Merry December Together in Texas

Cynthia is the shorter one

31 Dec:  We have thoroughly enjoyed the day!  It certainly is a day for reflection on all we have to be thankful for.  Cynthia is baking salmon.  Apologies to Barb for allowing the blog to become boring.  (Barb says I did better after updates.)  Once Ron finished with genealogy, he had to attend to finances, RMD and asset allocation calculations.  Things should be better in the New Year (for at least a few days.)  Today we took a break from walking although Ron did ride the motorcycle to get groceries.  He was quite surprised to get a call from Emily Rice and then even more surprised to discover that she is a world famous astrophysicist.  There were also a couple of genealogical e-mails of great interest - new cousin connections dating back to the early 1800s.

30 Dec:  Rise and Shine!  We are headed out for a long walk on this glorious day.  It was a surprise to see the markets drop so much.  Ron completed his required minimum distribution (good thing he called Fidelity - that avoided a mistake and possible penalty), and he is nearly finished with his asset allocation.  Cynthia treated herself to a mani/pedi cure, feeling fully recovered from bronchitis.  Ron walked to the lake again at dark thirty.

29 Dec:  Another quiet day putting walnuts in their proper place.  (That is an in joke.)  Ron was downloading and recording financial statements into his spreadsheets all day and walked just before dark

28 Dec:  Worn out, guess what we did today?

27 Dec: Worn out, we slept late again!

26 Dec:  Worn out, we slept late.  Ron mailed more cards late.  He walked to the lake after dark as usual.

25 Dec:  The family Christmas gathering at Paul’s with his siblings, replete with a British Christmas dinner, was fabulous.  Paul and Cheryl tempted us with food that was just too good.  Ron succumbed to chicken Wellington (divine) and cherry pie (delicious).  Everyone behaved themselves, and Fyn (ten years old) played a Christmas tune on piano that she had taught herself in only two hours by watching a video.  Roxanne and Julie gave Christmas presents to Ron & Cynthia; they gave us healthy foods !!  Kiira brought one-month-old Hayden Grace but kept her in the library away from potential colds & flu.  Son Jon drove us to and fro, so we were entirely relaxed for the whole time. 

24 Dec:  Cynthia, after much internal debate and soul searching, is well enough to go to the family gathering tomorrow.  Ron mailed more cards.  This might be the day Ron decided to do trail maintenance to fill in the holes that have jarred his back while walking after dark.  Interesting that so many people use this trail, but no one maintains it.

23 Dec:  Ron mailed Christmas cards; we shopped for groceries and picked up a prescription at Lakeside Pharmacy.  MEDICAL 6 miles) We will decide tomorrow night if Cynthia’s cough has improved enough to attend the family gathering with a newborn present.  Ron walked at 5:16 PM 

22 Dec:  Ron walked before breakfast today, i.e., 9:30.  He walked again at 5:30 PM, and he recorded receipts the rest of the day.  Cynthia’s cough continues to improve.

21 Dec:  Today Ron is walking right after breakfast, i.e. noon.  Late in the day, Ron realized that Cynthia's use of the inhaler was not providing the relief that it should, so he asked Cynthia how she uses an inhaler.  She neglected to breathe out forcibly before inhaling deeply while squirting the inhaler.  These inhalers squirt a mist that immediately penetrates whatever it hits, i.e. usually the back of the throat where it does no good for the breathing.  Cynthia is improving after a good sleep.  The wracking cough stopped wracking and is down to hacking.  It still is exhausting.  Ron walked twice!

20 Dec:  MEDICAL 8:50 AM (72 Miles) we left for Cynthia's annual retina specialist appointment.  This was strictly a routine exam to make certain dry AMD has not turned into wet AMD.  All is stable.  We decided to go to ER next since Cynthia's cough is worser and worser.  Besides Ron was not confident that the Urgent Care nurse practitioner was competent.  Four hours later, after blood pressure, EKG, X-Rays, blood work, inhalation therapy with steroids, we were able to eat at Jason's Deli, our favorite hereabouts.  After dark, Ron walked to the lake and back. 

19 Dec:  And we are awake early today.  Cynthia's cough sounds more normal today, and she is feeling better.  Ron has thought of another couple of people to send cards.   Cynthia needs to get the car license numbers to send to EZ pass.  Turns out the message from TxTag was a scam.  Last thing in the evening Ron walked to the lake and back.  Cynthia's cough is still fierce at times.

18 Dec:  MEDICAL; 36 Miles. Cynthia had a miserable night coughing, so we are visiting Urgent Care first thing. The first Urgent Care doesn't take Medicare or medical insurance, so you are expected to pay out-of-pocket.  We didn't.  The second one was a couple of miles further away, near the marina.  The nurse praticianer said that it is either a cold or allergies.  Cynthia was given a steroid shot and anti-cough pills.  Pills, not syrup for the diabetic.  We fell back to sleep soon after getting home.  The meds are helping.  Ron is writing more Christmas cards!  And Volume I is completed.  Thank you Smooch!  Last thing in the evening Ron walked to the lake and back.

