99 was on sale at Aldi's for 5.99. It looks the same with porcelain enameled coated for that great savings price and we want one for the cabin. That purchase will save me the trip to Tampa as well as some bucks, oh well. We like this Aldi's as its a brand new building and the savings on California wine is tremendous as well as is their fresh veggies when compared to Publix's.

Well we tuned into the Ray's game and it was awash with Indians clobbering the Ray's 4-1 but the Tampa Bay Lightning beat a tough Detroit team 3-2 without their star player. Wow was there some roughhouse activities in this first game of the Stanley Cup playoffs. I don't think we can go all the way with out Stamkos who is out for the rest of the year but this new guy they brought up did a great job with his play against the veteran players from the Red Wings, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday saw us with warmer temps and much more humidity so the a/c is back on for now as the forecast is predicting a cool front to move through the area with some rain. The rain and cooler temps will be much appreciated. The morning was much the usual but the evening found us in unbelievable traffic as we left the house around 5 for a trip to Brandon and Annsley and Gabe's school for the spring production. It took us an hour and a half to go roughly 60 miles and most of that was on a toll road.

I started the day with my usual 6'ish roll out and then a few moments to honor my Creator, pray for this nation and my loved ones then posting this ramble before a breakfast of cereal and fresh fruit. Afterwards I got ready to ride out to the Rec. for pickle ball which plumb wore me out after two hours, yikes! I stopped off at the library on the way home. Nancy was out doing her walk through the hood as it hadn't got to hot as of yet but by late afternoon despite the breeze it reached the upper 80's but the humidity was coming on.

Nancy had a hair appointment and was gone for a couple three hours so I read and piddled around in the garden. I now have a couple more cucumbers and we will eat the first one today for lunch in our salad. We ate early for supper a chicken pot pie as we wanted to be on the road in time to make the 6:30 school production. Annsley did a fine job with her singing and in the play which featured 2nd through 5th graders. We also perused their art projects afterwards and there are some fine artists in this school as well is Annsley. We got to love up on her as well as Gabe and we met with Katie's mom, Lynn who is a teacher at this school. Bobby was in Palm Beach on business and didn't make it back in time. Annsley and Gabe's mom and her boyfriend were there as well as their grandmother. Everyone was civil. We headed back to Pinellas and got home somewhere close to 9.

The Ray's were playing the Indians and they came from behind to win 5-1 in the 8th inning with finally some long balls hits. About time!! LATER

Here are a couple pics of the production with Annsley and her art project.

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday was another beautiful day with great temps and no humidity although one could feel its presence slowly slipping back into the area and by late evening or bedtime we once again engaged the a/c. We had spoken to our "mountain mom" earlier and she said the day seemed to be one of the coldest of the winter with the high winds and down into the 20's, yikes what a difference 700 miles make, oh well. The snow is gone and the really cold temps will begin to moderate there over the next few days.

I started the day with my usual 6' ish roll out and then to my routines of a few minutes of quiet time to honor my Creator, lift up by name those I know and love and humble myself and then posted this ramble before eating a lite breakfast and then riding out to the Rec. on my bike. I got in two hours of continuous pickle ball play and left with a wet shirt. I made a stop at the library on the way home. Nancy had driven her mom, GG to the doctors for a checkup and now she was waiting for Amy to drop Eliza off while she grocery shopped. I piddled around in the garden until it was time to pick up GG then brought her back to the house for lunch. I cut her and Amy a bag of lettuces as its quickly starting to bolt and the Bibb lettuce is just perfect in size and so good to look at.

Nancy was volunteering at ETC at 12:30 so she dropped GG off at home and then I had the rest of the morning and afternoon. I patched my wooden pickle ball paddle as a chunk was knocked out the other day by another player and then I sanded them down an applied a coat of urethane. I'm still the only player who plays with wood paddles which are much heavier than most of the composites; but I've adapted and my play so far is rather consistent which lots of power shots. I hand watered the gardens after picking another colander of green beans. I saw my first cucumber which will be large enough to eat either today or tomorrow and I noticed a few more at a couple of inches in length. The vines are so healthy looking and just loaded with blossoms. I gave the neighbor a handful of my less than stellar and tasteless tomato's. This is the last year I will plant volunteers of which I have several now erupting from the compost pile. I'm almost hesitant to bring any to the cabin this summer for my garden there.

