Hurray, hurray for the 1st of May in Sedona

31 May:  As we leave the merry month of May, we also ride away from beautiful Sedona to Flagstaff.  The astounding part is that Ron's packing was completed earlier than ususal and we finished housecleaning only an hour past our check out time.  (Ron has learned that the housekeepers are delighted to discover him still cleaning when they arrive.)   The ride north to Flagstaff was scenic and uneventful unless you consider that there was little to no traffic to slow us down.  As we rode up the switchbacks onto the Mogollon rim, we encountered a surprisingly chill wind.  Then again, Flagstaff is at 6900 feet elevation.  Route: 89-A N to I-17 N to I-40 E to exit 198, R on Butler Ave .7mi, L on 4th Street .7mi, R on Industrial Blvd .6mi, L on Steve's Road, R to Best Western Pony Soldier.

"Happiness isn't something that depends on our surroundings ... It's something we make inside ourselves."

-Corrie ten Boom 

30 May:  This will be an early to hike day, then filled with packing and recycling until dinner at Linda and Dale’s at 5 PM.  With luck everything will be packed and ready to roll first thing in the morning - don't we wish. 4.0 Miles

29 May:  Memorial Day, so no QQQ.  We hiked at 10:30 and enjoyed watching a backhoe digging loose rock from the entrance to the irrigation canal.  Cynthia took a video to delight the younger generation.  At 4:15 we rode south to dinner at Cucina Rustica with pastors David and Gwen B.  Our waiter was quite a character, with a strong accent that was hard to understand.  This time they got the message no oil, no butter, no fat, no cheese and delivered immediately with no backtalk.  3.0 miles

28 May, Sunday:  Worship at Christ Lutheran was wonderful.  The sermon highlighted the need for being feathers on the breath of God, a need for good leadership and communication to overcome division in our troubled times.  We stand united with a constitution like no other country.  Being in the presence of America’s beauty, its red rocks and rills, is a gift.  Cythia became teary-eyed while singing the national anthem in church.  After breakfast at Cafe Jose, Ron rode to Cottonwood for frozen mango and pretzels.  Cynthia is almost packed.  Ron hasn't started packing yet.  3.9 miles  

27 May:  We hiked a short one early because Cynthia has a nail appt at one.  Cynthia's goal is to pack her saddlebag.  On our evening hike, we met a delightful foursome from Santa Fe at the overlook after our mandatory hill climb!  We enjoyed visiting so much that we failed to notice the encroaching darkness, so we boogied off down the hill via the access road past Cresent Moon Ranch house.  3.02 miles  

26 May:  Two hikes, it was such fun meeting Brad and Natasha from Duluth, MN, and how fun to see Gretchen with little Gitsy in the park.  6.5  miles 

25 May:  Ron strapped the big box of Cynthia's clothing, etc to the back of the bike and mailed it back to Texas.  We hiked twice, and our backs have survived too much bending over to move rocks to help clear the trail.  It took us this many hikes to decide which path is a trail that leads to Buddha Beach and on to the old water-powered pump.  5.10 miles.

24 May:  We leave for ABQ a week from today. LIFE IS GOOD! Thank God!  Thank God!  Two hours hiking, moving rock, and clearing trees from the flood damaged trail left us exhausted.  Progress is being made.  The evening walk was also satisfying. 5.25 miles, 13,868 steps  

23 May:  Exercised, oatmealed, and QQQ’d, we were hiking by 8:30 AM for three miles before returning to more of the crazy market returns.   Ron rode to Cottonwood for groceries for the "last time."  Cynthia started packing.  We went out for a second hike at 6:30, but that is only an hour and a half before darkness threatens.  Five miles 

22 May:  We tried to hike early, but that turned into 10:45 AM when the sun is already too intense; so we opted for forty-five minutes with a second hike at 6:30 PM when it was cooler and pleasant.  We met Angela again, this time with her husband Ryan and two cute, cute little ones, Finn and Johanna.  4.7 miles

Another lovely day in Sedona

21 May, Sunday:  Oh, oh! Oh, no!  Our friends at church gave Ron a two-sided, complicated puzzle.  We enjoyed breakfast at Cafe Jose, and Cynthia fell asleep while Ron now puzzles away.  It is 85 degrees warm today, very hot degrees outside, and it is steamy hot indoors.  Ron was able to spend almost the entire day on the puzzle.  We walked only 3 miles in the cool of the evening.

20 May:  Our one day to sleep in, now that QQQ obsession has gripped Ron.  We did sleep in until nearly 9 AM.  Whoopee !!  Then we exercised, ate, and went for a quick walk through the park, past the pump, and up the hill.  We met the nicest person, Angela, writing at the picnic table chained to a tree that had kept it from being washed downstream in the flooding.  After exchanging life histories, we proceeded up the hill to find that the temperature had gotten too warm to continue before evening, so we returned by the upper route across the meadows.  We went for a second walk this evening after it cooled off and helped some folks from Napa Valley find the vortex. 5.0 Miles

Looking back after all these years of wedded bliss.

19 May:  Tomorrow, Ron will get Tori's photo aligned with the text below.  First QQQ, exercises, oatmeal, and a ride to Elite for Cynthia's hair.  Cynthia walked to Cafe Jose to get steps on her Apple Watch.  Then instead of breakfast at Cafe Jose, as planned, we rode home to avoid the approaching thunderstorm.  We listened to thunder for a couple of hours - but no rain.  Had we known, we would have eaten omelets.  Ron is patiently waiting for QQQ to go down again, a certainty now that the debt limit talks have stalled and the Fed is threatening another interest rate rise.  Over the weekend, he will work on James Lea instead; now, his focus is on the great-grandchildren of James Lea of Cobbs Creek.  The lightest drizzle of rain commenced about 4 PM and continued until midnight without leaving much wetness anywhere.

Tori on the Path to Willingness

18 May:  And the rains came, fortunately after we finished our walk and had met Tori on the Ridge Trail, a painter, and musician (The Path to Willingness).  Cynthia wanted to capture her sweet persona as we said goodbye.  Tori was framed against the deep red rocks, and Cynthia captured the image, but unfortunately, the light did not fall on her sweet face.  Thank you, Tori!  We got an earlier start than usual and were able to hike up the hill and up the Ridge Trail to the Sketch Trail, which we soon decided was too challenging for us just now.   It rained lightly for the rest of the day without amounting to much.  6.17 miles  

Tivoli Fest-ivities #2

17 May:  We have dinner this evening with Nellie & Lisa, cousins of Deb, an Iowa friend who sent Danish party favors from the Elkhorn Danish Windmill (click here).  Both girls were wonderfully sweet, and Nellie's Eddie was also a nice man.  We all enjoyed a couple of hours of reminiscing "Tivoli Fest" (even though Ron and Eddie were about 60 years out of the loop).

16 May:  Rain is forecast again today, but only at 30%.  We need to hike, but the temperature is 85 degrees Hot.  Ron rode to Cottonwood for groceries, and we hiked 3.39 miles at 6:00 PM when it cooled down.  After we hiked through the fields and up to the road, we met a mom and her two UT grad student daughters who wanted to swim in Oak Creek, so we led them down the hill to a wide spot in the creek where they could swim. 

15 May:  Another day on pins and needles, wondering if QQQ would go up or down, and eventually, it did move far enough up for Ron to sell his calls at a profit.  Our new efforts to improve our vision require us to exercise our eyes for an hour daily.  As he does those exercises, Ron often falls asleep mid-exercise. We tried a late hike when it cooled off, but the rain forecast was actually correct, and we got wet while putting on our plastic rain ponchos!  One little mile!

