Good afternoon, and I am joining everyone else and say it is hot, hot. 93 in the shade in my back yard. I was trying to do some watering, as all my plants are drying up.

Larry, I go to the hematologist once a month, started in Jan. when m y blood count got very low, went every two weeks.  Now I go once a month.  I was there the beginging of July, now I am called back to come in Wed.  My prays and thoughts are with you.

MaryAnn, we are the same age, some time I feel younger then Sping Time, special when I get dress up in red and purple to go to a RH luncheon, with my picture hat and long earrings. We even make other people smile, when they look at a group of 30 or more women over dressed. A few years ago when we were in NYC, waiting for the Martha Stewart Show,  a Chinese group took pictures of us. To day I feel old, as I was awake all nit, went to bed at 5AM, now I am tired.

JeanneP, I check Grand Haven every day, or after I make a post.  This morning I saw a freighter go in the channel.  Tom told me there are about a half dozen places where the freighters could go, so I won't guess where that one was going.  The channel is wide enough for pleasure boats to share the channel and there were three of them going out at the time.

Mary Ann

Gloria D, I'll bet you women are a pleasant sight, all dressed up in red and purple.  I think we have a group at my church, but I haven't heard anything about it in months. 

I'm watching golf, but the games get changed.  First I was watching from Scotland and all of a sudden they're gone.  Of course, they're five hours ahead of us.  Then the game from Toronto was on and I ended up watching the Tour de France.  Since that didn't interest me, I found the golf channel carrying the Senior Championship and before I knew it, the ladies were playing.  I think I'm back in Toronto now.  Confusing.

Tom has gone to the store with a big list.  I'd like to nap, but I'll wait until he gets back home so I can help put the groceries away.

Mary Ann

MaryAnn, the golf was confusing to day.  I think Can. Open went to CBS. It says it on till 6PM

I belong to two RH chapters, one for 15 years and the other 10 years, Aug. is our anniversary date, and the theme of the party will be Down  town Abby. We can dress like that show, and there will be prizes.    One chapter is called: RH Devies and the other  RH Ruby Red & Wild.

Here is the REAL webcam for the REAL Annapolis Harbor.  Nothing exciting, but THIS is the harbor:
http://www.beachcamsusa.com/md/annapolis/eastport-yacht-club-webcam-in-annapolis

Joy, yes, you can see McGarvey's from the Ego Alley webcam.  And when Mary Howland and I went down and waved (was her SeniorNet name "Deems" ?) (I can't seem to remember for sure.  It was years ago!) we set a time, I think it was eleven A.M. because of her class times, quite a few saw us, but it was in real time, so you had to be on your computer at the very time.  We stayed there for, oh, maybe ten minutes.  Yes, the Hurricane Isabel floods ruined the Market House, and it was closed for eons for renovations.  The City owns it.  Did y'all know that the slave stone there is where Kunta Kinta stood to be auctioned off when he arrived here in a slave ship from Africa?  He was Alex Haley's ancestor in ROOTS.  We have a memorial down at City Dock:

http://www.beachcamsusa.com/md/annapolis/kunta-kinte-alex-haley-memorial-webcam

Joy, tell your son and daughter-in-law that Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant is not in downtown Historic Annapolis.  It is up in Parole, in the new Annapolis Towne Center, and has only been here about 3 months now.  We park in the Target parking garage and cross the circle and it is right there.  They can also park in the Bed, Bath & Beyond parking garage, and get there just as easily.  It's just that the Target one makes it easier to get OUT again.  I absolutely adore Cooper's Hawk, and they should try it.  Very up market, but between 3:00 and 5:00, appetizers are half price for HAPPY HOUR!  Tell them the margueritas are to die for!  Tell them to try the spring rolls and the Mediterraneon one with Pita and hummus and two other dips.  Oh, and the pork belly.  We have made 4 trips there so far, and have had almost, but not quite, the entire list of appetizers.

Thanks, MaryPage.  I will tell them.  They are ones that don't go out for dinner until most of us have had our dinner and forgot about it.  I love to go out to some of the places that they go to,  but I don't like to eat that late. 

