November in October

October is the month that I usually claim is my favorite -- but not this year.  It's been alternately too cold, too windy or too rainy to spend any significant amount of time outside.  I took one bike ride in the last 5 days -- this was my turn around spot.  It looks nice, doesn't it?  Light wind, sunny.  Perfect biking weather.

If it had just been a little bit warmer.....

This is close to as bundled up as I am willing to get to ride my bike.  Then two days later this happened:

The temperature matched the wind speed yesterday, with the wind churning up huge waves on the lake, and then blowing the tops off of them, sending spray for long distances.  Best seen from inside the house, though.  Ah, well.

Reaching Back

Instead of posting one of my favorite photos of my brother Jim today, to mark his 76th birthday, I reached back to 2007 to find this one.  It's one that I know that he liked.  January 28, 2007 in Spring Hill, Florida.  Jim with Paul, or Coach, as he often referred to him. Jim had a really, really good time, playing tennis in the orange grove on the private court of one of Paul's friends.

2007 was the winter that Jim and I made two road trips while he was there, one to track down Coach  and another to track down our oldest brother. Jim came to Florida to visit us for a week or ten days every winter from 2007 through 2014. I think that all but one of those years he (and NCW  beginning in 2012) made the trip to Spring Hill to spend a day or two and play some tennis in the orange groves.

The Gray Season

My blog posts always have a weather report in them somewhere.  Rain early this week.  Yesterday was windy, really windy.  Gale warnings on the big lake for most of the day.  Today wasn't all that windy but it was the coldest day I've biked in for quite a while.  I've been told I need regular exercise, and this week's been a challenge on that front.  Here are a couple of photos from yesterday and today.  The last two are from a "prairie restoration" at a park near here.

The Grands were here last night and we went to see the season premier of the new Dr. Who at a local theater.  We had fun, and they shared the biggest bucket of popcorn I have ever seen.  They left this morning just before noon to resume their regular lives.  Time marches on.

A Cautionary Tale

I am not recommending this year's flu shot to anyone.  Last Wednesday I got both the flu shot and the pneumonia vaccine, and because of recent surgery and also because of the surgery 7 years ago, I got them both in my left arm.  I was told to postpone starting the endocrine therapy pill for two weeks to avoid confusion about the cause of any side effects.  I've never had a reaction to the flu shot, so I was skeptical, but obeyed directions.  I was fine for 24 hours, but late Thursday developed a sharp pain in the left shoulder, along with mild flu-like symptoms.  After an uncomfortable night I started to rebound, but I cancelled looking at apartments with The Girl on Friday.  It was yesterday before I could raise my arm above my head.  So my outdoor exercise regimen took yet another beating.

Fortunately my Grandchildren spent the weekend with us to do most of the heavy lifting and I have mostly recovered.  Also Sunday was the World Premier of the new Dr. Who season on BBC, and we watched it together. We have tickets to see it again Thursday night at a local theater -- it takes at least two viewings to figure out what the actors said.  Because of their accents and all.  Today I finally got out for a bike ride, visiting the Blue Bear and Waukazoo Woods.  Good enough.

Read the Sign

TJ and I went over to Dutch Village this afternoon to visit with The Girl and to pick up some malted milk balls for JB. The first two photos were taken before I recognized who The Girl was going to  wait on next.  I wasn't paying attention to the view through the door behind her.  Or I could have read the sign behind her.  Nut alert.

There was a mock battle about to break out in the Village.  Battles require energy apparently.

Quincy Park

October started out wet, cold and windy.  Yesterday's weather was better, but the roads were sloppy.  I rode my bike anyway.

I don't get over to Quincy Park very often, and I don't know why.  It's a nice ride.