14 May, Sunday:  HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!  After a beautiful Lutheran church service and visit with friends, we enjoyed a good breakfast at Cafe Jose and rested our overfull stomachs all afternoon.  After a short nap, we awoke to dark skies threatening rain.  Ron spent the second day on the puzzle given to him by Dale and Linda for his birthday.

13 May:  Ron is editing… he did finish entering the great-grandchildren of James Lea of Kilgore's Branch this weekend.  Our granddaughter Zoe (Magna cum Laude with Honors Distinction) and her fiance Jack (All-American soccer goalie) graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.  Cynthia was delighted to be able to watch the ceremony on her computer.  They will wed on June 10 and move to York, England, for Zoe to pursue a master's in public history, and Jack will play soccer, hopefully professionally. 

12 May:  HAPPY ANNIBIRSARY!  We celebrated our twelfth anniversary, and Ron is now 76 years old.  (Let's see - born in '47 so math works out.)  We could never have envisioned our lives so changed & wonderful fifteen years ago.  Ron continues to say that he had the perfect life for a bachelor - - and leave it to God to improve upon perfection.  Ron again bought QQQ calls, but the market didn't agree with him until closing.  He then rode to Cottonwood Walmart for the last groceries we would need while here.  Then at 5:30, we joined Linda and Dale (whose birthday was Wednesday, May 10) at Judi’s Restaurant to celebrate our birthdays and anniversary over dinner. 3.6 miles 

11 May:  I LOVE YOU, SMOOCH!  We hiked the Ridge Trail (marked with a black diamond on the maps) for quite a distance.  The black diamond means it climbs and climbs and climbs some more.  Actually, there are a couple of difficult rocks covered with loose sand & gravel to scramble over.  (Falling is not allowed.)  We turned back before reaching the second junction with the Sketch Trail, totaling 6.10 miles. 

10 May:  We arose early and decided it was too cold to be up, so we went back to bed to warm up and fell asleep.  At one, we went for the first of two hikes, moved rocks again, and met several lovely people.   Our second walk in the evening only took us as far as Buddha Beach again.  5.42 miles.  We started SightCare eye exercise program. 

9 May:  We can hike early today! Nope!  We left at 1:30 when the temp was at 80 degrees and did rock maintenance ... moving loose rocks to create a better trail than the one the flooding left us.  We went out again at six, found a shortcut to Buddha Beach, and helped a girl from NYC find it too.  Ron is enjoying telling people that Buddha Beach is buried under 6 to 10 feet of loose rock and gravel left by the flooding, which carried the vortex downstream too.  5.00 miles 

8 May:  Ron arose at 5:30 to finish exercises and breakfast and QQQ in time to leave at 7 am and took the motorcycle to Scottsdale for 6,000-mile maintenance.  And twelve hours later,  he successfully returned home with groceries, new light bulbs, and a better coffee pot.  He spent several afternoon hours in Cave Creek visiting with his cousin Rex and Susie. 

7 May, Sunday:  A week went by already here at the Creekside Cottage.  Thanks be to God for the earth's beauty and the beautiful sermons Pastor David preaches.  And let's also thank God for the choir and Jim.  Despite being tired, we hiked again to the top of the hill and the junction with the Sketch Trail.  Then we collapsed for the remainder of the afternoon.  3.5 miles.  Ron discovered the need for one more sentence to make the next picture fit correctly.  Oops, today it took two more sentences.

Our guests shot us in the back as we hiked

6 May:  Hiking Bell Rock was the goal, but we weren't sure if our guests were hikers.  Indeed, they are young and fit!  Jim even scrambled to the top of Spaceship Rock.  We hiked 6.09 miles with our granddaughter's fiance’s parents, followed by breakfast at Miley's cafe.  Our ride home through Page Springs was lovely, so one would not know it was Arizona.  In a rush to depart on time this morning, Ron accidentally melted his shirt while trying to iron on a patch.  Fortunately, he has identified a candidate patch for that spot.  (He still hasn't finished the mending job on May 18th.)

5 May:  It is lovely to sleep with open windows and not need A/C because the cold overnight air keeps us chilly until noon.  QQQ behaved nicely.  Now it is time to hike!  Hiking Sedona! The flooding was impressive, leaving debris twelve feet high in trees and piled in heaps blocking the trails. Buddha Beach is no longer; the Slickrock slab is covered by a pile of loose rocks up to ten feet high. Cynthia’s hiking goal of thirty days consecutively turned into 37 days because of the rain, but her total was 159.33 miles, not too shabby for a great-grandmother. Photos (?) are from today's hike, where many old Westerns were filmed. We once met a guy who grew up in the area then. His parents hosted and fed many movie stars, including John Wayne. He remembered seeing the valley filled with water when the creek flooded.

4 May:  National Day of Prayer begins with thanksgiving for life lived abundantly and together.  We pray for healing for our country.  QQQ didn't behave as planned, so we hope for better behavior tomorrow.  The ride to Cottonwood for groceries was windy, but the ride back was very scenic and pleasant.

3 May:  It is wonderfully cool at night and early AM.  The microwave is a combo microwave and air fryer.  (This modern world needs to be simplified.)  Cynthia is still exhausted, so Ron walked alone today out the door and over the rocky "trail" to discover Buddha Beach covered with rocks and sand up to 8 feet deep, another casualty of the flooding this March.  No more cute piles of rocks, no more psychic vortex.  He again made it to the top of the hill and came back via the Secret Slickrock Trail, and the wind was strongest where the exposure was greatest a fun combo.

Cynthia with niece Kelly

2 May:  We are ensconced in Creekside Cottage, a block to the Red Rock Crossing of Oak Creek, with a phenomenal view of Cathedral Rock, the most photographed spot in Sedona.  We walk through the adjacent Crescent Moon State Park to terrific hiking trails, and the weather forecast for next week is excellent.  Those fantastic hiking trails are gone because massive flooding washed them away on March 22nd this year.  We could pick our way over river rock and sand to find recognizable portions of the trail to the top of the nearest hill.  4 miles.  We discovered that the rose bush adjacent to the porch is blooming a few red blooms.  Yes, JOY.

Tivoli fest (see Apr 24)

1 May:  Mee weefee returns !!!  Oh, Joy, oh, Joy.  Yes, JOY.  Ron made one trip with a big box to the Creekside Cottage & recycling to Sedona before Cynthia returned, but ran into a mile-long backup due to a paving crew on the return trip, so he could not welcome his WeeFee home.  Ron cleaned, packed, and prepared to move to the Creekside Cottage while his exhausted WeeFee slept.  Cynthia and her children arose at three AM for early airline departures from Palm Springs Airport, plus she had a two-hour shuttle ride returning to Sedona.  Zzzz

April Flowers From Sedona Showers

1 May:  Mee weefee returns !!!  Oh Joy, oh, Joy.

Sisters: Bonnie & Cynthia

30 Apr, Sunday:  Ron rode to church service and got there on time - without adult supervision.  Then he hurried home for another peanut butter toast sandwich before another big hike, Big Park Loop to Rector Connector to Courthouse Loop , with camera in hand to take lots of wildflower photos, etc.  Photos to come one of these days.  He spent 20 minutes talking to Bob & Lisa, a fun couple.  Bob talked about his several heart attacks and his denial of each one.  Lisa kept saying he had it wrong.  Ron is not in the shape he thought he was; still tired from yesterdays uphills, today was a struggle despite much less hilly.  Dinner of cornbread & pretzels and to sleep early tonight.