Coopers Hawk, tho, looks like a place that they would like.  Most of the time, when I go there for dinner, he serves a different wine with each course.  He is a gourmet cook and everything is always so different , plus being delicious.  My husband was a meat and potatoes person, and he didn't really enjoy all the different things that my son fixes.  But, I love to try something different.  Might not eat it again, but  will try something once.  When the grandchildren were little, they would always ask why Uncle Jack can't have just regular food.  Most of the time, I would fix something that I knew they would eat.   My son and DIL do not have any children, so they are able to go to places not suitable for children.  And, money is no object, either.  Nothing for the bill to be several hundred dollars. 

Joy

Mary. I can get the photo's up but not the Web Camera. See a little movement on the one with the few boats out on the water  but that it.  That area like the clubs around here. All the boats just stay tied up. My Texas family are on a big one in Texas. Same thing there. Beautiful boats and yet never see any people using them. There are house boats also costing hundred thousand that never see anyone on them  Will say that ours well used.

We had a huge, swift storm last night.  It came suddenly, whipped things about quite a bit, dumped tons of rain, including raining all over the back deck and up to the sliding glass doors, and scooted away to other parts.
I found a site that has a marvelous photograph called The Port of Annapolis.  We are a port only for cruise ships, and not many of them, these days, but I love the photo and tried to pick it out separately and found I could not.  So I have to send you the site just for you to see that picture. 
The picture greatly shrinks our town, so you can see the layers.  For instance, you can see the State House and all of the government buildings.  We are the Capital of the State of Maryland.  Beyond the State House, looking upwards, is the old town of Historic Annapolis.  Do you see the bridge across the water?  That is Spa Creek Bridge, leading over to Eastport.  To the right of it is Spa Creek, and to the left the Annapolis Harbor.  You cannot see all of Annapolis Harbor, but you CAN see another creek on the other side of Eastport.  That is Back Creek.  I live on the far side, the Chesapeake Bay side, of that furtherest pennisula.  If you scroll down the website page you come to what purports to be a webcam from the shores of the Naval Academy.
http://www.cruisin.me/cruise-port-webcams/united-states/annapolis-maryland.php

Hi everyone on a beautiful Sunday  and very warm morning morning that is headed to hot.  We will go to Sunday School and Church this morning and then plan on going to Ruby Tuesday's for a two for one big hamburger meal.  Plan to watch the PGA golf tourney later this afternoon.

Once again, I thank all of you for your prayers and kind thoughts.  Please do not worry about me as I will be fine regardless of what the future holds.  Isn't it nice that we can remember when we were hale and hearty.  I agree with you all about not feeling my age in my mind but only in my body.

Joy, as you say just sitting and thinking and worrying about serious health problems accomplishes nothing except perhaps ruining good hours of our days. It is nice that you and MaryPage are knowledgeable about the same area.  When I lived in Maryland it was in Gaithersburg and only visited Annapolis one time that I recall. 

deAngel, my plants are not looking well this year except for the petunia's in the hanging basket on the patio that I can see from my easy chair or where we eat dinner.  I think that hot weather has really done a number on them.  I have never been to a hematologist before.  I looked up this doctor and find he is Board Certified in not only hematology but also oncology (a two for one I guess). 

MaryPage, I enjoy all of your descriptions of Annapolis and the surrounding areas.  You make it come alive.  I have never lived near a big bay or ocean.

Mary Ann, glad you have that A/C to keep you comfortable on these very hot days. 

Patricia, I also enjoy your descriptions of Fairbanks and the activities that occur.  One of my lasting memories of Anchorage is that weather seldom interrupted activities there.  Of course they were equipped to deal with the snow in the winters and the summers were very nice. 

We are in for some more 100 days coming up.  Not thrilled about that, but not a darn thing I can do about it either.  LOL

Thank you, Larry. I don't think anyone let the thunder and rain of yesterday spoil the festivities that I could hear well outside my windows and see on the cam a time or two.