17 Dec:  We again arose late and walked after noon, 4.44 miles.  Ron then finished addressing Christmas cards and rode to the post office to buy stamps, and Eureka, the cards are in the mail.  Now he is working on a few more, but has decided upon the Christmas annual letter; the brief note he sent to cousin Kamie will do nicely.  Cynthia's runny nose and drainage suddenly turned into a dry cough before bed time.

16 Dec:  Ron planned to mail Christmas cards to family and friends.  Oh well, maybe tomorrow?  We enjoyed sleeping late.  Now, onto the big 4.30 mile walk.

15 Dec, Sunday:  A hard freeze last Wednesday ushered fall into SE Texas.  Leaves are turning bronze, orange and gold, are now falling; golden sunlight filters through the treetops and casts a magical glow.  Christmas worship was lovely; children and tweens performed the Christmas story and the congregation did our part by adding on cue, “Do not fear!”  We had brunch at Magnolia Diner, followed by a Rip Van Winkle nap for Cynthia while Ron corrected a mistake he made in the manuscript.  Cynthia watched the Reagan movie reaching the conclusion that Ron Beatty is like Ron Reagan in amazing ways.  We walked 3.2 miles.  

14 Dec:  promises to be rainy?  Ron was relieved to sleep until 10 AM after his late bedtime last night.  Then he worked on the index a tiny bit and wasted more time on basketball videos of Marques Haynes (6') and Lance and Lawrence Cudjoe (5' 5" twins), whose three short guards college team won 112 games while losing only 3.  They even beat the Harlem Globetrotters, but the next year all three joiined the Globetrotters.   

13 Dec:  Oh, what fun! Oh, what fun! Oh, what fun!  Indeed!  We worked on the index.  Ron again wasted much of the day watching basketball videos.  We walked 5.33 miles;  Cynthia thought she lost her cell phone until she discovered it right where she left it on the kitchen counter.  We enjoyed baked acorn squash, baked potato, and baked salmon.  The Lea Book index edits are updated.  Volume II is waiting in the wings until after Christmas.  Fooey, Ron found more things needing fixes throughout the index and stayed up until 1:30 AM working on them.

12 Dec:  Today Ron WILL get Christmas cards written and into the mail.  (or at least written.)  We walked to the lake and back about noon, and we drove to Walmart to get groceries, including coffee and oatmeal.  Now Ron is back to work on Christmas cards - after adding Cynthia's index fixes.

11 Dec:  Tomorrow.  Ron enjoyed frittering away the entire day watching U-Tube basketball highlights of Pistol Pete Maravich, Dr. J, and Larry Bird.  He still thinks that Wilt Chamberlain, the Big Dipper, was the greatest of all time, and Wilt said that Meadowlark Lemon was the best player he ever played with or against.  We listened to a couple of KISS songs when Cynthia thought that Bill O'Reilly was going to interview one of those guys who dated Cher, and that led to another distraction finding out how much Cher has done in her life and that she wasn't so disrespectful of Sonny after his death.

10 Dec:  Without snow it doesn't feel like Christmas, despite all the adorable photos of great-grandchildren with Santa Claus we are receiving in emails.  Ron has Christmas cards on the counter to send.  The Smooches walked four-plus mile.  The attendant at the Fitness Club calls us “The Lovebirds.”

9 Dec:  It was a cloudy and then a sunny day in Montgomery Town.  We walked five miles, which is a good thing.  Cynthia went the weekend without her hand brace and paid the price of the pain. 

8 Dec, Sunday:  It is a rainy Sunday in Montgomery, Texas, but our brunch guests brought laughter and sunshine into the Cafe on the Green.  Cynthia forgot to take photos of her son Jon, granddaughter Samantha and her three-year-old son Noah, and grandson Steven.  Noah is a delight to be around.  When he was ready to leave, he walked around the table to pleasantly tell everyone goodbye, it was time to go.  We are very proud of granddaughter Sam who is the Director of Counseling at a school for autistic children.  Her husband Adam is an engineer with Forde Construction.  They are expecting new baby Theo in six weeks.  And wow for grandson Steven who teaches science and chemistry to eighth graders at Cy-Fair.  Fifteen rahs for you Steven!

Lunch with Jon (photographer)

7 Dec:  No schedule !!  We can and did sleep in today.  Rainy day, so we are indoors working on the index until noon or later. Uffda.  The index was completed and inserted into the book, but the concordance disappeared when Ron attempted to format a couple of lines that appeared to be in a larger font.  What a sick feeling that was until he discovered that TextEdit comes with at Revert To previous version choice.  All is well, the index is in the book with a total of 489 pages.  We went for a short walk just before dark and dined on popcorn again.  Now, after taking a couple of days off, he will add the appendices to Volume II.  Thank God! 