Cynthia and niece Robin, both too tall

Cynthia & Lauren, both in yellow

29 Apr:  Without adult supervision, Ron ate peanut butter toast sandwich and hiked the Made in the Shade Trail and out the Hiline Trail to the overlooking point, a very industrious uphill hike.  He had hoped to get to the first rock chute and return, but his body told him NO.  At that point, Ron laid down in the shade and fell asleep for perhaps an hour, so his hiking time was 9:52 to 11:30 and 1:15 to 2:40.  The views at the point are of Cathedral Rock and the valley west of it, quite awe inspiring.  After his nap, as he returned, Zack and Vicky, 20-somethings, passed him, so Ron kept pace and talked with them to the enjoyment of all concerned.  Vicky is a personal trainer who has a bad back from gymnastics, and they are visiting grandparents who stay in shape, so we had lots of common interests.  More James Lea, more tree debris, and a walk to the store for bananas, raspberries and frozen mango, with return in nearly total darkness.

28 Apr:  In a radical departure from normal, we rode the motorcycle to the Bell Rock Trailhead for our hike around the Big Park Loop.  The reason for such radical behavior was Cynthia's departure via airport shuttle (Sue) at 1:45 PM.  After a two hour shuttle, Cynthia sat in the airport an hour to catch a 5:45 flight from Phoenix to Palm Springs to join her children.  She arrived in Palm Springs on time at 6:45, and waited another hour for her children to arrive.   Ron is left without adult supervision until his beloved weefee returns Monday at 1:00 PM.  Oh oh!  Ron continues working on James Lea when the sun is hot and on the derelict tree when the shade extends that far in the evening.

27 Apr:  Today Ron bought a couple of QQQ call options, submitted a limit, and we hiked at ten AM so that Cynthia could get pedicured and manicured at three PM.  His calls were still pending when we returned at noon, so Ron sold them at a profit near the high for the day and bought a put option.  Ron ran the electric chain saw to dismantle the derelict tree destroyed by this spring's heavy snow.  6.33 miles.   

26 Apr:  Ron's 90-day pacemaker test was completed.  Successful day in the markets. 6.13 miles.

25 Apr:  Late afternoon, we hiked 6.23 miles on the Slim Shady Trail with fewer bikes and hikers.  We have FUN!  The yucca are beginning to bloom.

Jane, Cynthia, Ron, Carol and Paul.

24 Apr:  We thoroughly enjoyed our guests, sharing wonderful memories as neighbors for nineteen years in Elk Horn, Iowa, forty years ago.  After breakfast we drove to Bell Rock Trailhead and hiked the Courthouse Loop.  Jane saw a couple of people atop Spaceship Rock and decided instantly to hike up it.  Ron followed, but was too slow to witness her assent of the steepest five feet of the climb - whereupon he stopped as he had previously.  She practiced a couple of yoga poses and reported magnificent views.  Cynthia's Apple Watch  5.30 miles.   

Tivoli fest, tepleat with Danish flag

23 Apr, Sunday:  After worship, we were  comfortable hiking the Slim Shady Trail.  Then Cynthia forced Ron to clean house while she prepared food in advance for our guests.  We enjoyed conversation on our deck here with its lovely view of a couple of immense red rocks until time for dinner at Cucina Rustica out doors on their patio, warmed by heaters, and entertained with lovely guitar music and more good conversation.  6.0 miles.

22 Apr:  Saturday, we slept in until 6:30, exercised, fed our faces, and hiked 5.35 miles on the Big Park Loop.   What fun to meet familiar faces, a couple we visited with at the same spot a few weeks ago, our pastor’s wife, and the bike patrol guy with a red cross on his shirt.  (Cynthia remembered that a couple of years ago his wife told him that the big red cross on his shirt was "to attract chicks").  The wild flowers continue to delight us, covering greater expanses and adding new colors occasionally.  5.35 miles 

21 Apr:  We only have ten days left in the Village of Oak Creek before we transfer into Sedona.  We hiked the same trail, starting at 5:30, and arrived home in the dark at 8:15 PM  happy to survive alive.  6.20 miles.  The Village of Oak Creek and Sedona do not have streetlights apart from low-wattage lights downtown; it gets black in a hurry! 

20 Apr:  Ron enjoyed a successful QQQ morning in the markets, and the forecast promised a gorgeous day ahead of us.  The Shady Slim Trail was almost deserted at five PM, cool and comfortable with lots of new flowers, many of which we did not see going out at 5 pm but which were quite striking upon return at 7 pm.  Quite remarkable that the rain a month ago spurred this floral show now that the weather has warmed up significantly.  6 miles. 

19 Apr:  The high-temperature forecast today is 70, a fantastic day for a big hike at one PM.  We were tired, but out the door to hike almost six miles on the Slim Shady Trail.  Rest, icing, and exercises have greatly improved Cynthia’s feet (tendonitis). 

18 Apr:  Still embroiled in the great struggle with QQQ.  Today we hope to sell our puts at a profit and buy a call.  Thereupon we stop hoping for it to fall, and we start rooting for QQQ to go up and up and up.

17 Apr:  Tomorrow, QQQ will again move front and center (actually we hope for a significant drop to recoup our "investment.")  We are absorbed with our computers.  5.81 miles on the Park loop.  Reading the news it is apparent our country faces danger, from without and within.  To hate is evil.  Changes begin inside each one of us.  One of the best posts I've come across with such a great message!

12 Ted Lasso Leadership Lessons:

1. Believe in yourself

2. Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing

3. All people are different people

4. See good in others

5. Courage is about being willing to try

6. Vulnerability is a strength not a weakness

7. Tell the truth

8. Winning is an attitude

9. Optimists do more

10. Stay teachable

11. Be a Goldfish - If you do something wrong do not let it define you.  Forget it - like a goldfish - within 10 seconds.

12.  Happiness is a choice

16 Apr, Sunday:  Another day of rest - except on church days we have to arise at 6:30 to get to the church on time.  Great hike up to the Yavapai Vista.  6.22 miles on the SlimShady Trail. 

15 Apr:  The stock market is closed, so we can sleep in - except that the light will awaken us at 5:30 anyway.  Cynthia is like a little Easter chicken; as soon as she sees daylight, she is up and foraging for food.  We hiked the Bell Rock loop.  5.49 miles

14 Apr:  Our day started after sleeping eight uninterrupted hours.  Miracles still happen !!  Cynthia's feet are still not good, neither is Ron's QQQ, although both are better today.  At best, Ron could have made $20 on one trade today, but that moment passed in a flash.  Today Ron finally resumed working on James Lea after about ten days off.  Cynthia's feet were not too sore to flutter around the house, cleaning, but they are too sore to hike with Ron, so he is off late this afternoon with a camera to see if he gets far enough to find a good photo for this blog.

13 Apr:  Cynthia is suffering from foot pain again; Ron suffers from QQQ pain.  The highlight of Ron's day was his energetic (i.e. tiring) hike from the house at 4 PM uphill and onto the Hiline Trail to the first good view down the valley towards Sedona.  As he hiked that trail, he was again impressed that Cynthia had hiked that with him a few years ago - it is very rocky, often with significant exposure.  And it is hard to imagine that we took Julie and Lamar on that trail too.

