Tuesday Morning November 30th

 Well this month is gone and almost the year with just Christmas being the next holiday for 2021. Wow. Monday was a bit nippy to start the day but plenty of sunshine after a cloudy start when I rode out to the Rec around 7:30. I got in a good 2 hour workout on the pickle ball court then headed home to work outside until lunch time. The day started in the 50's but did reach the middle 70's, absolutely perfect weather with lots pf blue skies.

I started the day with my before 6 roll out to my routines that start with the cup of tea after a handful of vitamins and supplements and a garlic clove. The garlic is fighter against any and all symptoms of colds, runny noses, etc and is just good to ward off any bacteria and virus's. I use those cloves from my garlic patch in the mountains that I harvest during the summer and replant before coming back for the winter. It grows all winter and spring up there and is one of the best medicinal veggies ever. Anyhow, I did my quiet time honoring my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting several up by name for comfort and healing. All seem as well as possible due to issues of age and health.

I got in a good workout at the Rec with a small crowd of pickle ball players. I think we only had 9 players which is unusual for a Monday. I made a stop at the library on the way home and picked up 4 non fiction books which should keep me busy for the afternoons after working in the gardens and yards until noon. I read for a couple hours and then did some honey do's for Nancy as we were having 3 other couple for supper. The food was awesome with everyone bringing a dish, however dear friend Sheri was suffering from a cold and laryngitis so she remained at home, but Steve came and brought her dessert and some finger food. We sent her a plate home. 

After eating we played a game of OH -ELL which with 7 players amounted to 7 rounds up and 7 rounds back. It's a fun game and very fast and as usual the score keeper won which was me; but it was close with in just a few points for the top 3 players. Everyone bids on how many tricks you will take depending on if the dealer wants a trump or not. FUN FUN and very fast and the game gets its name when you don't make your bid. Everyone left around 8:30 so it was shower time for me after putting the house back in order.

I tuned into the MNF game until half time and then it was lights out for me at 10. I have no idea when Nancy came to bed as she and Dan had coffee after supper. They are the only ones who drink it at night, LATER

Monday Morning November 29th

 Well Sunday found us with another chilly morning with temps close to the bottom of the 50's which was almost in the 40's to start the day and while it did get warmer by afternoon when the sun was clouded over it was chilly outside. It stayed cloudy for most of the afternoon enough so I only hand watered once during the day before church.

We headed out to BridgePoint for worship and I ushered the first service. We had a nice crowd with many new faces mixed in with some of the regular folks. We heard an awesome message on FAMILY starting with the linage of Jesus and how Ruth fitted in with his Jewish ancestry and especially recognizing a woman who was not by blood, Jewish. Our campus pastor Bryan is the real deal and gives the plan of salvation each week. He is the reason we are sticking with the church as there are some quirks about the decor we aren't thrilled with; especially the darkness within the worship center and the concert atmosphere on stage despite the praise and worship music being heart endearing an awesome, oh well. It seems this stage presence attracts the more modern day seekers and if it helps with attracting seekers and getting them saved so be it. GOD can use any means any where to save those who are seeking his salvation.

We headed to Aldi's to shop for fresh salmon for Monday nights get together with 3 other couples at our house. They have great salmon and at a decent price plus I love their produce department and of course they are less expensive than Publix's. We loaded up once again and now have both fridge's and all the pantry's full. We met up with the Botbyl's as they moved to Starkey Road Baptist from BridgePoint over the summer at Miller's Alehouse for a decent lunch in the Seminole Center which is next door to our subdivision. The food was plentiful and O.K. and reasonable. It's a sports eatery with several large screen T.V.s through out the building.

We headed home and I tuned into the Buc's game which they just barely beat a good Colt's team. They are not the super bowl team of last year but of course every team guns for them because they were the big winners last year. Brady saved the game with his passing after being behind for most of the game due to penalties, poor defense and lack of blocking on the line for him. Oh well a win is a win and they seem to be in control of their division despite 3 losses over all. Nancy spent the afternoon shopping at the mall. Betsy came by after working at the post office for a visit for an hour or so despite her supposed to be on vacation for this whole month. She is addicted to money.

We got word that Bobby's house had the bug with everyone vomiting at times through out the day and night. I'm sure glad we never made it over for the big meal the day after Thanksgiving. Bobby had to cancel his trip today(Mon) for Texas due to this bug. Hopefully everyone will recover soon, LATER

Sunday Morning November 28th

 Well Saturday was another beautiful day with great working temps after a chilly start that found us with temps in the low 50's. There was plenty of blue skies and bright sunshine and after a couple hours at the Rec on the pickle ball court I spent the biggest part of the day outside working in the yards and gardens.

I started the day with my usual before 6 roll out to my cup of tea on this cool morning while I posted this ramble and then some quiet moments with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting several up by name for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected except for Bobby and Gabe who developed Ryders stomach bug of vomiting. We were supposed to visit them after church today but decided it was best to stay away for another week. Ryder recovered quickly but for several hours could keep nothing down and Bobby thought is was something he ate; but now both he and Gabe started vomiting later on Saturday afternoon, oh well. 

I had a good workout at the Rec then headed home on my bike to hand water the gardens and then since the moon was half dark decided to sow some veggie that grow under ground like carrots and radishes. They seem to do best when sowed in the dark of the moon and veggie that produce on top of the ground like tomato's, peas and beans, etc grow best when sowed in a full moon or light of the moon. I know from experience. I transplanted more beet seedlings as well and the last of the Swiss chard and then I moved the tomato seedlings into the ground. I will eventually dig them up and move them when they get about a foot in height into their final places in the garden but for now I wanted to get them in the ground and out of their pots which I think they will do better. I also transplanted two pots of cucumbers into their final spot in the garden.

I love my garden as there is always something to hoe, weeds to pull or just hand watering. Thankfully my well is doing good after many days of frustrating due to lack of use while we are gone in the summer. It primes easily now and produces a great flow of sweet water. I wouldn't drink it until boiling as its a shallow well but there are no smells which is unusual for a shallow well as the sulfur smell is common here.

