Finally Fall

More often than not, the calendar reminds us that Fall has arrived, however, being outdoors usually tells a different story. Not so this year I am happy to report. The air is dryer and the temperature is below 90 degrees for the first time in as long as I can remember. Of course my memory is poor, so there's that! For the first time in months we have returned from the pickleball court somewhat dry, and I don't mean wet from rain. Hallelujah, and can I get an AMEN?

As has been the case for months on end, we've gone pretty much nowhere aside from gathering supplies, so having this arrive in the mail was such a treat. Finally, something to look forward to!

Georgia State Parks are really great, however that comes with a cost. Of course camping in a tent is very inexpensive, but what the heck, as retirees, we save money when we are able, and in this instance we were able. I was booking the reservations online and saw that a park pass costs only $50 annually. With half off stays, it was a no brainer! Surprisingly it came within days which was a pleasant surprise. It's going to pay for itself on this trip alone. The parks we are visiting in Georgia are Reed Bingham, Franklin Roosevelt,  and Kolomoki Mounds, all in the SW part of the state. Before heading home we'll stop by Bill and Lisa's new place in Lake City where they have promised to take us on a Suwannee River cruise in their pontoon boat, the perfect vehicle for social distancing. Although they have a guest room ready we haven't decided about using it. With plenty of room beside their pond, we may just camp there.

Picking up our gear from the storage unit, he followed that by doing an inventory. Shopping at Costco this morning, I found a small fan should we need it, although with the predicted temperatures, I'm thinking we'll be good. Not just good, but excellent.

What? We did something other than play pickleball this morning? Hard to believe but true. That said, we played twice yesterday, so my knee needed a rest! There are some folks that can't play in the morning but are dying to play, so we usually relent and go. What can I say? We are hooked. 

To tell you the truth, it is thrilling seeing Bruce having so much fun after a lifetime of working and stress. Now he is fully realizing the dream of retirement. I wish the same could be said for his brother whose improvement is moving at a snail's pace. We are so lucky to have activities that bring such joy. 

We are still looking for more men to play so Sandy invited Alan who came out the other night for the first time and left very happy.

Bruce is across the court in the photo above with Diane as his partner. They are playing against Patti and Lisa. The stage is set for my story....you may notice the racket in Lisa's hand has a big Z on it? She bought a new racket and did not like it at all, so she and Bruce switched and they are both happy. In a note about how small this part of Orlando is, I worked with Lisa's dad at the hospital for about twelve years.  

Yup, playing night and day! 

A trip to Publix was one place I went this week and it still shocks me that there are empty shelves in the cleaning department. 

While I don't buy tons of cleaning products, I would be happy if I could find a bottle of 409.  Additionally I was pleased to find plenty of fabric at Hobby Lobby, so now I have fabric to work on the dust ruffle.

Not that I have started it yet; at least I have the supplies. Going through my blog I found photographs of when I began that quilt and was shocked to learn it was in November of 2019! Never has a project taken me so long.

What I was searching for was any post related to my new range. Alas I found none, but I did come across this one from Vancouver that is filled with pretty spring flowers. Not to mention a quilt I made while there.

With humiliation I have to admit that the new appliance guy came, was extremely professional, and he confirmed the previous diagnosis, however, he is going a step further and replacing not just the board, but the housing as well. When the part arrives is another story altogether that at this point has no ending. Maybe while we are camping? If that is the case there are multiple people here in the village that will come to our aide. That is one of the great things about living here, helpers abound.

The change in weather was precipitated by a cold front that came through on Saturday night, staying all day on Sunday, with dreary, rainy weather in its wake. Bruce had gone to help Bill leaving me with more than enough time to begin a new puzzle.

Unlike several other Pomegranate puzzles I've done during the pandemic, this one was relatively easy and I finished it the next day. 

Isn't it cute? Charley Harper's artwork is so enchanting making the puzzles a joy to assemble. I'm thinking I might go back and re-do one of the puzzles that gave me fits before to see if I'm improving.  

There is but one thing that I don't like about playing so much and that is that it leaves me very little time for photography. Of course I could do it in the afternoon, but the harsh light is unfavorable for great photos. Every now and again, I do get something pretty. 

With that in mind, I cannot wait to put my camera to use again during our upcoming trip. There will be new lakes, hills, forests with predicted ideal weather. With overnight temperatures predicted to be in the middle 50's, seemingly campfires are in our future too. Stargazing, oh how I have missed you. 

Just when you thought you'd seen every sunrise on Lake Willisara, here is yet another one from this morning. And no, the old red sky at morning played no part in today. 

Thank God, it is finally Fall.

your friend,

Gail

p.s. Should you be a new reader, the text in a different color is a link to another website, in this case the parks we are visiting should you care to know more about them.