The Hunter Moon and a Holter Monitor

 How is that for a snappy title? It got your attention didn't it? 

Let's get started shall we? 

I will admit, I have missed seeing sunrises and sunsets with ease while in the mountains. I did see a pretty one when we visited John and Tammy's mountain top home for dinner one night and by golly, I believe I never shared that experience in this space and I should have because not only was their hospitality over the top, but their view was as well. (no pun intended!)

Pretty beautiful isn't it? They are a super nice couple who are from, you guessed it, Florida! As were most everyone we met, most because we did meet a few folks who were born and raised in Murphy, however, they were few and far between. 

Anyway, back to our view of the sun and the moon here in Orlando, there was a beautiful sunrise over Lake Willisara one morning last week. Oh how I love that lone pine tree!

Speaking of that pine tree, look who I found atop said tree. Presumably getting ready for some nest building for the upcoming season.

Watching the two Great Blue Heron hatchlings grow up this Spring was such a treat.

And then there was the Hunter Moon rising over the lake last evening just after 7:00. A sight to behold if you catch it just right, some months are better than others. This one was stellar!

As night fell it took on an orangish glow that I captured with a zoom lens.

How about that, just what I needed to segue into what we did last Saturday where orange, my favorite color, was ever present. The opportunity presented itself so let's do it! Calling Shirley to invite her to join us, we drove over to a warehouse/restaurant space across from Lake Formosa, not far from where the old "Orlando Youth Center" was located, a blast from our past. As in, when we were teenagers! But I digress...

The owners of the Orlando Magic bought a Major League Pickleball team and named them the Orlando Squeeze. I suspect I've told you this before, so I won't belabor the information, but I will tell you that the Squeeze recently won the huge tournament held in Atlanta. The young Devos couple told us that they had three days to come up with a name and logo. They did good.

For the event, they brought in three out of the four team members with folks having the opportunity to hit with them, or in the case of Zane Navaratil, to try and return his wicked serve. Maybe three out of twenty were able to and that is why it was made illegal in a game!  There were loads of young families which was nice to see and even they tried to hit with the pros. I was dying seeing this little boy and his Dad. What can I say, I've a soft spot for little boys!

People lined the court for the opportunity to participate,

and eventually your favorite bloggers own squeeze tried his hand at hitting a ball into the buckets.

It was not meant to be, not only for Bruce, but most others as well. No pressure with all the folks watching? You think? It was a super fun time and we will be rooting for them as the next tournament is this upcoming weekend. Oh wait...there's FSU playing football. Not to mention we have discussed returning to North Carolina next weekend. Hmmm....

One weird thing happened as we were driving home and I will admit, after so many months away, it was very jarring. Traveling down Mills Avenue, all of a sudden a gang of bicyclists appeared in the northbound lanes, as in at least 200 which you cannot tell from the photo, but the three of us agreed it was at least that many in person.

Had they stayed in their lane it would have been less scary, but they were weaving in and out of traffic on our side of the road! We could find nothing online to explain what we witnessed and hopefully we won't come across something like this again any time soon!

Pumpkin patch!! Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church! Peel Avenue! Where we were married!!

I am mighty glad that destination weddings were not a thing when we were young because I do love seeing the church where we began our married life. Silly thing aren't I? Nostalgic, that's for sure!

Michelle is in the process of making their rental a home and with that in mind she asked me for some black and white flower photos that she could make into canvases to create some drama in the dining room. Although this shot came from Florida, you can imagine that I went back in my library to our time in Vancouver, the place where flowers are so abundant and large it is unreal. Then I spent some time admiring the beautiful Autumn foliage there.  (this one did not make the cut)

Pink, wow, this native grass is most definitely pretty in pink. I have seen a lot of it blooming in town.

Blooming, does that seem like the right term for grasses? Maybe. I suspect Google could help me with that, but I am typing as fast as I can because it is nearly time to leave for church so should you be interested go for it!

Around the house, while watching Florida State yesterday afternoon, for once they seemed in no danger of losing leaving me free to divide my attention to some organizing beginning with my sewing box and ending with a small part of my fabric stash. Both were in disarray and now I will be able to find things once again.

