simple photos from a walk

I decided not to labor any detail, but here are some photos from Marcus' walk.

lilac

Well, a branch fell on the lilac bush. Lois wondered if it was from lightning, but no. It was rotted inside to out. Worse still, when I cut it off, it moved. There was an unhappy colony of ants scrambling to relocate the nest after exposure. Thomas get some spray and Marcus soaked the colony into a slick, sick death. The larvae and eggs were beyond recovery.

Marcus, who doesn't like killing insects, did as directed and killed the carpenters. Well, their recording careers died int he 70s, but "peace out" notwithstanding, the carpenter ants died that day.

soily

Well, the Tom and Lois worked more on their flower beds this week. They tried a new mat that allowed water penetration, but prevented everything covered over by it to no grow. It has only been a few days, so the "jury is still out" on whether it works. Tom chose peat to cover the mat, while Lois had favored composted manured mixed with soil. Anyway, one bag was typical and the other two bags were gooey and sloppy. What a mess!

The wind has been fierce, but thankfully no tornadoes here. Still, Tom and Lois got a chance to go out walking and met up with a neighbor they haven't seen for a long while.

Thomas had a blood test that covered his PSA, but ... he doesn't have his results yet. Don't bother asking much. I'll post anything that I know.

traveling man, miles per day

After walking for so many miles, I have become sunburned and muddied. I also bear the scars of thickets. Ah, the cost of walking the less beaten trail.
Haary Baals Drive in Fort Wayne, Johnny Appleseed Camp facing Coliseum Blvd. The bushes are lovely.
Dam long walk on some days.
A short bridge to soccer fields. This is Shoaff Park in Fort Wayne. Sadly, the locals in the area were discharging weapons in their yard.
This is on the North end of Shoaff Golf Course. This pond hosted many geese, none of whom liked me being there.
Metal, rusted, ladder down. I had to hold the hand rail for I couldn't see the individual steps for the brown mud, leaves and rust.
Higher ground, but not morally. This is a high spot overlooking St. Joseph River
The depth here you can't see well. It was an edge to the bank. It fell about 12 feet forward into the river and about 12 feet down. I won't bother going into the math to find the hypotenuse of the right triangle.
I found a lone, mostly hidden face in a birdhouse. "You can't see me", I believe is the message I was to get.
In Shoaff Park, I took the uncleared river path that was narrow, steep, full of thickets. Here is an example.
What I don't have is a clear picture of reeds that appear to be "bamboo" that I listed as straw in an earlier post, as runoff material likely from fields. Bamboo from Indiana? Who knew?
Pink and lovely now will burst forth into white-pink blossoms, then stay green until fall.
Ah, a human-made shanty lean-to. I wonder how many squatters reside there?
St. Joseph River at the bank. I later saw two speedboats with riders.
I nearly didn't leave, for as you can see my shoes sank like quicksand into the mud.
small pond at Shoaff Park that meets the pavilion and the lot linking to the children's playsets.
an old school that is closed but seemed to be used as an art studio by someone
it is on 100 N. near Ossian, IN
Tinman in Ossian ... OK, he is a sheet metal man for an AC business, but still odd.
old fugal grwoth in Fogwell Forest, IN part of Acres Land Trust
peel apart tree, not a banana, in Fogwell Forest
along a scant trail from Fogwell Forest to a private residence of horse owners, this anthill was 24-30 inches wide
Fogwell Forest is green and alive, but mostly quiet when I went. The mosquitoes were not pestering me ...
yet.

Gardenview

Well, on a good day, Lois feels quite fine. She was able to work, here and there on the landscape. Thomas and Marcus pitched in pulling out bushes and other nuisances. Not to be outdone, there are two birds taking nest around. A cardinal has made a nest in a clematis bush. A robin has made a nest in the front gutter, so for each person entering or exiting from the front she takes flight with a telling off for good measure.

Lois still has blood sugar levels all over like a drunk sailor ... weaving. Thomas has had chances to golf and relieve stress for that matter. They are mostly healthy. Next month is a doctor bonanza with most days seeing one doctor or another.

Marcus is still doing daily walks of 3 to 7 miles and is looking for a lucrative job. On one of his walks he encountered Gardenview (street, road, or something), sadly missing any garden or much that was pretty. It's only a short distance from a neat and what-could be posh area butted up to junk, neo-rustic housing.

I am still the only one writing on this blog. I may some day turn it off as I sometimes grow tired of writing. I have two other blogs that I should still keep "lively".

not great ... not good, but

not butt ugly either. As a whole we are working to so-so. Family complications strain at the hearts, the tongues, the ears, pains from all. Health, well, we ain't got that either, but we are working on that too.

Lois hasn't had an EMS this week -- isn't that a kicker!
Thomas slept some this week. mark that some.

Thomas got worn out, totally pokering, golf the second.

His team got a keeper -- that beat expected time and they butted into a fiver who were too slow. The salesperson at the clubhouse gave 'em a free 9 holes on raincheck.

Lois got a little yard work done ... Thomas got some grass to grow, much like trying to get a flea to type your blogs -- difficult to say the least.

Marcus helped some with the yard yucks. He is keeping up with searching for permanent work and still walks miles daily. He did 15 miles Tuesday.

natural walk

clearer day

Thomas got to golf, though windy. He remarked that his score reflected months of little or no practice and high winds. I will not disclose the high score.

Lois walked with Marcus today. She likes to walk and needed to get off some stress. While there aren't many flowers out yet, the park was nice, breezy, cool, refreshing. Marcus has been walking 2+ miles daily ... usually around 5. So, for those really worried that Lois is seconds from doom -- fear not!

Marcus later walked very fast, solo, and felt the fiery hell of his calves rebutting his fight to walk. It has been a stressful year.

I hope to post more pictures of Thomas and Lois as they venture forth into the Spring and Summer.