I did watch a little college football during the late afternoon and evening before a supper of grilled rib eyes and fried sweet taters, delicious after eating fowl (turkey) for the past couple of days. Thankfully it's all gone. Today we will attend the early service at BridgePoint then do some shopping before meeting the Botbyl's for lunch at Willie Jewels which is a local barbecue house and then some Bucs football, LATER 

Saturday Morning November 27th

 Well Friday was supposed to be another repeat day of Thanksgiving dinner at Bobby's house but all the changed just as we headed over to Brandon when we got the call that Ryder had thrown up several times after his nap. So we made a u turn and headed back to Seminole and wound up pulling our leftovers and the goodies we were carrying over to Bobby's along with Amy's huge pot of smashed tater. So we  gathered at her place for supper around 6'ish and had the repeat dinner minus all of the goodies he had prepared and what Tammy was bringing.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 rollout to my cup of tea while I posted this ramble and had some quiet moments with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting several up for comfort and healing. All seem to be as well as can be expected at this point in time. Little Ryder seems to have gotten better as the evening wore on and was able to keep some baby drink and fluids down without upchucking; Huck seems to be alright as of now. Today will tell if he catches the bug which none of us wanted. I headed out before 8 to the firehouse rec center for an hour plus of pickle ball outside. We were to meet niece's Erica and Arriane families at the new park and mingle for a couple hours. We haven't seen Erica's family since GG passed away 3 years ago and she now has 11 kiddos. It was good to see all and my grands on Amy's side jelled right away with several of her kiddos.

We came back and chilled until we got ready to go to Bobby's. I did hand water the gardens and watched a little college football until we headed out. Well after coming back I got down all of the Christmas decorations from the attic and we put the tree up and trimmed it which kept us busy until we met at Amy's for supper. They too put their tree up and it was a real tree but the cost was over a hundred bucks. I hate to spend that much then discard it after a couple of weeks, oh well. It's a beautiful fir tree and they did a great job on decorating it.

Well the supper was delicious to say the least and we had two pumpkin pies to get rid of. We gave half of one to the neighbor who is a fireman and left the other one at Amy's after having a piece. After Monday when we have 3 other couple for supper, which one couple is bringing the dessert, I'm off desserts until the Christmas get togethers. I can feel the fat from the sugar on my spare tire, oh well. We got back to the house around 8'ish and I tuned into the Lightning hockey game and they beat a new team in the league 3-0 here in Tampa. After a shower I was ready for some horizontal lab at 10'ish, LATER

Pics of the tree, the large group of relatives and Le Le

Friday Morning November 26th

 Well I felt like a turkey after yesterday delicious meal with family last evening. Oh my what a delicious celebration with Amy' family and also Betsy and Gus. The food was plentiful and we sent several plates home with everyone as we have to do it all over again in Brandon this evening with Bobby family.

The day started out with my usual before 6 roll out to my cup of tea while I post this ramble and then some quiet time to give thanks and honor my Lord for my many blessings. We truly are a blessed nation despite all the corruption in politics and I do think those criminals are finding out we Americans will not stand for their attempts to destroy US(A) from within. If the polls mean anything, its telling the biased MSM we are fed up with their choice of potus as his and hers ratings are sinking fast.

I piddled around hand watering the gardening and yards and then took off on a long bike ride through the hood and came back and hand washed the truck as it still had some N.C. dirt showing. That kept me busy for a couple hours as I cleaned it inside and out. I worked outside until lunch time then settled in the rest of the day helping with putting this dinner together and watching football.

Everyone started coming around 4'ish and there were a few before supper snacks and a glass of vino before slicing the turkey and setting down to eat just about dark. We had the windows open until after everyone left as the outside temps were perfect in the 70's with no humidity for a change. The turkey was delicious and juicy and it made fabulous gravy to go along with smashed tatters, sweet tatters in a syrupy sauce, a combo of veggies that had broccoli, carrots and corn and then a dry stuffing which we all love best. The desserts were decadent and I did sample Amy pecan pie. She also had an apple pie and Nancy made a pumpkin cheese cake. I pasted on the rest as we will do it again at Bobby's. We played a game of LOGO's after eating and Tyler won again. After they all left around 9'ish we put the house back in order and I hit the shower and watched some NFL until lights out at 10, I was whupped and stuffed, LATER

Thursday Morning November 25th Thanksgiving Day 2021

Well I do have a ton to be thankful for during these past 75 years and while I've never known or met my bio father I have a Father who is the Creator and my Lord which has sustained me all these years. I'm totally thankful I have been a good, decent and loving father to my 2 kids and 7 grand kids. They are the true blessings of life and have added so much joy to Nancy and our lives along with the many friends both here and in the mountains.

I started Wednesday out much the usual with a before 6 roll out to my cup of tea while I posted this ramble and then some quiet time with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting several up for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected among these I lift up to GOD on a daily basis. I soon headed out on my bike to the Rec for 2 plus hours of pickle ball with some not as advanced as on Tuesday but I was able to get a wet shirt from the workout. I headed home and hung a couple loads of laundry as Nancy was shopping once again with Amy and Betsy for Christmas presents for the family and of course for todays big supper with Amy's family,  Betsy and Gus. We will do the whole turkey day again on Friday at Bobby's with Katie's family, cousin Tammy's family and all of us because Annsley and Gabe will be there.

I worked outside in the gardens hoeing weeds, hand watering and resowing some seeds. I moved a couple of the transplants into the garden proper as well. I have collards and some romaine lettuce as well as some kale ready for the salad bowl which we will add after these two turkey days are over with the smashed taters and gravy, sweet tatter casseroles and stuffing have added some girth to the spare tire plus cheese cakes and pumpkin pies, oh well. I will go off my dessert diet for this weekend until we do it all again on Christmas a month from now. We are blessed with good cooks and in a nation where you can still find good foods. GOD has blessed America and we should all be thankful we are citizens of this great nation despite the inept administration now in control which so corrupt it makes me ill, LATER

Wednesday Morning November 24th

Well Tuesday found us with some cooler tempos to start the day with the low in the upper 50's and it did reach the low 70's by days end. Perfect weather for working outside and I did spend some time in the yards and garden after my 2 plus hours of pickle ball at the Rec.

I started the morning with a well before 6 roll out to my usual morning routines that start with the cup of tea while I post this ramble and then some quiet time with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting several up by name. All seem as well as can be expected due to circumstances and health issues that come with age. Nancy and I were talking and I'm now in the old age bracket for some while I have a way's to go for the other bracket that some of our dear friends have reached. I'm blessed to be able to run, play and work daily. I am starting to not hear as well as I hear her speaking but don't understand her exact words, oh well. I'll have to have the VA give me another hearing test to see if I qualify for and aid as I did spend 7 years on a jet with its high pitch noises. 

I headed out on my bike before 7:30 for the Rec. had my little talk with GOD on the way; its nothing like the ambiance of the mountain hike but He is everywhere. I played with 7 other all good players for nearly 2 1/2 hours as we had two courts in action changing partners after every set, wow what a work out and my game was good and seems to be getting better each day as I continue to drop a few ounces. I'm getting rid of the extra weight which helps when you are carrying what feels like a bowling ball around your waist. I came back and while it was a chilly ride out to the Rec if was windy and a little warmer heading home. I fired up the lawn mower and mowed both yards, neighbor Bobby mows when I do or vice versa as he edges the side walk for me when he does his weekly mowing and edging.

