Flutterbyes

It was a nice, nice day. I was scheduled to play Senior USTA mixed doubles at 7:30, so I took a stroll around Como Park as a kind of warm-up for the evening. I circled the lake first. They have done a lot of improving of the vegetation and flowers and planted milkweeds and butterfly milkweeds along with an assortment of other blooms to attract butterflies. They should really be called flutterbyes. Then I walked over the pedestrian bridge over Lexington Avenue to see how the Enchanted Garden was progressing. It's planted every year with the express purpose of attracting a population of butterflies. It has an assortment of colorful flowers and, of course, milkweed.

This butterfly is not a monarch.

This butterfly is a monarch.

I was pleased with my collection of butterfly photos. I may go back with my new camera tomorrow and see if I can get some better ones.

And then, tonight, there was tennis. This was the first match of the season for the senior league. Mostly I've been playing in an open league, where there is no age limit, but the senior team requires people of at least age 50 (I think). It doesn't matter what the age is, because I'm old enough. It was nice to play against people who have slowed down nearly as much as I have, and to be reasonably competitive. The people on the open team that I played on this summer are mostly old enough to play on this team, so we were good enough to win tonight. Marsha was my partner tonight and we won too.

A Sweet Day

The lilacs are still blooming in my own backyard.



It was United States Tennis Assoc. (USTA) tennis night at Wooddale. It was my first chance to play for Jerry's 8.0 team in quite a while. Sundays have been the province of permanent court time at Fort Snelling until yesterday. My partner, Barb, and I played second doubles against a couple of thirtysomething players. I don't usually go into much detail about matches, because you really have to be there to get the full flavor, but the flavor of this match was sweet, wild honey sweet. We lost the first set, without any service breaks, in a tiebreaker, 7-6. The second set went along pretty well until the opponents got a service break to go up 5-3. We were able to break back for 5-4. Then it was my serve and we had to fight off two match points to tie the set at 5-5. The next two games were close, but we won both and the set at 7-5. Then, in USTA tennis the winner is determined by a super tiebreaker - the first team to 10 points and ahead by at least two, win. We won some key reflex points and cruised 10-3. The victory was sweet. And we had fans to watch - nine of them - the other two matches had finished and they and captain Jerry stayed to watch.

So I came home and PP and I had some almost Mexican food from Chipotle as celebration for a day well spent.

Flight Canceled

Unky Herb's trip to New York didn't happen. He went to the airport and tried to check in, but NWA had canceled his flight, along with about a thousand others, because of a big storm in the Empire State. They had no seats on other flights until Sunday, so he stayed home. It could have been worse. Without a nonstop flight people have ended up in strange cities, some times for several days. Herb was wise to book a nonstop, because he is often reminded of an ill fated trip to Norway, when we spent three days trying to get out of the USA, and wherein he wasn't reunited with his luggage until we arrived at home, two weeks later.

Since Herb was home for the day, we took a ride to Como to try to see the new male baby orangutan, newly named Jaya, who was born on December 13. Unhappily, Jaya was not seeing visitors today. I was, however, able to take some photos of the area around the zoo, including a view of the Conservatory with a lot of white snow still clinging to the earth.



We took the walk around the zoo, checked out the Tiger, Snow Leopard, Cougar, Polar Bears, Bison and some sort of wild sheep. And apes and monkeys. Momma Orang was there, along with some huge gorillas with interesting feeding tactics. They'll eat anything. And then we checked out the sunken garden for the variety of flowers. It never disappoints. There was a great aroma and a lot of very pretty flowers. I'm saving photos of them for later posting, when the snow stops being so white. That could be soon. The weather guys on TV are saying that we'll get some 30's by Sunday.

I played USTA mixed doubles tonight at Fort Snelling with a new partner. We played well enough the second set, getting to a tie breaker, and nearly got to a third set. 1-6, 6-7. This time the opposing guy was very strong and we had to play away from him and towards the woman. It almost worked, but the tiebreaker was 7-5. Hard core Jerry, our captain was there, and we were able to win the other two matches for him to win the team match 2-1. We played in the cold part of Fort Snelling Tennis facility. They claim to heat it, but you could have fooled me.