Bruce, using a sewing tool that was in orderly shape because the clips are contained in their own box, used a bunch of them to repair the handle on this one of a kind Coach bag he bought for me when our Mom was still alive! I remember that so well because she once sold handbags at the Belks store in Colonial Plaza and loved handbags. In other words a long time ago. 

The lining, which seemed to be made of cork, had disintegrated allowing the handle to separate. It worked perfectly and looks brand new. Brand new. Isn't that a crazy term? As in how it came from the factory?

Another thing I wanted to share and it is not nearly as colorful as the photo above, (as an aside you might note Bruce wearing his Orlando Squeeze shirt), is this orzo salad made with radishes and chives. A light lemon dressing using a touch of mayonnaise to hold it together,  this unique combination made for a very refreshing side dish. I cannot remember what else I served with it, but I'd never made it before either. After fifty years of making meals for us, it is rare that we have something out of the norm. I guess I am still not too old to learn new tricks!

My last post included lots of blooming flowers and I forgot to include this beauty found in the pots gracing the sidewalk leading up to the church steps.

The color was off the charts, however this morning it was beginning to lose it's vibrancy. Years and years ago a version of this lily was one of the first photographs that I made into a print. When I began taking photographs in earnest, some 16 years ago, I knew very little about the natural world. I knew stuff about the arts like literature and music, however I spent very little time studying the world around me. Too busy with my nose in a book is the truth of the matter. Then, of course, there is the matter of raising four sons which did take a bit of time! 😁😁Once I began practicing, every flower became a wonder to me, the colors, the complexity of blooms, the insects they attracted, I loved it all. Still do for that matter. You might think I would have lost some of my zeal for discovering and noticing new things, but with so much time on my hands, I suspect the fervor is even more so. We sang a little song today at church about each little flower or tiny wing and I was right there...it is all so miraculous to me. I have always hoped that a tiny bit of my enthusiasm would make it's way into this space. 

Boo hoo, we heard from Hank this morning that the peak color has already occurred. ( Not ideal, but hopefully some beautiful leaves will be remaining when we return) It is going to be mighty cold in Murphy next week to the tune of a predicted low of 23 one night!! All that sorting I did on Saturday produced the boots I purchased while we were in Vancouver. Hopefully they will be enough!

I was having lunch with Suzanne on Wednesday when Bruce called asking for my help on a rush job for the church. Actually we had just left Toojays, so the timing was right. Driving over to Winter Park takes about twenty minutes and once there, the two of us put these privacy screens together before a planned Friday wedding. Most definitely a two-person task. 

By the time we did the third one we had it down to an efficient system.

We have been super busy these couple of weeks between all sorts of activities. No pickleball for me, but I have found ways to keep myself occupied. The monitor was mailed out on Monday and arrived on Wednesday morning. The instructions were relatively easy, so I had it on in a few minutes.

Monitor attached I called the number to make sure it was activated. How weird is it to think that I put this on my chest and someone in Minnesota is paying attention to it? Weird in my opinion. Anyway the woman on the phone said I was meant to wear it for three days whereas my physician told me 48 hours. Okay, I will call the office and find out what has been prescribed. Leaving a message I assumed they would call later that day. Nope. I called again the next day and this time spoke with someone. Explaining my dilemma, she assured me my message would go to someone who for sure would respond. Except they did not. Because I saw the cardiologist at my doctor's office just down the street I drove over and explained my situation. 48 hours was only two hours away and what was I to do? Thank goodness for Dee, a Family Medical employee who went the extra mile to finally get someone on the phone who could answer my questions. One thing about all of these visits is that nothing that we do is free. In fact, most everything is wildly expensive and although we have insurance there is plenty that is not covered. Plus, unlike say when you go to purchase something and know exactly what you will be paying, medical costs are a complete mystery until you get the bill in the mail for what you owe. There is just so much that is wrong with the medical system. Perhaps I am much more aware because I worked in it before it became the monstrosity it is today?  (sorry something went awry with the formatting)

When I heard a radio commercial for Eliquis, my stomach turned. If the company can afford to advertise their medicine, surely they could charge less for said medicine. Grr....