I headed out to the back yard and noticed one of my Celebrity tomato seedlings had died over night and was gone. Some insect ate it completely so I sowed another seed in it place as well as resowed some kale seeds. I hoed around the bush beans and them I found some half runner seeds in a vitamin bottle that I had over looked and sowed them. I doubt they will germinate as the seeds looked old, oh well.  I also sowed more marigold seeds that were here from last year but they haven't been germinating thus far. I left tons of seeds from the cabin up there and wished I had brought some home for this garden, oh well.

Nancy was off shopping again with Amy and aunt Betsy as we continue to shop for Christmas gifts for the grand kiddo's. After lunch I settled into reading until it was time for supper. We had a salad and a leftover deer burger for while she stuck with her deli meats for a chef salad. After the cleanup I settled into the news which is always disturbing to see criminals being pampered all in the name of racism and the establishment cantering to evil and corruption for the career criminals. Despicable to say the least but its all in the name of destroying this nation as we once knew her. What is evil and wrong is now being touted as good and moral another sign of the end times. We use to hold the office of president high but now that is just another example of corruption and immorality with this inserted moron into the office. The nation is coming apart with the help of the marxists in the MSM who are socialist at heart.

Well I tuned into the Lightning game and they whupped the Flyers 4-0 without two of their top players. This is a good sigh finally with some no name players, LATER

Tuesday Morning November 23rd

Well Monday was a rather overcast warm and humid day when the sun came out after lunch. I got rained on when I left the Rec around 10'ish while riding my bike home from pickle ball. This front brought some cooler temps which is really nice at 57 degrees this AM, but its winter here in Florida.

I started the day with a well before 6 'ish roll out to my routines that start with the cup of hot tea while I post this ramble and then some quiet time with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting up several for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected. I had a good 2 plus hour workout on the pickle ball court and then learned one of our players was saying good bye and is moving to Jacksonville to be near family. He will be missed. We had three courts in action and we kept one as a challenge court for the more advanced players. 

I got soaking wet on the ride home as the rain shower just began and lasted for an hour and then the sun came out and with it, high humidity. I soon worked up a sweat in the gardens pulling unwanted grasses and hoeing around the plants. I have a ton of pole beans adding leaves almost hourly and I'll soon be able to add some leafy greens to the salad bowl. I'm excited for some home grown greens and soon a mess a collard greens. I did lose several of the recently transplanted beet and Swiss chard seedlings but I left several in the ground to take their place. I moved up another 3 pots of cucumber seedlings and will set them in the ground today.

Nancy took Amy, Ava and Eliza Christmas shopping for clothes and Eliza was so excited with her new dress. Its beautiful and she is a clothes horse at the age of 8, oh well. They were gone for a couple of hours and then came back for lunch and Nancy made a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I passed on them again and I saw the 189 again for a change. I'm down around 7-8 pounds since getting home and I've still another 5-7 to go to reach my goal of near 180. 

I grilled some ground venison that neighbor Gerald blessed us with before leaving the cabin and it was fantastic. I have lunch for the next couple of days and then it will be leftover turkey for a few days as we have a huge turkey to roast on Thursday as we celebrate Thanksgiving with Amy's family and Nancy's sister Betsy and husband. We will send plates home with them for their reclusive son Garrett and for Braden who is usually working over holidays.

I tuned into Newsmax to catch up on the news which is not good with this inept potus who is being a puppet to Obama and his division to destroy America and then it was time for a shower and to watch our Tampa Bay Bucs play the Giants. Our old QB Brady was on and we finally won a game 30-10 against a good team despite several injuries with our team. We may make the playoffs but have to get back several key players to so, LATER

Monday Morning November 22 nd

 Well Sunday was a great day of worship and fellowship at the Seminole BridgePoint campus with lots of believers and Christ Followers. I just love our group and while there are some changes to the decor I would like to see changed it's still a very nice place to call our church home and its ours. No more load in and load out and while I'm signed up to usher, greet and just be a "gofer" I feel sort of at a loss coming to a place that doesn't require more physical work, oh well. We use to dream about where and when we could find a place to call home and now we have it with a staff that is there everyday and are ready to meet the needs of so many who are lost without the love of Christ. We have many new faces each Sunday since we have been back and yesterday there was a luncheon for all the volunteers which turned out to be a Thanksgiving meal and all the trimmings prepared by a couple of the volunteers. Down right delicious.

I had started the day after a long night on Saturday with a 7'ish roll out. We usually attend both services starting at 9 and then again one at 11 but decided to skip the first service as we knew we were being there for the luncheon until 2'ish. I did my morning routines and then headed out to hand water the gardens despite the clouds around that indicated it may rain, which it did not. I now have a row of pole beans up as well as several bush beans and sugar peas. The seedlings are adding leaves daily with this warm weather and I'm hopeful we will have leafy greens to add to the salad bowl sometime this week. I need to sow the kale seeds as the old ones will not germinate and I do want to purchase some onion seeds as well next time I'm at the store. Seems you can not find onion sets or seedlings anywhere and they are one of my favs.

Well it was football after getting back from church until nearly bedtime. I stumbled onto the Lightening game and saw them blow a 3 period 3 goal lead again as they did the night before and lost but this time they did win in a shoot out. They sure have a bunch of new players unknown to me and their defense is showing some cracks with their loss of the lead late in the game. I do not expect them to repeat as champions again with this kind of play, oh well. Nancy was off once again shopping with her friends and she is becoming a shopaholic with the stores so close. She has moved me out of the walk in closet with her clothes taking up all of the room. I still have some room in the armour which is basically mine thus far, oh well.

She is now getting ready for lots of folks coming on Thursday for the big meal and then again on Friday as we travel to Bobby's for another big meal with tons of family. Should be a week of adding some ounces but I'm going to eat moderately as I did yesterday after the large lunch. I skipped any supper, LATER

Sunday Morning November 21st

 Well Saturday was a fun filled day as we spent the day with Bobby's family until 10:30 in the evening as we sat for them as he performed a wedding for a friend. We were at the ball park before 1 to watch them win the championship against a good team on an overcast chilly and very windy afternoon.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my routines that start with the cup of tea while I post this ramble and then some quiet moments with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting several up by name. We spoke with our mountain mom Helen on the way over to Brandon for the ball game and she mentioned it was very cold and miserable with the wind and there is snow in the forecast, oh well. I puttered around outside in the gardens until it was time to head out for the game. The traffic on all of the roadways is just so congested especially the interstates.

