The Games Continue

And so do my couch potato ways. Hours upon hours have been spent watching events ranging from wrestling to the triathlon which had a thrilling finish for the Brits. Waking up this morning, I checked Instagram to see what my son was attending today, and he didn't disappoint, putting up a photo of the cycling portion of the triathlon. Speaking of cycling, did anyone see those races in the Velodrome? To the best of my knowledge not very many have been broadcast, but the one I saw last night was so exciting, not to mention the track and building are gorgeous. The commentator said the racers, sprinting toward the finish line, were going 45MPH!!! This morning, in my best attempt to imitate them, I got to the lofty speed of 20MPH for about a half block, which is much faster than my daily average of 15MPH. Will that ever increase? Time will tell.....

Who would have thought earlier in the year that I would have traveled 300 miles on my bike? Not me, that's for sure. It's been fun, particularly if I get out early enough. Of course my camera rides along because I never know what will cause me to stop my bicycle. The other day I thought that if I were a real "artsy" photographer I could make some sort of series about porches and driveways. Remember Pinky? Well, if you're thinking of having a pet pig, the ceramic one pictured here would be a much better option when it comes to the cost of feed. Not to mention you won't have to clean out a litter box! (YIKES!!!!)

What really made me stop was that fantastic orange stool. Perhaps I should stop when the lady who lives here, and offer her money for it?

Now, here's a real garden taken during our visit to Tom's parent's home during our visit to England last year. Seeing how beautiful London is on television, it's made me nostalgic for that holiday.

According to Jane, those daisies are going gang busters now that the rain has mostly stopped, with summer finally here. Well, what they call summer anyway! Those of us in the sweltering heat wish they would send a bit of that cooler weather our way.

Instead, we've had our heat, although to my mind it has not been nearly as bad as some summers. The rain has been mostly sporadic, threatening most days, then blowing away. The light is pretty awesome when a storm is brewing.

While we're talking about the sky, I did get a moon shot during my ride, albeit a few days after the full moon.

The market on Sunday, despite being fairly slow, was my best outing in some time. It always thrills me when tourists stop, taking something home with them. In this case I'm talking about a nice family from Norway. Asking me where they should go, I started raving about Gatorland, when they stopped me saying they had been there yesterday. Talking about the weather in Norway, they told me they too, had inordinate amount of rain this year which has it's advantages because 90% of their power comes from waterfalls, consequently lots of rain=cheap power. Now you know.

Some of you may have gotten my market album in your inbox which is puzzling to me. Don't know what I did to make that happen. Anyway, one of the shots is from our new dessert guy's counter featuring an old Sunbeam mixer which I remember, oh so well, from my childhood.

According to them, they found it at a garage sale, minus the bowl for $5.00. As a prop, it, apparently is working wonders as baby boomers, such as myself, stop for some nostalgia and maybe some cheesecake while we're at it.

Yesterday afternoon, following a nice lunch at Dana's space before a company photo shoot

during which I was in front of the camera, rather than behind, I watched the US Women's semi-final match against Canada. To me, most of it looks like people running any which way on a big field, however, just like baseball, when you know the nuances you can appreciate the role of all the players on the field. Anyway, was it ever exciting! The Americans prevailed but not before they were given a big scare from a valiant effort by the Canadian team. My golly they all played so hard. Remember the old ABC tagline, "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." I don't think you could imagine any more apt description of the mood on the field after time ran out. Adding to the excitement is that Matthew has tickets for the final between US and Japan on Thursday! Woohoo!! His friend Liza mentioned that she's even more excited about the Olympics just knowing Matty is there, to which I say "ditto!"

You may be wondering how it is that I'm taking some time to blog, rather than be a spectator, and that's a good question. Here's the reason: there's a blowout in the works on television right now--US Women's Basketball vs Canada. I'm not a big fan of nail biters either, but given my choice I'll take the nail biter. Last night's semi-final match in Men's Beach Volleyball sure was a disappointment wasn't it? Neither a blow out, or a nail biter, it was merely sad. Of course we can't win it all, but it would be nice. Speaking of winning, the Brits are definitely having an excellent Games. I did not like to see Gabby beat in the uneven bars, but if she had to lose, who better than a 27 year old British woman, old by the sport's standards?

My pickles are done, and if they were up for a medal, I believe they would not be in the winner's circle--too hot for me!

Well, my friends, back to the telly, track and field is on. LOVE IT ALL!