Wrapping Up September

Photos
Left is the ferry leaving the Rocky Hill landing. Photo on right looks like Jon is driving the ferry as it approaches the Glastonbury landing—trust me, he wasn't.

Ending on a busy note
The month of September was filled with activity—mostly urban hiking and bike riding. As a matter of fact I spent a lot of time in Old Wethersfield doing just that. I want to spend more time there gathering information on an article I want to write (maybe two articles). I think the best surprise of the month was finding that dirt road from Wethersfield to the Rocky Hill ferry landing. That could be a great bike ride if there was bike path across the Putnam Bridge from Glastonbury to Wethersfield. Such a path is being discussed.

Busy weekend coming up
Today I’ll go to the new L. L. Bean store at Evergreen Walk and look at some outdoor clothes that will make cool weather hiking easier. I need one of those hunting or fishing vests with all the pockets to carry my wallet, camera, cell phone and water bottle. Then I need a pair of pants that will be warm and lightweight, but allow a lot of freedom of movement. I’ve seen what I think will do the job in the on-line catalogue but I want to look at them and try on if necessary. It’s such a hassle having to send things back – even though LLB is offering FREE shipping with no minimum order.

Tomorrow, Saturday, there is a holistic fair going on at Unity Church in South Windsor. I expect there will be lots of people I know and it’s always nice to stop in and say hello. I will probably have lunch there before I go to Wethersfield for a 1 p.m. walking tour starting at the Bottulph-Williams house. The annual “Scarecrows Along Main Street” will also be going on. I’ve never seen this and should have many photo ops.

Sunday will no doubt be taken up by a good long bike ride. The weather will be in the 70s and perfect for riding.

Until I see you in October, have a good weekend. Try to get outside and enjoy this spectacular weather while we have it.

This and That

Photo
Blue Heron
How do you like this guy? It’s a blue heron I observed in the Farmington River down by Bart’s on my bike ride yesterday. A lot of what you see in the water is reflection from the opposite bank. The river is quite low. Bart’s, on Route 159 in Windsor, right on the Farmington River, is a take-out restaurant that pretty much caters to boaters and fishermen, traveling salesmen and an occasional bike rider like me. They have dogs, burgers, hot and cold drinks, chips, etc. On weekends you are apt to find groups of motorcyclists stopping for coffee and grub. There is a boat launch and a few picnic tables in the shade or with umbrellas. It’s a great place to rest and just watch the river flow by. I wonder if this is the same heron I’ve seen in the ponds over at Loomis Chaffee School further down-river.

Yard Work
I mowed the front lawn today, probably for the last time this year. It’s been so dry it hasn’t been mowed for a month and barely showed growth. The grass was green, but dry, and didn’t accumulate under the mower making a mess for me to clean out before putting the mower away. There was no juice in the grass at all.

What about the rest of the lawn? Low growing weeds and moss doesn't need mowing.

Not too long from now I’ll be getting out the leaf blower. The leaves are falling without changing color. There are a lot of dry, brown leaves on the ground. Even though the leaves started changing early this year, that process seems to have come to a halt and everything is just falling as is. With the number of trees surrounding my yard I will have a lot of work to do.

Back to summer
It is rather amazing to think we will have temperatures in the upper 80s today and tomorrow, so late in September.

I hope the winter is mild. I would like to do some bike riding this winter as long as the sides of the roads are not icy. That, I guess, would mean not much snow and the farmers would not like that. Can’t please everyone.

Baseball
The Sox didn’t play yesterday and the Yanks lost. Back to 2 games. I can’t stand this.

A Tribute to Provincetown Women

Photo
Provincetown Women. One photo is missing and I don't know which one. The information board on McMillan Wharf describes the photos this way:

“They Also Faced The Sea”
The installation of five larger-than-life black and white photographs of Provincetown women of Portuguese descent, mounted on a building at the end of Fisherman’s Wharf in Provincetown Harbor, is conceived as a tribute to the Portuguese community and its fishing heritage.

Norma Holt’s beautiful photographs of Almeda Segura, Eva Silva, Mary Jason, Bea Cabral and Frances Raymond are meant to represent all of the women of Provincetown who over the years have been the back bone of this vital fishing village.