Well, I'm back on social media after a week of being restricted so I freely give my two cents and tell the truth about what the radical libs and biased MSM are doing to destroy our nation. I do believe there is an awakening among the patriots after seeing the results of the elections in several states and especially the governorship in my home state of Virginia and with the results of the trial in Wisconsin. Americans are fed up with these marxist radicals and the democrat party. Many reps are leaving the sinking ship with this inept crooked moron at the helm and now we are seeing the finding of the Durham probe and learning that crooked Hillary and here minions made up the dossier with her blessings of the vile and biased MSM and the democrat party.

We see just what that party is trying to do to US(A) by open borders, high inflation, losing our energy sources and indoctrinating our kids in school and pushing a racist theory. Its despicable and criminal and I hope this RED wave continues across our nation and hopefully GOD will start to heal our land and send these who hate HIM packing, LATER

 Gabe at bat hit a liner into the out field to start the winning rally after being down by a run in the last inning. They went on to win as he pitched the last two innings and they won 12-5.  We watched the boys from after the game until Bobby and Katie got back around 10'ish and then we got back home around 11:30. 

Saturday Morning November 20th

 Well Friday was another warm humid day with lots of clouds but no rain. I got in a great two plus hours of outside pickle ball at the Rec as the gym was closed for some craft event. Initially I went to the Rec to work out in the weight room but several pickle ballers arrived not knowing the gym was closed so I convinced them to play outside and although there were a few intermediates I had a good work out and left with a wet shirt and worn down.

I started the day with my usual before 6 roll out to my routines of posting this ramble and then some quiet time with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting several up by name for comfort and healing. All seem well at this point in time. I headed out on my bike and had my brief talk with GOD while riding my bike. It's not nearly the venue as hiking up the mountain with all of the traffic which makes a constant buzz in the area but the sunrises are beautiful here as they are in the mountains with the evidence of HIS creation. I let the lady who checks us in at the Rec that if any players came despite the gym being closed to let me know and I would meet them and we would play outside. Many of the 8 who eventually came during the morning had never played outside which is a completely different game than the power game inside. It was fun and I love helping beginners get better.

I came home and worked outside in the garden and yards. Many of the transplants will make hopefully as a couple of the beets didn't look good as they are hard to transplant when they are small. The tomato's have added a leaf and has the cucumbers. I have sugar peas up and several hills of bush beans in the side garden where I usually grow carrots and radishes. It's the wrong sign of the moon to sow these seeds now with the full moon. I need the dark of the moon for crops growing beneath the ground. 

Well Nancy was in the kitchen again making Moravian cookies with sister Betsy. I had one and oh my are they ever delicious. She gave away 2/3 of them and froze a 1/3 for later. That event had her worn down to a frazzle and just maybe will cause the big event every year of making cookies with the grands a non event. I do think the older kids are not into that anymore except for Eliza. I read the afternoon away with Schaar's book on the march across Georgia with Sherman's destruction of the state and his enlisting of the negro's as they were called back in the days to help with supplying the needs of this gigantic army who burned and pillaged the land.

We had Marie Callander frozen chicken pot pies for supper with a salad and I must say you can not make one any better in flavor as we were heading out to Keswick to watch Ava's game. We got there early and watched parts of the boys and girls game before Ava played. She played great both on offense and defense scoring a dozen of the 40 points scored. We do love to watch these games and especially her play. It was after 9 before we got home and I hit the shower and was ready for some horizontal lab by 10. We head over to Brandon today for Gabe's last game of this season and then we will stay and watch the boys for Bobby as he has a late wedding to attend. It will be a late night ride back to Seminole, oh well, LATER

I was released for FaceBook jail yesterday evening after voicing my concerns over Hillary's corruption and how her evilness has nearly destroyed this nation with her fake and fraud dossier on Trump. I said she should be hung like the earlier evil witches back in the days, oh well at least the Chi-coms aren't censoring my blog, yet. 

Friday Morning November 19th

 Well this month is moving right along and this time next week Thanksgiving with be over and then we are just a month away from Christmas, wow, where has this year gone. I started Thursday with my usual morning routines that start with a before 6 roll out to my cup of tea while I post this ramble and then some quiet moments giving thanks for another day and all the blessings of life and family to my Creator and Lord and then lifting up several by name for comfort and healing. All are holding as far as I know but the nation is hurting with this inept moron in the white house who was never elected legally but inserted by the radical left and the corrupt main stream media. Its down right disgusting and heart breaking to see these traitors be in control and do away with everything that honest hardworking folks have acquired both morally and economically.

I headed out to the Rec for 2 hours of constant pickle ball play and left whupped on my bike ride back to the house. What a good work out and I held my game to a higher level with some much younger players. Its taken several days but my game has improved and the stamina level is good as well. I'm back playing in  the top couple of seeds with these much younger players. I love the challenge and its helping me to get rid of a few pounds as well. We did break down after Ava's basketball game in Tampa and eat fast foods at Mickey D's on the way home as everything is packed with the folks. All of the roadways are like parking lots and all of the eateries are packed as well. You would never know gas os 3.35 a gallon with all of the vehicles on the road.

Ava played a great game and was the high scorer in their first game of the season but they lost with 4 seconds to go on a questionable foul which gave the player the chance to win with free throws and she sunk both of them, oh well. Her team mates missed so many easy layups and with the terrible passing it a wonder it was as close as the game was. Oh well she was great, scoring the first 9 points in the game and ended up with around 15 points. They played her tough and she got in foul trouble with some very questionable calls by the home team referees. They play this team again in Tampa in a couple weeks.

I watched the Lightening win in a shoot out in Philadelphia in a hard fought game and then it was lights out for me after a hot shower. Bobby's game we think was postponed due to rain and the game will be played in Brandon on Saturday as of now, LATER

Ava is #14

Thursday Morning November 18th

 Well Wednesday was another beautiful day with a little more humidity that moved into the area. Nancy had the a/c back on for the evening and over night. It was perfect for drying two loads of laundry outside on the clothesline and for working in the back yard and gardens. I started the day much the usual with a well before 6 roll out to my cup of tea while I posted this ramble and then some quiet moments with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting several up by name for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected due to ages and health issues.

I headed out before 7:30 on my bike for the Rec for two plus hours of pickle ball with some good players and held my own despite being 10-20 years senior to most of these players. My edge is coming back and so is the stamina which is taking me a couple weeks to get back to the top of my game plus I'm slowly dropping a couple ounces daily. I'm eating healthy and smaller portions and no beer which I guess helps. Last night we just had a helping of fresh broccoli and a grilled bone in pork chop slathered in fresh rosemary from the garden. The rosemary bush must be at least 10 years old and keeps growing. I've cut it back several times and even started new bushes to give away and take to the cabin each summer. It dies up there due to the freeze but here, it survives without water and loves poor soil.

