Thursday

Well some big changes are about to take place with regard to our usual mornings and uneventful days; but first today was much the usual with a fowl wakeup then my quiet times and the boring bowl of oatmeal with fruit, actually this boring bowl of oatmeal is very nutritious,and then a bike ride to the rec for some 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. We had a small crowd but 4 players made for a great workout and then more staggered in through out the morning to where we had 2 courts going with about 10 players altogether. Several of our regulars are missing for various reasons. After the rec I headed to the library then home.

Nancy had driven her mom to the beauty parlor for her hair job then had to drive her to the rehab where she spent the day. Pap is doing better with his PT and there is the chance he may be strong enough to be able to come home but probably not for several weeks so Nancy decided we should head to the cabin while he has around the clock care because once he is released her mom will need us to help her at their home. So that is the big change in our lives for now. I have lots to do at the cabin before we close it up for the winter so if we can get a couple weeks or more there that will be a big help. Pap is eating better and the swelling has receded in his legs and he is actually in a better mood and trying to help himself so we are leaving Sunday knowing he is doing better and there is the chance he will come home eventually.

Amy and the kids came for lunch and then again for supper as Tyler teaches ESL on Thursdays at church. Nancy made Zuppa soup and Ava had 3 bowls, she just loves that soup as well as we all do. Sam even ate a whole bowl as he is starting to become a picky eater. We are having the family over on Sat. for a lasagna supper to celebrate GG's 83 birthday which is Sat. then we are packing up and getting ready to head to N.C. The biggest obstacle right now is getting GG to the rehab each day (as she never was encouraged or taught to drive) to spent it with Will as that has been our responsibility so far but there are others in the family who will now have to step up and participate, hopefully.

Well the Rays play the Texas Rangers on Friday in the first game of the MLB playoffs and we are thrilled for them, hopefully they can pull off another 3 out of 5 games and move on toward the divisional playoffs and then into the World Series, GO RAYS!!!

We are sure looking forward to being back into cooler temps for a few days at least as its still hot here as ever. I did plant some tomato, pepper and basil seedling that Bobby gave me a couple weeks ago last night after supper in the garden while Nancy went to pick up her mom from the rehab. The seedling had great roots and I think with the partial shade on the back gardens they will survive the heat. I read where frost is expected this week end in the mountains, yikes that doesn't seem right when it barely gets into the low 80's here at night. Well better go as there is lots to do today(Friday) as we look toward a 5 AM pull out from here on Sunday morning. To all of our mountain family and friends we are so looking forward to a reunion albeit might be short in length. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we do you, LATER

Wednesday

The Rays are going to the playoffs. What a game last night(Wed) as I turned the TV off at 10 PM and fell asleep with the Rays losing 7-0 to the Yanks. Nancy woke me up a little after 11PM and said the Rays have tied the score in the bottom of the 9th inning, Yikes so of course I watched them win it in the 12th with a homer by Longorian. The Orioles beat the the Soxs in the bottom of the 9th after being down 2 runs and with 2 outs, wow was that ever fun to watch as well. Anyhow needless to say she fell asleep and I pretty much was so hyped up that I tossed and turned the rest of the night. Oh well!!!

The morning was much the usual with a fowl wake up, then my quiet time to lift some very close friends and family up in prayer for healing and my bowl of oatmeal before riding out on the bike to the rec. I did my usual 2 1/2 hours then stopped off for a couple reads at the library before heading home. Nancy was heading out to take her mom to the rehab for a visit with her dad. He is progressing somewhat as they had him standing again during P.T. and the swelling has dissipated in his legs. That is a good start but he has a long way too go before being able to be at home and even then he may need some outside assistance. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Nancy got back from her visit then we ran a few errands but it still was in the 90's again and just too hot to do much outside so I read the afternoon away before we had supper. After eating we got ready for house church at the Botbyl's(neighbors). We had a good turnout with a dozen or so adults and 5 kids and another good discussion on the priesthood of the believer. After the meeting we headed home and I was clued to the tube with the game on. The Rays were playing and losing so badly that I called it a night after my shower at 10. What an ending for a never say quit bunch of guys and they did it against the first place Yankees. It was sad to see the Braves in the National league lose out after going into the bottom of the 9th with a lead only to be knocked out of the playoffs. This time of the year baseball gets exciting for me and especially if a home town team is in the playoffs. LATER

Tuesday

The rain held off for the day for a change but everything else was much the usual for the morning. Wake up occurred just before 6 with the feathered critters next door singing their way to infamy. The usual quiet time then a bowl of oatmeal with fruit before jumping on the bike for a ride to the rec. We had a small crowd for pickle ball at first but eventually got bigger as the morning moved on and folks showed up. We had a couple regulars who slept in or took the day off. After 2 1/2 hours I was ready for a rest so headed home to meet with Nancy and drive her over to take her mom to the rehab place using her dad's car. He wanted it driven so the battery would stay charged.

I headed home to do a few things around the house before Amy and the kiddos came for lunch. Sam and Ava were in great form and we had a great time playing together. Sam is such a jabber but so far only he knows what he is jabbering about but he knows what you tell him to do or stay out of, so cute. Ava is just such a sweet lovely little girls and she loves bugs and lizards. She was sad that she wasn't allowed to catch baby lizards at school anymore because she apparently grabbed one to hard and killed it so her teacher told her not to catch them anymore at school. She told me she had to grab them real quick or they would get away as they're really fast. So cute!!!

Nancy got back and had a little better report on Pap as he was doing theraphy twice a day on his legs and that he was in a wheel chair instead of the bed, also lots of the swelling had gone down in his knee as well so thats a start. Hopefully he can get to where he can at least stand and put some weight on the leg but he was unable to shave himself while sitting in a wheeelchair so thats a set back, anyhow it looks as if its going to be a long haul to get him back to where he was before he fell.

I want to remind all of you who read this babble that September is almost gone and our new adventure into the business world is doing good. We have a fantastic team leader that has offered a special for the whole month of Sept. that allows you to purchase one Nutrilite product and get another one free. These products are the best as all are phyto(plant based)nutrients with nothing synthetic and are grown on their own organic farms. We have used mainly Walmart vitamins and supplements because they are cheap in cost but when compared which is what we did most of it is synthetic and not even made in America, kind of scary. So we decided to buy from ourselves(IBO) and now offer you the same chance if your interested. I'm not interested in making a lot of income but am interested in seeing friends and family get the most for their money in good quality products. If you want to become a preferred customer I can set you up and give you the same products for what it costs me, just let me know via e-mail. You can order directly on-line and it will be shipped directly to you also shipping is free for orders over 120 bucks but normal shipping is only 11.95 per order, in order for you to get the free product I have to send an e-mail to my team leader who then sends it out to you. Take advantage of this offer cause it's not an offer by the company but from our team leader who personally buys the products then ships it to you. Enough said check out our store at http://amway.com/JNTriplett.