I deadheaded my marigolds and saved the seeds for replanting here in the Florida garden to help with keeping the pesky nematodes out while we are away this summer. After a lite lunch of salad I headed into the reading room for the next couple hours and even took a 10 minute power nap. Ahh, it was so quite around here and the breeze from under the big oak felt great. Nancy got home around 5'ish and I grilled bone-in pork chops with fresh rosemary on top and some fresh green beans from the garden flavored with just a little butter and garlic powder, yeow very tasty. After the clean up we settled into the Fox News channel and then eventually Bill O'Reilly before heading for the showers. It wasn't long afterwards around 10'ish I was ready for some horizontal lab as the sandman calleth, LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday found us once again with incredible weather. Bright sunshine, no humidity and clear blue skies with the middle 70's as a high, yikes, I wonder how long this will last? We have the windows and doors open again to a gentle northern breeze. It also was a great day to honor and worship our Lord at Bridgepoint Church and afterwards we picked up Nancy's mom, GG and took her out to the the Bonefish Grille for a delicious lunch.

Well the morning started with a 6'ish roll out to start the day. I did my customary routines of a few quiet moments and then the posting of this ramble before we got ready to head out around 9:30 for St.Pete. I sure don't miss that nearly hour drive to Tampa but we do miss those fine folks that still attend Element Church. Bobby and Katie are back at Element after a brief spell at the Baptist Church in Riverview where they decided to dispense with the contemporary music and go back to a choir lead service. Bridgepoint is contemporary with an occasional old hymn set to a more upbeat tempo. We really love both of the pastor's Tim and Tyler and they are fine speakers and very concise and to the point. They have 4 services a day with an evening service at 6 and our 10 o'clock was packed to capacity with over a thousand or more folks.

We picked up GG and headed to the Bonefish at Tyrone Mall. I really like the ambiance of this eatery better than the one in Largo as it seems brighter and much newer. The food was awesome and we had a splendid server. I had my usual which is the bowl of corn chowder with chopped crab on top and bang, bang shrimp while both Nancy and GG had the Salmon. The bread bowl was filled three times which is my down fall but it goes perfect with the chowder. Needless to say I didn't eat the rest of the day except for some pop corn fixed the old fashion way around 7'ish.

After lunch the girls needed some things from Publix so we stopped and while they shopped I sat and read for nearly and hour. After dropping GG off at home we tuned into the Ray's game and they lost another game with some less than stellar play and hitting in Baltimore, oh well. I tuned into the Masters golf play and saw where the leader had a bad hole and wound up losing the tournament. I set the sprinkler on the gardens and gave them a good soaking for a couple of hours. We finally found on the American History Channel a program about the Civil War battlegrounds and was it ever interesting with the complete details of the KIA, wounded and captured. We watched the first two years of the war but sleepiness overcame us at 10 so we missed the last two years and the information and pictures from the war was very stark. Many of the diaries and letters written from both sides of the armies were very interesting as to the mind set of the generals. Very Graphic pictures taken before and after the battles with Antietam being the bloodiest one day battle of the campaign for both sides.

Well we sure hope this weather pattern stays for our area as its been the best for quite some time. I do expect the heat and humidity to come back into the area after this latest cold front moves away from the east especially the cold and snow in the mountains. I'm getting geared up for the move to the cabin and the planting of my summer garden as this one here is fading out. This has sure been a great gardening season and the bounty has been plentiful. I'm starting some rosemary and thyme for Bobby's garden when he moves into his new house in Brandon. He has a great spot for a garden and plenty of oak leaves for mulching. His back yard is large and should be ideal for a garden as he too loves the growing of veggies. Well, that's about it for this day, LATER

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was a perfect day especially for us guys and boys who had the afternoon to ourselves while the women folk and girls had a proper tea in Brandon. They of course were dressed to the nines while we had hiking and playground attire for our outing. We then all got together afterwards at Bobby's place for a supper of pizzas.