All of the transplants look good but several of the sowed seeds did not germinate which surprises me, but I'll have enough leafy greens for the salad bowl in another week or so. I may not have a lot to give away this season especially the lettuces and kales which were the ones that didn't sprout as of yet. The beets and Swiss chard seem to have sprouted as did the dill and cilantro which need to be moved up into larger containers.

Well Nancy was off shopping again and came home with the back of the truck loaded down once again with birthday presents for the twins and more goodies for the shoe box gifts for Samaritan Purse. We will head over to Brandon this afternoon to beat the rush hour traffic and have supper with Bobby who just got back from Arizona on business. This game will be the last for this season for him and Gabe before spring ball starts. We will be attending Ava's basketball games starting next week which will keep us busy as well. We spoke with youngest sister Dee for a couple to congratulate Mike on retiring. They will be traveling a lot as well to see their grands in Nebraska and N.Carolina. Dee still works part time a couple days a week.

That was about it for the day after the clean up from supper and a couple hours of NewsMax and Fox. The nation is suffering big time under this moron who was inserted and not elected legally into the white house. It's unbelievable there are still biased news networks who continue to cover for the corrupt dems and this inept administration. I'm one to voice my displeasure for these crooks and now I'm back in FaceBook jail for my comment on Crooked Hillary who is finally being exposed by the Durham investigation as the master mind to connect Trump to Russia with the false dossier, LATER 

Nancy purchased a picture called the Beach House for the living area.

Wednesday Morning November 17th

 Well Tuesday once again was another gorgeous day with cool temps in the 50's to start the day and the upper 70's for the afternoon. I did some yard sitting after lunch, reading and enjoying the warm while sitting in the shade of the big back yard oak. I got lots of gardening in as Nancy was gone until nearly 5'ish with her sister after her doctor's check up.

 I started the day with a before 6 roll out to my routines that start with a cup of tea while I post this ramble and then some quiet moments with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting several up by name for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected. I got ready and headed out on my bike to the Rec for 2 plus hours of pickle ball play with some very good players. My game is coming back on line after being some what fuzzy last week due to not playing all summer. The stamina in there as well and I'm down another pound with only about 6-7 to go to reach my goal. I've been eating right and haven't had a beer in about a week or more. I do miss my daily one at lunch but decided to give it up for now. I still have my glass of red wine before or with supper as I'm convinced its good for you.

I hung two loads of clothes while I hand watered the gardens and then moved up 5 celebrity tomato plants into individual pots as well as 3 pots of cucumbers and a couple of 6 packs of lettuce seedlings. I still have cilantro and dill to move up into pots as well. The transplants are doing well and I only lost 1 romaine seedlings after separating a 6 pack of the seedlings into 14 hills. I'm hoping the bunch of potato peelings I buried in the garden will grow as I would like to have some fresh taters.

Well I've started a new Shaara Book titled THE FATEFUL LIGHTNING that starts with the burning of Atlanta with Sherman's devastating march through the south. It's a great read thus far as all of his books are historical. Nancy got good news from her yearly checkup. She and Betsy hit the stores and then she took her out to lunch for her 67th birthday. That was about it as I got the grille cleaned out during the afternoon as it hasn't been used in 5 months and then I grilled marinated chicken breasts covered with fresh rosemary for supper on a bed of salad. Delicious. After the cleanup we settled into some NewsMax until 8'ish and then I read until shower time and finally bedtime at 10, LATER

Tuesday Morning November 16th

 Well Monday was another near perfect day with absolutely beautiful temps that stayed down into the low 70's with plenty of bright sunshine and blue skies. Gorgeous is the best way to describe this day. I got my well pump primed again so I could hand water the gardens and yards which was a blessing. Seems the new outside spigots had a block in them and would not let any water pass through them into the pump, dumbest thing I've ever seen and why would there be a block inside the spigot, oh well.

I started the day with a before 6 roll out to my cup of hot green tea while I posted this ramble and then some quiet moments with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting up several by name. All seem as well as can be expected due to their circumstances. I did speak briefly with Paw Paw in West Virginia and with sister Pat his care taker. He sounded good but can not hear so the conversation is very limited. She is still coping with the death of her first born son, John and I can not imagine how that must play on your mind. It's a day to day cope.

I headed out around 7:30 on my bike for the 5 minute ride to the Rec and had my morning talk with GOD once again much like the mountain hike talk but only shorter. I got in nearly two solid non stop hours of pickle ball play. I'm slowly getting my stamina back on the court and my play is getting better daily and I'm losing a few ounces a week. Its much easier adding pounds than taking ounces off but I'm down about 3 pounds thus far. The two big dinners over the weekend were not helpful but the food was so good and the cheesecake was the best ever.

I worked on my pump for the well and got it going after checking the spigots only to find they were blocked inside, what is that all about, oh well. The seeds are showing some good color and I'll soon be transplanting them into 6 packs and eventually into the garden. I sowed some pole bean seeds I had saved from my fall garden and the recently transplanted collard, kale and lettuce seedlings are doing good and adding leaves.

We took off for Sam's Club after lunch for gas, salt for the softener, paper products and some chops. Gas was 3.03 which is about 12 cents cheaper than last week. We made a stop at Walgreens for some scripts for Nancy then headed home among a parking lot of cars on the road. It seems every snow bird is back and the roads are congested once again. I finished the Shepard's pie for lunch so we just had a fried sweet tater which was delicious with cinnamon and honey and fresh green beans for our supper. After the clean up we settled into the Newsmax News channel until it was shower time and some football. I watched until half time then it was lights out for me, LATER

Monday Morning November 15th

Well Sunday was a great day of worship at BridgePoint and we love how they have finished the building and made it ready for worshipers with families and even a cafe. It was great to be welcomed back into the fold and I even signed up to help as an usher starting this day. We attended the first service and saw many new faces as well and many old familiar faces and friends. The praise music was awesome and of course the message was via the screen from the home church in St.Pete. I'm guessing totally a couple hundred in the first service including the workers and kids and we left not knowing how many attended the second service. What a relief knowing we no longer have to load in at 6 AM and then load out of a building each Sunday.

We came back and got ready for all of our family coming around 3'ish for a family dinner to celebrate birthdays of both Annsley, Gabe and then Katie and Tyler. Nancy prepared a delicious Shepard's Pie made with ground lamb along with fresh broccoli and crusty bread as then a chocolate cake and ice cream. I passed on the desserts but did have too many slices of crusty bread. It was just a perfect day with cool temps as we had the windows and doors open. We actually closed them as the evening progressed with the sun setting. 

