Labor day. S V 22
A Monday Holiday and this particular observance WILL REMAIN unscathed on the new calendar according to Bill. The first Monday in September will be celebrated WITHOUT change or interruption.
None of this ‘floating Monday’ nonsense that TOTALLY messed up the 4th of July.
We are now in total relaxation mode here. I started a training ride and between the k1 and k2 mark there was a mechanical problem that brought me back to the house with a reschedule planned for tomorrow.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The right toe clip came off and you say big deal but as Paul Harvey says, in syndication, wait for the REST of the Story.
First thing I noticed was that my foot was all over the petal. With the cage and the toe pushed to the extreme front position, the down stroke is always made with the ball of the foot. This was foremost a distraction but slowing rhythm and adding discomfort to aggravation eventually. I could see this coming.
I finished one complete lap and on closer review one (1) of the mounting screws was intact and a second was missing. I looked at the clip and all four (4) of the bracket posts had broken off sheared over time due to metal fatigue I am positive.
I did at one time have spares but now the real challenge is to find them, no, ONLY ONE before tomorrow or else reschedule and postpone rides until I either find them in the debris field known as my garage or bite the bullet and buy TWO (2) which is an unnecessary expense at this point in time.
So much for the most immediate problem in my life.
The day is shaping up to be somewhere between beautiful and gorgeous.
OUUUHH … THAT WOULD BE ‘DELIGHTFUL’.
That’s what I’m thinking. I was up kind of early and started painting where I left off yesterday and before the aborted ride.. I cannot over emphasize enough how painstakingly slow this process has become. It seems like I paint, study images and pictures, mix paint and paint some more. Little dabs of color with progressively smaller brushes. Washes of pale colors creating depth then repeat.
Maybe today something will see completion.
Yesterday while making an unplanned visit to local K-roget I was approached by a young lad in a Boy Scout uniform selling popcorn. After a brief conversation with him and his Mom I bought a box. A donation for sure $25 for 12 microwave bags. But a good cause one the less. The Mom asked if I was a scout and I looked at her and recited ‘Trustworthy, loyal, helpful … all the way to the end.
After I gave the lad some words of encouragement and support, they processed the plastique and I carried on.
Last night I was checking stats on substack and wow. WOW!! Fans, Thank you ALL so much.
WHAT HAPPENED?
There has been significant activity. Within the past week, there were 38 and 27 visits/views which is phenomenal. AND, there was even one (1) ‘LIKE’ which was a thrill.
SERIOUSLY?
I mean it. So I am going to keep going and working on the plan AND delivering creative, original works that pop into and spring from my mind.
While exiting this session on the stack, I saw another writer who had a clever name which I will not plug. I clicked on the ‘free read’ first and that’s where and when the ‘first impression’ soured.
To me, and this is personally speaking, I would rather NOT read a lengthy discourse on anything. I am finding more and more such things candidly a waste of my time which I cannot afford. Especially if the account is focused on a sole topic or subject. Dry, dull, boring and NEXT.
Posts here you can bank on (sorry) being short, funny to humorous and lastly enlightening (somehow) OR educational OR provide some needed information. In other words I am NOT here to waste YOUR time or mine. If there is nothing going on in the world in general, OR my world pacifically, guess what? NO REPORT. I will continue and will always have a respect for readership’s time enough to provide a worthy product.
I MAY come back in a bit but for now I am going to apply some paint and have a cup of hot coffee in the cement pond as the sun warms the water. 10:47a
4:18 PM
Thermodynamics of water and solar heating of a selected body of water in September. Swimming across the pond the temperature variations are astounding and noticeable. The deeper lower levels are cooler and the top few inches are of course warmed by the sun when and where not shaded by Roger huge oak tree that will be dropping brown leaves into MY pool soon.
I do so enjoy the pool.
The image today is a flower which COULD become a painting. The genus is Hymenocallis, species caribaea aka ‘Tropical giant.’ The stand was much larger however is coming back after the brutal winter a few years ago. I think this is a pretty good picture myself. I got more today of the purple flowers that attract pollinators (bees), butterflies and dragon flies. Many bees today working on Labor day and not one (1) sting all summer. I just … wait for it … let them be.
My Father had an artistic bend and did paint a few flowers. They were good. When they shipped them back from Va after they retired the paintings were lost. LOST. My Mom was heartbroken then and when my Dad died it became worse. She is still miffed and holds a quiet grudge against the USps. Well, she hasn’t forgotten and doesn’t speak highly or often of them because they ‘lost’ those pictures.
9:47 pm
It was a delightful day.
Let us see if we can gather some momentum and have two (2) consecutive as in a row, back-to-back… smashing days shall we?