The day started with my usual roll out at 6 ish in the morning. Nancy got some additional sleep until nearly 8 but as for me my internal alarm is set for 6 and even earlier at times. I did my customary routines of quiet moments, posting of this ramble then headed out to hand water the gardens after a lite breakfast of breakfast burritos for a change. I did get to speak with neighbor Gerald from the mountain cabin who is in Blacksburg where they had snow on the ground and still snowing, yikes it kind of late in the season for that to be occurring. Anyhow he is going to open up our place on Monday for the FIOS folks to install the hardware needed for our change over to the new system starting this summer.

We were planning on leaving for Brandon around noon where Nancy, Amy and Ava were meeting up with Katie's side of the family for a formal tea party. The rest of us including Eliza Faye were going to Menard Park which is a state park in eastern Hillsborough County. Well the extra drive was worth it as the sand hills with exposed huge root systems of the oaks were very unique. Some of the hollowed out areas were big enough to stand upright within the base of the trees that were still growing and alive. There was a wilderness trail through some marsh land with the threat of gators and snakes and even a long boardwalk that crossed the huge lake where we saw lots of gators and lots of folks fishing. The kiddos even did some swinging and little Eliza was having a great time on the slides.

On our way back to Brandon we stopped at a strawberry farm where we had fresh strawberry milkshakes and then purchased a flat of beautiful berries to take home. The kiddos all fell asleep on the way back and then we picked up some pizzas at one of Bobby's familiar places. We got back and ate around 5:30 then decided after letting the kiddos play for an hour or so to head home. We got back just as the sun began to set and it wasn't long after a hot shower I was visited by the sandman. Those hills and kiddos had me tired and it was lights out around 11'ish. The Lightning hockey team was getting beaten by the Canadians once again and its not looking good for the playoff team this year with their star player out. The Ray's game was cancelled or postponed due to wintry weather in Baltimore, Maryland.

Don't forget to take a couple hours today and visit a place of corporate worship to our Creator and pray for guidance for some real leadership for our nation as we are in dire need of a potus who cares and loves America. This imposter and the one running for potus are both corrupt imposters and care only about their agendas of weakening our nation for personal gain, control and their warped ideology that somehow America is bad, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was a great day to catch up on some outside yard work after a couple of hours of pickle ball. It was not nearly as warm as the day before and the humidity seemed to have left with the north breeze. This is the same front that has the mountains in a cold freeze for the next couple of days which is very unusual.

I started the day with my 6'ish roll out and then my routines of a few quiet moments to honor my Creator and lift up those whom I love and know and those who need some special thoughts due to health issues and loss of family members. Afterwards I posted this ramble before having a breakfast of fresh fruit and cereal then got ready to ride my bike to the Rec. for some 2 hours of workout on the pickle ball court. We had a full house with 3 courts in action and I was on the court for most of that time as winners in each game split and got a new partner. I had a wet shirt by the time I left around 10'ish.

I stopped off at the library for a new read before heading home. Nancy was at her weekly Friday morning Bible study and wouldn't be home until after 12. I decided since it was such a nice day and we had no laundry on the clothes line to blow the debris off of the roof and then mow and suck up all of the leaves and fuzzies from the yards. I got out the hedge clippers and worked the front bushes as well as the back yard bushes. That kept me busy right up to noon when Nancy, Amy, GG and Eliza Faye all came for lunch. I had worked up an appetite and was ready for some lunch.