Well the Rays won last night in a nail biter over the Yanks and so did the Red Sox's so we are still tied for the wild card slot. Tonight is the last game of the regular baseball season so it may well determine to goes on to the playoffs. We have become Ray's fans because first they are and underdog team with the least payroll in MLB and second beause most of their players are rookies and young players with only a few seasoned veterans like Johnny Damon. Anyhow they are fun to watch and we get the games on TV here. LATER

Monday

The morning started out with the usual's; cockadoodle wake up a little before 6, my quiet time, bowl of oatmeal, ride to the rec on my bike, 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball and a stop off at the library for a couple reads. Nancy was getting ready to take her mom(GG) to see her dad(Pap) who is still in the rehab facility. At least he was in a wheelchair and out of bed for the first time in over a week that was a good sign. Nancy stayed and visited until it was time for Amy and the kiddos to come for lunch. We had a good lunch of rollup's with ham and cheese and raw veggies and dip.

After the kids left for their afternoon naps we ran some errands then Nancy headed to the rec for her workout on the treadmill. I napped and read until it was time to get ready to head to Amy and Tyler's house for supper. Amy makes this great casserole of rotisserie chicken, green beans with stuffing on top, Yikes is that ever tasty and easy to serve as one dish. Nancy made a fresh salad.

We had another cloud burst around 4 PM with severe lightning, thunder and rain. There was a river in front of our house with water a foot deep or more. Many streets were flooded so we took the back way through the hood to Amy's. After supper we headed home to watch the Ray's win over the Yanks and the Orioles helped us by beating the Red Sox's so we are now tied for the wild card spot; we made history as no team has ever come back from a 9 game deficient in September and be tied with just 2 games to play.

We got a call around 10:30 last night from Betsy(Nancy's sister) that GG's phone had been busy for over 2 hours and the operator said there was no talking on the line so we got dressed and drove over to find that GG was alright but the storm had knocked out her phone and she was unaware of it. Well that's about all here except we are sure missing some of that cool mountain air as it was another scorcher here to day. At 10:30 last night it was still in the middle 80's with high humidity, LATER

Sunday

The day started out with the dueling rooster about 6 AM but it was no where near daylight so whats up with that. I always thought roosters crowing ushered in the daylight anyhow we can sure tell a difference about the time as soon we will go the daylight saving time so that means cooler temps are coming for Florida. I don't want cold just cooler, oh well!!! After my quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal we got ready to head over to Tampa for the "gathering" at Element Church. We had a good message and then several separate house churches spoke about what a difference in their lives that being a part of Element made for them and their families. We are still a young group but mostly with young families and several times they referred to the "old ways" of religion that turned them off and drove them from corporate worship.

We stopped at the Subway shop in Tampa after the service for lunch. After dropping Dan and Carol off (as we have been carpooling)I watched the Ray's win another ball game and get within 1/2 game of a spot for the wild card playoff games. We still have 3 games to play and we are still in the hunt. The Bucs played the Falcons and won that game as well in football. The game was blacked out here so all we could see were the scores. The Panthers also won their game as they're my second pick after the Bucs. The Steelers were losing to the Colts when I turned the lights but it was just by a fluke. Anyhow I spent the rest of the day watching sports while Nancy went to the nursing home and visited with her dad then brought her mom back to her house. LATER

Saturday

Once again it was another day in the 90's with high humidity but no rain. After our quiet time and of course the 6AM wake up by the dueling roosters we had a mountain breakfast for a change; dippy eggs, grits, bacon and toast with homemade black raspberry jam, yikes was that ever good and it held me until supper at 5:30 when we headed up to Dan and Carol's stuffed mushrooms,steaks, cauliflower, spaghetti squash and sliced tomato's with mozzarella cheese and basil and pumpkin pie for dessert. It was especially delicious with a glass of red vino.

Afterwards we took a walk through the hood then play about 30 plus rounds of golf(card game). Nancy won and I lost but the lead changed many times throughout the game. We watched the Ray's close within a 1 1/2 games of Boston for a wild card spot in the MLB playoffs which start next week.

After breakfast we got ready and picked up Nancy's mom(GG) and took her to spend the day with Pap at the rehab facility, wow is that ever a nice place. He still hasn't been able to stand on that bum leg but hopefully he will recover enough he can at least walk with a walker. We left there around lunch time and did a Sam's Club run for gas and some goodies, wow gas has dropped down to 3.24 a gallon for the first time in Florida in a long time. We came back and got ready to head to the rec for a workout on the treadmill and elliptical then stopped by the library to return books for GG and pickup a couple for me. I just finished the autobiography of Vickki LaMotta the wife of the Jake LaMatto who was once the middle weight boxing champion of the world. Robert Dinero played him in the movie Raging Bull. Quite a read and she didn't want her story told until after she died. Both of them as well and their sons have passed, except for a son she had with a different husband.

Well today(Sunday) is worship day at Element Church in Tampa and today is their third anniversary, wow its hard to believe as time just slips away. The gatherings have gotten larger especially with all the kids and babies and there are new faces every week. We are proud to see along with all the many new house churches the out reach into the community for the sharing of the Gospel of CHRIST. If you like up lifting praise and worship music, good teaching and just a super friendly atmosphere where no one hides behind suit and ties then this is the place for you in a warehouse in Tampa, Florida. Come join us!!!!LATER

Friday

Well not much out of the routine or the usual as the morning started with a "fowl symphony", quiet time, bowl of oatmeal, bike ride to the rec, 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball and a stop off at the library. I headed home to do a few chores around the house as Nancy had driven her mom to visit with her dad who is in a rehab facility for his knee and leg. He is allowed to be there for a week before some decisions are made about how to assist his inability to stand or walk. Keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers.

Amy and the kiddos came for lunch and we so enjoy them. Ava is such a sweetie and Sam is all boy and cute as can be as well. He jabbers away and only he knows what he is saying but he is active. After they left for their afternoon naps I had mine and then finished one of the best reads about Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy and Abe Lincoln. I learned so much about these two men and their families, philosphies, backgrounds and of course how the nation perceived each in victory, defeat and of course in death. This is a must read for all who love history and especially the era of the Civil War. Its titled BLOODY CRIMES by author James Swanson. Fantastic read.

Nancy and I did a veggie only supper with fresh yellow squash, baked potato, salad and the last of the okra. We just chilled after the clean up as it was too darn hot and humid to even tke a walk. Can you believe today was the first day of Fall; not in Florida as it was a cooker. I almost forgot I headed to Twill Auto to have my oil changed and a new battery put in the truck. That battery was over 5 year old and it still cranked good but was starting to see some oxidation on the terminals so had it checked for its strength and found it was starting to show weakness. Anyhow I sure don't want to be caught with a dead battery in the mountains(if we ever get back up there) with cold weather in the near future.