Cynthia is the shorter one

6 Dec:  Up early again, this time to get the car seats recovered.  At 42 degrees, this was a Brrrh motorcycle ride home for Cynthia.  After noon, when Cynthia had thawed out, we walked across the peninsula and back for our usual four miles.  The upholstery shop did a fantastic job for Cynthia, improving her seating position and lumbar support.  Ron again spent the day indexing, and since it is now nighttime, eating popcorn.  Lauren sent this photo of Lauren and Grandmother Cynthia, a memory of the last family Thanksgiving.  

5 Dec:  We had a lazy morning and went for our walk at noon.  Ron spent the day indexing; only 280 lines left to finish.  What a relief.!!  We are back to eating popcorn in the evenings to avoid calories.

4 Dec:  We did it!  MEDICAL Dr Beim. (100 Miles). We were up at five AM, exercised, oatmealed, and in the car by 7:15 for the 1.5 hour drive to the ophthalmologist in Brenham, Texas, arriving with three minutes to spare.  The Dr. dilated Ron’s eyes, but won't do the cataract consultation until 6 February.  Bummer.  It is likely he will have more lab and measurement appointments prior to surgery.  This postpones departure and scheduling indefinitely; we will know more 6 February.  We had lunch at Magnolia Diner, where the waitress remembered us and greeted us cheerfully, and we slept the afternoon away. 

3 Dec:  Ron indexed; we walked four miles, brought home a load of boxes from the storage unit, and shopped for groceries,  After some popcorn, it will be an early bedtime because we leave at seven AM tomorrow for Ron’s dilated eye exam, a prerequisite for cataract surgery. 

2 Dec.  There are only 23 days until Christmas.  We enjoyed sleeping late and having a lazy morning, although Ron continues working diligently on the Lea index.  We walked almost four miles on a lovely, warm, pleasant day.  Cynthia is re-reading Bonhoeffer’s book, The Cost of Discipleship.  A significant chapter deals with denying self by forgiving others.  

1 Dec:  Ron completed his PACEMAKER test - again.  He also announced the December blog title: I love you!  Cynthia spent the day going to the Nutcracker Ballet again, but this time with her two sons, Jon and Paul, plus Paul’s two daughters, Zoe and Fyn.  Zoe received highest honors for her MA dissertation from University of York. 

Thank God for Thanksgiving. Thankful in Nov. Despite Distance Apart

The Smooches are together again in Montgomery, Texas. Oh Joy, oh Joy.

Mom and Jon at the movies, having fun

30 Nov: (4)  Ron called ElaRuth and joined her for breakfast at the IHOP in Nacogdoches for two hours.  The ride was still not really warm although it was much better today. and best of all, he was able to hug Cynthia three days earlier than originally planned.  Whoopee.!!.  An Amen is heard in Texas!  Cynthia, Julie, Corrie, Abigail, Eleanor and Caleb enjoyed attending the Nutcracker Ballet at the Brown Theater in Houston. And yay is us today!

29 Nov: (5)  Oh My God, the forecast is for a high of 31 degrees in Mount Olive.  That is brutal on a motorcycle, so Ron left on Thanksgiving, a day earlier, and arrived in Memphis "warm" and dry.  He enjoyed a good night sleep with plans to be on the road at warm-thirty.  The big surprise was to find frost on the motorcycle seat the morning after Thanksgiving in Memphis.  After another chilly start, the day warmed up quickly to a high of 55 degrees in Little Rock, Texarkana, and Nacodgoches.  Thanks be to God, after a long day, he made it to Nacogdoches,TX!  That is only 125 miles from Montgomery!

28 Nov: (6)  Happy Thanksgiving.  Ron thanks God for Cynthia and thanks Cynthia for our wonderful life.  He did enjoy "warm" weather (above freezing) all the way to Memphis Tennessee, starting at 32 degrees in Livingston, IL, 37 degrees at the Jefferson Barracks Bridge, 40 to 44 degrees through Missouri and briefly 48 degrees in Marion, Arkansas.  While riding through Missouri in 40 degree temperatures, Ron was amazed to see three other motorcyclists heading north on the I-55 on Thanksgiving Day plus another two elsewhere.  Cynthia went to her bishop’s home for their Happy Hour and drank Apple Cider.  Ouch, it has 24 grams of sugar in it.  The roast turkey was the best she has ever eaten.  Cynthia and the bishop walked four miles.  Cynthia thanks God for Ron and thanks Ron for our wonderful life.  Ron arrived about ten miles from Memphis, TN. Yayayay. 

27 Nov: (7)  After his usual communing with nature and decimating bush honeysuckle, Ron is celebrating Thanksgiving with Carol and Bill on this day and packing to be ready to leave Illinois Thursday morning heading south.  Carol's dinner of roast turkey was absolutely delicious with homemade cranberries, fat-free mashed potatoes, peas and homemade persimmon nut bread.  Ron ate until full and then we all returned to the jigsaw puzzle.  By the time Ron checked the weather, it was raining, so further bush honeysuckle escapades are postponed until next year.  Despite his curtailed day, he felt rewarded to cut a couple of large bushes, one of which had red berries.  Ron was happy to be able to do his laundry so that no one can tell that he scooted down a couple of hills on his butt.

