Even the oaks are getting into the act

I had my once every other year eye exam this morning. So far, no change to the long distance vision, but I still need help in the short range - reading distance. The doctor recommended that I continue using Walgreens as my supplier of eye glasses.

I took my medicated and very light sensitive eyes to Crosby Park to look for orange and red, maybe darkish yellow leaves to add to my photo collection. There was some wind, but Crosby is down below the bluffs and the wind was blowing over the top today. The recently flooded trails are not yet open to bike traffic, and some are still too muddy for walking without fouling one's shoes. The high water from last week is coming down, but at its own sweet rate. I found some oak trees who are joining the color parade. Oaks don't usually turn orange, but I was satisfied with the reds developing in the leaves.

There were some maples, still resplendent in orange. This one was in the woods a bit up stream from the Watergate Marina off Shepherd Road.

It was another 70-ish day in the middle of October - a bonus day - a reward for good behavior, or just blind luck, perhaps the positive side of global warming. I know we're going to pay for this nice stretch of Indian Summer, but not for at least another week.

No tennis today, but I'll be outside again tomorrow, tennis racket in hand, bashing the fuzz off some Wilson tennis balls.  Use it or lose it.

LXIV

Forty years ago in Houston, Texas.

About sixty years ago near Webster, Wisconsin.

A horse, Tommy, Santini, and T. Tousan backing up the youthful Mr. Moohoo (center).

Happy Birthday, Wander Gene.

I'm trying red leaves today

Another spectacular day in the middle of October. There have been so many orange colored leaves pictured here lately, that I though I'd try to find something of the red persuasion. What is available in red seems to be sumac and some sort of ivy that grows in and among the leaves of trees that it inhabits. That's what the first one pictured here is. It was in Como Park in one of the more wooded areas of the park.

And sumac. One can always count on sumac for some bright red coloration. This, too, from Como Park, very near the soccer fields, soccer fields that were being used for lacrosse practice this afternoon when I visited. Many Twin Cities residents were out walking in the park partaking of a very nice day, and one of the last nice weekends of the season - whichever one that is.

Today is 10/10/10 - the tenth of October and Brett Favre's 41st birthday. X/X/X in Roman numerals - although I don't think that Brett is Roman, or even Italian.

John Lennon would be 70 today.

The quest for orange or grapefruit colored leaves continues. It is out of hand. Today, I've switched to closer shots of leaves in the requisite color.

A single maple leaf caught against a arbor vidae evergreen caught my eye as I walked towards Grand Avenue. I went home to get my camera. It's a nice representative of the category orangey colored leaves.

And this tree - another maple - seen against a blue, blue sky. It's the maple in my own back yard. This has been one nice weekend, and it promises to continue. Now if the Twins could win just one game in New York, it would make the weekend much better.

The tennis competition continued inside this morning at Wooddale. It seemed too nice a day to play inside, but we had reserved the courts and it was still just 8:30 and 61 degrees, so we played. It was Jerry, Pat, Bob and me. Early morning tennis is a challenge. Getting warmed up, getting the creaks out of the old bones is always harder that hour of the day. Eventually all the parts seemed to work well enough together and competition began. We played a close set to a tie breaker, 7-6, then managed another 5 games before the next batch of Saturday morning tennis ball bashers showed up and took the court. I was happy to have played and actually was playing pretty well about the time we quit.

It's John and Sean Lennon's joint birthday today. Sean is 35. John was 40 when he was murdered in NYC in 1980. Time, that old river, keeps on flowing, doesn't it?

And what's with this Contador guy? Doper? Misunderstood Spaniard?

Fishing by the falls

On a warm October afternoon, it seemed right to go to Minnehaha Park and enjoy the weather and the colorful foliage. The temperature reached 86 in St Paul, 23 degrees above the average for the date and a new record for October 8 in these parts. I walked around the creek, through Waubun picnic area, past the Minnesota Veterans Home, over the bridge above Minnehaha Creek and back to the falls. Many of the maples are showing their best stuff this week.

There were lots of people out, playing hooky from work or school, taking in one of the nicest October days of this year. There was some guy fishing in the pool just below the falls. I've not seen anyone fish there before, but he was intent on his task. He looks a little Asian, I think it's the hat, and it makes the whole scene seem a little off kilter. His presence also allows the scale of the falls to be felt.

Another of the classic spots at the falls - the statue of Hiawatha and Minnehaha - looks different with the fall leaves and the afternoon sun. There was also a weeding in the park this afternoon and the wedding party were having photos taken nearby. They were well dressed and attractive and I almost thought I should have included them in one of the shots. But I didn't. Instead, Longfellow's Native American royalty was the focus.

The weekend is expected by the weather guys to continue this run of well above normal warmth for October. The guy in the Strib called this month Augtober - August in October.

My maple tree

While I was at Wooddale, trying to get used to playing inside again, the Twins (Twinkies?) were getting run over by the Yankees again. Two games at the new Target Field and two losses to the Broadway bullies. To advance to the next round the Twins will have to win three games in a row - possible but not likely.

Tennis was fun. We played three sets of pretty close tennis. I was pretty much off my game after yesterday's session in the sun and wind. It should be easier inside, but tonight it took a full set to get used to the lack of wind and sun. It's an odd game sometimes. Then I went to Yang's for Singapore Rice Noodles.