The Rays blew a chance to pick up a game on the Red Sox as they must play a double hitter on Sunday with the Yanks. I have a feeling we just aren't going to make it after such poor play last night at home against the Blue Jays. LATER

Thursday

Well the morning was much the usual with a "fowl sound" coming from next door around 6 AM. I did my usual quiet time then the usual bowl of oatmeal with fruit then my usual ride to the rec on my bike for my usual 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball play. Wow I'm just stuck on usual it seems or maybe I should use the word routine, yea I like that better than usual at times, anyhow it was an uneventful morning. We had a good turn out early for PB and played hard until a little after 10 AM. I pedalled home to find that Nancy had driven her mom(GG) to the hospital to spend the day with PAP(dad). He was being moved into a rehab facility from the hospital as he has no use or mobility in his left leg sometime later in the evening. He is still in severe pain and is being constantly medicated.

Amy and the kiddos came for lunch and we had a fun time playing with them. Ava is doing quite well since being poisoned with those mercury filings and is back to her sweet self, we are so thankful there was doesn't appear to be any long term effects. Sam is growing like a weed and is constantly trying is new independence but he is also a sweet and loving boy; he and Ava play great together and are so much fun to watch when they get to wrestling around. He loves his sister and she him.

Amy and the kiddos came back for supper as Tyler had to teach ESL at church. Nancy had made a meatloaf along with rice, carrots and a fresh salad. After the clean up Amy headed home with the kiddos and Nancy took off to bring her mom home and give her some supper. I read and then watch the Ray's stay alive in the playoff hunt with a big win over the Yanks. We were very low key for our anniversary date but plan on celebrating we hope with an extended stay at the cabin in a couple weeks; hopefully when her father gets out of rehab and gets settled we can make the trek north.LATER

Wednesday

Well today(Thursday) is a special day for Nancy and I as we will have been or are married for 32 years to each other, Yikes that's quite a spell!!! We have been blessed with 2 great kids and 4 beautiful grand children.

The morning(Wednesday) started out with the usual "fowl wake up" then a few quiet moments and the bowl of oatmeal with fruit before heading out on the bike for a couple hours of pickle ball. We had a small crowd, actually only 3 players for the first 45 minutes or so and that nearly plum wore me out as I hit against 2 other fellers(country for men). Wow what a workout but I needed it as I don't do much physical exercise the rest of the day as its too "dab blame" Hot outside. Wow what I would do for a 60's day. Anyhow after the workout I stopped by the library and picked up a couple new reads especially one about Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy during the Civil War and about Abe Lincoln. The parallelism between the two is amazing and the final hours of what took place between the two leaders and their generals and the story of their wives and kids. It's a great read and I surely have learned lots about both men and their core beliefs about the country.

Nancy and I had lunch together then she took her mom to the hospital for a visit with her dad. He is still in a lot of pain with his knee and legs and now is having trouble breathing so he is back on oxygen. The fact he is 87 years of age is not helping his recovery. They spent the better part of the afternoon with him and then while he was taken for heart tests they left for the day as he was heavily sedated for the pain. Amy was having us all for Tyler's 33 birthday dinner at her house so Nancy, GG and myself went there to eat. She prepared a very nice leg of lamb with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and crusty bread, Delicious along with a chocolate cake and ice cream. I broke down again and had a sliver and once again didn't sleep as well as I did the night before; there is something about sweets and me late in the evening.

After supper we took GG home and then came back to watch Survivor and the Ray's baseball game of which they were tied 2-2 when I called it a night. Seems around 10PM I'm ready for the horizontal lab, especially after a great supper and a hot shower. Well keep Pap in your thoughts and prayers as he is in lots of pain with his legs but at least he is where he can get the attention he needs for his conditions. LATER

Tuesday

Well another day of sitting in the hospital as Nancy's dad was admitted. He was unable to get out of his chair Tuesday morning(which he had slept in the night before) so she had to call the paramedics for their assistance in getting him to his feet; then he was unable to put any weight on his legs so they transported him to the hospital in Clearwater. Nancy finally got home around 7:30 after taking her mom home for the night. Looks like they will be going back to the hospital sometime on Wednesday.

The morning for me started out much the usual with the rooster music then my quiet time(not so quiet anymore as the roosters noise is present) then the bowl of oatmeal and then a ride out to the rec for pickle ball. We had a small crowd today but the play was good for 2 1/2 hours. Nancy didn't call me about her father but there was nothing I could have done as he was unable to put any weight on his legs. After the rec Nancy informed me she was heading to the hospital to stay with her mom and dad until she found out what the doctors decided was causing his leg problems.

I did a few chores around here but then it became to hot outside,so I read and napped most of the afternoon after the Amy and the kiddos left for their naps. I ate leftovers from Monday for supper as Nancy and her mom ate at the hospital. The ray's were losing to the Yanks and it looks as if they will fall another game from the wild card slot, Oh well. We won't be heading out for the cabin for who know's when with this set back for her dad

Monday

This was once again a busy day with the rooster serenade at 6 a AM wake up. Actually I was awake and ready to go before they started their crowing. After my quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal with fruit I pedalled out to the rec for pickle ball. I had to cut short my play as Nancy called that she needed help in taking her dad to the doctors as he could barely walk as a result of his left knee hurting so bad. We picked them up at a little after 10 AM and got him in the car and headed to the doctor's office. We had to get a wheelchair for him to make it in to the appointment. The doctor sent us to a radiologist for an X-ray of his knee so once again we had to get a wheelchair to get him in for that appointment. Wow its hurry up and wait as there are tons of old folks waiting for all these professionals. We finally got back to their house around 2:30 and dropped them off. The doctor called later in the day to say he just had a bad sprain of the knee and it was not broken, thankfully. He lost his balance about a week ago and needed help getting back to his feet so that must have been when he twisted the knee. His legs have been so swollen as a result of the congestive heart failure and reduced kidney function and now this. At least he won't have to have surgery for his knee.

We spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for a family dinner minus her folks. Nancy had to boil the ribs first as we didn't get them on the smoker until after 3:30 as they usually take a good 6 hours but they turned out fine with just about 2 1/2 hours of apple wood smoke and some Sonny's barbecue sauce. Amy made a splendid dish of mac and cheese and Nancy made baked beans, corn and a tossed salad along with french bread. She also had made a chocolate cake with white icing on Sunday afternoon, yikes was that ever good and I even broke down and had a piece(of course I paid for that with very limited sleep Monday night due to the caffeine and sugar, when will I ever learn). The supper was scrumptious and we then celebrated Annsley birthday as we were originally leaving for the cabin on Wednesday but that has been put on hold for now. She and Ava had a grand time playing together, opening presents, being goofy and bathing together. They are such big girls now. Sam and Gabe were cute together as well, although Gabe was a little fuzzy due to getting his yearly checkup and 3 shots. He finally crashed around 8:30 and I was thinking the same for me as I missed my afternoon nap. After the gang left I washed up the dishes and we put the house back together.