26 Nov: (8 days until the Smooches reunite)  The temperature in Mount Olive, IL at 8:30 AM was a chilly 30 degrees, and in Montgomery, Texas it was 46 degrees.  Cynthia ran errands and walked almost four miles at eleven AM.  Ron told his sister about the forecast for Friday, and she suggested that we celebrate our Thanksgiving meal a day early so that he can travel on Thanksgiving day in above freezing temperatures.  He wonders if he can find gasoline that day.  In celebration Ron walked the woods twice and pulled 178 bush honeysuckle, including a couple that were too large and required sawing.

25 Nov: (9)  Oatmealed, ready to exercise and hit the trails walking before running errands.  Lunch and dinner today was soup.  Ron was a bit slow early in the day, but warmed up after noon and managed to pull 213 bush honeysuckle, a new record.  He was falling asleep sitting while Carol and Bill played Mahjong but didn't fall sleep in bed until midnight.  Indexing continues apace after dark every day.  There are less that 1600 "lines" of the book that need indexing attention. Yayayayay! 

24 Nov, Sunday: (10)  Julie and I enjoyed a lovely visit.  Her home is beautifully decorated in every corner, even down to unique toilet paper. Oh My!  Cynthia was delighted to visit new baby Hayden Grace, Kiira, Roxanne, and Austin.  Roxanne wasn’t excited about the oatmeal and banana cookies sans sugar.  

23 Nov: (11)  Cynthia is going to daughter Julie’s to overnight after walking to the lake late morning. 5.0 miles.  Ron got out into the woods to pull bush honeysuckle three times and wore himself out each time.  The hills around here are steep and footing is uncertain.  121 bush honeysuckle.

22 Nov: (12 days until the Smooches reunite)  Cynthia and Jon are going to find out about replacing auto seat covers this morning.  She has an appointment in Hempstead with the CPA at two PM.  She baked three dozen more cookies. 💋  Ron dragged his feet a little bit in order to ride warmer, but it didn't help.  It was a cold, 47 degree ride from Carlyle to the Denny's in Edwardsville, where he met Maxine and Doug for a late lunch (of egg white veggie omelets).  The rest of the ride to Mt. Olive went quickly and seemed less cold at 44 degrees.  Carol had salmon and sweet potatoes for dinner, delicious.

21 Nov: (13)  Cynthia walked almost five miles in fabulous 66 degree weather.  She baked three dozen cookies for Ron today; additional bananas are ripening to be turned into banana oatmeal cookies.  Maybe the frozen mango will need to be eaten fast so there is room for the cookies.  Ron ventured out into the cold wind once for a three mile walk along the haunted trail, sheltered somewhat by the forest.  He attended to genealogy and indexed a bit.  

20 Nov.  We are both energetic this AM; exercised, oatmealed, and we were ready to roll onto our trails at 8:20 AM.  Cynthia took Ron’s advice to not overdo it after several days of rain and the five mile jaunt yesterday by turning back at the fitness center; mileage total is 3.21 at noon-thirty, no doubt energized by the cool temperature of 62 degrees.  She is still doing tax bookwork.  Winter temperatures have arrived in Illinois.  It was no warmer than 55 degrees with a very strong and cold wind as Ron rode from Carlyle 50 miles to Belleville to see a Junior High School classmate.  Bill wasn't home, but Ron was delighted to meet his son Matt, a well groomed, well dressed, good mannered 20-year-old.  Next was another brief visit to Cynthia at the Cambridge House, who was leaving for a shopping trip to Dollar Tree with a cousin.  And finally Ron caught Dick at his law office at 3:30 and enjoyed listening to Dick's stories about college, cars, military, etc.  The return to Carlyle was even chillier in gathering darkness.

19 Nov: Cynthia walked 5.0 miles and had dinner with Jon and friends. Ron walked the dam twice.  See the photo of sunlight sparkling like trillions of diamonds on lake (in Texas).

sunleght sparkling like trillions of diamonds

18 Nov:  Ron enjoyed a nice visit with Ann and Diane at Cedarhurst in Highland.  Diane picked him up at Mariner's Village at 9:30 so that he didn't have to risk getting wet and windblown.  Cynthia (in TX) drove to the bank to figure out what eye online DDA’s were in her checking account.  No, she was not hacked.  The items were reimbursement to son Jon for shipping prescriptions.  Jon took Cynthia to see the movie "Bonhoeffer" tonight. 