Four and Out

The four day tennis marathon is over and I'm slightly knackered. The USTA 8.0 mixed doubles match was a lot of fun, but very competitive, It was a nice victory, 6-4, 4-6, 1-0, because the opposing team was good plus significantly younger than Marcia and I. The overall team also won 2-1 to improve our league record to 3-2. The match finished at about 9:35 pm, just as Jerry, our captain. got a call that his wife was out driving in the snowstorm and hit some ice and spun out, the well named 360. There were no injuries, but, if you saw the Packers-Seahawks game on TV today, that was the same snowstorm that we had last night. The drive home was interesting, but I managed to stay on the road. Not everyone that I shared the road with was as lucky. There was an upside down trailer on the exit ramp from I-694 to !-94.

The geezer tennis match this morning was closely contested and fun. The sets were 3-6, 6-4, and included lots of good points. We chatted again after playing ended and I found out some more stuff about the geezers. Both of the guys with artificial hips used to be marathon runners. Jerry finished 10 marathons, including Grandma's in Duluth five times, and Bill H. ran only one. I think the correlation between marathoners and hip replacements is obvious. These guys have and continue to enjoy rigorous physical activity. Both guys have given up running and Jerry rides his bike everywhere in the summer. Biking, as I have perhaps noted before, is the fallback exercise regimen for older runners. It is much easier on the joints.

Cold Como

It was about ten degrees and I was walking around the lake at Como Park. This is what the frozen lake and pavilion look like on a cold December Day. The ice is no longer thin. It will support large humans walking across it. Not this large human however. I don't walk on water, not even when it's frozen. There is not much time left until the solstice arrives and the dark is winning at the moment. Today had 2 minutes and 15 seconds more light than the day of the solstice. Not much.



The tennis last night went pretty late and I didn't get around to blogging. I had a sub for my half of the hardcore girl duet, and we went down in two straight sets to Jerry and Becky. It was fun, but not as much fun as winning. I relearned the lesson that doubles must be played at the net. No matter how good your ground strokes appear to be, you are easily beaten by a team that volleys well at the net. That's what happened last night.

I have a USTA 8.0 mixed doubles match tonight at Wooddale. It's an eight o'clock match so I'm writing here first. I'll report later what happens, especially if we manage a win.

This video was pretty freaky. It's Andre and Roger playing tennis on a court on top of a skyscraper in Dubai.
Tennis Video

Saturday tennis

Saturday tennis. We chatted about how we got started in the pursuit of tennis perfection. The other geezers all came to tennis later in life, usually in their thirties, when the other sports, like baseball, basketball and hockey, were not as easy to get organized any more. Tennis only requires two people and tennis equipment. They've all stayed with tennis for a lot of years and it's now a major source of exercise and entertainment. We played two sets and a 10 point tie breaker. Exercise and entertainment.

Jerry and Becky's tournament experience continues. All the match information is updated immediately on the USTA web site. Today the whole team won a match over a team from the Pacific Northwest, 2 matches to one. Jerry and Becky stayed undefeated. They are nearly done with their participation at the nationals, and they'll be home in time for Thanksgiving.

Tennis Weekend Weakened

The weekend of tennis is over. Our little 8.0 Mixed doubles team finished out of the medals, but we were assured by the organizers that we should be proud of our appearance in the playoffs. My own odyssey finished in another loss to a reasonably good pair. The guy hit big topspin on forehands and backhands and possessed a strong serve. His partner was consistent and more agile than I foresaw. We got off to a slow start and were down 4-1, before coming back a little and losing 6-3. The second set was similar, in that we lost the first four games, but we rallied enough to get to 5-4 in our favor and just two points from winning the set, but lost finally in a tie breaker, 7-6. My excuses for subpar play weren't needed. Below is the scene of the tournament, Nicollet tennis center in Minneapolis.


I spent some time talking to a tennis friend that I hadn't seen in a couple of years and who is now living and playing out of Duluth. He played on a 7.0 team that lost all of their matches. Fred is 70 years old and probably the oldest player in the tournament. He used to be a professional baseball player and took up tennis at age 40. He's one of those slice and dice, lob and drop shot guys that people hate to play against, but love to have on their team. He says he can't see very well any more, but still is unafraid to call the close shots out. When questioned about his calls by people familiar with his eyesight weaknesses, he just says that he calls them the way he sees them. I was happy to see Fred still playing and enjoying himself.

One from WWII

There was USTA mixed doubles at St Kate's at five p.m. It was in the high 80's, but not very humid. My partner, Carol, and I played against a Sylvia and a Mike. It was the first time that I'd played against this Sylvia, and probably any other Sylvia. I tried to be kind and also to compete adequately. It was pretty good tennis and used most of two water bottles before we finished, and we snatched victory from the jaws. Two hours of fun in the sun.