12 Apr:  A quiet day of genealogy, success in the market, and eating.  We eat a lot.  Ron is up to 172 lbs.  Cynthia is enjoying lovely pink roses.  We hiked at four, meeting the nicest people like Renee, a physician originally from Houston.  As we returned on the trail, the landscapes became unreal and surreal because the late afternoon sunshine and shadows bathed the mountains in many unusual colors.  Several trees, scrubs and flowers are budding, leafing and flowering nicely now.  There is nothing like a vibrant spring.  Climbing, camaraderie, and communion with nature is what drives us. 6.34 miles 

11 Apr:  The third day of Easter is also hot.  Ron rode to Cottonwood for groceries.  We followed that with a 2.26-mile walk. 

10 Apr:  The second day after Easter is a foretaste of the heat to come.  It was too hot to hike mid-day.  Besides Cynthia had a mani//pedi and her nails needed to cure.  Ron's move outdoors to the veranda proved very pleasant, with the birds singing and deer running in the yard beneath us.  Ron made delicious-smelling lentil soup. 

9 Apr, Sunday:  Happy Easter!  After a beautiful worship experience and pigging out, we felt lazy!  Besides, after all those lovely cool days this month, the temperature suddenly rocketed up to 90 degrees.  It was time to hike the Slim Shady Trail again at four PM. 6.26 miles.  On the way home, we chatted with neighbor John, who was weeding his nicely landscaped yard.  His wife, Sherrie, the culinary marvel,  joined us and gifted us freshly baked bread.  It is delicious. Mmmm. 

8 Apr:  Holy Saturday, Easter triduum, and Resurrection blessings and prayers uplifted for friends and for spiritual renewal.  Come, Lord Jesus.  The Slim Shady Trail at 4 PM was almost isolated except for a few bikers and Janet, a delightful hiker from Florida whom we thoroughly enjoyed.  5.82 miles. 

7 Apr:  Good Friday, a quiet day of contemplation.  We had a lovely late afternoon hike, 5.53 miles. 

6 Apr:  QQQ caused us to jump out of bed at 6:34 AM to watch the markets.  At 10:30, we were out the door to hike 5.69 miles, returning worn out.  Cynthia is halfway through a course on the History of Radicalism, plus slowly working her way through a great book by David Bentley Hart, The Experience of God, Consciousness, Being and Bliss.

5 Apr:  Yay!  We were exercised and out the door by ten-thirty AM and onto the Big Park Loop  5.67 miles.  After the hike, Ron rode to Cottonwood for groceries. 

4 Apr:  A windy day and activities kept us from hiking.  Cynthia lay down and fell asleep for an hour.  After Iowa's loss, Ron started researching basketball and was fascinated to read about Dr. J. first, then Lonzo Ball next.  Ron's friend Larry suggested that he look up Connie Hawkins.  Next was Wilt Chamberlain who said he thought the greatest basketball player of all time was Meadowlark Lemon, and when you consider Meadowlark's halfcourt hook shot and immense hands, you have to agree.  All that research accomplished nothing, but it sure was fun.  

Granddaughter Fyn with
a basket full of Easter
blessings

3 Apr:  And we are enjoying another wonderful day that God has granted us.  However, Ron spent the morning glued to his QQQ observations without success.  Hopefully tomorrow it will move low enough to jolt him into action.  Between times once, he did wash a couple of floors and straighten up his piles of various junks.  Cynthia is frustrated trying to type, deciding it will just wait another four months!  

2 Apr, Sunday:  The ride to church was fine at 50 degrees, and Pastor David delivered another fine sermon.  We were delighted to converse with Dale and Linda afterwards and decided to eat lunch at home rather than at a restaurant, followed by a struggle to start hiking.  But,   halfway around Big Park Loop we recovered our zest and were thankful for the 5.69 miles we accomplished.  Cynthia was disappointed that Iowa lost to LSU, and Ron was disgusted to learn that the refs were absolutely terrible.  Highlights show the outraged LSU coach walking onto the playing floor and grabbing a ref without a technical foul call as opposed to the gratuitous technical called on Iowa's star player.  Looks to me like black refs gave the game to a black team - no racism there.

1 Apr:  Exercised and oatmealed, we decided upon a longer hike, the Courthouse Butte Loop, a challenging 7.5 miles that gave us fatigue, but also, a great sense of accomplishment!!!  We noticed today that pear trees, red buds and a few flowers are blooming much more enthusiastically, thanks to the recent rains.  Cynthia discovered a place that will turn a blog into a book format of 20 pages for ten dollars!  We would have 5475 pages or 273 books, which would cost $2730.00  (Ron's side note.  I am quite glad that she did the math.)

At the bottom of the map, start with the Big Park Loop east to edge of map

Marching off to Sedona again

Reminder to self:  work on Duncan's package, and add info from Dawn Harvey. 

Ron Beatty is Smooch with SmoochSmooch

31 Mar:  Good-bye March!  The sun is shining and the Smooches will hike at one PM (after QQQ watching ends).  Out in the real world, the darkness of hatred prevails at the worst level since the Civil War.  This will not end well for any of us.  Oh well, the sun is still shining, the forecast is a high of 58 degrees, and it is a great day to hike the Slim Shady Trail.  It is rougher and rockier with more ups and downs.  We really enjoyed meeting Bill and Liz, a delightful couple who hike!  Liz even runs six miles a morning, in addition to hiking.  Our enjoyment was wonderful, our accomplishment satisfying, and the mileage was 6.08. 

30 Mar:  The world turns, we are awake, exercised and fed.  QQQ is again misbehaving.  The cloudy skies mean hiking will be more comfortable today although the forecast high is 50 degrees !!.  Oops, No, Cynthia stuck her nose out the door, collected a few snowflakes, and decided that she should keep her respiratory system warmer.  She is approaching eight weeks of wearing a brace on her right hand to hopefully heal strained sagittal bands.  This process takes six months, God willing.  Ron is ever helpful, opening jars, etc.  Writing and typing are nearly impossible.  Ron continues clipping tree debris into fire starter.  Zero miles.

29 Mar:  We checked the markets, exercised and ate.  QQQ is not behaving as forecast, so Ron is a bit stymied today.  The forecast is 65 degrees warm.  Our time would have been better spent hiking early since the sun is intense.  Oh well, off we go.  Wish us luck. Luck held!  The clouds accumulated, the temperature dropped, and the wind was welcome at first but cooled us a bit too much later.  We recorded 5.44 miles.  It was fun to visit again this year with neighbor John who lives up the street, and to meet another neighbor, Laura, with her Sheltie. 

28 Mar: Amazing that we bound out of bed at 6:30 AM to follow the DOW ticker three hours ahead of us on Wall Street.  This was a successful QQQ day, with another potential success a few days ahead.  Looks like Ron has completed all other projects, so James Lea is about to again gain ascendancy.  Yay!  Ron has rested for a month from his work on James Lea.  5.31 miles

27 Mar:  And Ron is back to watching QQQ obsessively since it dropped this morning to 308, but we will wait a day or two hoping for better results. (That was a big mistake.)  The box of clothing that Cynthia shipped from Texas arrived.  Ron spent two hours outside clipping the downed branches into kindling.  Now we are waiting for Cynthia to be ready to hike.  This time we will remember to take water, carrots and an apple.  Ron's calf muscles have been sore for three days now.  They apparently are unused to the hills. We didn’t begin hiking until 2:00 PM and reversed our hike around the Big Park Loop achieving 5.88 miles today. We meet the nicest folks on the trail.  A gray haired lady moved here a few years ago full time; when she said she was a Norwegian from MN, Cynthia said they were likely cousins because she is related to half of the Norwegians in MN.  The lady clinched it when she said her grandmother owned a farm near DesMoines.  There’s the proof! 