It is mailed back and after a bit of an ordeal to get the tape off my chest, I now await the results. I'm thinking very positive, so you should not worry one minute about me. 

The nerve of the cardiology office to actually print on their paperwork that they are "a new era of cardiovascular care" and are "patient centered". What the hell does that even mean? You never return phone calls?

Rant over. 

Look how cute the Orlando Squeeze mascot is!

As soon as I have more to report I promise to do so.  

your friend,

Gail

p.s. The weather has been dry and warm with the end of hurricane season two days away. Plus, Florida State football is 8-0, a welcome change from two years ago! The sky is the limit!

An Unexpected Twist

That will teach me to go to the doctor when I am feeling just fine. 

That is Gracie, David and Michelle's dog who we saw last Sunday. She's looking at me thinking, what was she thinking?? Ha ha. She was happy to see us as was the family. Apparently they missed us and we most definitely missed them. We spent a wonderful lunch and afternoon together, although Michelle was still on her first European vacation, so our reunion will have to wait another few days.

Since last we met, I went to the doctor on the wrong day and then I went on the right day and then I went to see a cardiologist across the parking lot. Apparently my heart is acting up in a manner that gets people excited. I am not one of them, but I am doing my best to comply with their suggestions, including having an echocardiogram Thursday afternoon at ORMC. It was super easy and in a rare moment of me praising the healthcare workers, everyone was great. As is so often the case, my expectations are higher than other folks, however, in this instance, I was delighted as anyone could be when they are told that they need to go on a medication for the rest of their life! Why oh why do they feel the need to advertise? Just goes to show you what a big business the world of healthcare has become since I was involved.

It's a funny story how that day unfolded, but one thing that was not so amusing was when I was rushing home from what I thought would be a short appointment that went long, making a sandwich for lunch when the Publix pharmacy called and the nice woman asked if I was sure I wanted them to fill the prescription called in by the cardiologist. "It will be $445 for the month", she said. Taken aback at the audacity of the drug company to charge such an exorbitant amount, I gulped and said, "let me think about it." And then I ate my grilled cheese sandwich, brushed my teeth and went for my regular teeth cleaning. 

And to think we were only days removed from four months of utter bliss!

As is the case every time I shop for groceries, I wonder how in the world people are making it with the high cost of food and now experiencing firsthand, the high cost of a much prescribed medication. As it turns out, David is taking the same medication for the huge blood clot he suffered in his leg and his cost with insurance is $30. 

None of this makes any sense to me which is why I am moving on in subject matter to something fun. A game that I've heard of for decades, but never played, your favorite blogger had her first Bunco experience on Tuesday night. 

Just before we left for NC, Lisa and Rene organized our Dover Shores ladies of twelve into a Bunco group and I was one of those twelve. Until I up and left. Fortunately there were others, in my case, Wendi, who stepped in. No wonder the game has been around for so long. SO much fun, made even better when Rene announced the winners of the jackpot.

Yes, there was a bit of beginners luck with Shirley and me tying for first place. Our choice was to roll the dice to choose the ultimate victor, or split it.  Splitting was agreed on by both parties and we each went home $10 richer. Not that that will make a dent in the cost of the Eliquis....

All joking aside, we will make it work, but boy do I worry about those who cannot.

We made it down to the pool yesterday with our lunch on a paper plate to enjoy the glorious weather. 

Looking at photographs from a little more than a week ago, I can see that there is just something about the light here in Florida. Closer to the equator perhaps?  During the week one would think that it was one's very own private pool. Not so much on the weekends though. One thing we are getting used to is the absence of David, Michelle and Gracie. They lived here for so long and now they don't and I am thrilled for them because change is often a very good thing. We become so accustomed to the familiar, don't we?

Take a look at this tree!!! Do you recall when I was bemoaning the lack of foliage months ago? My, oh my!

And to think that Keith trimmed it several times!!! Our little garden area was a jungle when we arrived, however, a quick trimming of bushes and tidying, it is looking shady as you can imagine with such a tree jam packed with branches!

