October - A Look Ahead

This “look ahead” post is a bit late this month because of our trip. Better late than never! The fall colors are starting to appear in East Tennessee. Hooray! And the temperatures are blessedly moderate. We’re ready to settle in and enjoy the seasonal transition. 

We are still in the midst of playing “catch up” since we came back from our travels on Thursday. But we have some semblance of order emerging now. It is always surprising how much energy and time is required to get back on track with normal, everyday routines. 

We had a good trip, but it wasn’t spectacular. The photo opportunities were slim compared to what we expected and wanted. We saw some mighty nice scenery zipping by the bus windows! We have concluded that traditional, large group tours are just not our thing. This tour’s itinerary was constantly filled and required a lot of sitting time on the bus. As a result, explorations on our own were limited. I’ll be going through my photos in the next month or so and show you some of the highlights. We found the charming countryside similar to New England and the residents quite friendly. It was too early for the fall colors, but we saw some pretty vistas. We were also delighted to find our traveling companions to be the most congenial of large group tours that we have taken, so that was a bonus! 

I will have some minor surgery in a few weeks to remove a cyst on my right thumb knuckle. Before our trip, I noticed that my thumb was starting to hurt whenever I bent it. I initially ignored it, thinking that the source was arthritis. But I then noticed a lump on top of the joint. A quick visit to an orthopedic surgeon (specializing in hands) confirmed it is a cyst. Over a decade ago, I had a cyst removed from my right-hand pinkie finger. It took three tries. A dermatologist removed it twice, and a hand surgeon removed it once and for all. So this time I am not messing around! 

On the home front, we will have gutter guard installed along the back of our home. With our sloped lot, the back portion of the house is effectively 3 stories tall. We are both very allergic to ladders, and standing on a ladder at that height is sheer insanity. And the woods in our backyard will contribute to an annual accumulation of leaves in the gutters if we don’t take action now. This will be one less thing we have to worry about for long-term maintenance! 

I will soon resume posts that feature my Alaska photos. After just a few more “grand scenic”, you will be treated to “wildlife wonders” and “Katmai bears”. It’s a bit surprising to see from my blogger statistics that I am closing in on another milestone: 600 posts. Holey moley! Marty and I need to quickly make some plans for an anniversary giveaway! I also will be catching up with my blogging friends to discover what is happening in their world.