The twins were of course the center of attention with so many cousins playing and helping them with their toys. We played outside before supper and they loved playing ball and just running around in the yards. They ate well for supper and then it was bath time before they headed out for home. They usually go to bed around 6:30 and it was after that before they headed out for Brandon. Bobby had a 4 AM wake up for a flight to Arizona with his job. So everyone left about the same time as it was a school night. We put the house back in order and I too soon hit the shower and watched part of the late game. The Bucs looked about as bad as any team I've watched this season and they were not the only team with a good record go down in defeat as the Arizona team was beat as well, oh well. LATER

All of the grand were here as we celebrated birthdays

Sunday Morning November 14th

 Well Saturday was a fun filled day as we ventured over to Brandon to watch grandson Gabe play ball and they won again after losing on Thursday which means we have to go back this coming Thursday for the final game. I'm not a big fan of the drive this time of the year as the interstates are packed with northerns or snow birds which makes it even a longer drive than an hour on most days before rush hour, oh well. It was a great day for watching baseball as the humidity was gone and the air temp's were in the low 70's with some clouds around to keep it comfortable. We did get a rain storm just as we got back on the road for home around 1'ish.

We got back and had a snack lunch of cheese and crackers as we knew we were eatin' big around 5:30 or so at our life groups thanksgiving get together at the Nymark's place. The food was in abundance and so delicious especially Nancy's pumpkin cheese cake which got gone completely. I broke down and had a small piece which was fabulous to say the least and it was the hit of the night for desserts. There was plenty of turkey, ham, smashed taters, sweet tater dishes and green bean casserole's which we brought half home and hope to add to today family supper. There were at least 4 new couples there as well as some old friends we had not seen in 5 months. We played Bible trivia afterwards and the guys won handily over the gals. We left around 8:30 for home and dropped the Botbyl's off at their house despite them no longer attending BridgePoint.

I tuned into the Lightning game against the undefeated Panthers and the Bolts won in overtime in a good game. I had my shower out of the way and soon turned in for the night. Today we will attend BridgePoint for the first time at the new campus. I did lots of work there in the construction stages before we ever got in for the first worship service and I'm excited to see the new changes and to meet our new campus pastor and his family, LATER 

Katie's grand dad pushing Huck after the game. He is 94 and still going strong. The construction is on the Howard Franklin Bridge between Tampa and St.Pete

Saturday Morning November 13th

 Well the heat and humidity are back for a day or so and so is the a/c, oh well. There is plenty of sunshine with a few clouds mixed in and at one time I thought it was going to rain, but that never happened despite the fore cast for rain and much cooler temps with the highs in the low 70's.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out to my routines that start with a cup of tea while I post this ramble and then some quiet time with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting up several by name. All seem as well as can be expected. I headed out on my bike to the Rec for a 7:30 meet up with several pickle ballers and got in a good 2 plus hour work out. I came home and piddled around in the garden hand watering and loosening up the soil around those I had transplanted a week ago. I clipped shrubs and piddled around until lunch. 

I had a 2 PM appointment with the VA for my 6 month check up on my vision and while its still right at 20/20 there was some concern about macular issues which at this time is "dry". They gave a very through checkup and pronounced me good to go but come back in 6 months and to do a self check up at home with an AMSLER GRID a couple times a week to see if the macular changes. I'm very pleased with the doctors there and their concern for my vision.

I came back and headed outside to hand water the garden and the dad gum pump would not prime, so I'm thinking the check valve is stuck. I'll do some more checking today before digging up the well head. It wasn't run enough this summer while we were gone and it maybe the pump itself, anyhow I'll need well water if I'm to have any garden this summer. That kept me busy until nearly 5'ish and then it was starting to get dark. I did sow a row of sugar peas and purchased some radish and carrot seeds on the way home.

Nancy was whupped after being in the kitchen all day long making a couple Shepard pies for our family dinner on Sunday and a couple desserts for both our life group get together this evening and then again on Sunday. She wanted fish from Culver's for supper so I headed out to pick up a couple platters of cod, fries and Cole slaw. Very good but pricey for a fast food place at nearly 15 bucks a platter. Their prices have gone high as well but the place was jumping with customers both inside and in the drive thru.

I settled into some videos on why the pump would not prime until it was shower time then I read until bedtime around 10'ish, LATER

Friday Morning November 12th

 Well Thursday found me playing pickle ball outside for the first time in months as the Rec was closed for Veterans Day with 5 other players. Its a totally different game than the inside game but was just as energetic with long rallies and of course sweating in the bright sunshine and some humidity. It wasn't terrible. We may play outside today as one of the players is afraid to play inside due to becoming infected with the virus, oh well.

I started the day with my usual 6'ish roll out to a cup of tea while I posted this ramble and then some quiet time with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting up several by name for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected as I make this post. I headed out a little before 8 to meet with the other players and played for 2 hours before calling it a day. I headed to Sam's Club to gas up at 3.07 which is a little less than last week but still way over priced, thanks to the moron in the white house with his idiotic edicts. Inflation is running rampart, the illegals are having a field day, our foreign enemies are smirking and the criminals are now parents who are concerned with what the schools are teaching in the classroom. More idiotic edicts from this moron who is a puppet to the Obama sycophants and radical left bent on destroying US(A) from within. GOD HELP US(A).

I started another read by Jeff Shaara who is a fabulous historical author on the D-Day invasion in 1944 against the Germans in Normandy. He puts you right there in the mix with the leaders and the boots on the ground in both camps. This one is titled THE STEEL WAVE. It's a page turner and one that keeps you coming back for more about this event that stopped Hitler eventually and his desire to conquer the world along with Japanese as a partner and the Italians under Mussolini. His writing are well documented and written in first hand with those involved.

I'm still watching what I eat and cutting down on portions and I've lost a couple pounds this week with all of the pickle ball play and staying away from excess carbs and with the extra work outside in the gardens and yard. We had a taco salad last night for supper after the last of the salmon on sandwich for lunch. This weekend will be tough as we attend a dinner with our life group which will featured tons of dishes and desserts. I passed on dessert with the Tracy's on Wednesday night but Nancy is making a cheesecake one of my fav's and then again on Sunday when we have a family dinner to celebrate several birthdays and the dessert is chocolate cake with chocolate icing. I can pass on the cake but not the cheesecake. The grands wanted Shepards pie made with lamb and wow is that meat not out of site in price at 13 bucks a pound, oh well thats cheaper than driving back to Florida during the summer for their birthdays as we now skip that event and celebrate all at one time in November, LATER

Thursday Morning November 11th..Veterans Day

 Well Wednesday was another warm day here and it even got to warm for Nancy has she has the a/c back on. It's perfect for me as I like being outside in the sunshine but her thermostat has changed with age. I think its psychological, oh well. I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish rollout to my routines that start with a cup of tea after a handful of vitamins and supplements. I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting several up for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected. We did visit with Tracy's last evening and saw their condo for the first time which I was very impressed with, but most impressed with Kathryn's health. I truly did not think she would recover after seeing her suffer so much with her lungs and then being in the hospital for weeks with the virus. She is one tough cookie after going through breast cancer surgery and rehab for decades.