They came from a long line of hard-working people, immigrating mostly from the Azores and mainland Portugal. Their families fished the waters off Cape Cod for over 200 years, built a major fish packing and distribution industry and made an important contribution to the history of culture of Provincetown.

Portuguese women faced the sea in many ways: as mothers, wives, sisters, friends and family of fishermen, as cooks, laundresses, nurses, teachers and telephone operators. They kept the culture alive, sang the songs, danced the dances, buried the dead, gave birth, cooked the kale soup and the codfish and kept the church at the center of their lives. Above all, they were resilient through good times and bad, their strength and courage easily matching and supporting that of their male seafaring counterparts.

I have added a poem I wrote about Provincetown mothers and daughters.

Provincetown Mother’s Plea

daughters
look to me
as you set sail
on unknown
seas

let me be
your beacon
warning
of courses
best not charted
yet

trust me
to guide
as you seek
safe harbors

Beverly R. Titus
02/02/07

Interesting Bike Ride

Photo
Nauset Light and Coastguard Beach, Cape Cod. Inspired the following poem:

Nauset Light
beacon
perched atop sandy bluff
beam of comfort
for those seeking safe passage

warn
of rocky shoals and shifted bars
mourn
for those who are now
memories

stealthy
fog creeps in from where
waves crest
conceals ghostly shapes of ships
and Souls
lost in these shallow waters
marked by red light
white light
red light
white light
© Beverly R. Titus 02/02/07

See what seven grandchildren will do for you
I rode my bike from Scantic to visit my grandson in Hazardville. On the way back, I stopped at a gas station up on Rte 190 to check the air in my tires. There was a very nice looking young man at the air compressor putting air in the tires of his pickup.

He handed me the air hose telling me to go ahead since I only had 2 tires and he had 4. That was nice of him.

As I’m filling the second tire he says, “Are you married?”
I say, “No.”
He says, “Have you ever been married?”
And I say, “Yes. I have 4 children and 7 grandchildren.”
“Hm. 7 grandchildren.”

That was the end of the conversation. I’m not sure what he was selling, but it took 7 grandchildren to take the air out of that deal.

I rode away chuckling to myself.

Getting Lost on the Web

Photo
Loosestrife by the side of the road.

Ever have this happen to you?
You Google one thing and before you know it you’re in an entirely different realm than you ever thought existed? That’s what happened to me this morning. I Googled Anderson Farms, Wethersfield, CT just to see if they had a web site I could link to from my blog. I came up with a website about Anderson Farms and how they use Growth Degree Days to plan their plantings which (I guess) is how they continue to have these veggies much later than anyone else. This was a University of CT site by the way.

From there I started clicking this, and then I clicked that, and before you knew it, I was looking at all the invasive plants that are going to take over the world! One of them, Giant Hogweed, is a really bad customer. It grows 10-15 ft. tall and the plant juices cause severe skin rash AND can cause blindness. There are eradication projects going on all over Massachusetts including Springfield. Way too close to CT. It’s in other places on the east coast (like Washington, DC), too.

Then we have the battle against purple loosestrife. People are growing beetles (beetle farmers) that will eat the loosestrife, thus killing it. The Extension Service (at UConn and elsewhere) say the beetles are perfectly safe and do not create any concern of becoming a pest. I hope they are right.

Life was so much simpler when I was a kid. No killer plants taking over the world and no world wide web that could tell me about them even if they were there. Ignorance truly IS bliss.

Urban Hiking

Photo
Main Street Creamery and Café at the corner of Main St. and Hartford Ave. in Wethersfield.

An Interactive Website
Before I get into Urban Hiking, let me acquaint you with ConsciousCT. This website serves the East-of-the-River Holistic Community with an interactive website featuring regional activities, classes, practitioners, news and organizations. From Glastonbury to Enfield and from East Hartford to Willington, if you are interested in Spirituality, Holistic Health, Metaphysics and/or Environment click on the link.

