Sunday

Well I would never believe it is this nice and cool this time of the year in the Sunshine State, actually tonight it will be down into the 50's. I thought we wouldn't see it this cool again until next December, anyhow I will relish these temps for another week. My garden loves it especially the leafy green veggies. I've been picking broccoli, snap sugar peas, radishes, green 1/2 runner beans, tomatoes and 4 different lettuces plus spinach, Swiss chard and kale. Yikes are they ever good and good for you.

After an early morning down pour around 5 ish I climbed out of the sack around 7 AM and got ready for the trek to Tampa for the gathering at Element Church. Bobby has a great message on why we gather for corporate worship, the music was awesome and at the end of the message he baptized 6 people. It was an awesome morning with lots of visitors. After worship we had a fresh salad for lunch and then I just chilled on the couch watching some great music from the 60's on PBS and switching to the Nascar race in Las Vegas. Nancy was accompanying her folks and sister to Bonefish Grille for dinner. I decided not to go for various reasons, so it gave her some time with just family. I ate left overs from Thursday which were excellent.

Well not much else going on except only 3 days at the rec for pickle ball as POW WOW happens next week end and the rec area is used so I must make the most of the next 3 days, plus we are having a family dinner to celebrate Jill's birthday on Tuesday. I sure hope I can maintain this weight loss from around the middle of my belly. LATER

Saturday

Wow another beautiful day in Florida with temp's near the 80 mark but with a nice stiff eastern breeze which kept it quite nice. Wow if only it would stay this way with no humidity, anyhow after sleeping in until nearly 8 AM(actually the feathered alarm clock was there crowing at 5:30). I got up and made myself some grits and poached eggs while Nancy made her own grits and eggs after our quiet times. I made a couple calls to some of our mountain friends and found out it was rainy, cool and foggy there but some of the trees were starting to bud out with their leaves, so spring isn't far off.

I headed out to the garden to do some watering, pull a few weeds and harvest some radishes. Yikes, these are the prettiest red radishes; so juicy and sweet. Nancy got ready and we took off on an hour walk through the hood. I worked up a sweat only because the sun reflecting off the hot asphalt made it feel warmer than if we were walking in the woods. Sure do miss those hikes up the back trail to the top of the mountain.

After our walk we ate the left over salad from yesterday then I settled down to read while Nancy took off shopping for clothes. After she got home we got some spuds ready for oven 'taters, home grown broccoli and sweet peas together as we were heading up to Dan and Carols for supper. Carol had country pork ribs cooking in the crock pot. The supper was good and finally there was no dessert. Afterwards we played Phase 10 and Dan won then a game of Golf and Nancy won. Well not much else is happening except we have worship tomorrow at Element. LATER

Friday

Once again we have unbelievable nice weather for this time of the year. There is a stiff east breeze with temps in the 70's and bright sunshine. Actually we need some rain as I'm hand watering the gardens twice a day and I now have the sprinkler set on the front yard. Sure don't want to lose all those plugs I put in a couple months ago. Anyhow the morning started early once again with that rooster crowing at 5 AM and not stopping at least until I finally got up at 6:30. Grand son Sam woke up shortly thereafter so I put him in bed with grandma Nancy as I got ready to start my morning routine of quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal before heading out to the rec for some pickle ball.

We had 7 players today and most were exceptionally good players so the action was fast and furious for over 2 1/2 hours. Wow what a workout and afterwards I could barely do my 50 sit ups and crunches before heading out for home. I gathered up Sam and put him in the stroller while I hand watered the back gardens and he loved being outside with the turkey next door just on the other side of the chain link fence. He was so funny and loved doing his little gobble imitation which caused the turkey to go off on its real gobble noise. We spent about an hour out there in the nice breeze before heading in for lunch around noon.

Sam ate a nice lunch of cheese, beans, bread and tomatoes. Nancy and I each had a fresh garden salad. After lunch we played with Sam and I took him around the block in the stroller hoping he would fall asleep; but he wanted nothing with a nap. Finally around 1 PM he went down for an hour and a half. I took a power nap then read until it was time to head out to the back yard for the evening watering. Sam once again came out in his stroller and mimicked the turkey for another hour or so. I picked fresh Swiss chard and got it ready for the sauce pan while Nancy entertained Sam. We had fried fish of which he ate 1/2 of a fillet as well as the greens and some canned vegetables. Once again Sam ate very well. After the clean up I set the sprinkler on the front yard and Nancy got him ready for his bath. We played with him until 8 PM which was about the time he started rubbing his eyes so Nancy rocked him and he was out in less than 5 minutes.

We had such a good time with him and Amy called while we were preparing supper to say they would be late in coming home from Sea World. They had a great day and it was even nicer that little Sam didn't have to hold them down. I'm sure Ava is worn out after an all dayer there. Well not much else is going on, so LATER

Thursday continued

The morning started out pretty much the usual with the feathered alarm clock next door starting his crowing about 5 AM and it continued until I finally got up around 6:15. After my quiet time and this morning I microwaved a couple poached eggs on a bed of grits, Yumm!. Afterwards I got ready and pedalled out to the rec where we had about 18 players but the first hour was just good hard play, wow what a workout and wet shirts were the norm. I headed for the weight room and got in a few crunches before heading out.