26 Mar, Sunday:  Another early morning for the ride to worship at Christ Lutheran Sedona at 8:30.  This is an exceptional congregation.  After we returned home and fed our faces, we hiked 5.79 miles.  It is fun to see the water glistening as "streams" "flow" down the cliffs.  Now we rest, although Ron decided to bake a sweet potato and clip some more of the tree debris in the yard just before dark.

25 Mar:  We awakened to vivid sunshine for the first time in our first week in Sedona.  Cynthia is ready to walk after she finishes coffee, so we plan to have a good time.  We are 1.25 miles from the Bell Rock Trailhead with five hills to climb on the way back.  The hills are minimal when we are energetic as we start, but they constitute quite the challenge when we return.  Our total mileage today was 5.97 after hiking the Big Park Loop with lots of ups and downs, zigs and zags and bicyclists to avoid.  Cynthia's goal is 4 to 7 miles a day for the next thirty days.   As Ron was clipping tree branches into stackable sizes, he was amazed to watch a bobcat walk past within ten feet of him.  The cat seemed entirely unconcerned and totally uninterested in Ron.  This is not a big cat, not even as big as an Australian Shepherd.  I've seen Maine coon cats that look larger with all of their hair.  This bobcat is a short hair, and the tail is a bob.

24 Mar:  Ron is ensconced at home watching for a good time to sell his latest QQQ option (No such luck today.)  After exercise, oatmeal and mending, he took a break at 11 AM  to ride back to Clarks, hoping to find their raspberries on sale at 2/$4 and was delighted to purchase 4 big clamshells.  He also found the Ezekiel flaxseed bread that Cynthia now enjoys.  He began trimming the tree debris in the yard, and Cynthia insisted that we visit a pharmacy in Sedona.  The ride was pleasant enough except for the long line of slow traffic for a mile.  The red rocks were not as vivid under these cloudy skies (that we seldom see here). 

Ron with his little stream

23 Mar:  The sun is shining!  A friend emailed Cynthia the news that parts of Sedona are being evacuated due to flooding.  We are high and dry in the Village of Oak Creek, and Ron bought a lot of groceries yesterday in Cottonwood.  We expect more rain or snow by tonight.  Ron wanted to hike to see water flowing in any of the arroyos, and we did see a nice little stream after passing the Bell Rock Trailhead.  The trail was mostly dry, but there was a bit of mud and occasional puddles.  Our hike was  3.87 miles.  At dusk two white-tailed deer visited the arroyo behind the house.

22 Mar:  Housebound in the rain another day!  This is our second day to arise at 6:30 AM to watch QQQ soon after the New York Stock Exchange opens.  We saw wildlife in the backyard, not javelinas or deer, but couple of cute bunnies.  When QQQ rose to 313+, Ron bought a 312 put and was very surprised to be able to sell that at a significant profit at 3:59 EDT, a mere minute before the market closed.  Then Ron rode to Walmart in Cottonwood to stock up on groceries.  In Cornville Oak Creek had flooded fields and the roadway providing very unusual scenery for Arizona.

21 Mar:  Wow !!  Whoever woulda thunk that it would rain without ceasing ALL DAY.!!  Housebound in Sedona!  The rain is forecast to stop late tomorrow afternoon.  Maybe we will ride 50 miles to Cottonwood for cheaper groceries.  In a week the desert should be blooming beautifully. 

20 Mar:  Our final leg to Sedona was on AZ 260 winding around the Mogollon Rim of Arizona (fun to see on Google Earth) to I-17 N to AZ 179 N into the Village of Oak Creek. 80 miles.  Our first 70 miles through the National Forest were chilly at 39 degrees and again featured lots and lots of snowfields surrounding us.  It was a relief to descend off the rim into warmer temperatures at Camp Verde.  After we turned onto Highway 179 - - - Wow, Beaver Creek was a rushing torrent that we have never before seen.  Access is at the Ranger Station via the Woods Canyon Trailhead (click here).  Apparently the rain today is melting a snowpack somewhere up high.  Interesting to know that Dry Beaver Creek merges with Wet Beaver Creek near the Indian ruins at Montezuma Well and the developed community of Rimrock.  On a more mundane note, we shopped at Clark's (expensive) Grocery for things we will need in the next day or two until the rains stop.  So strange to be trapped indoors in Sedona because of "continuing" rain for 36 hours per forecast.

19 Mar, Sunday:  We plan to ride 97 miles to Payson, AZ this morning, leaving at 11 am.  And we did get started at 11, but it was a tough ride with winds shoving us around and temperatures still cold at close to 40 degrees.  The winds were forecast at 10 mph and turned into 18 mph with gusts to 37 mph as we rode.  After we arrived Ron updated the blog and we walked around the neighborhood to Walmart to purchase popcorn.  (And it is now time to pop more popcorn).  The forecast for midweek promises rain and snow, so Monday we move on to our Vacation Rental in the Village of Oak Creek.  Our route was N on AZ 260 towards Show Low, L on Woolford Rd (at Speedway gas station) -> S. Central Ave 1 mi to L on Whipple Drive .8 mi to L on Duece of Clubs 1 block to R on Clark/ AZ 260 (again) 88 miles to Payson, L on US 87 1 block to Comfort Inn.

18 Mar:  If the roads are reputed to be dry by noon, we will ride to Show Low, Arizona today, God willing.  And God was indeed willing!  The route was US 60 W, 200 miles.  It is surreal to see snow in the New Mexico desert.  We were less cold, especially after we crossed the Continental Divide.  Perhaps the mango and blueberry pie at Pie Town, NM warmed us up.  It is surreal that we ate pie!  But in our defense, we did eat egg white veggie omelets first.  We arrived in Pinetop, AZ, seven miles from Show Low.  It boasts four restaurants that claim to be fine dining.  Ron walked 1.2 miles to Safeway for bananas, blueberries, and pretzels.  There are several hiking trails, but we didn't check them out.  Cynthia's new BMW passenger seat will arrive in Pagosa Springs, CO about the third week of July.  Yay!!!!!!  

Lots of snow in the desert, something seldom seen

Our new motorcycle close to snow

17 Mar:  Happy St. Patrick's Day!  With the luck of the Irish, we will arrive in Magdalena, NM, dry and not frozen to death, by late afternoon.  No such luck, we arrived in Socorro, NM after riding 164 miles in sometimes freezing temperatures, often with marvelous views of snow covering the roadside, nearby mountains, and desert.  One noteworthy view was of snow spotting the face of a red rock cliff immediately beside the road.  It was 38 degrees when we left Roswell, dropping to 30 degrees after Ron opted to suffer the rough road through Lincoln and Capitan instead of taking smoother pavement into cloud-enshrouded and snow-covered Ruidoso.  Poor Cynthia's back was already suffering from the miscue Thursday when Ron rode off a curb leaving a gas station.  Strangely, the road was smoother between Lincoln and Capitan than before Lincoln or after Capitan.  When we saw a snow plow heading east, Ron thought, Uh Oh, and indeed we soon found ourselves on roads where the fine rock had been spread to melt snow.  Fortunately, there had been enough traffic to create "lanes" free from the rock.  The roads were still damp in places and the temperature was below freezing, so we went slowly down mountain curves.  Although it had snowed earlier all along the way, it did not snow on us.  When it is 30 outside, subtract at least ten degrees on a motorcycle at 65 MPH.  All of Cynthia's clothing is heated, so she was warm, except for her feet.  Our seats are heated, and so are the grips on the handlebars.  Fortunately, Ron had put on gloves when we stopped in Lincoln, but his face was very cold.  The snow-covered roadsides and mountains were gorgeous, and as we neared Socorro, the fog-enshrouded mountain was surreal.  The temperature was below 35 degrees all day until 30 miles from Socorro when it slowly rose to a balmy 42 degrees.  Tomorrow we ride to Springerville, AZ, God willing.  Today's route was simplicity itself: US 380 W to I-25 N to US 60 into Socorro and the Comfort Inn, 164 miles today.