I turned on the football game after my shower and barely watched 10 minutes and was nodding off, but a couple hours later the caffeine kicked in and I was wide awake the rest of the night, Oh well. It was a fun time having the grand babies together and we are hopeful Will(Nancy's dad) will get well enough to drive again. The doctor ordered a walker as well as a handicap sticker for his car which should help with his ability to walk and get around unassisted. LATER

Sunday

Well what another busy day. It started out with fowl music around 6 AM but we managed to sleep through it until around 7. We had our quiet times then the usual bowl of oatmeal with fruit before getting ready to head to Tampa for worship at Element Church with son Bobby who is the pastor. Next Sunday will be their 3 year celebration. He has so many young families and their baby count is way up there with more on the way and a new boy born just Saturday. Yikes don't drink the water there!!! The Florida Blood Services mobile was there as well and several us gave. I'm up to my first gallon given as for years the patrol disallowed us from giving while on active duty. Anyhow the music was awesome and the message was inspiring and then we all took the LORDS Supper together in a unique way, one that I had never done before. Bobby's last series of messages were on the priesthood of the believer so each of us served the other the bread and juice and recited to each other individually what the bread and juice represented much like the way CHRIST served his disciples, Awesome!!!!

After church we headed back to Pinellas as we were carpooling with Dan and Carol so we decided lunch out and we stopped at Chili's were we had a good lunch. They loaded us up with salsa and chips, guacamole dip, fajitas and bunches of different dishes. We were waddling when we came out and of course I was wiping the sweat from my brow as I love the hot spicy dishes. After we got home I got into the Bucs game and the Rays game so it was flipping back and forth for nearly 3 1/2 hours and both teams won, especially the Bucs as they were losing by 17 points at the half. Great games as the Rays pulled within 2 games of the Sox's with just about 10 games to play in the season.

Nancy was busy baking birthday cakes as we are having the gang here on Monday evening for a big dinner celebrating GG, Tyler and grand daughter Annsley's birthday's because we were planning on leaving Wednesday for the cabin; but as of now unless Pap gets better that won't happen until October; he can't drive because of the swelling in his feet and legs. She made Annsley a separate cake with princesses on top and I'm doing smoked ribs. Should be another delicious feast.

Well I had to set the sprinkler on the front yard as its finally dried out too much and the grass is turning brown from all the heat even though some yards are still draining water. The squirrels have my yard so dug up I'm starting to remember how Bill Murray felt in the movie Caddyshack with the gophers tearing up his golf course. Yikes these critters are a such a nusiance and there is nothing here to keep them in check. Oh well!!! We were so looking forward to being in the mountains for some cooler temps and mountain get togethers with family and friends but thats not looking to promising until around the middle of October when we have to come back for Nancy's doctor appointment and to winterize the cabin.

Just a reminder for those of you who checked out our Amway store the Nutrilite specials ends the end of this month(Sept) and I'm not aware of when it will run again; thats a fantastic offer our team only is offering, check it out!!! LATER

Saturday

Well it was a fun filled day with lots going on. After sleeping in until nearly 7 o'clock (despite the rooster symphony) we had our usual breakfast of oatmeal and fruit after our quiet times. We then got ready to head to Riverview for our youngest grandson first birthday party and wow what a party. We picked Amy,Tyler,Ava and Sam on the way and made our way there around 9 AM. The party was just starting when we arrived and Jill had their house decorated in Mickey Mouse decor with Mickey posters, balloons, etc. There was Gabe's own Mickey cupcake as well.

Lots of church families were there with their little ones as well. Bob grilled dogs and Nancy made a vegetable tray with dip as well as a fruit tray with a dip. Gabe received so many nice presents and lots were Mickey Mouse motif. A couple ride on cars and trucks, a large stuffed Mickey, a couch that makes into a sleeping bag. All the little kids in attendance were having a grand time. The party broke up around 12:30 as it was getting towards nap time and Annsley had another party to attend so we headed out. Boy was it ever hot out at 95 degrees.

Bobby had started some tomato seeds, peppers and basil and were they ever doing good, so I dug up a few of his seedling and brought them home along with a plumeria cutting. When I got home I moved them into larger pots and hopefully will get a start on my Fall garden.Its so hot this time of the the year and I'm surprised his seeds germinated so well.

We just chilled after dropping the kids off at their place after the party and I watched a little college football and read after moving the seedling into the shade and into bigger pots. We were hooking up with Dan and Carol to head out to the Olive Garden for supper at 5'o'clock. We had a great meal and a super waitress and afterwards headed to their house for cards. The Ray's beat the Sox's in a real thriller are are just a few games back from making the playoffs as a wild card. We headed home a little after 9 and headed for the showers as we will give blood on Sunday at Element Church during the morning worship. LATER

Friday

Well we are back to Florida weather; Hot, dry, muggy with temps in the middle 90's. Sure would be nice to experience some of the morning temps that are in the 40's and warms up to the low 70's, yikes what are we doing in Florida??? Nancy's dad still can not drive so we are here until the swelling goes down in his feet and legs or until her sister can handle driving him(them) to the doctor and grocery store plus everywhere else they need to go. Anyhow we know we are coming back at least once more before the snow blows but just can't predict when as of right now.

The morning was much the usual with the dueling roosters waking me up at 6 AM, then my quiet time and the bowl of oatmeal and fruit before heading to the rec for a couple hours of pickle ball. If it weren't for this sport I would go literally bananas as it just to dang Hot to do anything outside after lunch. After Amy came with the kiddos and lunch was over we walked down the block to look at a house that's for sale and we nearly died as we were drenched with sweat by the time we made it back to the house, its that hot. Anyhow we had a fun time with Ava and Sam until it was time for their nap and mine. I finished that Civil War book and that was the most realistic read ever about the conditions of the war and what really took place during that time period. Its not a read for the faint of heart.

We did a lite vegetable only supper with broccoli and a baked spud and after the cleanup we did a walk through the hood. It had cooled down enough to make it bearable with a nice breeze stirring. I checked in on the Ray's game and at one time we were winning but lost by a run in the final innings. Tomorrow Saturday we head out to Riverview for grandson Gabriel's first birthday party, he will be one on Sunday. Wow where did that year go? Amy, Tyler and the kids will ride over with us so we should have a busy day.LATER

Thursday

Wake up once again to the dueling roosters at 6 AM but that's when I set the alarm so I'm getting use to their crowing; but its dark out and no sign of daylight, whats with them? After the usual few moments of reflection, giving thanks and lifting up those less fortunate I had my bowl of oatmeal with fruit. I pedalled out about daybreak to the rec for some 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. We had a small crowd of players with some great play and lots of wet shirts. Afterwards I stopped off at the library for some reads and found a new book titled NO QUARTER. Its about the battle of Petersburg, Virginia during the Civil War when the Yanks tunneled underneath the Rebs position and blew up their fortifications. This author using lots of original dispatches, memoirs and military orders. Yikes what a good read and its goes into the political, social and economic conditions of that time especially with regard to the use of black troops on the battlefield. This is a must read for all you Civil War buffs.