Nancy made a delicious guacamole and I added a scoop to the top of my salad which was very tasty. The rest had chips with theirs but I'm trying to stay away from chips as much as possible as they are addicting and fattening, oh well. After lunch I headed into to the reading room and rested reading the afternoon away until supper. We couldn't decide whether to take GG out to the Bonefish Grille for supper or not but finally decided it wouldn't be as crowded on a week day. We decided on baking some Marie Callender chicken pot pies and a salad for supper. I headed out after the cleanup to hand water the gardens and back yards. Wow did the earlier yard work ever look good with all of the leaves and fuzzies sucked up by the mower and then mulched for the gardens. I cut three heads of Bibb lettuces and cleaned them for the salad bowl along with some kale. Nancy picked a nice mess of sugar peas. I'm not seeing any cucumbers but do see a few nubbins.

Well I tuned into the Fox News and the watched the Ray's blow a lead in their game in Baltimore with their star pitcher who gave up 4 homers and three in one inning. Yikes where is the pitching and hitting as we had several changes to blow open the game in the first couple of innings, oh well. It wasn't long after a hot shower and finishing up a spooky read that it was horizontal lab time for me with lights out around 10'ish, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was another decent day with moderate temps but the humidity was on the rise so we kept the house closed with the a/c on. The new leaves are out on all of the trees in the hood except for the sycamore trees which are just now budding out. We have several in the hood and their leaves are huge when in full bloom. The Jasmine is blooming and along with the fragrance of the citrus trees the air is perfumed which reminds me of landing in Hawaii many years ago when we use to stay there while in the USAF. The air was always so sweet and perfumed on the island with all of the many varieties of fruit trees and vines.

Well the morning started out much the same with a 6'ish rollout and then my routines of a few quiet moments to honor my Creator and then the posting of this ramble so our grand kiddos would see what we were all about. Hopefully some day after I'm long gone they will find these ramblings entertaining and tell their kiddos what life was like in this century. I spoke with Paw Paw yesterday and he was reflecting on some of the old timers that lived in the small community where I grew up in Mountain Falls, Va. The big house across from the general store and post office once belonged to some folks who were distant relatives many generations back. I remember the old fellow who use to babysit me when I was but 3-4 years old before I went to live with Paw Paw(my mom's younger brother) and who eventually raised me along with his three girls who all consider me their big brother. This was a farming community back then and hadn't changed a lot as I grew up there as well. But now it's completely changed with no or little farming and is becoming a suburb of the D.C. area.

Well I got in 2 good hours of pickle ball with a wet shirt and an energy tank on empty by 10 AM. I stopped off at the library for a new read on the way home and then did some hand watering. It had rained earlier in the morning and north of us suffered a couple of tornado's which caused considerable property damage. It cleared off just as I rode out on my bike and by midmorning you would never know it had rained. GG was at the hairdresser so I picked her up while Nancy did her workout at the Rec. Amy and Eliza Faye came for lunch and we cleaned up the leftover bean dish from last nights supper as well as had egg sandwiches loaded with fresh sliced garden tomato's and dill pickles with sweet onions, yeow where they ever tasty. Nancy took GG home in the late afternoon and then we both settled into reading until suppertime. I grilled fresh Salmon fillets loaded with fresh dill and we had a garden grown salad accompanied by a glass of vino, delicious!!

Well we tuned into the Fox News and I'm sick of all the election pundits on who and what will happen with the political parties. Needless to say there is quite a stir inside the beltway as the corrupt cronyism within both parties is becoming evident. The lack of any leadership from this administration is downright criminal and I can only hope the corrupt media will be held as accountable as the people they shield from scrutiny for their deeds. It's absolutely a crime in my opinion to give these politician a pass when our national security is at risk. We must pull our heads out of our electronic devices and view the world in black and white for a change; by that I don't mean racial but pragmatism.

Well we tuned into the Idol show which is the last one ever and I watched the Lightning win against a good New Jersey team in hockey. They are in the playoffs but without their star player. Anything can happen in this game as in baseball. The Ray's were traveling to Baltimore and will play tonight there where it's rather chilly. Well by 10'ish the sandman calleth so it was horizontal lab for me, LATER

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday saw some of the beautiful temps from the past couple of days start to moderate back to those normal or typical Florida days of high humidity and temps. By late evening we had to turn the a/c back on as Nancy was having hot flashes again. I think she feels more secure with the windows and doors shut and locked. Oh well!!

