Blog Spamming

Just a word about some of the comments that are left on the blog.

Morgan hit the nail on the head with his comment: "I hate the stupid blog spammers. Grrr." That about sums it up. The fact is I really enjoy reading your comments when you feel so inclined to leave them. If I allow an entry to receive new comments, anyone can comment, even the spammers. Therefore, I'll leave it up to you. If you drop by occasionally and read stuff other people left, let me know if the spammers bother you enough for me to block the comments. I will if the consensus is that I should..... Let me know. Too bad the host site can't screen that kind of junk, but I suppose it's impossible.

Dead Fish

I just finished watching the White Sox win the World Series then came in and sat down wondering what, if anything, I should stick on this site so the faithful will know I'm still drawing breath. Nothing struck my fancy, so I figured a picture of a dead fish would suffice. So here it is. This may also prove to the skeptics among you that when Larry and I go fishing we do occasionally catch a fish. I don't know what the occasion was in this case, but we caught three on this outing, sometime in mid-September.

October Birthdays

Ah…. January in Michigan. There’s something about a Midwestern winter that creates October birthdays. Specifically, Elli’s, Kim’s and mine. Additionally, several of Kim’s friends make the same claim to fame… Bonnie, Denise and John. So, when Michael and I visited Kim back in August, it was suggested that we get together in October to celebrate these days of infamy. A tentative time was set for the weekend of October 15th.

And so it came to pass that last weekend there was a gathering in South Haven, bringing together the “birthday people” and some of their friends and relatives for a ride through the fall landscape of South West Michigan. Michael and I thought about it a bit and decided that a winery tour with a lunch stop would be fun.

So, at 10:00 last Saturday, our little entourage set out for Coloma, our first stop. Bonnie rode behind me, Steve followed with Andrea as lookout, Kim rode her scoot alone (her saddle sacrifices a passenger for style), and Michael brought up the rear with Denise on board. Elli had to wait at home with Olivia and the sitter, and John came in for the evening’s festivities.

From South Haven, our itinerary looped us south to the Karma Vista and Contessa wineries then east to Kevin’s for lunch at the Warner winery in Paw Paw. North to Allegan, then west to New Richmond (Michael has a thing about this pastoral community….something about Huck Finn’s cousin). From there we crossed the “foot” bridge to Saugatuck where we stopped for coffee before moving on to the Fenn Valley winery. Our last leg returned us to South Haven via Blue Star Highway. Except for a few wind gusts, the weather was beautiful and everyone apparently had fun. Elapsed time, about 7 hours.

Upon returning to Michael’s, it was discovered that his oven was in the throws of a labor dispute and opted to execute a shut down. Thus ensued a period of gnashing of teeth and great emotional turmoil. Bonnie and I hauled the ribs (our dinner) over to Pearl Street to finish cooking them (Bonnie had the foresight to pre cook them). Meanwhile, Denise negotiated with the oven and convinced it to resume its duties…. alas, the meat was already done, and returning to the party. In any event, dinner was delicious and a good time was had by all. To add to the festivities, Amy and Brock and their kids arrived as did Andrea Quinn and her daughter. John from Illinois was there by that time as well.

Although I retired early, the party continued around the fire on Michaels deck well into the evening.

When all was said and done it was a terrific weekend.

A final note: as a gift from my daughters and Michael, I was given an “engine guard” for my bike….aka crash bar. Does that tell you something about what they think about my motoring abilities? (It looks great on the scooter.)

A Final Farewell

Back on September 17, ’05, Michael and the girls put together a “celebration” of Linda’s life. This was her request, and those three did a great job of honoring it.

Those in attendance first met at the arena on Phoenix Road to watch Chloe put Brie though some of his dressage routine. Brie is a beautiful animal, and Chloe showed him at his best (at least to my untrained eye). Before moving on to the Blue Star Theater, there was a champagne toast in remembrance.

At the Theater there was music, dancing, food and a montage of photos representing Linda’s life.

My only job for this event was to put together the photos and music the girls provided for the montage. If any of the family’s friends would like a copy of the DVD, please contact me, and I’ll make arrangements to get you a copy.

Still Alive and Kickin'

Here it is; the middle of October. I can’t say the frost is on the pumpkin, but judging by the coolness of the evenings, it won’t be long. As beautiful as this time of year is, there is a melancholy beneath each colored leaf and gust from the north. Birthdays come and go, holidays bring smiles and friends, but nothing marks the passage of time like fall giving way to winter. A few of the summer flowers are still blooming in the garden; some zinnias, dahlias (they didn’t even bloom until late September this year (the drought I suppose)), impatiens, and even the geraniums. One morning we’ll awaken to find them too lying tangled and wilted.

Summer this year was easy; warm and dry with new things to try and old things to savor. In fact it was too easy. I didn’t even make the effort to keep up with the thoughts and events I try to share here. My apologies to anyone kind enough to occasionally look in to see if I’m still alive and kicking.

So, with summer’s passage and winter’s arrival, I will try to share some of summer’s “adventures”. Notice I said “try”, and not “promise”. I know myself far too well to get carried away with promises. In the meantime, thanks for dropping by, whether by chance or design.