The noise didn't bother Farrah at all and she rarely even raised her head. She was more interested in the intermediate as when a couple of pigeons traveled the balcony,

Today is quiet,not quite sunny. In the cam, you can see wisps of dark clouds floating below the foothills.

https://fairbanksalaska.com/goldenheart/

MaryPage, I looked at your cam, very impressive! A popup came up that was evidently powered by location, as it asked if the viewer wanted to look at the harbor of Juneau, Alaska. Our capital is the only one of the states that you can only reach by air or ship..There are no roads to Juneau.
http://www.cruisin.me/cruise-port-tracker/united-states/juneau-alaska.php#at_pco=smlwn-1.0&at_si=5794ee1356d58e55&at_ab=per-2&at_pos=0&at_tot=1

Good afternoon, again all I can say it is hot, will be in the 90's till Wed. now. Chance of rain 30percent.  I cannot keek up with the watering. I had my neighbor go buy me a light weight hose.  Would believe it has a hole in it so it has to go back.

Larry, my doctor is also a encologist. The shot I get each month is Peocerit.  $580. a shot.
Patricia, on Aug. 5th. Hallmark  will have a special featureing adoptable kittens competing in sporting events. Kitten gymastics . de-Cat-hion with track and field. I saw it last year, and was very funny.  Some one again has dropped off another cat in here, this is the 3rd. it has been fixed, as it has a clipped ear.  It was eating the bread I put out for the birds when I first saw it.

So much to read as this is the first chance I've had to get on the computer today.  I did not go to church this morning so maybe I'll try next week.  Dot parks as close as she can to the door but after I get in, we have a rather long walk to a pew where I can hear.  Our minister is in Utah for two weeks to visit his mother.  The minister of a Spanish speaking church is guest preacher for today and next week.  I've heard him before and he is very good, more animated than our minister.

I've been watching golf as usual, first from Scotland, now from near Toronto.

Patricia, I see noises don't bother Farrah as they don't bother Kendrick.  We had a storm during the early morning and one later in the morning.  I don't know about the early morning storm. but the later one found him lying on his tower, asleep.  I enjoy seeing the cam shots of Fairbanks.  Is that park where our tour saw the play about "old Fairbanks"?  Also we had some salmon at the same place.  It was 10 years ago that Jim and I were on the Alaska tour.

Gloria D, that is an expensive shot and good that it is once a month.

MaryPage, I enjoyed the pictures of your harbor.  I live 35 miles from Lake Michigan but when Tom lived up north, we were nearer water.  Tom has always had champagne tastes on a beer income, so he'd rent a sailboat for a short time so he could get on the water.  Now he has an ear problem that affects his balance so can't sail anyway - and it breaks his heart.

Larry, the rain we've had has been good for my outdoor plants.  I have a couple of gerbera daisies (yellow) in hanging baskets and they are thriving.

Mary Ann

Grand Haven is busy, many swimmers and whitecaps.  The water temperature is 74 degrees and the air temperature at Grand Haven is 81 degrees.  Ideal for those people.

Mary Ann

I'm sorry MaryAnn, but that isn't the park you were in. You would have been across town in Alaskaland's Pioneer Park. They have tourist reenactments and "gunfights" as well as a terrific old-style saloon and the Salmon Bake there is quite well known.

Pioneer Park has most of the older buildings that are on the Historical Register, which was moved from town to the park in Alaskaland.

This park is a small one of a group built along the  Chena River.

I'm glad you liked seeing the cam.

Hi everyone.  It was already 87 degrees at 8 am this morning when I went out to water my plants. Our high is predicted at 95 but do expect it to get hotter this afternoon as yesterday we were at 100 degrees. 

I am having a big breakfast today with two delicious South Carolina peaches, a banana, a little glass of cranberry juice, my nutrition drink and the nutrition bar.  I shouldn't need much for lunch.  I did pick four ripe tomatoes but think that is about the end of the crop.  The yellow peppers (only three on the plant) are ready to pick but will leave that up to Pat to say when they are ready.  The only thing on my schedule for today is to attend my Monday noon meeting.

Yesterday after church we did go to Ruby Tuesdays and each had one of their delicious hamburgers with one side using the 2 for 1 coupon. 

Patricia, the webcam shows a beautiful picture with no activity as it is still in the middle of the night up your way. I remember flying into Juneau once or twice on business.  As I recall the airport is over on Douglas Island and it was a bit scary on landing and takeoff.

deAngel, I see you are having the same bad experience with light-weight hoses that I have had this year.  Two of the three I bought this year have failed but the most expensive one is being replaced under the guarantee.  Wow, that is an expensive shot.  Thank goodness for health insurance. 