Smooch and SmoochSmooch were younger once

16 Mar:  The forecast winds were daunting, 24+ with gusts to 40 mph, so we opted to sit in Roswell for a respite.  No regular oatmeal; good thing we carry our own.  QQQ is on the rise.  By mid-afternoon, it is 306.  How high will it go today?  Ron is an investor with risk-taking genes, and he opted to sell his 304 option at a loss near the high for the day.  Cynthia lost a quarter once and will never again gamble.  Ron found Mom's Oatmeal on his shopping expedition.  The choice for the rest of our trip is to ride in the cold or ride in the wind.  If we wait for warmer weather, the winds begin to blow much harder.

daughter Julie and her Lamar

15 Mar:  Leaving Lamesa, Ron stopped for fuel and, while watching traffic, mistook a curb for a ramp, dropped off that curb and the jolt jolted Cynthia's back pain so much that she cried tears.  The route from Lamesa, Texas to Roswell, New Mexico was quite pleasant with only moderate winds (as opposed to the horrendous winds two years ago - cf. this blog March 4-5, 2021).  The Texas town of Brownfield is named for its peculiarly orange-brown soil, obvious in numerous newly-plowed fields.  We arrived in Roswell before our room was ready and had to wait fifteen minutes to check-in.  Then we immediately headed back south to the Cattle Baron Restaurant for salad bars, a baked sweet potato, and salmon, prepared deliciously.  This route was even simpler: R on TX 137 to Brownfield, L on US 380 to Roswell.  171 miles today.

14 Mar:  We were up way too early and left Fredericksburg on highway 87 toward Lamesa, TX.  The interesting observation about today's scenery was that Spring regressed as we continued north and west until we found ourselves again surrounded by the dull, drab colors of winter.  En route, we passed trees with new spring-green leaves and others covered with bright magenta buds.  At the last minute, Ron decided to bypass San Angelo on loop 306 that he remembered from looking at the maps.  Loop 306 is a misnomer; it bypasses 1/3 of the city, then disappears.  Apparently, you need to know to take the US 277 for the other 2/3rds of the loop.  After a very frustrating experience with the industrial outskirts of San Angelo and TX 208, we emerged on FM 2105 at US 87 and Pepe's Diner which had great food for us.  We arrived in Lamesa and checked in to the Shiloh Inn at about 4 pm.  Ron then walked to one grocery store and rode to two more in search of pretzels, blueberries, and bananas.  Our route was much simpler: L on US 87 NW through Mason (40 miles) to L on TX 29 W (US 377) 30 miles to R on US 83 N (24 miles) to L on US 87 N (don't fall for Loop 306 bullshit at San Angelo) to Lamesa, TX.  284 miles today.

13 Mar:  We checked out early AM and began our journey to Sedona, AZ by staying overnight in Fredricksburg, Texas after an enjoyable dinner with Casey and Lucinda, Cynthia's clergy colleagues.  We had hoped to arrive by two PM, but due to all of Ron's last-minute "necessities," we didn't get out of Montgomery until 10:30 and arrived at 3:15.  The bluebonnets were again spectacular, and one particular roadside was covered in combination with orange Indian paintbrush too.  Also spectacular was one huge field full of yellow flowers.  Ron always enjoys great conversation with Casey and never pays any attention to the conversation on the feminine side of the table.  Blogging will continue on the journey as we are able.  Our route was TX 105 W to Brenham, R on Blue Bell Road (2 miles) to L on TX 36 S (1 mile) to R on US 290 W through Ledbetter & Giddings (45 miles) to L on TX 21 W through Bastrop (12 miles) to R on toll road TX 71 W (30 miles) to US 290 W (again) to Fredericksburg (60 miles), L on TX 16 to EconoLodge (never again - mice).  217 miles today.

12 Mar, Sunday:  We worked hard all day and made two trips to the storage locker.  This will be a hard work day!  We pack, move boxes to the storage unit, clean the condo, and drop off the car so Jon can car-sit.  At 6:00 we are pleased with our progress.

Cynthia w/ granddaughter Zoe

Fyn in foreground

11 Mar:  Tomorrow... Ron is being left without adult supervision for the third day in a row.  Cynthia had fun at Zoe’s wedding shower, a high tea with a Bridgerton theme.  It was off-the-charts elegant with fashionistas in hats, etc.  Zoe looked like a fairy tale princess.  A most hilarious moment was reading eight-year-old Fyn’s messages to her sister, the bride-to-be, “Don't worry about me.  I will be fine. It is ok !!”

daughters Roxanne & Julie, daughter-in-law Tina

10 Mar:  Ron is spending another day watching hopefully for a QQQ recovery, despite the forecast.  He is finally ready to begin the final packing the two boxes full of papers that came home in December.  Precious little has been discarded/ recycled.  Cooler today at 66 degrees now but 80% humidity here in Montgomery/ Houston.  Cynthia had a girl's day with a pedi/many.  Her haircut is now very short for hiking. 

9 Mar:  Cynthia is spending the day with her grandchildren in Bryan, Texas.  Oh, Goodie, the bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush are blooming in abundance en route to Bryan.  Ron spent the day putting his new AeroFlow nicknacks on the motorcycle, although he mounted the AeroWings in reverse and cannot remove them until the adhesive is totally cured on Sunday afternoon.

8 Mar:  Another day almost like yesterday except we walked 8.72 miles. Yay for us!  Cynthia moved more items to the storage unit.  Ron is always crazy busy, and Cynthia's right-hand doesn't work in a brace.

7 Mar:  The second best part of today was getting in our walk early while it was only 70 degrees.  Of course, the best part was waking up! With Ron's very necessary help, Cynthia moved packed containers from the condo into the storage unit.  Ron is achieving great progress for our departure.  We had a second walk at 6:30 PM totaling 7 miles.  

6 Mar:  Ron is back to watching QQQ again, intermixed with straightening up his messes and cleaning the kitchen.  (He should have sold for a small loss when it hit 303.76 instead of waiting for 304 and a tiny profit.  20/20 hindsight.)  Cynthia already did the laundry before leaving to see Gina about the brace holding her fingers from bending.  We are hopeful that the sagittal bands are healing, God willing.  Cynthia scored points for the first "I love you" of the day, but Ron gets points for writing it on the blog for all the world to see.

5 Mar, Sunday:  We awakened, exercised, ate, and are ready to go to church with minutes to spare.  Ron is mending the zippers on his pants today.  We ate a second breakfast of egg white omelets at Magnolia Diner - our romantic date for the month.  Cynthia wants to wait until late to walk, but Ron might go twice again today..  (His weight has crept up to 176.2 this morning.  Blood pressure 87/57 pulse 61.) today's blood pressure is an improvement over the recent 60/36 on 23 Feb. 