I am back to driving again and the baby car looks fab after my darling husband took it for a bath and wax. Driving down Ferncreek, this house is even more decorated than last year. I think folks who start something grand such as this, feel over time that they need it to be grander? Maybe I am wrong. While hard for you to see in the photograph, presumably the creator of this is in the side yard working with lighting. A nighttime visit is now required.

One unexpected twist was my doctor advising me to put the breaks on my burgeoning pickleball career until we get my heart situation in order. As you can imagine, the idea is abhorrent to me but I am complying, instead heading to my old haunt, Lake Davis, with my camera in tow. Watching all of the cracks and uneven pavement like a hawk, I never want to go through anything like this again!! (second broken wrist saga suffered from a fall there)

Like the riverwalk in Murphy, I am beside water and that is where the comparison comes to a dead end! The two could not be any further apart for any number of reasons, the first among them is the lake is encircled with beautiful and expensive homes, so nothing wild about this walk. Lots of animal and bird action though as you have learned from my countless posts detailing said action.

While not traditional by any means, the Cypress trees are beginning to show some fall color, while at the same time the reeds are dying back.

I am curious what you think of the above photograph. Personally I am a fan of the layers, the bright green, contrasting with the brown reeds and then the changing needles of the trees above. (The egret does not hurt.) Not everyone would see it my way though. I remember when I was selling photographs, I would choose all manner of things and my printer Roger would keep telling me to show what sells. Where's the fun in that? Sometimes he was right, but other times it was me. Interesting to remember how I conducted that business. These days I primarily concentrate on documentary type photographs, however, every now and again I think something is especially appealing and would have found its way into my baskets should I still be in the business of selling photography.

With the above photograph in mind, fall is here and with it all manner of COLOR! Not the type most folks associate with the season, but hey, it's Florida folks!

I took a walk through the front gardens, tended principally by Bill Needum, a resident who lives across the street, who spends countless hours making it beautiful. He is succeeding in his mission.

Another shade of red.

PINK!

And a definite Fall favorite, orange.

A shrimp plant in a color I find hard to describe....deep coral maybe? There are yellow ones too.

There were loads more, but I am not sure I am speaking to a flower crowd. Let me know and next post will be flooded with flowers!

I've yet to see an owl in the trees behind our place, but I did spot a Limpkin and it was quiet as a mouse, unlike parts of the year when they shriek like a banshee!

One of the cygnets born in the Spring at Lake Davis, tidying up.

I hope this post reassures you that this blog is not in danger of fading away due to my ailing heart, actually I am joking again, as I feel nothing out of the ordinary. In the overused words of the recent pandemic, "it is with an abundance of caution" that I am going through tests and taking a new medication. 

Using another overused phrase, "no worries" my dear readers.

your friend,

Gail

We are Back in our Hometown

Arriving Friday night near our regular bedtime, it was a long haul. More than twelve hours in the car, but aside from the drive through Orlando, it was mostly stress-free and that would be because a good part of the travel time we were amongst only a handful of cars on the road. Plus, it is pretty so bonus points there. Unfortunately for us, we got a little bit of a late start which, as was to be expected, put us driving for over an hour in the dark, something that Bruce tries to avoid like the plague. In a first, the whole journey was a one day affair, an experiment to see how it felt. Doable, but unless it is strictly necessary for some odd reason,  we think we are two day people. That said, I said to Bruce if one was heading to Europe, travel days can be extremely long, so that is one way to look at things.

We spent most of Thursday last week, packing up and turning the cottage into a VRBO again. The quilt is packed away and the plain white coverlet is in place.

Knowing our days were numbered, I had been using up what food I could, but in the end most of what is pictured below went into a big box that we stored at Laura and John's house.

With the price of groceries these days, it was a blessing that we could leave it at their home until we return. As well, I emptied the freezer into a few bags which made their way to a chest freezer at their home. I hear tell that they are already missing us, so that tells you a little about how special our stay there was.

Since our return, it has been non-stop action and frankly, I just realized that I am pretty darn tired. And to think that I did not one bit of the driving! I goofed up this morning when, even though it was clearly written on my wall calendar, I went to Dr. Parillo's office one day early meaning we missed out on pickleball today and now, because the appointment is for tomorrow, that will make playing a challenge again. How in the world I make these kinds of mistakes, I do not know. At least the dentist called to remind me that my appointment was tomorrow afternoon, or I would have messed that up as well.