The day started out much the usual with a before 6'ish roll out for me as I awakened an hour earlier than normal and could not go back to sleep. I did my morning routines of a few quiet moments to honor my Creator and lift up those whom I know and love and then posted this ramble after perusing the news and of course the social Facebook. The mountains are cold once again with below freezing temps and there is a chance of some snow in the next day or so. I spoke with the telephone co-ordinator about the install into the cabin next week of the FIOS system which our neighbor Gerald who will be down for the install into his place and mine. We set up June 1st as the install date for the TV which I'm leaning on bundling all three services which include the TV, Internet and phone. I think in the long run it will save me a little but make it convenient for billing.

I did at least 2 hours of pickle ball play which left me on empty as I never sat down for those 2 hours of play. I've been invited to play on Friday with a new group of A players at a different venue so I may take them up on their invite. It's always good to play up when available the only draw back is getting there as Nancy has the truck on Fridays and then your limited to the whims of the driver, oh well. My game is back on and the knee seems to be doing fine especially since I've been using turmeric daily. I've seen a lot on the Net about this herb and I'm beginning to think the data is correct as I've been playing hard for the last couple of weeks. I still wear the elastic knee brace more for a security blanket than for support but I've truly noticed a difference in the lack of pain since using turmeric in my hot drink in the morning. I read where its healing properties are brought out distinctly in  hot food or drink.

Well after a stop at the library I came home to pick another colander of green beans and several tomatoes that were just turning before the bugs, worms or whatever get to them. I noticed some small cuke numbins forming and hopefully they will mature. I fed the okra, jalapeno peppers and cucumbers some miracle grow along with some of my "garden miracle" trace elements. I really think this mixture has made a difference this past growing season and I need to get another supple of this for my mountain gardens. I finally pulled up the first batch of bush bean plants after picking them clean. It seems the nasty nematodes have started to suck the life out of the plants and they were drying up. The beets are about done as well and so is the black seeded lettuces. The bibb lettuce is still doing quite well and is about ready to harvest with large beautiful heads. The kale is holding on but doesn't like heat however the past couple days of cool weather have extended them. That's about all on the garden as we continue to be blessed and bless others with our bounty. The neighbors fixed the collards the way I suggested and she said they were the best she had ever eaten. The collards despite being a leafy green veggie is still doing quite well and I continue to pull leaves every couple of days. I'm wondering if I should freeze a mess to see how they do.

Well no one came for lunch so Nancy headed for the mall and I read. I finished a James Ellroy book CLANDESTINE which was a real page turner. His mother in real life was the victim called the Black Dahlia who was brutally murdered in LA back in the 50's and the culprit was never identified. He writes about her life and the daily doing with the LAPD. His writing is definitely a page turner with true life experiences mixed in with some fiction. We had a mess of our green beans cooked in a sauce of chicken broth, oyster extract, soy sauce and  thickened with corn starch along with chopped chicken breast in what we normally use beef or venison. We serve it in a bowl almost like a soup and usually over Jasmine rice but we excluded the rice as we wanted to save the calories from the starch. Well it was magnificent in flavor with just a touch of fresh ginger added, Oh MY!!!

Well after the cleanup I headed out to hand water the gardens and the front yard until it was time for the news at 7:30. We settled in to watch where this potus is freeing another terrorist from Cuba who is a specialist in bomb making so he can once again enter the battle field and kill us. Why has not someone challenged this idiot with his decisions to put us in danger over and over again. Many of those prior terrorist released are now back in the fray against us. Is not this treason when you aid and give the enemy release from incarceration to fight us again. What is wrong with this administration?

Well don't get me started on how corrupt and incompetent these so called leaders we have in D.C. are and it's not only this potus but in the congress as well and in both parties. I hope America votes all of these established politicians out of office as we definitely need someone to put America first, LATER