I headed out on my bike for the Rec and did my talk with GOD on the way. The ambiance is nothing compared to the solo hike up the mountains with traffic every where here but its flat and makes for easy pedaling on the bike. I got in another two hours of pickle ball and I'm building my stamina back and losing a little at the same time. I had finished the gardens grass removal so I took it easy until after lunch when I headed out to hand water the gardens and sow some bush bean seeds in the small side garden patch. I then cut back some dead wood from the shrubs in the front yard and fertilized them. I did notice some lettuce seeds are popping through the seed bed. I did transplant the egg plant seedlings and now only have the Roma tomato plant which I purchased to transplant. I must decide where I want the tomato's in the garden this year as I have several celebrity seeds in the seed bed. I sure hope they germinate as they did fabulous last year. I like to rotate the crops in the garden.

Well we headed up to Clearwater with the Botbyl's to meet the Tracy's at a pizza place near their condo. They walked over and met us for supper around 6'ish. The place was very busy and seemed to have tons of customers but the prices were a little high for a small pepperoni and mushroom pie at 18 bucks. It was good but nothing I would drive 30 minutes to get again. We also shared a small salad which was nothing like the Pizzeria in Sparta and the bill was close to 30 bucks. Oh well. I guess I'm spoiled with mountain delicious food and prices, LATER

Wednesday Morning November 10th

 Well a week ago we were on the road heading south from the cabin. It was a cold morning nothing like here in Seminole. Its been just perfect temps here for this week making for great weather for working outside in the yard and gardens.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish rollout although I'm still awakening to the old time. I did my routines that start with the cup of tea while I post this ramble and then some quiet time with my Creator and Lord lifting up several for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected due to ages and issues. I'm now leaving a half hour earlier for the Rec and pickle ball, on my bike and coming back home after 2 hours of play. Play was especially good on Tuesday with all advanced players and a couple whom I'd never seen or played with before but good players. What a workout and I soon worked up a sweat.

I came home and started once again in the gardens removing the thick grass roots and piling them up to be be mulched by the mower. I mulched 5 or 6 huge wheel barrow loads but now I'm through with that job as all of the gardens are clear of the grasses. It took me until 5'ish to finally mow up the last huge pile and scatter the mulch in the garden to decompose which will add compost to the plants. Every thing I transplanted looked good thus far and I'm awaiting on some of those seeds to show color. Thus far nothing has germinated.

I'm down a couple pounds already with all this exercise and work in the gardens. We ate some leftovers both for lunch and then again for supper. After the clean up I read until the Lightning game started and watched it to the end of regulation against the number one team from N.C. I'll check to see who won in over time, LATER

Nancy took a picture of our living room but none of the garden work.

Tuesday Morning November 9th

 Well the temps here have been perfect for working outside and after pickle ball until 9:30 that's just what I did for the rest of the day, mostly in the garden and yards. I started the day out with a 6'ish roll out to my routines of a cup of tea while I posted this ramble and then some quiet moments with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting several up for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected. I headed out about 7:15 for the Rec on my bike and my morning talk with GOD while riding and for close to two hours of play with several decent players before heading home and then to the barber shop. What a beautiful morning with just enough chill in the air to keep you from sweating.

Nancy was off for her blood draw for her doctors well ness check so I changed clothes and got to work in the garden where the shade was best for digging and raking. I just about cleared all of the grass in both patches but now I have two huge piles of grasses that need mulching with the lawn mower. I'll start on those today after pickle ball. Nancy had a load of laundry and I hung it on the clothesline which will need some repairs in the near future. But that is another chore for another day. The recently transplanted seedlings were looking great but needed watering so I headed down to the Home Depot for some new outside spigots in hope that will help with holding the prime on the pump. Initially it worked but will see if it holds overnight.

I worked outside until 5'ish and actually dropped a couple pounds during the day. I'm in need of dropping another 10 or so until I reach my goal. We just had a baked salmon filet and fresh asparagus with mushrooms for our supper and no carbs which I'm not sure are the culprit for the belly fat. I've decided to forego my daily lunchtime beer until I reach my goal and stick with a glass of red wine before or with supper. I know the beer is part of the reason for the belly fat but I do love it once a day, especially at lunch time, oh well.

After the cleanup I settled into reading until shower time with a true story of the Marines in WW 11 titled WITH THE OLD BREED by Sledge. Tyler gave me this to read the other night as I'm into this genre. I hit the shower around 8'ish and tuned into the football game and then it was lights out for me at half time, LATER

Monday Morning November 8th

Well its pitch black outside with this time change which will take some getting use to riding out to the Rec in the dark at 7:30 AM on my bike. My pickle ball friends want to beat the crowd of beginner who are now flooding in to the Rec to play as they come back from up north. I use to leave at 7:30 in the mountains for my solo hike so I'll acclimate to the bike ride eventually.

I started the day on Sunday with my usual rollout around 6'ish which is now 5'ish due to the time change so I must acclimate but anyhow we weren't attending church as we had to be in Westley Chapel around 10'ish for Annsley's competition in gymnastics. She did quite well on 3 of the 4 events but the balance beam was her down fall for a change. Seems they have not competed in over a year because of this pandemic. It's hard to kept the edge without competition. I only played pickle ball once in 5 months and it took a day or so to get back the edge which I'm still honing as I write.

The area in Pasco County is just beautiful and the facility was first class. Ava played a tournament in basketball there and said it was gigantic and very modern. Its a huge complex with soccer field extra gym's besides the open area where the competition was held, a sports bar and dining facilities. We got back to Seminole around 2:30 and had a snack before settling in to some football. Nancy and sister Betsy headed out around 3'ish for some shopping until close to 7. I ate some leftover and then read until bedtime with another football game in the back ground. The game between the Falcon and the Saints was a thriller with a great comeback by the Saints only to lose after being ahead with just minutes to go. Their loss helps the Buc's who had a bye this weekend.

Bobby and I had the boys outside as they quickly lose interest in being inside and the area was perfect for them to roam and run. They had a great time and wore me out just watching them run and explore. They take about 15 steps to my one and they did that for a couple hours running and playing outside on this beautiful day with nice temps and no humidity. I'm sure they were asleep before leaving the parking lot.

I ran into an old pickle ball friend and player who was there with his family. What a small world as his grand daughter was competing as well. Nancy just rolls her eyes when I say I must know some one here and sure enough I did. I love it, either knowing someone from the patrol days where I met thousands and now with pickle ball, LATER

Annsley and some of her moves during the competition.

