For Sale

Wouldn't you like to have this lovely 4 bedroom house on 5 acres surrounded by the most beautiful views of the hills and countryside and near a vibrant urban setting? Jeff is trying out the market and seeing if there are any bites. It is located outside of Washougal, Washington, a pretty drive from Vancouver and Portland. He has added a lot of upgrades to the house and landscape and it would be perfect if you needed a place for your horse. The view from the front porch reminds Paul of Ireland when the fog is settled in the hills. MLS #10060162

Life continues at a slow pace in the heat. My friend Sonia from Newtown, is down for the week. Normally we walk at a pretty brisk pace, whether here or up there, but today, she found the heat oppressive and the walk a bit much. It was 81 with high humidity at 7 am. It was actually hotter and more humid in the North east but I think I have acclimated a bit as I was not that uncomfortable. So, maybe we'll just continue our chats in A/C for the rest of the week.

Went to the big mall in Orlando yesterday.....just window shopping in the coolness. And had to check out the iPad again. I still like it but someone else isn't as impressed. Had lunch at Brio again and again I had the risotto.....still yummy.

A special HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sister Maureen today. Wishing we lived closer to help her celebrate.

It's too hot ...

to even consider getting away. We have been wanting to jump in the "moving roadblock" and head north. The thought of cool mornings and warm but pleasant days somewhere else was beckoning us. We checked temperatures near and far and decided that the hills of North Carolina might be a consideration. We only wanted to be gone a week or so and Asheville seemed about right. On the way, we would spend a couple days in Savannah. Now that would be hot and humid but we would wander about and explore the area and the beaches.

After making arrangements for plant watering, mail and papers, we decided to recheck the forecast and found that Asheville is now HOT and probably humid and that is not what we want......sooooo, we whined and complained and then decided to stay home. We'll try again when the stars are aligned and the temperatures drop. Altho the RV has excellent A/C, part of the joy of "camping" is being outside and meeting others. Not cooped up in front of the TV.

Meanwhile, the den is painted but picture will have to wait until the drapes are up and it looks more presentable. It is a great color but did take two coats.

Lazy blogger

For those looking for an exciting read from the old folks as we romp thru life, I'm sorry to say that not much is happening in retirement land. Yes, we are still playing golf, one of us continuing a streak of birdies and pars. Yes, it is still hot and we are planning a short excursion to find cooler weather in a few days. Yes, I am still reading on the Kindle and still undecided if I will keep it.......Target gives me 90 days to decide.

We both got haircuts of about the same length so now it's even

harder to tell us apart.....I believe they say couples start to look alike after many years of togetherness and we're starting at the top of our head.

After a year or so of procrastination, we're finally finishing the study/den/man cave/guest room. P is creating a desk and table out of our former dining room table. It was a hinged affair with a pretty inlay. I liked it but it just didn't work in this house and it was destined for the consignment shop. But his frugal nature fostered his creative side and he is busy repurposing the table. So, before we have a room full of furniture, I managed to pick out a color and begin the painting drudgery. I am not the neatest painter and couldn't resist writing on the walls. Unfortunately, this terra- cotta color is going to take two coats.....stay tuned for the finished view.

Someday, I'd actually like to see this place, St Andrews that is, in Scotland. But I would never consider playing this course. Besides the wind, the rain and the temperature, there are those amazing bunkers to consider. It's hard to imagine men clad in plaid skirts wanting to actually brave the elements with a stick and a ball.......seems like it should have been Ponce de Leon after finding Florida and the fountain of youth. But maybe the gators gave him second thoughts.

Of golf and garages

I need to brag a bit. Mostly because I usually complain about my golf game. This week, I played an Executive course called Roosevelt. It is a pretty course, fairly difficult, rated 3 on a scale of 1-4 difficulty and is hilly. Well, by Florida standards anyhow. I played from the forward tees which did make it pretty short. I got pars on the two 4 par holes and 2 additional pars and a birdie. I lipped out 2 simpleputts or my score would have been even lower......par on this course is 29 and I managed to eke out a 33. I'm not sure that is my lowest score but on a course of this complexity, I was pleased. Now, I know that all of you were thinking I was going to say I got a hole in one or broke a course record or won a tournament or something. But actually, this small thing will have me coming back for more.

Not sure how I happened on this site but found it a good laugh. It's called www.style-your-garage.com These are attached with velcro and therefore, easy to remove and put up. I would love to have one for ours but doubt that the we could keep it for long once the deed restriction patrols got wind of it. But we'd turn a few heads......

I would have liked to see one that looked like a view of a golf course. Since we live on one, it would appear as tho you could see straight thru the garage to the course.

Still using the Kindle....I've read 2 long books and ready to download another. I think there should be more contrast in the print and like the dictionary feature. It's light and comfortable to use and fits nicely in my various collection of handbags. But if an iPad happened to drop into my lap, I'd switch without hesitation.

Happy 4th

The holidays are always celebrated in a big way down here in retirement land. Today, the town squares had non-stop entertainment starting about 4 pm. We went to Lake Sumter Landing and spent a few hours enjoying the music and food. We have our very own twirling team. They are well known around the state and perform at sporting events and competitions. And no, I have no interest in pursuing this even tho I'm sure Lizzie would be thrilled if I did.....or horrified.
Freida had to have her picture taken with the stilt walkers. Despite all the entertaining events of the day, we do not have fireworks . I've always wondered why it isn't done down here.....they seem to offer so much of everything else. So we came home to watch it on tv. But just not the same.

We have had over 7 inches of rain this week and everything is lush and green and the irrigation is turned off. And the temperatures have dropped considerably altho the humidity is high in the mornings. But tonight it was about 80 with a lovely dry breeze.

Earlier today we went to see Toy Story 3. One of us had to get up to speed tho so we watched the first Toy Story last night. We haven't seen #2. I thought the latest was good but a bit intense for the little ones, especially the dump scenes.
And Ken and Barbie are a great addition to the toy box. We were the only adults in the theater without a kid.