Wonderful Days for Walking, Fer Sure

We have been blessed with the most perfect Fall weather. It has been such a treat to get out and walk this past week. The leaves are changing into their most remarkable shades of oranges, yellows and reds. Whether walking through a narrow corridor of Fall colors or taking in a vista of treetops ablaze in an array of Autumn shades, it is, indeed, awesome. It is actually too nice to stay inside if you don't have to, so I won't. This posting, in fact, will be short.

I did have the opportunity to share my knowledge of social networking to my Homemaker's Club last week. After receiving a lesson the week before from a wonderfully knowledgeable young woman about how much information and technology is out there available to us, it was my turn to then tell our group of about thirty how we can use the computer to reach out to friends, family and others. Because I am still such a newbie at all of this I told them it would, in essence, be the blind leading the blind. Having my computer screen technologically enlarged above us, I showed them an example of e-mail, facebook and instant messaging. Christina was even so gracious, from work, to respond and show us how it all works. I don't know if any of those, who hadn't been exposed yet to this new trend, will decide to try the waters, so to speak. But, I hope I was able to, at least, open the door to the possibility of their becoming more willing to join the current trend of social networking.

And, after years of travel, it appears that my husband, Mark will be working from a Lexington warehouse. He started yesterday at his new location approximately 23 miles from home. This will be a new experience for us as he has been on the road, locally and throughout adjacent states for years. It will be interesting to see how well he likes being planted in one location and how much I can enjoy preparing meals night after night, week after week. Really, I am glad to have him closer to home.

UK football has a bye week this weekend. We get to enjoy not being pummeled, decimated or annihilated. As Steve Spurrier so eloquently commented that, " We could have scored eight points, but fifty was enough." I guess that pretty much sums up how we're doing in SEC play so far this year. Hopefully, the worst is behind us as we have Jacksonville State, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt ahead of us. These games, we may have a shot, if we can find some offense. As far as Georgia and Tennessee go, we'll just have to pray we don't receive another stomping.

As I mentioned, we are anxious to get out today and spend some time enjoying the Fall colors before we get some possible rain. I hope you are able to enjoy this day as well. Stay safe, luv, Susan

WEATHER FORECAST; JUST RIGHT

To be honest, September was a fickle month, as far as weather goes. I believe it to have either been too hot or too cold. It may have even been too wet or too dry. I didn't get in nearly as many walks as I like. But we turned the calendar page on the first full month of fall and I'm so happy to say that October has been "just right". If you have been unable to get outdoors and enjoy this beautiful Autumn awesomeness, please make every effort to do so in the coming week. From what I see on the local weather reports, we are in for picture perfect Fall weather. Today was the best walk I've taken in months and I look forward to, hopefully, a walk a day until the weather pattern changes.

I saw some positive things in today's newspaper today as well. I thought it was about time that the young American, Amanda Knox, was finally allowed to come home after four years of captivity in Italy. I personally believe that she was coerced by the local Italian police, wanting a suspect to this gruesome slaying of her college roommate, and slandered unmercifully by the Italian media, as they made money selling their sordid tale of sex and murder to the masses. It's been hard for me to believe that a young girl studying abroad for one year and from a good home in the states, would suddenly become a sexcrazed monster and do such a thing. I hope the whole truth does come out. The parents of the young British student, who was viciously killed, deserves to know what really happened to their daughter.

I also read a really uplifting story of a UK library employee who is getting a Habitat for Humanity home that is being financed by several student organizations. Nice to see the students doing something for a campus employee and for their community. The other positive story I enjoyed was about the Cincinnati Bengals young rookie quarterback, Andy Dalton. He is making steady progress, even though he has taken a step back now and again. As long as he's taking more steps forward than backward, it looks like he'll be okay. I've always wanted to be a Bengal fan, as it's the closest NFL team that we have in our area, but the off field behavior as well as the on field performances of the players, have steered me towards other teams, i.e., the Colts, the Packers and the Saints, to name a few. But, if this former Texas Christian University redhead continues on this steady path of improvement in leading his team, I think we'll finally have a Central Kentucky pro team we can get behind. Now would somebody please redesign their uniforms. I love orange and black, but those tiger stripes are a bit distracting.

It's wonderful to have your neighbors looking out for you. I just received a call from the farmer and farrier across the street who is mowing his field. Seems he spotted a couple coyotes headed our direction. I got the doggies safely in the house for a bit, but now that I'm outside blogging, they are all five barking at the top of their lungs at, not only the mowing in progress, but also at the two horses, who, again, are planted right across the street from our gate. I remember calling my next door neighbor in Henderson to let him know about an early morning coyote spying on his little dog tied up in their yard. It didn't take my neighbor long to sneak out with his rifle, take aim and send that critter flipping through the air. He did, then, take off into the woods, but we spied his lifeless carcass days later by a creek, just inside the tree line. I don't mind hearing the howls of these wily creatures, but please don't mess with our pets.

Checking out the Fall Festival at Reed Valley Orchard turned out to be a really fun afternoon for me and one of my neighbors. We visited the craft and food booths set up on their property, had a wonderful walking lunch and enjoyed both the nature trail and the entertainment provided on the big front porch. I was especially tickled to see the dulcimer group of ladies from the Paris/Bourbon County area. The lead dulcimer lady is my former senior English teacher, Kenny Roseberry. She informed me that she is also one of my country neighbors, just up Finnel Pike and over the county line. Two of the other dulcimer musicians and singers are the mom of a very dear friend and the "mom" of one of my grandpuppies. It was so much fun listening and singing along to their performance. It was a fruitful trip to the orchard.

As I mentioned before, I'm outside as I blog, and it's getting a bit nippy as the sun has set. It's time to take the doggies in and get on with the rest of my evening indoors. I hope, truly hope, you have been able to enjoy this perfect day wherever you are. As for Central Kentucky, we are looking forward to many more to come, apparently, so I'm going to get out there each day and enjoy them. Take care and stay safe, luv, Susan