17 Nov, Sunday:  Ron transitioned again to Mariner's Village at Lake Carlyle in order to visit other friends from high school and junior high, starting with a different Cynthia at Cambridge House in Belleville.  That visit went very well, and we enjoyed chatting for more than an hour.  Ron’s Texas Cynthia sat inside the entire day because of rain.  The best part was watching Martin Scorsese new series, The Saints, with episode one about Joan of Arc.  That was followed by a great story about George Washington before and leading up to the Revolutionary War.  Following that was a documentary about James Armistead Lafayette, a slave who was a spy during the Revolutionary War.  She feels very inspired and patriotic. 

16 Nov:  Saturday in Texas will be lovely with a high forecast of 78 degrees and sunshine.  It is a great day to walk to the lake.  Ron received cataract aftercare instructions from Bonnie: 1. Do not sleep with pets.  2. Do not wear make up.  3. Do not bend over or lift over 5 lbs.  Ron appreciates the good advice.  He walked to the mailbox again after dark this evening (a mile each way).

Cynthia with newborn Hayden Grace

15 Nov:  Cynthia thoroughly enjoyed seeing new born baby Hayden, her mama Kiira and her grandmother Roxanne.  (The hospital was unable to force Roxanne to leave her new grandbaby.)  Ron went into the woods twice again today and pulled another 132 bush honeysuckle.  That and a trip to town for groceries consumed the day.  Carol again cooked a delicious dinner of salmon and sweet potato.  Eighteen more days until Ron arrives in Texas.  Joy is us!

14 Nov: MEDICAL. (60 Miles)Cynthia has a dental appointment.  Cynthia and Ron have a 12th great-grandchild, Hayden Grace, just born!  Ron again searched in the woods for those lost clippers and pulled another 130 bush honeysuckle.

13 Nov:  In Mt. Olive, Illinois, Ron hunted (without success) for his clippers hanging in a tree somewhere in the woods.  He did find the last honeysuckle he cut, retraced most of his path and pulled another 51 honeysuckle, so the time was not entirely wasted.  And true to forecast rain began after noon for which genealogy projects were waiting.  Cynthia bounced out of bed at five AM, exercised and ate a hearty bowl of oatmeal and berries.  Taxes, a trip to the pharmacy for a RX,  plus attending a funeral are on the ticket for the day.  She is to stay out of the sun on her skin for a couple days so will work out at fitness center.  Thanks to ‘Lizabeth in South Carolina for the following amusement: Remnants of the old Richmond, Nicholasville, Irvine & Beattyville Railroad (RNI&B) are still visible today, including these bridge piers in the Kentucky River at Valley View, Kentucky.  The RNI&B once stretched from Frankfort to Airedale, but much of it was abandoned in the 1930s.  The bridge over the river was dismantled in 1942, though the piers were left in place to serve as supports for the nearby Valley View Ferry.  More photos and history of the RNI&B from our partner site.

12 Nov:  MEDICAL (130 Miles) Jon is taking Cynthia to her dermatologist appointment.  A good day despite waking up at 3:30 AM.  She put the brace back on her right hand after too much work on the IPad keyboard.  Ron pulled 105 bush honeysuckle and left his new clippers somewhere in the woods.  He got off to a sluggish start this morning and afternoon before finally feeling more energetic after a couple of rest breaks.   

11 Nov:  Cynthia is on a sleeping binge.  She had a three hour nap yesterday afternoon and went to sleep last night at 9:00, arising this AM at 5:50.  She walked almost six miles.  Ron also slept well and pulled bush honeysuckle in three bouts, the rest are shaking in their roots!  What a fabulous day! 

10 Nov, Sunday:  Ron, in Illinois, pulled a lot of bush honeysuckle and snipped multiflora rose bushes today, with more of the same planned for tomorrow.  Cynthia walked four plus miles.

9 Nov:  We both slept wonderfully well last night, and Ron awakened ready to burn leaves, which we did until the rain started at 10 AM.  Then we made a trip to town for groceries, and Ron went out to pull bush honeysuckle for an hour in the afternoon.  We might have figured out all Eric needs for his web site.  Cynthia walked exactly six miles in two trips, plus bookkeeping and writing a meditation. 

8 Nov:  MEDICAL (60) Miles) Cynthia is delighted that she can now hear the GPS clearly and that her iPhone relays the messages to her hearing aids.  Jon fixed something; we don’t know what happened, but she enjoyed the drive to MD Anderson for her annual mammogram.  This was a very long day at MDA.  But, thanks be to God, it is a negative mammogram.  After having breast cancer in 2011, going in for a mammogram creates anxiety.  Now, praise God, and home to relax following several over-filled days.  Ron returned to Carol and Bill’s tree farm, stopping first in Trenton to see Dean, a high school classmate, and then following GPS directions over innumerable one-lane asphalt roads.  No wonder county roads have a reputation.  Carol and Bill welcomed Ron with a delicious salmon and sweet potato dinner.  Route: The route to Carol's farm was quite an adventure.  Ron had decided to try the back roads and turned west toward Panama, which went well enough until he couldn't decide which road to take out of Panama and picked the wrong one (again), eventually wandering through Sorento and Walshville before skirting Mt. Olive and finally seeing familiar sights.  Upon arrival, he told Carol and Bill that it is no wonder that the county roads are poorly maintained; there are endless one lane paved roads in this county.