After getting home Nancy and I ran out to do errands and a shopping trip to Sam's Club. They were celebrating their grand opening after a major remodel so we had lunch there as there were food sampling everywhere; pasta with pesto,pizza, brats,cheeses, dips, chips, salsas, drinks, fruit cups and all kinds of cakes cookies etc. I passed on the sweet stuff. Mind you all of these items we sampled were being offered for sale. We bought some frozen Tombstone pizzas that were a great buy and delicious; there goes the spare tire again. We picked up several items for family members as well and dropped them off on the way home.

I needless to say passed on any lunch when we got home so I read the rest of the afternoon until supper. I grilled a couple marinated chicken breast and we had baked spuds and fresh green beans and salad. Good eatin' and thankfully I have at least 2 hours plus everyday to work off this feed on the pickle ball court. We watched the Rays beat the Red Sox(or at least I did) as Nancy flips channels and did her Face book updates. We understand it chilly in the mountains as its down into the 40's at night. Wow would we love to be there but its not looking good as Nancy's dad still can't drive. LATER

Wednesday

Well its once again Florida weather with high 90's and humidity but no rain. The yards here in our hood are still draining water as it runs into the street drains and neighbors yards are cut up and mired where many park their vehicles. After my quiet time and the bowl of oatmeal I pedalled out to the rec for 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. We had a good crowd of players and very little down time in between games. I was ready for 10 AM when we finished.

I pedalled home and decided to work on the back yard gate(chain link) as its been needing adjustments for many moons, so I took it off and WD 40'ed the galvanized nuts and bolts and took it apart and after about an hour I had it back to working properly. Nancy was out birthday shopping for Gabe and Annsley at Toy's are Us so I read until she came home for lunch. Amy and kiddos met with Tyler after picking Ava up at school so we had a quiet lunch. After lunch she took her mother shopping and didn't get back until after 3 so I chilled (as it was too hot outside) reading and napping. I took off when she got home and met up with my financial advisor for a briefing. I enlightened him about our new business adventure with Amway and he was aware of their good products and their sound footing. I was unaware of the benevolence Amway does in the world.

We headed out to neighbors Dan and Carol for our now bi-weekly house church meeting. We did a lite supper of taco salad with everyone bringing something and it was delicious. We had 13 adults and 5 kids. We watched a video by Andy Stanley from the North Pointe Church in Georgia about Who is Jesus? and What happened? Great message especially for those who aren't believers. After getting back around 8:30 I watched the Ray's lose their second game in a row to the last place team in out league, Yikes time is starting to run out on them and their chance to be in post season play. LATER

Tuesday

Well another dry, hot day but one that allowed me to do a little yard work. After my quiet times in the morning and the wake up by the dueling roosters I had my bowl of oatmeal with fruit then pedalled out to the rec for 2 plus hours of pickle ball. We had a small crowd today so that meant few breaks but did have some good play. Afterwards I stopped off at the library and picked up a couple reads I had ordered.

I mowed the yards and fertilized as the squirrels and heavy rains have just about ruined the grass in the front yards. I had an old chainsaw that once belonged to a neighbor who passed away and the saw sat for a couple years, so I took it up to a new small engine man and he and I worked on it for nearly an hour but the saw had set up plus it wasn't the best model for retaining compression so I gave to him for parts. Anyhow after the saw shop I headed home to meet up with Amy and the kiddos. We had lunch then played until it was time for their afternoon naps and mine as well. Nancy took off to the rec for her workout and I read and napped.

I did a nice piece of Salmon on the grill for supper along with garlic pasta and baby limas, yikes was that ever good eatin'. Well we are talking about leaving Florida next Wednesday but right now that is just talk as her dad lost his balance while bending over and sat on the floor monday night. We went over to get him up as the swelling in his legs prevented him from being able to do it by himself, so its up in the air what happens about us leaving anytime soon. After supper we hooked up with neighbors Dan and Carol for a good 45 minute walk through the hood, LATER

Monday

Well it was another Hot day but at least the rain stayed away, our street is still soaked with water as the yards still drain water from all the wet weather the past several weeks; such a shame as Texas could use some of this wet stuff. After the usual wake up by the dueling roosters, a cup of hot green tea and the usual bowl of oatmeal with some fruit I pedalled out to the rec for some 2 plus hours of pickle ball. We had a some great play today and only a couple of the less experienced players showed so there were wet shirts all around.

Amy and the grand babies came for lunch and we had a good time playing with them its sure going to be tough to leave them next week(we hope) for several weeks but there is much to be done in the mountains before we winterize the cabin. We are planning to leave on Wednesday the 21st. We have been getting updates about how nice the days are with 50's in the AM and highs in the 70's, wow will it ever be nice to spend the whole day outside. I spent the afternoon as Nancy took her folks to the doctor reading and finished a fun book written by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman). She is a hoot and we both love reading her blog. The book is fantastic and quite a love story, not the mushy, chick flick type but a real love for each other, kids, the land, animals etc. Good wholesome real life adventure as well. Its a must read if you love life.

We did Mexican for supper with refried beans, ground beef(I prefer deer but we are waiting for that season to start in the mountains) tomato's, onions, chopped lettuce, sour cream, grated cheese and taco seasoning in the beef slapped on to a flat tortilla along with some jalapeno peppers(optional)then rolled and eaten, oh my!!! Anyhow its good for you as well.

The Rays won again last night and and are just 2 1/2 games back from a wild card slot...GO RAYS behind the Red Sox's. Well I want to remind all of you who use vitamins and any health products that all Nutrilite products this month only is purchase one and the another of the exact same product is free. That offer is only with our team and not the company so let me know via e-mail if you purchase from my website so I can make sure you get this amazing offer also shipping is free to you if you spend 120 bucks. Not bad when you consider we were purchasing from another company and their products were twice the price and they charged us 40 bucks in shipping alone, what a rip off. Anyhow this offer lasts the whole month of September. Now that I'm a business person I feel remiss if I don't at least inform all about these offers. LATER

Sunday

Well the rain has stopped and the sunshine has returned again but with vengeance along with the humidity. It was another HOT day with bright blue skies. We did our usual morning routine with our quiet times, bowls of oatmeal then got ready to travel to Tampa for worship at Element Church with son, Bobby. Dan and Carol rode with us as we try to car pool as much as possible.