A Walk Along the River
My friend Jon and I walked along the river in Wethersfield today. We drove south along Elm St. past where the pavement stops, drove under I-91 and parked the car in the shade of a clump of trees. We walked at a moderate pace enjoying the mostly shaded road, views of the river and endured the roar of speedboats. When the shade ended and the hot sunny road stretched out before us, we decided to turn around and go back. From this vantage point, however, we could hear and see the remote operated airplanes. It must be a club that goes out there to play with their toys. There was a group in the same place on Wednesday when Leslie and I rode our bikes on the same road on our way to the Rocky Hill Ferry landing. These are not small model airplanes. These are the big boys—at least 5 ft. from propeller to tail.

Who Wants Ice Cream?
After a hot walk, it was time for ice cream and we knew just where to find it. When Leslie and I stopped at the Main Street Creamery and Café (on the corner of Main St. and Hartford Ave.) on Wednesday, the lunch menu was posted. Besides pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, they offer hot dogs and stuffed croissants. Leslie and I ordered one croissant each (different stuffing) and had them cut in half so we could sample both. We had the spinach and feta and the ham and cheese. Both very good. Today, Jon and I were too late for lunch, but we were there for ice cream anyway. It was so peaceful sitting at a table outside, savoring both ice cream and the ambiance that is Old Wethersfield.

If you stop by for lunch or ice cream, make sure you enjoy the flower gardens all around the building.

We also stopped at the Anderson Farm veggie stand over on Broad St. All I needed was a cucumber. I bought butter and sugar corn on Wednesday.

Where I'm Published

Photo
Shows the Natchaug River as it flows into Diana's Pool in Chaplin, CT.

Published but not for money
In my first posting I said I was not published. I must correct myself. I have been published, just never for money.

I have three poems on www.monhegan.com Poet’s Cove. Unfortunately, the photos that went with the first two have been removed from the site. Without the pictures, the poems don’t make much sense.
“Stone Sentinel”
“Ocean of Diamonds” and
“New England Spring”

Another poem “Invisible” was published in the Fall 2006 Long River Run II.

I also had an article (“Body Maintenance for Youthful Oldsters”) published in The Door Opener, Dec ‘05/Feb ’06 issue. I have provided the link to the magazine even though the articles are not on line. It's a good magazine to know about if you are interested in what's going on in the realm of wholistic living and spiritual development.

Walking Wethersfield
This afternoon two friends and I will be walking that dirt road in Wethersfield that goes along the CT River (the same one I rode my bike on earlier this week). It is going to be another one of those glorious days.

A Frustrated Red Sox Fan

Photo
Campbell's Peaceful Valley in Tolland, CT

Why do I insist on torturing myself?
I was so upset last night when the Spred Slops lost their third game to the Blue Jays. It was bad enough when Gagne gave the game away the night before. Whose payroll is he on, anyway? I swear the Yankees are paying him. How upset was I last night? I went to bed without fixing my coffee pot. I got up this morning and my coffee WAS NOT READY. While I fixed my coffee through blurry eyes, I revisited my frustration with how this season is going. I expected the Sox to dive right after the All Star Game. They waited until now. Got my hopes up (again) that they were going to make it. Now their bull pen has unraveled. AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH (in the spirit of Charley Brown!).

It's a '97 Saturn for heaven's sake!
I’m taking my car down to the garage this morning. It really is down, since I live at the top of the hill and the garage is at the bottom. The “Check Engine” light keeps going on; the brakes need to be done (never done before); probably need new tires all around (second time I've had to buy tires); and there something about a sway bar something or another that they want to take a look at and probably needs to be fixed. I really shouldn't complain considering the car's age. I’ll get back home on my bike negotiating a scenic route with the gentlest hills, not necessarily the fewest.

Later:
My way back home took me through a shopping center knows as Tri-City Plaza. As I came down the main driveway into the Plaza, approaching a THREE way stop, I had no stop sign. The guy in the pick up on the right looked me straight in the eye as he rolled through his stop sign right in front of me. I waved to him and yelled, “Thank you.” If I had been a big ol’ honking pickup truck like him he wouldn’t have pulled that stunt.

Here’s the scoop on my car repairs:
The oxygen sensor has been replaced.
The front brakes are done. They have never been done before and they were really bad. I can thank the Check Engine light for getting me into the garage before I got into bad trouble.
The sway bar links have been taken care of—repaired/replaced, whatever.
And the tires….apparently they are OK. No mention of them. I will stop back at the station with the car and inquire.