7 Nov: Cynthia and Jon tried to install a new Bluetooth dash mounted GPS.  The installation was seamless, but it will not work because Bluetooth only sends sound to car speaker blocking sound to hearing aids.  The device is the size of a cell phone, too small to see while driving.  It is being returned in the AM.  Exciting to see and read Wall Street’s reaction to the election.  Ron walked the dam twice today and ate a baked potato and steamed veggies at Los Amigos.  Between walks, he rode first to Edwardsville to the Credit Union and to his storage locker to pay rent, then to Fairview Heights where he got to see and briefly say an unadorned "hi" to a junior high classmate, Dick, and while riding on U.S. 50 towards Lebanon, the road was closed, causing Ron to search for an alternative route with his GPS for a guide. Extensive detour, Silver Creek is flooded.  US 40, ten miles north, was the alternate route.

6 Nov:  Historic Election!  Congratulations to the American People!  2:00 AM in Texas.  Ron has had a lazy day, getting up late, breakfast late, a walk on the formerly haunted trail mid-afternoon, and he has quarters for laundry.  Maybe laundry is why he dragged his feet today.  Cynthia walked almost five miles.  Ron did walk the dam once today.

5 Nov:  Election day with all the media fanfare and BS.  It is raining again this morning here at Lake Carlyle.  Sistah Carol reports that her pond is full.  Now if only the well would replenish its supply.  Another day indoors with indexing.  Maybe after 2 PM it will stop raining so that Ron can walk the dam.  But instead, Ron watched Larry Bird basketball highlights for a couple of hours, Bill O'Reilly for another hour or more, and finally started walking 10:20 to 11:26 PM.  It isn’t raining in Texas; Cynthia walked to the lake and home, enjoying a phone call from Smooch. 💋 Once home, she ordered the protein (for Ron) which will arrive 7 Nov.  Cynthia is working on the Rambo DNA Project; FTDNA was helpful in restoring ten kits (that she deleted) back to the project.  Carol is very happy. We want Carol happy.   Our God reigns.  

4 Nov:  Jon is driving Cynthia to her ten AM Dr Appt at St Luke’s.  Medical, 60 Miles) She ordered a $109.00 GPS for the car as recommended by the former owner.  Ron was tired last night while walking across the dam and went to bed about 6 PM, slept until 5 AM and still feels a bit lethargic this morning whle indexing.  It has been raining in Carlyle non-stop since well before dawn.  Odds are good that the lake level will rise and more water will be released from the dam.  Nephew Eric visited but Ron was unable to figure out what Google has done to prevent photos from showing up on his web site.

3 Nov, Sunday:  Ron did depart at dawn for church in Trenton to see if twins Cheryl and Carol are there.  Don and Ann told him last year that Cheryl's husband is homebound requiring constant attention, so the odds are good that still applies.  The greeter at church said that they attend a different church in Carlyle now.  As of 10:00 AM, Ron and Cynthia are both at worship, different churches, different states, but united in Thanksgiving.   Cynthia and son Jon enjoyed a lovely birthday party at Good Charlie’s Oyster Bar.  Ron was delighted to learn from the other couple in his pew an address for his classmate Dean, but Dean doesn't answer his phone.  Indexing always continues.  This route was selected to get to the church on time, I-55 S to IL 4 S to Lebanon, L on US 40 E through Trenton to the Methodist Church.  Peculiarly IL 4 was amazingly smooth until five miles north of I-70 but became very rough north and south of I-70.

Cynthia and granddaughter Lauren

2 Nov:  Reading news before bedtime is not conducive to a good night sleep…  tick tock…the hours passed.  Finally,  at 11:30 Cynthia slept until close to two and Boinnggg!  Awake again, dozing/dreaming and awake at five AM.  The dream might have made a great movie, if she could remember it.  Exercised, bathed, weighed, and fed, she is preparing for a 10:00 brunch with Lauren’s family and Jon.  It rained all afternoon in Texas.

2 Nov:  Ron enjoyed a second night of good sleep.  Cynthia was plagued by restlessness.  Ron went into the woods three times pulling bush honeysuckle and clipping multiflora rose.  His knee and back seem to be improving as he continues taking it easy on them.

1 Nov:  Meanwhile in Texas, Cynthia slept ten hours before exercising, eating, calling Ron, responding to messages helping two people with their Rambo DNA questions, calling FTDNA, reading the news, walking four miles, calling Ron, eating lunch, responding to MD ANDERSON about next week’s Mammogram, and she is now on hold with Customer Service at 1:25 PM.  But she is ever so thankful for life in Christ, Ron, our life together, family and the return of health! .  