4 Mar:  Ron walked twice and talked with friends to and from the lake.  He spent the afternoon clipping and filing his toenails - how did that ever become so difficult and so time-consuming?  Cynthia packed and fed her face an egg white omelet with broccoli florets. Yuk.  (She forgot to buy  a bag of mixed veggies for her omelet.)  Ron ate cornbread with salmon out of a can.  Somehow Cynthia objects to that smell but doesn't mind the smell of salmon she cooks.  Nephew Eric is having trouble with his RPM coins website again.  Somehow it looks like Dreamhost is messing up his HTML as part of their conversion.

3 Mar:  The morning started early since Cynthia had a fasting blood draw an hour away.  She made it on time, but Ron stayed behind to tend his options garden and sold at 10:55 EST for another profit.!!  Cynthia's Dr appointment at noon went well.  Lab tests are excellent.  Ron walked late after finding and recording Medicare statements. (Obviously an obsessive-compulsive disorder.)

Ron Beatty is Smooch with SmoochSmooch

2 Mar:  We are thankful for a beautiful life.  Cynthia is packing in earnest.  Ron is not, yet, but he did check his options first thing and bought another one.  We walked the usual before noon, and Ron started mending his jacket and was watching his options intently after 2 PM when his contracts became "in the money." he even sold two of them for a profit.  Eureka !!  In the evening, we enjoyed a good meal at the Cosy Grape in Montgomery with Jon & Tina, old friends Jan & Jim, and new friends Bill & Tina.  A fine time was had by all (even though Ron could not stop smiling despite the wonderment of our new friends).  Cynthia had called ahead to find that the restaurant was entirely unable to cook anything without oil, so Ron took his own baked sweet potato to the restaurant.

1 Mar:  Cynthia is off to discuss spiritual direction with Pastor Diane.  Ron is slaving away with his various projects, having made yet another foray into the dangerous world of options.  We will walk later today as it is forecast (correctly) to be another hot one.  At about 2 pm, when it was obvious that his options were not going to pay off today, Ron called the Woodlands BMW to see if they could tune the suspension for a gentler ride for his beloved's tush, and the service scheduler said to bring it in anytime, so Ron rode the bike there promptly, and they did indeed adjust the suspension immediately (from Road and Auto to Dynamic and Min).  Our exercise walk totaled 2.5 miles, but Cynthia achieved four miles with another walk. 

FEB Winter Returns to Texas

  Reminder to self:  work on Duncan's package, add info from Dawn Harvey. 

View from our condo balcony

Yes, this is that same photo, but we don't have a snow-covered scene to put here yet.

Yes the same reminders, but Ron is the patient sort.

We are in a rental condo at The Point on the Walden peninsula, Lake Conroe, Montgomery Texas.

28 Feb:  The end is here (of February).  Now we (hi Ron) need to think of a March blog title by morning.  Our morning walk was late but done by one-thirty.  Ron's big jobs for the day (that he actually did) are to cook the package of lentils and sew a bit on his shirt.  Cynthia cooked her delicious salmon recipe for dinner, and we are back at work.  Ron finished documenting the family of Lawrence "Larry" Lea and then called Paul about QQQ options.  Cynthia organized clothing to be shipped to Sedona, to be shipped to California, to go back into the storage unit, or into the travel bag, finding all this most awkward with her right hand in a brace.  4 miles.  Ron walked to the lake and back after dark 

  

27 Feb:  We arose in time to walk almost to the lake before we needed to turn around in order to get to Cynthia's appointment for her splint that keeps her fingers "immobile" while the sagittal bands heal (we hope).  The ride there on the motorcycle went smoothly, and we arrived half an hour early.  Gina is a fun girl and quite talented at making splints.  On the way home we stopped for salads at Jason's Deli and at Walmart for frozen mango.  Our evening walk, plus walking through the day brought us a total of 7 miles. 

26 Feb:  We slept beautifully at Julie's, arose, exercised as usual, made oatmeal in a foreign environment (Julie's clean kitchen), and are excited to see what the day brings (besides more sherbert).  We enjoyed a lazy morning of casual conversation and more sherbert until noon, when we left and stopped at Jason's Deli for huge salads.  In the evening we walked to the point and to Walden road and turned in early for a good night of sleep.

25 Feb: We are ready for something different!  After we exercise. oatmeal, and walk, Ron will load the car with recycling, and pack overnight bags for a slumber party at our daughter Julie's.  We had a wonderful time visiting with Julie until Lamar arrived to cook salmon and sweet potatoes for dinner, delicious.  Afterwards, we gathered around Julie's custom-made lazy susan with our Christmas present, a 200-piece jigsaw puzzle of our favorite picture of our wedding.  It was a delightful evening, but I was shocked to hear that the time had fled and it was after 11 pm.  At that late hour Julie reminded Ron that she had purchased sherbert especially for him, so he ate half of the container labeled lime.

24 Feb:  Is already gone, and Ron failed to update the blog yesterday too.  However, everything stays the same: up, exercise, eat, walk, work on James Lea, eat more, walk more, sleep.  Repeat.  Great-granddaughter Abigayle sent a precious letter.  Ron never dreamed he would have grandchildren much less have great-grandchildren!  6.52 miles. FUN FUN FUN

23 Feb:  See 24 Feb.  7.62 miles

22 Feb:  Retirement is wonderful.  We can awaken after sunrise, exercise, eat oatmeal and stresslessly mess with our computers until motivated to get out the door for a walk.  By all means, give it a try as soon as you are able.

21 Feb:  was a hot Tuesday in Texas.  Ron is enjoying making plans for DTYD at MIT in mid-April 2024.  Cynthia is delighted to attend.  After lunch today, Ron walked to the lake while Cynthia stayed out of the sun in the fitness center.  We walked again after dinner, her miles totaling 3.75 miles.   James Lea is progressing slowly as Ron finds more and more on Find-A-Grave.

20 Feb:  Cynthia's sagittal bands on her right hand are now immobilized in a brace for a few months.  Normal right-hand tasks are challenging.  Cynthia's sagittal bands have stretched and weakened during her 18+ years on the planet.  It might take 3-6 months of wearing the brace to heal.  Is this better than surgery?  We will see.  Ron will have many extra tasks to do, like cooking, washing Cynthia's hair, and typing. 

19 Feb:  Jon, Tina, Rachel, Ryan, and Blaire met us for brunch after worship, but the Yacht Club had a really horrible singing guitar player making an intolerably loud noise.  Ron asked to have the volume reduced, watched as the performer tweaked his amplifier minutely, told the management that he was leaving, and walked out.  Cynthia phoned him when the "music" finally stopped.  We won't go back to this convenient fine dining location that we have patronized frequently for ten years.  

18 Feb:  Good golly it will be cold, 36 degrees overnight!  We didn't get a lot done today, in part because Ron was up until 2 AM last night. Ron did a bit more editing, having found amazing things thanks to Ancestry and Find-A-Grave.  He walked to the lake and back while Cynthia hit the machines at the fitness center again.  Ron is all excited to think of motivating a DTYD reunion at MIT in 2024.  Cynthia's walking totaled 3 miles

17 Feb:  The housecleaning frenzy is afoot.  One bathroom and one bedroom are very clean, the carpets are vacuumed, the laundry is done, and her clothes are organized for shipping or storage unit.  Ron even cleaned the kitchen a bit.  Ron took a break from editing to walk four miles, plus we walked together in the evening.  Cynthia totaled 3.75 miles

16 Feb:  QQQ finally did what Ron needed to see to purchase a call option.  Now let's see if he loses this money too.  Ron walked all alone in the afternoon while Cynthia ran errands and then spent time at the fitness center.  We walked together in the dark.  Cynthia’s total mileage was five. 