"A man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest." Paul Simon, "The Boxer."

A photo from the past. One of my favorites. It is me as a toddler with my grandpa, Richard W. Anderson. There is a shadow of the head of the photographer, and I take it to be Lillie. Grandpa was born October 9, 1877. This photo was taken in 1943 or 1944 at his farm near Webster, Wisconsin, the place they called "Dick's Ranch," but it wasn't a ranch. He was, likely, 65 or 66 when this picture was snapped, about a year older than I am today. He is carrying a cane, because of his arthritis, I think, and looks older than 65 to me. I was born a scant 5 days after his 65th birthday. He lived another twelve years after I was born.


He was born in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, and married my grandmother, Hansine, when he was 35, nearly twice her age. His dad and his older brother, Frank, were born in Sweden. He and Hansine had six children.

The bicycle tour of Paris ended today and a winner was named. It's hard to accept that the doping expulsions had no effect on the outcome. They should give yellow jerseys to the top three and work for a better and cleaner tour next year.

KS continues her visit in these parts and will be looking forward to more road trips. To track down the blueberries.

Flutterbyes are Free

The wildlife I saw today consisted of ducks, squirrels, and some butterflies. I always thought they should be called flutterbyes beacause they flutter by. I was at Como park where they have a flower garden they call "Monarch Station" which is reputed to attract butterflies. And I took some photos of this monarch using the macro setting on the camera. This is the best of the lot.


This is another view of the Monarch Station. It's located very near the Conservatory and contains a great variety of fragrant and colorful flowers. A lot of them are now blooming. And issuing odors.


I'm sort of late with this writing tonight because of another USTA match. I played Super Seniors doubles at 98th Street Lifetime Fitness Club at 6:30 pm. Tom and I were beaten 6-2, 6-3 by a couple of pretty good players - Rick and Ralph, but I felt like we should have had a better result. To be a Super Senior, you must be 60 by the end of 2007. The other two matches went to third set tiebreakers and we had split results. Both tiebreakers were 10-8. There will be other matches, but it's always nicer to win than lose.

I also have a picture of a door on an outdoor rest room in Crosby Farm Park. The door is brown. I think that brown is a mixture of blue and orange pigments. But I could be wrong. SS will correct me, I hope.

It Rains At Last

Wimbledon is done and Roger Federer is the men's champion for the fifth straight year, tying the streak of the stoic Swede, Bjorn Borg. Rafael Nadal gave it a pretty good shot, but came up a little bit short in five sets. It was a very good match. Defending men's doubles champions, twins Bob and Mike Bryan lost in the finals to two Frenchmen (should make some readers happy) Clement and Llodra.

For Minnesota, it was a wild weather day. It was very hot in the morning and this afternoon it rained cats and puppies. I was inside at Wooddale playing a mixed doubles league match. Our team is an average team in this 8.0
league, but we managed two wins (out of three) and won the face-off. I could hear the rain pounding on the roof as we played. My partner and I had a relatively easy match and finished early enough to watch the downpour outside.

It rained copiously in St Paul and battered down my tomato plants. They are fine, but not so tall. The fruit may be prime targets for Peter Rabbit, who apparently lives in KS's native grass garden. I'll try to get a photo of this wild creature. He is often hanging around in the yard and we startle each other frequently.

I picked the first zuke of the season today, sliced it up with some onions and marinaded it in some fancy Tarragon vinegar for lunch. Only green tomatoes thus far.

Without any recent photos for this site, I have reverted to about 1950 or so for a picture from Webster of my two younger siblings. It's taken in front of the place we lived on Main Street. Santini has clamp-on roller skates and thus appears much taller than her bro. Mr Moohoo has rudimentary ski poles and a cool hat.


Another photo from the deep past. Maybe 1953? This one is early spring near the hollyhock site at the side door at 108 Hartley Avenue. Santini is underdressed and is trying to get inside. TT is wearing a stylish overcoat and an odd smirk. We all need to be reminded occasionally where we came from, and that time flees.

USTA mixed dubbs

Too tired to blog - and no new photo. The USTA mixed match went badly. 5-7, 3-6. Wilson was not comfortable in Nicollet Tennis Center, and I went back to my old racket for the second set with a decided lack of success.

Tomorrow is Monday and I must pay my real estate taxes by Tuesday.

Happy Mother's Day to the mothers out there.