Hurray, Hurray, Birthday in Pagosa Springs

31 Jul:  The last day of the birthday month!  Up early for QQQ, and change the August blog title. We are not too exciting when all we do is eat, work, and hike.  This AM we walked to City Market for decongestant.  Ron walked again in the evening, but Cynthia is resting to prevent her allergy-driven sinus infection from turning into bronchitis and bronchial pneumonia.

30 Jul, Sunday: The morning trek began at ten AM, not quite so hot, but we did shorten our walk.  It was fun to see several deer out and about, too.  At four PM, the skies look like rain.  Hmm.  It drizzled a bit but the fround stayed dry.  Wearing raincoats, we walked dry for 4.5 miles at seven.  Total of 7 miles today. 

29 Jul:  After oatmealing and exercising, we bounded out the door (well, not really).  We did walk 4.09 miles on our usual trek, but it was too hot.  Ron rode to Walmart to fill an RX, and then we slept for two hours.  (All that bounding wore us out.)

28 Jul:  Woo-hoo!  Here we are, up early, with plans to hike at 9:30. Ron tuned into the markets reaping rewards.  Cynthia phoned her retina specialist in TX and negotiated for a new appointment in Durango on Tuesday, 10 days earlier.  The pacemaker test is completed; now to exercise.  Our new custom seat arrived, too.  By the time activities were completed, it was too hot to walk.  We will hike tonight.  Cynthia is delighted to learn the name of our tenth great-grand, baby, due in November. Life is good! 5.07 Miles  

27 Jul: Lunch at Boss Hogg’s with friends from Texas.  9.0 miles 

26 Jul:  Ron continued work on the MIT reunion and the markets. Our walk this evening was pleasant, not too hot at 7:45 PM. But we didn’t get far after chatting with Ann and her poodle, one of the many friends we enjoy in PS.  2.0 Miles. 

25 Jul: This was a quiet, lazy day with ninety-degree temps that kept us indoors until time for our evening walk. 3.0 Miles

24 Jul:  Early this morning, Cynthia called her retina specialist in Houston, who recommended she get checked.  Ron was greatly surprised when a taxi for Durango showed up twenty minutes later.  He grabbed his just-cooked oatmeal, a banana, and morning pills, and we were off to Durango to see the SW Eye Consultants, an hour's drive away.  They worked us in, ran tests, and showed us fluid slides under the retina and news of bleeding behind the retina, all related to wet macular degeneration.  This is all treatable.  As bad news goes, this was wonderful.  We have an appointment to see the retina specialist on August eleventh at one PM.  Until then, we know nothing more.  We walked a little way this evening with Cynthia in her new shoes.  Her feet are much happier. Two miles. 

23 Jul, Sunday:  Cynthia reports seeing things, flashes of light.  Ron again spent the day communicating with his MIT buddies until late when he walked to the boat ramp and returned after dark.

22 Jul:  With our noses in our computers, we managed to do nothing else.  Cynthia read two books.  Ron typed messages and finally hiked at 7pm.

21 Jul:  We skipped the morning walk and met David to hear about his extensive journey to Lea's ancestral areas.  Cynthia decided to rest her feet since the new shoes should arrive before too long.  Ron typed messages all afternoon and finally hiked late, returning after dark.

20 Jul:  The morning heat was tough.  We turned back before we reached the lake.  By then, her feet were again hurting.  David, one of the Lea YDNA participants, met us for dinner to discuss his research.  Grandson Eric is in Guatemala on a mission assignment. 3.0 miles.

19 Jul:  Ron is almost finished with the early MIT communications. We walked twice and enjoyed talking about skiing, fishing, and motorcycles with Mike.  Cynthia again continued hiking morning and evening despite the painful blisters. 8.80 miles.

18 Jul:  The internet has been sporadic, slowing Ron's progress on MIT correspondence.  Cynthia has one month to wear the brace on her right hand; it will be removed slightly at a time.  It is unlikely she will type much for a while.  We received the sad news that MIT alum Carlton Sockwell suddenly passed away in April.  He was Cynthia’s favorite of Ron’s MIT friends, an amazing, beloved math professor who continued to tutor students after retirement for thirty-five years.  Cynthia continued hiking morning and evening despite the painful blisters on her feet.   8.5 miles 

Happy Birthday from Zoe, Jack & his parents

17 Jul:  It always pays to think ahead.  For some reason, perhaps our cluttered minds, we posted Aug instead of Jul!  We walked 5.3 miles in AM at 8:30 before it got too hot, but this aggravated Cynthia's feet and blisters. After dinner at Boss Hogg’s, Ron walked an additional 4.25 miles.