Nancy had to return a Disney doll she had purchased for Annsley for her birthday at the Brandon mall, which is just a couple miles from the Element warehouse; so while Dan had an elders meeting we went to the mall after the service exchanged the doll purchased a few more for Christmas presents. etc. then stopped off at Panera Bread for a quick lite lunch. I had 1/2 sandwich with a bowl of French onion soup which was very tasty. We brought Dan a to go sandwich. That mall is one of the biggest I've ever been in and just beautiful on the inside.

We left the mall and picked Dan up on the way and we all shared our stories of what we were doing on this infamous date 10 years ago when a bunch of Muslims decided to change the world with their acts of terror here in our land. They are dead and their ringleader but their deadly deeds live on in the way we live our lives. What happened to love others as you love yourself and love God above all else, these folks obviously never knew the teachings of JESUS.

Well it was a sports Sunday afternoon for me as it was too Hot to do anything outside. I watched a little football, Bucs lost; a little baseball, the Rays swept the Red Sox and are just 3 1/2 games back with 17 games to go in the season; a little tennis, the American woman lost to an Aussie in the finals; and more football. Yikes no wonder I'm getting my spare tire back as I'm sedentary on the couch. Anyhow football was still on the tube when I turned in for the night so don't know the results of the late game.

Well its back to my usual routine on Monday and hopefully this time next week we will be getting packed up for our trek back to the cabin on Tuesday for several weeks. Nancy has to take her father(PAP PAP) back to the doctors on Monday as he still has swelling in his lower extremities. LATER

Saturday

Rain, rain go away , go and rain on Texas today!!! We can't walk in either yard without water oozing out of the ground, yikes is it wet and it rained off and on all day, oh well. The morning was a chance to sleep in after the dueling roosters finally crowed themselves out so it was going on 8 when we rolled out. We did our quiet times then feasted on breakfast burritos before I caught up on a few honey-do jobs. The main job was to eradicate, annihilate or just plain kill some itty bitty ants that found their way into the kitchen as they were looking for higher ground. Sure enough they had worked their way up the side of the kitchen wall and found a small crack that somehow let them into the window seat area. I mixed up some spray and put a hurting on them and Nancy had some little ant poison traps on the inside. Anyhow, no sooner did I spray them; we had another downpour which of course washed the killing spray away. Hopefully I can give them another spraying later when the rain stops. Such a fierce hunter!!!!

We cleaned the house as we were having the Botbyl's for supper and then games after. I did the vacuuming then we took off to the hardware store to find a replacement knob for a drawer that broke and then to the veggie stand. It poured off and on all afternoon so I read, watch tennis and college football, yikes what a tough life I have.

I grilled a huge Salmon fillet along with some cherry tomato's on a skewer while Nancy did yellow Spanish rice and made a pot of green beans. Carol brought a yummy salad and then we feasted, Yumm was that ever good eatin'. We played Phase 10 and Carol smoked us, then Oh-_ell and I smoked them. We had an ear out for the Rays vs the Red Sox baseball game and the Rays won in extra innings, so we are only 4 1/2 games back of them for a wild card spot. At least it fun and we play them again today(Sunday). Well not much else is going on except heading out for Tampa and worship with a great group of folks at Element Church with our son, Bobby the pastor. LATER

Friday

Well it was a rather nice morning with temps down into the 70's, no rain but lots of clouds so that kept it comfortable outside until later in the day. After my quiet time and the proverbial bowl of oatmeal with fruit I pedalled out to the rec for some 2 1/2 hours of continuous pickle ball play. We had some great play with long rallies and by 10 o'clock I was ready to get off the hardwood. My knees felt like I had climbed Mount Everest. I stopped off at the library and picked up a couple reads to tide me over until Monday. I'm into memoirs and biographies for a change and picked up 3. Will let you know if they're worth reading(my opinion).

Amy and the kiddos came for lunch so we ate and didn't wait for Nancy as she drove her dad to the doctors. They didn't put in the hospital but swelling is in both legs and he has shortness of breath once again due to the fluid retention. There is a battle between the kidneys and heart but so far except for the swelling he is holding his own. Continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

After the gang left we chilled reading and working up our order for Amway, wow are we ever impressed with their products especially Nutrilite. This month only our team is running a special on all Nutrilite products with buy on get one free. Now this is not the company just our team as a way to help out and get folks interested in these good for the body products, the meal replacement shakes are about 2 bucks and where can you get a wholesome lunch for 2 bucks and they taste great as well and this month you get 2 for the price of one so that's a buck a meal. We have tried them and the energy bars and unbelievably delicious, check out our store at www.Amway.com/JNTriplett. OK enough!!!


We had pork chops along with spinach and a baked spud for supper and afterwards we hooked up with neighbors Dan and Carol for a long walk around the hood(it was that nice out). We made plans for them to eat with us Sat. evening, fresh Salmon ahhh!! After the walk I got into the Rays game versus the Red Sox and we kicked tail, 7-2 only 5 games back from a wild card spot in the playoffs. Oh by the way one of the memoirs I picked up you can read on line at Pioneer Woman.com.Black heels to tractor wheels. Its a cute book and updated daily. There are a few things not mentioned in the on-line blog but she is really an interesting gal, great mom, cook and just a funny person. She is on TV with a cooking show but she not near as interesting in person as she is on paper, something about her voice. LATER

Thursday

Well it didn't rain over night which is a blessing. Our yards, streets and area is soaked to where the water is running out of the ground and constantly into the street drains. The mosquitoes find this is heaven as you don't dare go out after dark and even in the daytime they are annoying. The morning started much the usual with a 6 AM wake up to the dueling roosters, my quiet moments and then a bowl of oatmeal with fruit before riding out to the rec on the bike for a couple hours of pickle ball. We had a good gang of players today and there were lots of wet shirts.

After PB I headed home then over to a widow neighbor who relys on me to do little jobs, well she wanted me to trim her trees which kept me busy until lunch. At least it was overcast and into the low 80's so it wasn't extremely hot. After the trimming Amy and the kids came for lunch and we had a fun time with them. Ava and Sam play so well together and are such a delight. Sam is testing the waters but in such a cute way and once you tell him no he backs down, but he always has that cute smile and look in his eyes when he knows he is testing to see if he is allowed. They headed home around 3 after making ginger snap cookies with Nancy who indulges them in their sugar high.

I started a new read about Auschwitz, written by a survivor of the death camp, yikes what horror they faced and this guy made it out alive after being there 3 years as he was one of those men who fed people to the fiery inferno. This will wake up your conscience. Anyhow we got ready to head over to GG and Pap's to trim a couple trees in their back yard and then stay for supper.