Mary Ann, nice finish to the Canadian Open Golf Tourney yesterday.  There are so many young and talented players now that it makes golf interesting.  I was glad they didn't need a playoff. 

MaryPage, when you have time, go to Photos Now and Then, where Sachiko posted a picture of her geraniums in blue pots.  I told her about yours.

Larry, I am always glad to see different players win those tours. 

Mary Ann

Good morning from a cool, but sunny Interior! We had a terrific sunset Sunday, with the black, thick clouds breaking open and the sunlight coming up behind. We are to remain bright, but only in the cool mid-seventies until Friday. The air is becoming drier as it is during the winter, as I woke up Sunday and this morning with a headache that tends to come more with winter weather.

Farrah is enjoying herself these past few days, exploring high and low places and attacking her bag regularly. She jumps up on the bed each morning to hurry me when she hears me stirring, (breakfast is always one of her high points!); and generally behaving like a cat. She is still apprehensive about new or different experiences.

Yesterday, while preparing to wash the small kitchen and bathroom rugs, I had removed them to the washbag. Farrah came running to the bathroom door, stopped looked about and took off. Later she raised her feet and stepped gingerly on the tile!

I spent yesterday going through old photos and found one I sent to MaryAnn that I believe may have been Norm's old alligator, against the door, knocking.

Patricia, I'll have to look for the picture; I haven't seen it yet.  All of Norm's alligators were named Percy.  Of course, he didn't have any alligators but they were ones that stayed in the waters/ponds near their place. 

A friend of Tom's has been cleaning for us and she is running the vacuum cleaner.  You can guess that Kendrick is nowhere to be found.  I know he's downstairs with Tom. 

In hopes that a computer problem was caused by my Word program, I removed/uninstalled it.  That didn't help but it created a new problem.  I have a Word program that came with the computer but had not used.  When I try to print, that program comes up and wants me to pay for it.  I downloaded Open Office but I think I didn't wait long enough for it to take because I looked for it in my programs and it isn't there.  I'll try again, but it sure is frustrating trying to do somethings.  I have the old Word program on another computer so I can move my printing there if necessary.

Mary Ann

For those who enjoy them, there is a new trivia quiz;

http://www.seniorsandfriends.org/index.php?topic=95.msg37509#msg37509

From the news, I love the pilot's last name!;

"ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) â€" The Solar Impulse 2 plane has landed in Abu Dhabi more than a year after its initial take off, completing the first round-the-world flight to be powered solely by the sun's energy.
The pre-dawn landing Tuesday by pilot Bertrand Piccard marks the end of an epic 25,000-mile (40,000-kilometer) journey. The plane made 16 stops, including in India, China, the U.S., Italy, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates â€" where it first took off.
The Swiss-engineered single-seater aircraft is powered by 17,248 solar cells and runs on battery power at night. Its average airspeed was 46 mph (75khm), though that increased during the day when the sun's rays were strongest.
It took 70 hours for the plane to cross the Atlantic and 118 hours across the Pacific."

I went to a women's seminar at the Episcopalian Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia one weekend many years ago.  It was just after the second group of women had been ordained. and was quite a joyful time.  Jeannette Piccard, a pilot and balloonist on her own and great aunt to Bernard, was there and was one of the speakers.  I remember she was nearly ninety then.  And I had the immense pleasure of walking and talking with her, just the two of us, and it was such fun.  She was a real role model of what any woman can be if she just believes she can.  I believe this was in the very late nineteen seventies.

Hi everyone.  It is to be another really hot day here with no rain.  We plan on getting to COSTCO close to the time they open at 10 am so we can get back home and into the cool ASAP.  Pat likes the meat at COSTCO and our larder is about bare so sort of a necessary trip.  Nothing else on the schedule for today.

When I went to use the garden hose to water in front it sprang a leak and there wasn't even enough pressure to get a drop out of the end of the hose.  This is 3 hoses that have failed on me this season already.  Although I don't want to guess I will have to go with a heavy duty hose.  I am still awaiting the replacement hose for the back of the house but am confident I will get it any day now.  It can't be overuse as I use each only a few minutes a day and never leave pressure on the hose.  Certainly not life's biggest problem.

