An October Morning!

 A cool north wind and clouds and very light misty rain inspired me to take on another task in the backyard. Home Depot at some point for supplies, probably this weekend and then more work will be done. I really like to work outside at this time of year. I am crafting something very special that I will be happy to see, and it will evolve, change, as nature does its thing, working magic on this structure. Ephemeral it will be, as all natural things are and I suspect that I am the only human being on the planet who will be able to see the beauty in this construct. No problem. I'm the only one who will ever see it, for it is hidden in the Secret Garden. Yesterday evening I had to service the wind chime I made a few years ago. Access was difficult but I got it done. 

A Fine Evening

 Very nice evening on the patio yesterday, almost vintage quality, good to watch the moonrise, an October moon. But it required a lot of bug spray. Our impending pattern change won't really be much of a change at all. This is going to be a rather warm October by the looks of things. And dry. More work outside but detail stuff. I don't think I have anything very major to do until next month. 

Pattern Changing

 A change of pattern was in the forecast and this morning one can see it, feel it, and even smell it. More like October this morning and it felt so good to be outdoors. A new date has been set for the rapture, and I don't care. I don't give a rat's ass, frankly. I see the bindweed spreading and climbing the trellises I have improvised for it, and that pleases me greatly. Let the bindweed bind them all. I enjoy iced coffee at this moment, as the laundry is getting done, and it is cloudy and windy. I had a pleasant drive this morning. 

Sometimes I bring to mind places I've been and things I've seen and things I did in the past, and it helps me appreciate what I have and where I am. It's a minor miracle that I survived, and a miracle I got through it with no discernable damage. Pretty much intact, and even though some memories are rather painful, it's all in the past, safely put away in a box of time, far away. 

October Light

 The quality of the light is correct for October, and mornings feel like mornings in October, and that's getting to be better and better, and I did some work outside this morning. I see the bindweed spreading into areas where I want it. It only needs a little water and it got that modicum of water last evening. Lentils and rice with chicken breast, turmeric, garlic, onion, ginger, paprika and Sambal Olek will be my "lunch" today. Evening meals for me I like quite light. Probably today it will be wheat crackers with humus, sardines in oil with French bread to soak up the oil and fish, and maybe a wedge of sharp cheddar. Watermelon for dessert. My homeowner's insurance has almost doubled. I have no idea why. I can pay it, but I don't understand why it has gone up like that. I might look for a better deal. Tornado alley has shifted away from us, the only threats are hail and high wind. I guess that's enough of an excuse to raise rates. Very irritating. I got up well before dawn as usual. I love that. Mosquitos are very bad, still. I wonder whether the city is doing any spraying. I kind of doubt it. That will probably become yet another city service to be terminated. Every man for himself seems to be the trend. 

No Change

Cool mornings, comfortable evenings and warm days that verge on being hot. SOSO. I am doing relaxation exercises, akin to Tai Chi. Very good! And in the gym yesterday I had strength gains, going up to 180 pounds resistance on a particular exercise I do for my shoulders. I'm usually at 120 to 150 on that. And i went up to 290 pounds on the leg press machine. I don't do deadlifts or hack squats on Wednesday. On Wednesday I focus a lot on the cable machines. All in all, it was quite satisfying. I really like my gym! It is just right! I am within striking distance of 80, and that means I must workout very consistently. Usually I go to the gym MWF, and I start each of those days with my own free weights at home. Wednesday, the home routine is centered on my adjustable bench. and some equipment I can use for dips and leg extensions. I do the leg extensions on the bench in a novel way that also works the abs pretty intensely. Rarely do I aim for isolation. I want to work lots of muscle groups at the same time. Hypertrophy has never been my goal-- strength and endurance are the things I aim for. Sunday mornings I do a barbell and dumbbell routine that focuses on reps, so I have a lighter bar for that, and a set of resistance cords I found on Amazon a few months ago. Years ago I did a lot of bicycling and jogging in addition to weight training. But now I'm content to do a mile or two of speed walking two or three days per week, and sometimes treadmill jogging. I stopped going to the gym during covid and that's when I got the bench and added a lot of iron to my home gym. I was so darned happy when I could go back to the gym! I was so pleased when the vaccinations became available, and I got them all. I can't lift as much as I used to, but I really need to respect aging joints and connective tissue. Injuries can be devastating at my age. 

Let those who get their rocks off prepping for raptures that never come, enjoy themselves! Feel the burn! As they used say in the gym. I guess I really don't care what people around me believe or think, as long as they leave me the fuck alone.