They had purchased and already seasoned and smoked beef brisket from Sam's Club and I must say I've never eaten a better flavored brisket in my life. I smoked one a long time ago as it takes about 12-15 hours to slow smoke one but it never tasted as well as this one did. Its a little pricey but well worth the cost and its already sliced as well, all you have to do is warm it in the oven for about 30 minutes and serve. We had a good time and Pap seemed in good spirits even though his feet and ankles are still swollen he is walking better and in no pain and he says he can drive to his doctors appointment on Friday. So that is good news as well is the news that Paw Paw is back in the groove as well

We came back and I watched a little of the US Open then switched to the NFL before heading for the showers and then off to bed around 10:30. LATER

Wednesday

What a storm that hit our area in the middle of the night and early morning, not far away in Madeira Beach the roof of a huge motel was blown off, Yikes that's close to home anyhow we survived but I had to drive to the rec after my quiet time and the usual bowl of oatmeal.

Nancy watched Sam this AM as Amy ran some errands so when I got home from the great workout around 10 Nancy took off to take her dad to the doctor's and I watched Sam. He is just a cutie and so sweet but all boy as he likes trucks, cars, climbing and balls. He is going to be a computer whizz like his dad as he already knows how to work the remote or anything with buttons. After he left I headed into the reading room and finished an usual memoir titled THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER. The author has quite a story to tell, some of it is not for the faint at heart and she uses some really rough language but and interesting life to say the least.

Nancy came back around 1 PM and had lunch then we worked on our new adventure with Amway. Wow this is starting to become fun and exciting,again not to beat a dead horse but check us out at www.amyway.com/JNTriplett. We are having fun introducing these healthy products to our friends so get on board, save some money and get the best products (not only nutritional) that are made here in America. Help put our folks back to work as well as help save the planet with cleaning products that are green(earth safe).

I did some chicken on the grill and Nancy did some yellow squash, fresh mushroom, onions sauteed in olive oil over brown rice for supper, yikes was that ever good. The Ray's won another close game with a walk off homer in extra innings but the US Open was rained out. Tomorrow(Thursday) the NFL starts so I'm pumped for "are you ready for some football", Nancy says not!!!! Oh by the way my roof man came around 5 and noticed up underneath one of the shingles a small hole where a nail had been so that must have been where we got the couple drops of water last week. Hopefully that will be the end of leaks for now.

Well not much else is happening so keep Nancy's dad in your prayers and thoughts that his leg swelling will subside and he will be able to drive again. Its funny they are at the grocery store nearly everyday for some special or a safe money off a coupon at that store, so Nancy has taken them 2 days in a row for a 5 dollar item. Yikes, is that what I have to look forward to with old age. Well better sign off sure wish some of this rain here would head to Texas for those wild fires that are destroying neighborhoods, wow is it dry there. LATER

Tuesday

Yikes once again the monsoon rain was upon so much so I had to drive to the rec and even the roof there was leaking. I'm beginning to think maybe we should start thinking about building an ark. After my quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal I spent nearly 2 1/2 hours on the pickle ball court with a full house of players. All the golfers were rained out so they headed our way. There were so many we established a challenge court(1 of 3) for the more experienced players so myself another fellow won the challenge and then spent the next hour with continuous challenges defending our win, yikes what a good workout. I could wring out the sweat when I left about 10 minutes early as Nancy needed to take her dad to the doctor.

Speaking of her dad he once again is having fluid retention problems and severe joint pain with that issue, so much so the doctor gave him 3 shots yesterday and put him on a diet of no food or drink until 11 AM tomorrow when he goes back for another visit. Amy and the kids came for lunch and then Nancy got back around 1 PM. Seems its a good thing we stayed now that he can't drive, hopefully he will be better by the 21st so we can head north. Our neighbor, Gerald(mountains) called last evening and said we had about 5 inches of rain from T.S. Lee that went through our area in one day and that next week he would mow the grass for me. Many thanks to him for checking on the cabin and for keeping the road scraped.

Nancy and I have been contemplating getting into a small business adventure because we like the products we have used especially the vitamins, supplements and the cleaning products produced by an old been around successful company called Amway. We are an independent business operator(IPO). We decided instead of buying from Wal-Mart we would buy from ourselves and at least we know what the products are made of and in America not China or where ever and the contents are compatible with the earth(green products). The Nutrilite products are amazing as the company plants the plants and is in control of the whole process right to your mouth. So if any of you are interested you can go to our website at Amway.com/JNTriplett and check out the whole program and if your interested you buy directly from that page. Its a multi-level organization but one that has a good product and not the ponzi type scheme that is nefarious in nature. We decided we had no idea what is in many of vitamins, etc that is made overseas and we have used their cleaning products called Legacy and they are superb. Anyhow check it out and if your really interested give me a post on the blog and I will contact you, just don't go running when you see us and think we are trying to get you to buy from us. Just one more note of interest is our team(part of the multi-level good aspect) is running a special for the month of September that all Nutilite products are buy one get one free and if you spent 120 bucks or more the shipping is free. This is an unbelievable special and only happens one in awhile.

Well not much else is happening except woke up in the middle of the night to another severe storm with the works; are we in south east Asia??? LATER

Monday-Labor Day

Well the morning started out the usual with dueling roosters around 6 AM so I rolled over and tried to sleep in but for some reason I was wide awake and raring to go. After a cup of hot green tea I did my quiet time and checked the Internet before succumbing to a bowl of oatmeal with some fruit for breakfast. The morning was without rain although the yards were still draining (after 3 days) from the rain of last week.

I fired up the mower and got both front and back mowed in no time so I decided to turn over my gardens. The west garden was in the shade of the oak tree so I got started and by the time I finished with it my shirt was dripping sweat from the humidity but it suddenly clouded up and looked like rain. I then decided since it was cloudy to turn the east garden over. I had spread about 15 bags of oak leaves on top when we left in May and the sun, rain and bugs had reduced the leaves down; now remember I'm turning these gardens over with a hand shovel and of course there are no rocks and its sandy soil so it wasn't necessarily difficult but still it was work. The leaves break down and create a great black substance(humis) for the vegetable plants that I will sow in November.

I finished up about 11:30 and wrung out my shirt it was that humid. I spent the rest of the day chilling catching up on US Open tennis, Ray's baseball and a little college football in between and some reads. We headed over to Tyler and Amy's around 4:30 with a large salad, 40 jalapeno poppers and some other goodies for a Labor Day get together. Pap wasn't doing well so we brought them a platter of goodies to their house; seems his foot and leg has swollen again and he is in pain as well so he has difficulty in walking so it looks like a trip to the doctors once again today. Nancy had runout earlier for some Tylenol as he was in that much pain.

Betsy and Braden came to the supper and they were thrilled at the poppers; boy they are good but not sure if good for you; bacon and cream cheese and salsa and chips. We had a feast of burgers on the grill, Greek potato salad on top of regular salad smothered in Greek dressing. Yikes what a feed that was and no mountain to climb. We even had peanut butter frozen pie and some mocha pie for dessert, yikes I tasted a sliver of both and was awake all night from the caffeine and sugar. Oh well I will know better next time.

