Up Up and Away

John leaves tomorrow for Texas.  Our weather finally improves and the poor guy is back into the heat and humidity.  I looked up the forecast for Austin, looks like they'll be in the 100s, ugh.  He usually drives himself to the airport when he has an early flight or calls a cab, both are reimbursed by his company.  He asked me today "would you mind taking me to the airport tomorrow?"  I didn't ask why, I responded "what time does your flight leave?"  "We'll have to leave the house at 10am" he said.  I agreed to take him to the airport and pick him up when he returns.  He packed today ensuring everything fit in the new luggage, yay, it did!

Looks like the Walking Group will be meeting every Saturday morning at the County Government Center about ten minutes from my house.  We are not walking next Saturday, July 2nd, due to the holiday weekend.  Here's a view from the walking path of the back of the County Government Center.

The Walking Group met promptly at 8:30am, the group was a bit smaller.  Last week we were a nice size of 10 ladies including Pam, the Trainer.  Today, it was only five of us.  Pam and I walked behind the others.  We walked for about 45 minutes.  You don't realize how fast the time passes when talking.  When I walk alone, time just drags, I'm always checking my watch, even with my iPod plugged into my ears.  We were heading into a "tunnel of trees", the ladies ahead of me.

There are several signs posted around the trails where we walk.  Here's one I thought was interesting.  There is a man-made "lake", which is more like a swamp.  It is covered in lily pads and very small (about the size of a baseball diamond, maybe I should call it a pond?).  Here's the sign posted.  I wouldn't swim in swamp water, would you?....Ice Skating?  It doesn't get that cold to freeze thick enough to ice skate.  We may have a day or two that reaches Zero degrees all winter.  I know water freezes at 32.  The temperature has to stay below 32 for an extended period to have thick ice, right?  That's how it was in Newfoundland and Alaska when I lived there, I doubt it has changed.

We completed our walk, Pam (our Certified Trainer) brought her exercise ball to show us various exercises we can do to tighten upper torso, stomach, back and arm muscles.  If you don't know what an exercise ball is, here is what one looks like. 

I am really enjoying the Walking Group.  Pam has been so busy with her in-laws visiting for two weeks from England.  She had new floors put in her home before their arrival, which were completed just hours before their plane landed, can you imagine?  She has a 14 year old daughter who is looking for a soccer team to challenge her daughter's abilities.  Each weekend, her daughter tries out with various soccer teams, which Pam attends.  Today Pam says "I can't wait for my life to get back to normal."  I had to giggle to myself, we've all been there, right?  You feel like a hamster on a wheel afraid you'll fall off if you stop.

I got home exhausted, feeling the longer walk.  I asked John if he would be willing to fire up the grill for steaks tonight's dinner.  "Sounds good to me" he says.  I took a shower after I made some lunch.   I had planned to take one this morning before leaving for the walk.  I thought better of it since I would be coming home from the walk hot and sweaty, why shower before?  Although, this was a beautiful morning, nice breeze, low humidity, we caught a lucky day.  I helped John a bit this afternoon with his packing. 

It was about 4:30pm when John decided to fire up the grill.  Nothing better in the summertime than grill cooking in my opinion.  It what summer is all about.  Chef John is busy at the grill.  What a delicious meal it was.  I look forward to Saturday night grillin.

As I'm writing this, I'm looking out the patio sliding glass door.  Another visitor....and it's eating my tomato plants!!!

I told John we had another visitor who was late for dinner and decided to eat my tomato plants!!  I thought there was a fire the way he came off that couch and pulled back the sliding glass door yelling at the deer to scare it away.  I tried to get a picture of the deer in the backyard after John had scared the deer away from the tomatoes, but off it ran before I could take a picture.  Hope he stays in the woods away from my tomatoes.

I found the deer repellent in the garage and sprinkled more around the garden area.  I usually plant tomatoes in containers (and put them on the deck) or use the topsy-turvey.  This is the first year I've planted tomatoes directly in the ground/garden.  I almost said to John, "there is THE reason I didn't want to plant tomatoes in the ground" and thought better of it and bit my tongue.  The deer munching on our tomato plants was our bit of excitement for the day.  Hope you enjoyed the laugh as much as we did (after the fact, of course).  Enjoy your Sunday, I'll rejoin you here Monday.