Let me give my garage guys a big plug here. I take my car to “The Famous” Johnnies. I’ve know John Rossini and his family since I was their Avon Lady when I lived in East Windsor. When I moved to Grand Ave. in Vernon in 1986, Johnnie’s station was just down the hill from me at the intersection of West St. and Route 83/74. I don’t know a more honest person than John and he has only the best people working for him. I guess that’s what makes him so famous. I can’t remember ever having to bring my car back because repairs were not done right. I highly recommend him! (do I need a disclaimer here that says he didn’t pay me to say any of this? ☺ )

Exploring

Photo
A tangle of bittersweet.
Click on the photo to enlarge.

Exploring Wethersfield
My friend Leslie and I did some exploration by bike through Old Wethersfield today. We noted the compactness of the historic district; how well maintained these homes are; the flower gardens; the friendly people.

Feeling adventurous, we rode Elm Street from Broad St., Wethersfield to the Rocky Hill Ferry landing. This is a dirt road that follows the river for a while before turning off through farmland. At the landing we relaxed in the shade while we watched the ferry and other boats on the river.

The weather was perfect.

After racking our bikes (back at Wethersfield Cove) we drove to a farm stand where I bought some fresh butter and sugar corn. Here we parted company determined not to let so much time elapse before we ride again.

Magic of Autumn

Photo
This is the city of Hartford reflected in the Connecticut River, taken from the Charter Oak Bridge. Do you know what I just found out? If you click on the picture it will enlarge to the size of your window. How about that!

My time of the year
Yesterday was one of those days that made me feel so alive. The sky was a beautiful deep blue with a few white puffy clouds; the air, brilliant, crisp and invigorating. I went for a bike ride and everything was working so perfectly. The bike moved easily, even when pedaling into a stiff northeast wind. My body felt so strong and performed accordingly. I got a good cardio workout and worked up a good sweat. It was the kind of day that begged me to stay outside and play as long as possible. I happily obliged.

Old friends were God's gift today
Today was a day just like yesterday, only no time for bike riding. It was grocery shopping in the morning and more in the afternoon. Normally I go only in the morning, but this day was different. And because it was different, I ran into two friends at Stop & Shop. It was good to see Thelma who is a classmate of mine. No sooner left her to head for the checkout then I ran into Joyce, who used to work at Connecticut Natural Gas when I was there. Talk about old home week. It’s so nice when you run into old friends.

What Season Is It Anyway?

Photo
I titled this photo "Shimmer." It shows the reflection of changing leaf color as reflected in the Podunk River where it crosses under Old Main St., South Windsor.

Changing Seasons
We’re coming into the time of year where you can go through 3 or 4 wardrobe changes in one day. It may feel like winter when you get up, spring by mid-morning, summer by lunch time then by mid-afternoon we start going back through the seasons to feeling like winter again by the time you good to bed. I get to thinking about swapping my summer clothes for winter clothes, but by the middle of the week we will be back to summer. What to do?

Being a procrastinator solves the problem. By the time I actually do something about this, it will be well into the cool/cold weather so putting the summer stuff away will not pose a problem.

Bird Feeders, Birds and Squirrels
It’s also time to think about getting the bird feeder cleaned up and out on the line. I have a clothesline from the patio out to a tree and it’s perfect for hanging the feeder. I will fill it with sunflower seeds (no shells), then hang a thistle feeder from the bottom of the big feeder to keep the large flock of goldfinch happy. My feeders have been in the garage so are kind of spider webby by now and have to be cleaned. The big feeder is squirrel-proof. A cover comes down over the feeding tray if a squirrel (or big, heavy bird) steps on the perch.

Grey Marauder/Damn Squirrel
There was one squirrel 2 winters ago that was bigger than your average squirrel and could drape his body from the top of the feeder (where he could hook his back leg) over the edge and, thus suspended, could feed to his heart’s content. I bought a really big water gun to do battle with the varmint. Yeh. He would run when hit with a stream of water. He also had a short memory. I used more water on him than he was worth. Last winter he didn’t come back. I must assume either my neighbors caught him and took him away to another state, or he went up in squirrel Nirvana. I even wrote a poem about our many encounters, but it's too long to reprint here.