15 Feb:  Cynthia arose at the crack of light to launch herself and Lexus in the direction of her annual dermatologist appointment two hours away in the center of Houston’s insane traffic.  Ron was without adult supervision sand didn't even get into trouble, thanks to James Lea.  Cynthia successfully traveled the crowded freeways of Houston even though she had to take her least favorite route.  It is not surprising that it takes an entire day to travel downtown.  The dermatologist/ esthetician applied a chemical scrub that leaves Cynthia looking like a spousal abuse victim.  She is forbidden to go into the sunlight or sweat for a week.  Ron walked solo this evening.  How did these two days sneak past us?  One was misnumbering our calendar.

14 Feb:  Happy Valentines Day to my beloved, brilliant, handsome, witty, fun-filled Smooch.  You are a gift from God.  I love you♥️  And Smooch got points for the first "I love you" of the day, although he didn't have a cute little heart emoji.  15 Valentine's Days together!  The new AeroFlow windscreen arrived, so Ron will have reading to do before installing it with all the various little glue thingees.  7 Miles hoop de doo!

Two diary entries:  hers:  “Dear Diary: told him I love him several times, I prepared a fabulous meal, and he just lay awake for hours.  Maybe there's someone else he is thinking about.”  and His diary: “Dang, I can't figure out why the motorcycle won't start.”

13 Feb:  Tomorrow, another God-given day to enjoy.  We arose at 4:14, as in the AM!  (Ouch sayeth the retirees.)  Cynthia took the car to be serviced at 8:30 AM.  The mechanic is an inexpensive, experienced Lexus mechanic.  Jon drove Cynthia from and to the mchanic's shop morning and afternoon.  It was an amazing experience for her, driving home and seeing through a sparkling clean windshield!  On our sunset walk we found Coach in his truck at the marina watching the birds.  Mileage on our walks totaled 7.62 miles. 

12 Feb, Sunday:  And we awaken to another bright, beautiful day in Houston.  Ron is rehearsing his proselytic passion, phraseology to motivate retirees to replace the morning commute with a daily exercise routine in order to keep the body functioning as well as possible as long as possible.  Otherwise decay soon eliminates the ability to pursue other interests.  Ask those active elders you know how much time they spend sitting.  You will learn that they don't spend much time sitting.  Enough for today.  We enjoyed church.  (Cynthia really likes the hearing earbuds tuned to the sound system.  She actually heard the sermon for the second Sunday in a row.!!)  Then we ate a light lunch at home and walked to the fitness center, to the lake and back, passing a noisy gaggle of aggressive geese twice.  We are now preparing for bed after our second outing of the day. 7.64 miles

11 Feb:  The forecast is for cold weather.  This translates to sleep.  And we were indeed still in bed, Cynthia asleep, when Ron's pill alarm started ringing at 9 AM.  We upped, exercised, ate, and walked.  It wasn't bad until we turned around into the wind.  Even then it was a nice day for a walk. Salmon is baking for dinner which will be followed by the second walk of the day.  Seven Miles 

10 Feb:  After the usual and an earlier walk than usual, we drove to the bank first to wire money to England for DNA analysis, then to the Hodge Podge Lodge for a late lunch with Larry & Dawn at 1:30.  Ron had been watching QQQ for an opportunity to buy a call, but didn't see it.  We walked a second time into a cold windy evening with a great sunset.  Seven miles 

9 Feb:  Cynthia bounced out of the condo early to get a dress fitted for granddaughter Zoe’s June wedding and to do her girlicure thing.  Ron was spared the girlicure thing because he was too slow to get going by 9 AM.  We walked four miles, followed by work on James Lea. 

8 Feb:  Cynthia had an appointment with the ENT doctor and audiologist in the morning, followed by a car inspection, getting the safety tag, and lunch at Magnolia Diner.  We were so busy, we might have walked and forgotten.  One of Ron's pills was stuck in his throat for an hour.  The ENT said that there are two sphincters that keep stomach acid in the stomach and some pills are rough enough and light enough that the sphincter doesn't fully relax to let the pill through, then spasms and won't release after the pill is stuck halfway through.  It was very unpleasant.

7 Feb:  Another glorious day for an early walk.  (We were more than halfway there by noon under threat of rain and a few light sprinkles.)  The sun breaks through the clouds, and we haven’t had the forecast of severe thunderstorms ... Yet. Maybe we will get a second walk today? We did!  And we have a total of 7.2 miles!  Ron has resumed working on James Lea after a few days of cleaning and straightening his messes.  (My beloved certainly puts up with a lot.)

6 Feb:  Ron was delighted to sleep 7 hours uninterrupted last night.  We walked to the lake early and expect to walk again before dark because the next two days are forecast to be stormy.   Ron is continuing to get paper off the floor and prepared for recycling.  Things are looking better.  7.6 miles, 18,066 steps.  Cynthia's daily goal is to close all of the Fitness rings on the iPhone. 

5 Feb, Sunday:  Rested, exercised, and oatmealed, we went off to worship on this glorious sunny day!  After lunch, we walked, and we were surprised by the warmth.  Almost six miles - Yay!

4 Feb:  Ron awakened at 2:23 and was not yet back to sleep by 3:45, so he is blogging before resuming James Lea.  Tomorrow is forecast to be a beautiful "warm" and sunny day, and Sunday should be even better.  No surprise that we were not early to rise this morning, but we did walk twice on this lovely, sunny, and cool day.  Yay for us: we walked 8.23 miles in two trips.  And the condo is CLEAN.

3 Feb:  So what does Friday bring for us.?  Let's thank God in advance. We walked our usual four miles to the lake at noon and drove to Walmart for groceries before joining Pastor Diane and John for dinner at the yacht club at five PM.  Ron thoroughly enjoyed talking with John about Cream and other rock and roll bands we have seen (Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead).  John remembers the first concert he ever attended.  Ron was probably too stoned to remember.  (I'll have to ask a roommate.)  Unfortunately, we found Friday night "happy hour" at the Yacht Club unpleasantly loud and noisy.

Cynthia's newest role model

 2 Feb:  After another wonderfully leisurely retirement morning, we were out of bed and breakfasted before 10 AM.  Ron called the credit union to make sure he had money in his account.  We looked at the 11 Bankstons on the chart of all mankind and decided that we need another 30 Bankston males to test their Big Y DNA.  Cynthia immediately signed up three more participants, and now we are down to 27 more needed.  The morning rain finally stopped about noon, and Ron walked the usual four miles.  Cynthia, being the adventurous one, considered a morning ride (see photo).  She spent the afternoon on the phone with FTDNA, and did not get lunch until four-thirty!  Ron is still following QQQ and is tempted to buy a put today but Paul advised against it.  Organizing piles of papers is Ron's priority today.

Feb 1:  Good morning from the shores of Lake Conroe, Texas.  The temperature at eleven AM is 32 degrees, and it is raining, not snowing.  We enjoyed sleeping late and resuming our projects.  After lunch,  Cynthia drove to the fitness center and worked out.  (All the guys go home for lunch and leave the equipment free.)  Ron, the chronic hypothermic, walked the usual to the other point.  The excitement was seeing ten fire trucks at the apartments a block from ours; we were told that a water heater caught fire.  We are elated that Dr. Gleeson said our "Leas of Caswell County DNA Project" is the most comprehensive FTDNA Big Y Project he has seen.  He is a renowned genetic genealogist from the UK.  (He is indeed a medical doctor.  He simply decided that genealogy is just more fun.)