I was awaken this morning(Tuesday) with what sounded like a tornado going through the hood; the rain was torrential, with wind, lightening and thunder. Yikes it lasted for an hour or longer, no drought in Florida this year.LATER

Sunday

Well we did something a little different today regarding worship; instead of driving to Tampa we held our own prayer time with neighbors Dan and Carol, had breakfast together and then watched 2 DVD series of Andy Stanley at North Point Community Church in Georgia, wow that was different and besides our son Bobby was away for the weekend. After our time together we headed home around noon and just chilled the rest of the day. I read and watched some baseball, football and some of the US Open. Nancy was on the Internet and then headed out to but some fresh salmon that was on sale at Sweet Bays Market.

Amy, Tyler and the kids stopped by on their way out for supper and he updated my computer and helped me check my gmail account which had tons of messages, so if I never answer your notes now you know why. I've always used the tampabay.rr.com e-mail and since I'm Internet challenged I never check the other one but now I will, so write me and send me stuff.

We kind of skipped any lunch until late afternoon and then just a bowl of Ramen noodle soup for supper, afterwards we walked through the hood for a couple miles. By the time we got home I was sweating. Our street is still draining water from all the lawns and cracks in the asphalt, yikes are we ever lucky Irene passed us by on her way to the North. This area would have floated away as we nearly did with just the 5-6 inches of rain we got last week, oh well. LATER

Saturday

Well we actually were able to go back to sleep this morning after the dueling roosters did there morning wake call or maybe we have grown so use to them by now that it was comforting; not. Anyhow we slept in until after 8, yikes whats this country boy doing in bed at that hour of the morning if he's not sick. We lounged around until nearly 10 AM before eating some breakfast after our quiet times and internet updates. Nancy made one of our fav's which is fried egg sandwiches with mayo on toast, sliced tomato's, onion for me, hamburger dill pickles and lettuce. Wow is that ever good eatin' and mine last me until nearly 4 PM when I had a handful of almonds to tied me over 'til supper. After breakfast we got ready for a trip to Sam's Club.

We picked up items for Monday's get together with family on Labor Day at Amy and Tyler house then made a couple other stops before heading back to the house. The humidity had lessened a little due to T.S. Lee which was off the west coast of Florida but the temp's were still in the 90's. We read, watched a little football and Nancy made stuffed jalapeno poppers, a salad as well as oven taters to take to Dan and Carols as we were invited there for supper. Dan grilled great tasting fillets which were medium rare, yikes you could cut them with a fork. They found a new butcher shop in town that sells only grass fed black angus beef, oh my!!!!!

After supper we played some golf(card game) and I one on the last hand then a game of oh -ell which Carol won. It was going on 10 when we walked home from their house. I watched a little college football and the news before calling it a night. We Buc fans had one of the greatest men and players to fall victimof a stroke on Friday, Leroy Selmon. He is in critical condition at a local hospital. I met him and his brother Dewey early one morning on the interstate just after he came to Tampa from his college days in Oklahoma. What gentlemen they both were and Leroy went on to win the hearts of this area with his superb play and role model standards. Keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Well not much else is going on except the USF Bulls beat Notre Dame in their season opener of which Leroy played a major role in getting football started at USF. Well better go and we are counting down the days until we can return to our place in the mountains, LATER

Friday

Well it was another hot and humid day but luckily the rain held off, especially after last nights deluge. All of the yards in the hood are still draining water into the street. After a wake up call by the dueling roosters around 6 I did my quiet time then had a bowl of oatmeal before riding out to the rec for some 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. We had a nice crowd of players with some great play and of course some wet shirts. Afterwards I stopped off at the library for a couple reads. I caught up on a few chores before Amy and the kiddos came for lunch.

We cleaned up the soup and salad and that Sam ate like I've never seen him eat. Ava of course was her usual sweet self and she just loves school. After the kids left for their naps I read while Nancy did some shopping. We had a lite supper and afterwards we got in a neighborhood walk. We did talk to Paw Paw today and he has been burning the road since he now can drive again. He sounded great and in really good spirits. We also spoke with our "mountain mom", Helen and she said it was really another warm day there but storms were on the way. We surely miss those mountains and all the folks there as well. Well the Rays are losing in the 9th innings so it doesn't look good for them again, LATER

Thursday

Well the roosters were at it again this early morning but I was awake and ready to go when they started, somehow Nancy managed to sleep through until about 7:15 when I got ready to head out to the rec. After my quiet time and the usual bowl of oatmeal with fruit I rode out for some 2 hours of pickle ball. I had to leave early as I had an appointment at the Ford place to have a recall fixed on the air bags of the truck. We had a good crowd of players and I was able to get in a good work although it was shortened.

I sat at the Ford place for about 2 hours as they replaced the potential problem and started a new read; PINHEADS AND PATRIOTS by Bill O'Reilly. I've read several of his books and he has a real insight into many of the problems that face our country. I like his thought provoking analysis, although on his T.V. show the FACTOR he can be a little brash. Anyhow I got 2 hours of reading in then I headed home for a bite of lunch. Nancy, Amy and the kiddos all went to visit GG and Pap for lunch so I had a couple hours to catch up on some little things.

Nancy fixed salmon cakes, broccoli and yellow rice for supper along with a salad, yumm. It will be lonely here for supper starting Friday as Tyler comes back from a work related convention in Las Vegas. We had another deluge of rain that lasted for several hours with street flooding and there is more rain in the fore cast this next week. At least that cooled us down to the 70's. The Bucs and the Rays are both losing so I'll just turn in for the night. LATER

Wednesday

Well no rain this morning which is nice for a change so after my quiet time and the usual bowl of oatmeal and fruit I pedalled out to the rec for some 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. We had a good crew and had some great play with wet shirts. Afterwards I stopped off and picked up an unbelievable read titled I AM NUJOOD,AGE 10 AND DIVORCED yikes if that title doesn't stir your interest then nothing will. This takes place in Yemen. Its not a long read but whats there will truly chance your attitude about what takes place in lots of Arab, Muslim countries especially in third world. After the library I headed over to clean out Amy and Tyler's gutters and to check on some trees in their back yard that I may have to trim; depending if their landlord will not do the job.

Amy and the kiddos came for lunch and stayed until it was nap time for all. Nancy and Ava made chocolate chip cookies and Sam and I wrestled. He is such a bundle of energy. After they left I finished up the new read. Nancy made a huge pot of vegetable beef soup for supper, wow did that ever smell good and even on a hot day it was delicious. After supper Nancy and Amy gave the kids a bath and we got ready for house church at the Botbyl's house. We had a good discussion about the ongoing series Bobby is doing with Element then ate some of Nancy cookies and headed home. I once again passed on the cookies but did gorge myself with 3 bowls of soup for supper. Yikes here comes that spare tire again.

I watched the Ray's winning 4-0 over the Rangers into the 8th inning then after my shower turned the lights for the night. It was raining lightly as we left house church so we did get rain today. LATER