Now What?
But first I need to find out why the Check Engine light keeps going on in my car. What’s that all about?

It's been a long week!

It's Been a Long Week
I won't go into detail, but it's been one of those days every day! The photo for today tells you how I feel! Just poor little ol' me picked clean. I'll get right over it. The photo was taken by me on Cape Cod and I call it "The Remains of the Day".

Sports Commentary
The MLB races are heating up, big time! This weekend the Yanks and Red Sox are playing a 3 game series. I don’t think I have enough fingernails to last three days. The Sox must win at least some of the games to keep a comfortable cushion. A Red Sox sweep would be so sweet! Unfortunately, Dice-K is today's starting pitcher.

Before you know it, baseball will be over, and I will be waiting for the college basketball season to start. With the addition of Ray Allen (UConn grad) to the Boston Celtics, I might even watch pro basketball this year. The pros don’t come close to providing the enjoyment the college game does. Have you ever noticed, in the NBA there really isn’t much going on until the last quarter? All of a sudden the players wake up and really play for the final stretch.

On the WNBA side, if you have ever watched, the women play the whole game. In every quarter they give their all. Right now there is one more game in the WNBA playoff – Phoenix vs. Detroit. I cannot pick who I want to win. There are UConn grads playing for both teams. How can I choose? ☺ The play-off games have been very physical. These are some tough gals!

I’m sure you’ve heard by now Bill Belichick and the Pats have been accused of spying on the Jets to get the signals. How much of that has been going on since sports was invented? Does that make it right? No. Does it make it acceptable? No. It’s easy enough to say, “Oh, what’s the harm? Everybody does it.” The bottom line is it is illegal and not sportsmanlike. We want to teach our kids to play fair and when this happens we have to set the proper example. I hope there are more honest participants than dishonest.

Public Nudity
This is funny. Brattleboro, VT is one place on the Planet where public nudity does not break the law. An article in The Hartford Courant today, gave a list of what Connecticut law enforcers would have to consider when charging someone with public nudity. One consideration was: does this person need to be returned to the screw factory to be re-threaded? I can’t stop laughing.

Weekend Busy
I have a busy weekend coming up between hiking, family gathering in MA, my mom's birthday and finding nice days to hang out laundry. Have a good weekend yourself and I'll be back soon.

I've Gone to a Second Page
Just realized my journaling has popped over to a second page. Man can I run on or what!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Photo
My mother. This picture taken at Christmas 2005.

Happy Birthday Mom!
My mom will be 95 on Sunday, Sept. 16th. The word is out and her friends and family will be coming over to celebrate with her. Besides me, she has 4 grand children and 7 great-grandchildren ranging in age from 6 to 26. She’s still sharp and remembers a lot more than I do.

Breakfast with the Girls

Photos
Sunset behind piles of driftwood. Coastguard Beach, Cape Cod.

Friendships
This morning a special group of friends-since-high school met for breakfast at the East Windsor Diner. We started meeting to plan one of our class reunions a few years ago and decided it was so much fun, we continued meeting regularly. There are 9 of us: Alice, Nancy, Ruth, Pat, Elaine, Barbara, Elsie, Thelma and me (hope I didn't forget anyone). We have so much fun even the waitress marks her calendar so she'll be there to wait on us. We like her a lot right back. Here's a poem I wrote about Breakfast with the Girls.

Breakfast with the Girls

Hugs and shrieks of delight
greet each new arrival.
Everyone is well—able to come.
No one wants to be a topic of conversation.

Years after high school graduation
these old friends gather at the local diner
every couple of months—or so
for breakfast and conversation.

Fifty plus years ago
we were a competitive
bunch of shakers and doers.
We have mellowed—somewhat.

Competition now is who will
command attention to tell
the latest story of Medicare, grandkids,
medical procedures, or share photographs.

Interruption is frequent, bold—
Hold that thought, conversation
across the table has suddenly
become more interesting than ours.

We’ve become walking pharmacies,
consume all major brands.
On this day we add laughter—
still our best medicine.