16 Jul, Sunday:  The high point of the birthday month of July is the 16th, the big day.  Sadly, during the evening walk, Cynthia's feet blistered in the new shoes.  9.30 miles

15 Jul: We have added the Bates Eye Exercises (click here) to our daily regimen for the past three months.  We also started SightCare supplements in concert with the exercises.  Watch the video, then read the reviews.  Ron is definitely seeing improvement with astigmatism. Cynthia’s vision has not yet improved, but she will continue the supplements to keep macular degeneration at bay.  We have no side effects.  And one more interesting piece of advice: it is good to change shoes frequently.  We wear Hokas until they are worn out.  Cynthia’s shoes had spread and flattened out, so her feet hurt.  In addition, she wears Turf-Toe steel plates (Amazon) under custom orthotics for a bunion.  The steel plate slid to the opposite side, not under the big toe.  Yes, her feet hurt.  Today, she changed the orthotics and turf toe steel plates to new Hoka shoes discovering she shoulda changed to new shoes months ago.  7.80 miles

14 Jul:  Ron is making positive contact with many MIT alumni. We decided to stay in Pagosa Springs until after Labor Day. We can get the James Lea book off our computers to the publisher during this August.  8.5 miles.

13 Jul: We exercised, oatmealed, and Ron worked on his MIT organization while Cynthia did stretches. We ate at Boss Hoggs, then walked to City Market.  Our evening walk was uneventful.  5.83 miles

12 Jul:  After watching QQQ in vain, Ron finally did his exercises and ate.  Now we can go walking again when it is not as "too hot" as it will be later.  Excitement builds as we approach the precise "Happy Birthday."  Cynthia did exercises for tight IT Band and then fell asleep. Now, it is time for the second walk.  We met Justin and Madison close to the last turn. 9.2 miles 

11 Jul:  We walked again a little too late and too hot, but at least we walked.  Cynthia met another family this evening because she was impressed that the woman rowed the boat forcefully onto the shore - but that meant that we arrived "home" after dark but still ahead of dark thirty. 8.9 miles 

10 Jul:  The best part of our daily hikes is that we meet the loveliest people, like Ray and Twyla from St. Louis, MO, who are staying at their son's house, helping him remodel it for rental (since his plans to relocate to Pagosa fell through).  Ray suffered a heart attack at age 48, so they didn't need convincing about healthy eating and fitness.  They return to STL tomorrow, so we won't be able to enjoy their company again here & now.  We wish them a safe journey. 9.0 miles today.

9 Jul, Sunday:  Happy Birthday, Rachel!  Our morning walk to the boat dock (4.5 miles) began after 11:00 AM, translating to being HOT.  We visited with Jim's extended family and his charming 97-year-old mother.  Ron is focused on MIT correspondence.  The mosquitoes were out in abundance tonight 8.5 miles

8 Jul: What fun visiting with Linda and Greg G. (3 G), who live overlooking the lake close to the boat dock.  After that visit, we remembered several more about meeting them on prior visits.  9.0 miles.

7 Jul:  Ron is on a roll, organizing a Burton Third MIT reunion for April 2024.  Some of the more hilarious memories of dorm life: Students could not plug in appliances to cook in their rooms, so one clever guy used an iron to make toasted cheese sandwiches.  The dorm rooms had single light bulb fixtures in the ceiling, so one duo shorted the electricity at the wall socket to turn off the electrical current and replaced the single bulb with a new ceiling fixture.  Students invented "hall bowling" in 1963 by rolling a heavy metal gear the length of the hall, calling it a strike if the gear threw off sparks when it hit the radiator at the end of the hall.  Oh, what fun!  9.0 miles.

6 Jul:  We almost rested, but not quite.  MIT DTYD 2024 is barreling full-steam ahead.  We walked at 7:30 P.M, but only 3.33 miles to the lake and back.  Now we will sleepzzzzz. 

View from the boat dock

5 Jul:  Ron stayed up too late working on an unofficial MIT reunion event for Patriot's Day 2024 and sent a blind-CC invitational E-mail to 90 alumni.  Significant progress has been made.  Have you guessed we are tired?  9.0 miles!

4 Jul:  Independence Day and Happy Birthday to Don.  9.2 miles 

3 Jul:  We arose a bit late and started our morning walk at about 10:45, which means that we were hot by the time we returned, so we continued straight to Boss Hog's for luncheon baked potatoes & salmon, this time without the kidney beans and tomato that were the suspects in Ron's stomach upset yesterday.  We were also late beginning our evening walk, about 7:30+, so we had a chance to return before dark until we met a lovely couple by the lake, Suellen and Doug (doing his exercises) and Hank the dog.  8.54 miles 

2 Jul, Sunday:   Our first walk was lovely and cool, and our lunch at Boss Hog's seemed fine although Ron felt uncomfortably full after one big salad and 1.6 baked potatoes.  His overfull feeling didn't go away, and by 6pm had turned into acute stomach pain.  During our second walk, he stopped at a "Johnny on the Spot" to reduce the load on his stomach and threw up three times.  That relieved the stomach pain only briefly, and before falling asleep, he threw up another three times.  Ron likely had food poisoning from the salad bar.  Yuk.   8.80 miles.

1 Jul:  Birthday month begins. Sixteen days until the apex of the month.  Love and Smooch.  On our evening walk, we met Stumpy, a six or eight-point buck with antlers still in velvet.  7.45 miles

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