The kids didn't come for lunch today as Tyler was off as his little sister was in town from Kansas so it was just Nancy and I. She had been making Sam's birthday cake all morning and it turned out darling, it had Elmo face on it. After lunch she took off for the rec and I worked in the garden transplanting(thinning out) some bibb lettuce as well as planting a tray of grass plugs I started from seed in the back yard.

Today was Nancy's birthday as well as Sam's so there was a big dinner at Sam's house with cake, ice cream and lots of presents for Sam. We had a great meal and enjoying watching Sam tear the presents open. After supper we hung around watching American Idol until 10 PM. We brought Sam home with us as the rest of the family was going to Sea World early on Friday and spending the day. We finally got to bed after 11 PM and he woke up a couple times just before midnight but slept through until around 7 AM. Not much else is going on as its now Friday morning and I just gotin from watering the garden. Sam set in his stroller and made noises to the turkey and rooster next door. He loves being outside. LATER Enclosed are a few pictures from last nights supper.

Thursday

Well I'm late getting this post out for Thursday because stayed late at the Ross' where we celebrated Sam first birthday with a super supper of smoked brisket, potato casserole, pinto beans, salad with crusty bread. Yikes was that ever good eatin' and then grandma who also was celebrating her birthday as well made a Elmo birthday cake for Sam as well. I will resume this post later as Sam spent the night and he is awake and raring to go. LATER

Wednesday

Well it was down right nippy this AM as I rode out to the rec after my quiet time and usual bowl of oatmeal with fruit for some pickle ball. We had about 15 players with some good play the first 45 minutes before the general players showedand we were missing a couple of our regular good players as well. After about 2 1/2 hours I ventured into the weight room and did about 50 crunches before heading for home, by then it was nearly 10:3o and the temps had warmed back to the middle 70's. A stiff east wind kept it nice all day long and by this evening after dark there was coolness in the air.

I watered and fed my garden before Amy and the grand kids came for lunch and little Samuel sat out in the back yard in his stroller for about half an hour with me, he is going to be an outside boy and his walking is getting better daily. Nancy and Sam will be celebrating birthdays tomorrow.After theyleft we got the house ready for house church. We had 12 adults and 3 kids and we missed the Ross Family tonight as Tyler's sister Kelsey flew in from Kansas for a visit for about a week.

Well not much else is going so LATER.

Tuesday

Well today was a most different one from the usual as I started out the morning the usual. Did that make sense??? Anyhow about 6:30 I roll out of the sack and I did my usual quiet time and had my usual bowl of oatmeal with fresh berries and a banana before pedalling out to the rec for some pickle ball. It looked as if it could rain as I rode out and about 1/2 through the play period it poured rain. I thought to myself well I will get wet on the ride home at 9:30 but about 9:15 the rain stopped long enough for me to get home dry. I cut the play short as we were to be in east Tampa by 11 AM to see grand daughter Annsley do her hour of gymnastics and that was about 50 miles away. With the slick roads due to the rain I wanted to get there in plenty of time especially since we had never been there before.

We headed out from the house after I got home and changed clothes about 9 :45. The radio said there were accidents blocking the interstate so we decided to take the cross town toll road to Brandon before exiting onto another major roadway. This morning was the funeral for one of St.Pete's finest officers who was gunned about a week ago by a 16 year old. So sad and he was just about to complete his 25 th year of public service, anyhow we circled around the road blocks which had shut down another major roadway. To make a long story and drive short we made it to the gym in time despite the rain, road blocks and wrecks.

Annsley was awesome for her age and worked hard for an hour along with 3 other little girls who all seemed older by a year or so. Her instructor put the girls through all kinds exercises as well as agility and balance drills with some tumbling moves as well. It was a well balanced hour of continuous movement. Afterwards we met Jill, Bobby, Susan(Jill's mom) and little Gabey at Crispers Restaurant in Brandon for lunch. We had delicious sandwiches and soups and others had beautiful salads. We had a great visit until nearly 1:30 before heading back to Pinellas County via the interstate. We met lots of motorcycle cops from various police departments returning back to their districts from the funeral in St.Pete; luckily the rain had stopped and the sun was shining.

We made a stop at Sam's to pick up a few articles but mainly to get a beef brisket so Tyler could smoke it for Sam's birthday dinner on Thursday as he will be 1 year's old. After getting home Nancy took off to the rec for her workout and I read a little before getting a call from our "mountain mom", Helen. She said the grass was starting to turn in spots as well as the daffodil's are blooming as well. Seems the temps have moderated a little up there but the nights are still cold, at least they had some rain the past couple days which should help with the fire danger but the wind is about to blow her off the mountain. I will enclose a couple pictures of today's gymnastics with Annsley. LATER