Years have softened, rounded
our bodies and personalities.
What is really important
clearly understood.

Breakfast gets cold, we chat non-stop.
Finally, a date chosen for our next gathering.
Hugs given all around, we wave good-bye
until we meet again—same time, same place.

©Beverly R. Titus
11/08/06

Sand

Photo
My own footprint in the sand at Coastguard Beach, Eastham, MA (Cape Cod). It was the inspiration for the poem.

Sand

My time is up
I come to the beach
to say goodbye

A chilled wind blows
as I hunker down against
the dune in a cut-out
offering full sun and less wind

That deep footprint is mine
heel to toe complete
I watch as one grain of sand
slumps into the depression

By ones and tens then hundreds
it doesn’t take long
for shifting sand
to obliterate my mark

No evidence of a footprint
having ever been there
Had I been there
Am I here


© Beverly R. Titus
06/07/06

A Day of Rest

Photo
Yellow Bike. Some people are so clever. This recycled bike is in a garden on old Main St. in East Hartford (this is the extension of Old Main St., South Windsor).

Red Schlox Loss
Last night Dice-K Matsuzaka took the mound for the Red Sox in Baltimore. Francona should send DM out to the Bullpen and forget he’s on the roster. He gives up more homers than any other pitcher. How can Francona keep his as a starter? He started the slide and the Bullpen, which had been good for a change, kept things going down hill. At this time of year, an 11-5 loss to a team like Baltimore is totally unacceptable. The Yankees won their game 11-5, but beating up on KC is no big deal. What is a big deal is what A-Rod is doing these days. In the last two days he has hit 2 home runs in each game. That’s numbers 48, 49, 50, and 51. That is remarkable. He’s an exceptional athlete. Maybe hitting 4 homers off the KC pitchers was like shooting at sitting ducks. Looking at the whole athlete, what his numbers are this year, you have to hand it to him.

UConn Husky Football
UConn beat up on the Black Bears of Maine 38-0. Can the Pups keep it up. Let's hope. This was their second game of the season (they beat Duke last week), first game at home.

Weather Update
An update on yesterday’s temps: official high reached 95° which broke the old record of 94° set in 1945. I wonder how many others were done in by the heat during Bike Hartford?

More on Bike Hartford
I have to comment on the bikes. There were the usual men’s and women’s frames from every manufacturer you can imagine. Some of them might have been home-made custom bikes. Then you had the single recumbent and the tandem recumbent. There was one bicycle built for 3; a couple others were built for 2. Among the riders were youngsters, maybe 9 or 10 years old. They did the 10-mile ride. I enjoy seeing families riding together: moms, dads and kids. It's the kids who are the future of riding a bike instead of driving a car.

Bike Hartford

Photos
Stretch
Kara Sundlun, Dennis House and their baby, Helena
First rest stop






Registration tents
Last call!
Line up







(OK. Having a little problem getting the photos to go where I want them. Another kink. But I think you can figure it out.)

I parked my car at Great River Park in East Hartford and rode into the city over the Founders Bridge to Bushnell Park. The registration area was choked with bikes and riders—I couldn’t help but think of the Sargasso Sea choked with seaweed. I saw a lot of people with yellow wristbands. I don’t know what that was all about since I never got one.

At the starting line we were introduced to all sorts of dignitaries. WFSB, Channel 3 anchors, Dennis House and Kara Sundlun (and their baby Helena) are excellent ambassadors for the city of Hartford. They made the waiting to get going enjoyable.

The ride was not a race; however it was soon evident the riders in the front of the line were jackrabbits. I fell back to the middle of the pack rather rapidly. We wove our way through the south end of the city zig zagging first east through the Charter Oak neighborhood, Dutch Point, then west through Colt Park. Continuing west we found ourselves in the vicinity of Trinity College and then turning into Cedar Hill Cemetery.

As we exited the cemetery, we approached our first rest stop. By this time I know I’m in trouble and need to cool down and have the Gatorade I brought with me. I found a shady spot and cracked open the Gatorade and chowed down a couple of energy bars being handed out. Then it was time for a bottle of cold water. I poured it down my front, back, arms and splashed my face. Ahhhh! That felt better. Then the box of bananas arrived. I had one of those, too. After about 20 minutes I was feeling much better. My electrolytes have been replaced and the body has cooled down. It was here I decided I would not do the 25 miles I signed up for.