Patrica, please send a few of those cool breezes down our way.  Farrah doesn't like you changing her living situation with the rugs.  Those tiles must be cold on her little paws.  That solar flight was really something.  The pilot must be one who is very patient.  At least he didn't have to worry about running out of fuel. 

MaryPage, interesting at what a small world we live in that you have met a relative of the pilot. 

Mary Ann, sure glad to read you are getting someone to do the major cleaning for you.  Open Office does take quite a little bit of time to download.  There is another free Office Suite of program called LibreOffice that is highly rated.  I have used both and they are basically interchangeable and use MS Word and other files and will save back with those extensions if you want.   

Bubble. I am sue that Don will play any of the ones you missed over again. Couple of my favourites also. I just miss hearing his new voice.
I have not even considered driving to my family and friends who live 40 miles out of town. Just to hot

Had a shootout between 3 policemen and one man at the service station across the street from me at 1am this morning. It is the turn of to the interstate and he got away. Good to stay close to home these days.

I wonder how many caught the reference to "Captain Luc Piccard of the USS Enterprise" from Star Wars? I thought that name particularly apt. MaryPage, how nice that you were able to meet and spend time with Jeannette Piccard, a great aunt of Bertrand's! It is indeed a small world, and shows that adventure is alive and well in that family tree!

I spent from Saturday, early afternoon, to last night at 8:27 pm, sorting out, arranging and just general housecleaning of my photos, and PSP memorabilia. Now if I just keep it up, but you know about envisioning those grand plans....

Farrah is skittish again today. If I move away from the computer or the kitchen, she jumps off whatever she's on and makes a short dash towards the bedroom. I've come to believe that it is now innately her nature and not going to change. The fact that she comes and rubs on my legs to be petted was hard fought by both of us. While I miss Sarah's gentle, loving closeness, I don't expect more from Farrah then she can give.

Wednesday is my big errand day, and it is lucky because it is another one of those scheduled fire extinguisher checks that they do twice yearly. A Fire Department person and a maintenance man start on the fifth floor and work themselves down in two days. It is annoying; I'm sure for them, much more than it is an interruption to me, but it can not be changed or rescheduled.

We are still sunny and bright, at least through Friday, but with the air coming in around those balcony doors, I've started the portable heater for a few minutes the last two mornings to warm it up a mite. Directly below me this morning was a scare as someone very drunk, scaled the high chainlink fence and then the four-foot wall around a ground floor apartment, just to loudly knock on the balcony door and ask if he could come in for a drink? Regardless, neither the occupants or arriving police were quite that charitable! 

And this concludes the summary for this morning! 

Patricia, I think you have done wonders with Farrah. After all these years Taffy will still head to the bedroom, when a women comes in.

By the way, I had to smile, when I saw Taffy was part of your Quize

Gloria, I wonderd if you'd see that! 

I got really riled up this afternoon, really hot under the collar, as it were, which I rarely ever do, actually.
I was browsing through children's books on line, and I found The Jungle Book listed as having been published recently by Disney and written by several authors I've never heard of.
Now, I happen to be a big time fan of RUDYARD KIPLING.  And I think he was a wonderful genius.  So I cannot figure why this is allowed.  Ok, obviously the copyright has expired.  But can they publish the Bible and start claiming that someone new wrote the various books?  Can they claim a different author for the Declaration of Independence?  I don't think so.  On the one hand, it is no skin off MY back whom they claim wrote what.  And surely the original, quite definitely long dead authors don't care, either.  But think about it!  Our GRANDCHILDREN, or, in my case, since all of those are all grown up, my GREAT grandchildren and so on, are not going to know who wrote things that are stolen by today's publishers.  I find it immoral AND a dumbing down factor. 
Anyone else riled, as well?

MaryPage, I cannot believe they could do that without stirring up quite a controversy. Perhaps if they called it a new adaptation?

Probably, Patricia.  Probably.  Yet, no where on the website does it say that.  If it is written in the small print inside, well, what child is going to catch THAT?  The name or names on the COVER get their attention.  So they are going to read and love a lovely story (possibly dumbed down and/or jazzed up) and never know the name of the genius who imagined the whole of the original.
I am sickened by this, albeit totally helpless.  I mean, they OUGHT to think of the knowledge stored away in youngsters heads!
Money.  It is always about money.  Wickedness!