I have a maple tree in my back yard that seems to be trying to turn orange or grapefruit colored. It was easy enough to get this photo, and it's pretty representative of trees in St Paul this week.

The superb run of weather is expected to continue into the weekend - 80 degrees tomorrow.

American League Playoffs begin in Minneapolis

It seems more like September than October, but whichever month it is, today was nice; a good day to play some tennis. I'm posting another photo of the Marie Park tennis courts, the principal site of my summer tennis activities. I took the picture after we had finished two close sets of play. Tennis Dennis and I played against Bill and Dr. Bill. It took about two hours to get through the two sets. There was some wind, and the sun was an obstacle to good vision on lobs and serves - especially in the first set.  But we were outside in 70 degree weather.  Life is good.

My search for an orange or grapefruit colored tree was easily satisfied with this maple at Marie Park. It seems that most of the nicest trees this year are in parks or on boulevards in residential neighborhoods. The whole state has bright colored leaves on trees. I guess that's a good reason to love October.

The Twins are playing the Yankees in the playoffs tonight at Target Field in downtown Minneapolis. For some reason this baseball season has been more interesting than many for the last 25 years - maybe because I got an early start by catching a spring training game in Port Charlotte this spring - the Rays and the Orioles. I'll probably watch tonight.

An interesting factoid: Both John Lennon and his son, Sean, were born on October 9th - many years apart, obviously.

Happy Birthday, Larry and Ray

Larry Fine of the Three Stooges and Ray Kroc of the Golden Arches were born on this day in 1902, 118 years ago.  Somehow an apt occurrence.  Happy Birthday, boys.

I ventured over to the Minneapolis Rose Garden to see if there were flowers and perhaps some large trees with red or orange tinged leaves. It was a nice day and I spent some time in the garden. The roses are past prime, but still blooming. There is a fountain, still in operation, probably until the hard freeze lands. I spent some time viewing gargoyles in France in May, and I recognized a relative, but probably just a demon of some ilk, in the fountain.

There is a sun dial in the garden.  I haven't seen many sun dials in use around the city, but this one is still available to tell the time and I think still as accurate as it was whenever it was installed - batteries not included.  It was about noon when the photo was snapped, and I guess that when sundials were the time piece of choice, accuracy within about an hour was probably good enough.  It's also good enough for a retired guy.

There was also a unique bench in the park.  It seems to be a two person bench and for two people who are lounging, rather than sitting, near each other.  It's a nice setting for a bench, but a little off the beaten track.  It may not be getting the love it deserves.  It's a nice addition to the collection of park benches seen here and elsewhere on the inner tubes.

I found a nice big tree.  A willow, I think, but it hasn't begun to turn yellow or brown, or whatever willow trees do, but it's a nice tree and green is a nice color, too.  PP would call it a grandfather tree.

A nice October day on a week that the weather creatures say will be very, very nice.

I had a flu shot this morning

After the nice nurse lady stuck the needle full of killed flu virus in my arm I was free to walk around in the great outdoors. It was a very nice October day, so I went to see if I could find an orange-leafed tree. They are not as easy to find as I thought they might be. Maybe a little later in the fall after the first real hard frost. I did find this little oak tree in Como Park and it's going to have to represent the class of orange tinged vegetation.

Computers and the internet (inter tubes?) are pretty powerful. I looked at my photos of the marathon from Sunday and was able to read some of the bib numbers from the people in the frame. I was able to find the marathon results web page and found the names and home towns of some of the runners and their finishing times. The guys in the earliest photos finished in about 3 hours and 22 minutes - a pretty good time. One woman in one of my "other" photos (not posted) finished 9th in her class - women over 50. Not an important fact, but the process was an interesting diversion.

Sunny Sunday in St Paul

So much to do on a brisk October day. The Twin Cities marathon runs down Summit Avenue about four blocks from here. I decided to go look at the event and maybe get some photos. The Governor's Mansion is about 24 miles from the start and that's the general location of my viewing. It was about 11:20 when I got there, about 3 hours 15 minutes into the race. The people I saw were in no danger of winning the race - the men's winner was about 2:14 for the 26.2 miles - but they were quite good runners. I stayed until after 12 and the runners were still good and they were still coming in groups and a pretty steady stream. There was a water station by the mansion - it's in the first photo. I didn't see any people that I knew, but the bulk of the people going by mile 24 looked determined to finish, and they're likely going to sleep well tonight.

The back view as other runners went by going east towards the capitol.  House of Hope Church is in the background.

This afternoon I remembered that I hadn't been down to the river to see the crest of the fall flood. I went to Harriet Island and later to downtown St Paul to get some perspective on the water level.  The benches on Harriet Island that I featured a couple of days ago are now isolated in flood water and the ducks are hanging around feeding from the bottom.  The Mississippi river in the background is likely to stay out of its banks for another week or so.

The view from the middle of the Wabasha Street bridge shows Raspberry Island. The areas where PP planted native grasses earlier this year are at the far end of the island - where the trees are partially submerged.  I think it is safe to guess that replanting will be necessary.

No frost here yet. The tomato plants are still alive and safe for another week or so.