By the time the 25 milers went left and the 10 milers went right, I knew there was no way I could go 15 more miles. Once back at Bushnell Park I was able to rest again before heading back to East Hartford and my car.

The temperature was climbing up to the 90° mark and the humidity was way up, too.

I made a lot of fast friends though—most everyone rode faster than me! ☺

The volunteers and Hartford police did a great job keeping us safe at so many intersections. A big thanks to all of them.

My total mileage, round trip: 15.7 miles
Average speed: 8.65 (That surprises me because I felt the pace was pretty fast, especially in the beginning. I guess I lost ground on those hills. Who knew Hartford has hills?!)

I hope they do this again next year, but later in the month or in October when it’s cooler. Plus, this time next year I’ll be starting Day 8 of my Erie Canal bike path ride with one day to go and obviously not able to Bike Hartford.

Beautiful day to hang sheets

Photo
Sheets I hung out today. They went right back on the beds. Mmmmmmm. Sweet dreams.

Cast of Characters
I will talk about people and you need to know who they are.
Anne, Paul, Kathy and Andy are my kids.
Jacob, Andrew, Jimaine, Jessica, Philip, Joe and Jonathan are their kids.
If you, the reader, are any of the above—you already know that.
Craig and Derek are brothers and Marines and also distant cousins of mine. I write to both of them.
Jeff is another Marine and I write to him, too.
Other names come up regularly and I'll try to identify them as I go along.

My Apologies to the Red Sox
Last June I told Craig and Derek that the Red Sox would start the slippery slope to oblivion right after the All Star Game because that's what they always do. The Red Sox have made a liar out of me—so far. No predictions for the post season.

Weather Predictions
There are several birds that never summer over in my back yard but are back here 2 months too early. Titmouse, chickadee, nuthatch and goldfinch are around in abundance. Usually they show up around the 1st of October. It is not unusual for a titmouse to sit on the outdoor thermometer next to the kitchen window, looking in, as if to say, "Well. Where is the bird feeder?" It is my sense that this winter will be snowier and colder than last year. I've heard the Old Farmers' Almanac predicts the same thing. I don't pay them any mind—unless they happen to agree with me. I hope my weather prediction is as good as my Red Sox predict. I bought cool weather bike riding clothes based on last winter. So I suppose it's going to be all my fault?

Tomorrow's Bike Ride
The Central CT Bicycle Alliance is sponsoring a Bike/Walk Hartford tomorrow. You know I'm not walking! The bike ride is a choice of 10 miles or 25 miles. I've signed up for the 25. My biggest concern is the heat and high humidity. As a preventative measure (preventing passing out) I'm tanking up on Gatorade tonight. I will bring another bottle with me tomorrow and, combined with my pediatric electrolyte solution, I should be fine. The result will be in my blog for tomorrow.

Breakfast at Charlie's
The first Friday of each month finds a group of wholistic practitioners convening at Charlie's Restaurant in Vernon for networking. This morning marked the 5th anniversary of this particular gathering. The energy was incredible! I don't remember ever having that much good energy flowing. And, the word for the day is: SYNCHRONISTIC. Have you noticed a lot of synchronicity in your life lately?

What Am I Doing With Wholistic Practitioners?
Enjoying their company, of course.

Keeping In Touch

Thursday, September 6, 2007
Photo
This is me at Diana's Pool.

Welcome to my world!
I have wanted to get this form of communication going for some time now, but, if you know me, you know I get sweaty palms just thinking about doing something new on the computer. This is BIG! Really BIG for me to be doing.

Bear with me while I iron out the kinks.

What can you expect?
I will write about every day life. My every day life. You will get a good dose of my bike riding adventures, along with my invaluable opinion of various sports teams—mostly Red Sox (whom I love!), Yankees (whom I don't), Patriots and anything UConn Husky.

I might post some of my poetry or an article I have written. I'm not published, but I don't let that stop me. :)

Some days will be ho hum and other days, I hope will be hum dingers.

That's it for now; for my introduction. Keep checking back to see what's new.