Sunday Morning November 7th..We gained that hour we lost in the spring

 Well a touch of winter or fall came to this area over night with temps down into the 50's but still its quite nice compared to what we left at the cabin, anyhow Saturday was a rainy morning so I headed out to the Rec after checking on my barber which was closed this day. I got in another couple hours of pickle ball and a good workout as I build myself back into shape. I need to lose a pound a week so I'll give up on desserts and breads for a start.

I started the day with a 6'ish roll out to my routines that start with the cup of hot tea while I post this ramble and then some quiet time with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting up several by name. All seem well as of now. I, after checking on my barber who is closed the first Saturday of the month, headed on over to the Rec and played pickle ball until 10 and then stopped by the library for two Jeff Shaara books. If you like history at its finest as told by the "boots on the ground" you will love this author. Both of these are about individual events during WW11 and if they are anything like the last 4 books I've read of his so far, they will be a page turner.

I came back and checked on the garden and noticed the recently set out seedlings seem to be doing fine. There was plenty of rain for both the gardens and the yards and now I need some warm sunshine to get the sowed seeds sprouting and up so I can transplant them into the garden proper. I still have lots of work with getting out the grass roots and turning the soil over. I did notice some earthworms the other day when I first started clearing some of the grass roots which is a great sign. It usually takes several weeks and lots of watering to get them back into their stages of proliferation. They are the secret to a great garden as they make the best plant food with their casings.

Well we headed over to Brandon and the traffic was like a parking lot on the interstate with more vehicles than we have seen in the last 5 months. It took us over an hour to go about 50 miles and almost the same coming home around 9'ish. We watched Bobby's team play a team that travels around the area as the team they were supposed to play cancelled. They lost but at one time were ahead to a really good hand picked team of players many of which Bobby had coached over the years. Gabe pitched the last inning and did well as his hitting was good but right at good fielders. They lost by 3 runs after 5 full innings and Bobby was very proud of how they played against these better players.

We had a great time with the twins as we now run to catch up with them. They both are so smart and quick learners and very active and showed their preference for me over Nancy especially Huck. We got to see both Annsley as well as Gabe as it was their weekend with their mom Jill who was in attendance with her family and who is not the least bit cordial when they are around. It turned chilly as the clouds moved in once again covered the sun which had it pleasant for awhile in the 60's. The ball field is open to the wind which really cooled things down by the end of the game sometime after 5.

Bobby and Katie fed the boys then they had their tubby time and were soon off to bed around 6:30. Bobby made fried rice and grilled chicken wings and Nancy brought a salad and we ate away until 8'ish then visited and caught up on all the happenings from the last 5 months and what we have planned for the next several months with the holidays in between. It was a great family time as well, LATER

Gabe at bat and the boys had just awaken from their nap when we arrived. It took them awhile to get energized but they did and then it was full bore from then on until bed time.

Saturday Morning November 6th

 Well Friday saw us with rain for most of the morning and early afternoon. It did stop around 3'ish and I was able to get back into the gardens which needs lots of work. The temps are very nice for working outside and the humidity wasn't bad as a cool front came into the area with this rain. It became breezy and the temps dropped down to 68 degrees which is really almost winter like here on the sun coast of Florida.

I started the day with my usual 6'ish roll out to a cup of hot green tea while I posted this ramble and then some quiet moments with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting several up for healing. All seem as well as can be expected. I headed out in the truck to the Rec for a couple hours of pickle ball as the rain was too heavy to ride my bike. I had a good workout with three full courts in action. There are several new players most of which are decent and seem to love the game. It was good to renew old friendships as well as get in a good workout as I've added pounds and inches this summer to the spare tire. Our "mountain mom" say's I'm fat so that a good reason to start on losing some around the middle.

I didn't do much except read while the rain poured at times after pickle ball. We did do another grocery run which should just about fill every nook and cranny in the cupboards and the fridges. The rain let up so I headed out to clean the garden of the grasses and weeds and managed to transplant 6 collards, a couple kale plants and a half dozen Romaine lettuce seedlings into the ground. If all of the seeds I sowed on Thursday make I'll have a full garden in no time.

Amy invited us over for supper and it was one of our favorite meals. She is such a great cook like her mother and its no wonder I'm adding fat around the middle. We visited with them until nearly 8'ish then headed home. Rocky the dog is huge and was so excited to us. The rain had stopped completely and the temps had dropped a little more with the breeze. Today Saturday we head over to Brandon to visit with the Triplett grands and to watch Gabe play baseball and then have supper with them. We are excited to see them and especially the twins and see if they remember us as its been 5 months, LATER

Friday Morning November 5th

 Well its taking some getting use to the heat and humidity once again as I sweated through my shirt a couple of time during the day on Thursday, but it's bearable when I think of the cold at the cabin. I started the day with a 6'ish roll out after going to bed sometime around 9. I slept like a log not even hearing Nancy's snoring for a change. (and did again last night) I did my usual routines of a cup of tea while I post this ramble about the day before activities, spent some quiet moments with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting several up by name for comfort and healing, all seem well. I grabbed an apple and headed out on my bike for the Rec a little before 8 an already there were several there playing pickle ball.

I played several matches and it was like I never left the court for 5 months. I did get lots of hugs and "great your back". I played with a couple newbies and won with most of them as well. I missed my solo hike and my talk with GOD but decided to have my talk while riding the bike to the Rec. I got in some great cardio and never sat down for more than a minute for nearly two hours play. The body held up good.

I headed to Home Depot for some garden plants and then worked up a small area for seeds and covered it with chicken wire to keep the pesky squirrels from digging. The gardens are covered in grasses but at least they have been weeded down so it much easier digging it out with a shovel. I have tons of garden work to do before setting out a Roma tomato plant, egg plant, collards and a kale plant and some Romaine lettuces. I sowed lots of lettuce seeds, Celebrity tomato seeds, beets, Swiss chard, dill, cilantro, beans and kale seeds. So it will be a week or more before I see any color. I should have the grasses out of the garden by then.

I had primed my pump for the well when getting home and it worked fine and then again on Thursday morning but when I went to use the well after lunch it would not prime. So I spent the next couple hours taking it apart and a couple trips to Ace hardware for a new part and finally got it to prime before supper. I thought I was going to have to dig down to the check valve below the ground surface but it finally took hold and let's hope it holds prime. Nancy made a huge pot of Zuppa soup and a fresh salad and Ross Family came for supper. It was great to see them and I settled up my debt to them for mowing the yards this summer.

Well after a shower and some Lightning time on the TV I hit the sack around 9:30 until nearly 7 this AM. Wow, what a day and its raining some this morning which is bringing in cold front with highs supposedly in the 70's yikes that is great, LATER