 Yikes, I do not like getting older.

One of the things I had to do on Saturday was clean the sunroom among many other things. I think when they blow the garden outside the glass doors,  dirt finds its way into the room and believe me, there was plenty of it. All is good now and made even better with the morning sun.

It is a little weird being away from everything you own. I can't decide how I feel, not having seen it for four months. I don't know what else to say about that except it is something I am mulling over.

The weather has been pretty glorious, I will say that much. 

The above was the beginning of another cool day with the bright blue sky reflecting on the lake surface as I type. So beautiful, although I  have discovered I am pretty partial to mountains too. I like it all really;  I feel as if the desert would not be a good fit for me though. 

I am all for green and lots of it. 

On the Tuesday before we left, John suggested we travel to Franklin to see more color and as has been true for all of their suggestions, it was a winner. The first great sight we saw on that journey were the trees reflecting in Lake Chatuge off HWY 64 near Hayesville. When two jet skiers got going, well it made for a dramatic photo op!

Not too much further down the road it was a turn-back-around moment as we passed them quickly and, this won't surprise you, Bruce took me back to see them up close.

As we climbed higher I was taking pictures like nobodies business from the front seat--some good enough, others rubbish!

Below was taken from a scenic overlook and who am I to argue with the term scenic?

Naturally I was going crazy, more so because we knew we would not be there to witness the full blown color happening in the next couple of weeks.

There is a lot more to say about Franklin, however, this post is going to be short and snappy because as mentioned, my brain does not seem to be running on all cylinders today!

Case in point, I just realized that I forgot two photos that simply must be included! One, a Killdeer as seen beside Lake Chatuge, a bird I rarely see anywhere.

What the heck, count me delighted with this one.

As well, here is something one does not see everyday, well most days, wouldn't you say? 

Stopping at Ingles on the way to Franklin, we were both super surprised to see this unfolding.Maybe in our youth, but I can't say as I have see a car smoking like this in decades. As we were leaving, the smoke began to calm down a little bit and Bruce wished the fellow luck as we drove by. He responded with upbeat words to the effect that he always can get it working. More power to him, as they say!

Look here, more color. And to think that you did not have to drive for 10+ hours to see it up close and personal!

Before leaving Murphy, on my last day with a camera attached to my person, I took a few photographs to document what things look like at this time of year.

But first the cottage lit up by the afternoon sun.

What both our view here and there share in common is an abundance of trees. Different trees, but plenty of trees nonetheless. 

Last year during our visit to Murphy I was enamored of the trees in the playground adjacent to the courts. How I wish I could see them today, a week later.

Some of the trees that I first noticed changing are to be found in the Bojangles parking lot, a place we pass with some frequency. Ate there once too and it was very tasty. Anyway, that was a few weeks ago and look at one of them now!

It probably won't be long before it is all red as can be!

In the photo above of the cottage porch, if I were to turn around 90 degrees this is the view last Thursday.

This is the view behind the cottage. Woods and more woods!

The presence of wildflowers on steroids has really been eye opening to me. Living in a city, who knew that they could be so prevalent? Not this blogger! On my last walk along the river, I took a different route and was I ever surprised at the huge numbers of wildflowers along this part of the river. When we came in May, the banks were covered with yellow flowers and now white has taken over.

Sunday last, we both walked where the park is bordered by the river on one side and a street on the other. My kudzu rage continues when I see so much of it taking over everywhere. I must say though, it did amuse me for  brief moment when I realized this batch looks like a St. Barnard.

It's beginning to look a lot like Autumn on the trees found behind Walmart.

So long Murphy, until we meet again!

One of the reasons we came home was for Bruce to perform a ministry that he holds dear.

Because I didn't have the doctor's appointment that I thought I did, I tagged along, planning to read while he did what needed to be done. 

Forgot my book. Yeech! 

I did regale the office staff with stories of our time away, so all was not lost. 

Lots more to relate, but fatigue is a cruel master, so until we meet again, I remain,

your friend,

Gail