The bridge to Sanibel has been repaired and I saw a news clip of the hundreds upon hundreds of trucks going onto the island. 
 

I continue to think of your home there and wonder if the damage!  Molly, my eldest and Chris, just bought a home in Santa Rosa Beach by Destin. Near the Panhandle and five minutes to the Gulf. Purely for vacation rental now but when they retire, they will live there!
 

Cold here now… trees are at peak.

Susan

I did a little research and found that the Yankees played the Houston Astro’s.  Good luck with the rest of the games!

The last game between the Guardians and the Yankees was very bittersweet.  We seem to always be the underdogs and there were high hopes for this young scrappy team.  But,the Yankees were clearly the better team the last game…. Hopefully, we will regroup and continue on next season.  No matter what team, win or lose, the Cleveland fan base is very loyal!  
 

On we go….. enjoying a smoke free life!  Susan

a vintage Cleveland Slider… our mascot!  Lol

Yes, the Yankees are playing the Cheating Astros. Another disappointing game tonight. Hopefully things go better in The Bronx.

Glad your wife's surgery went well, Ernie. 

Cool here but I enjoy it. 

Never heard of a hay hook. Live & learn. 

Good morning Susan and Paul.  Woke early, hope to get back to sleep for a while.  Looks like 59 and

sunny for us here today so not bad.  Each day warmer until starts getting colder again. 

Insurance paying half so $6k plus the $700 deductible for us.  Cost extra to get laser surgery and vivid

lenses.  I might not get cataracts but seems most do eventually.  Her insurance before medicare wasn't

accepted and wouldn't have paid much if it was.  So we would've had to pay 12k or 13k.  She's seeing

better and better but blurry and she's using the eye drops.  We had had lazic done to one eye years ago

so one eye could see distant and one close up but only worked a number of years before the cataracts

started.  Now the enhanced lenses are close up and distant in both eyes.  She drove today.

Can't get current satellite images of Sanibel, just past ones. 

Composure treats not calming the pups or maybe very little.  They're cute though. 

Maybe get busy today, haven't been getting involved in much with wife's surgery and the cold temps. 

Looking at medicare advantage plans to keep mine or switch to another.  Paid for my jean jacket yesterday.

Haven't had one since the late 60s, when my dad always told me to take it off to eat.  That's the reason I

remember having one. 

Have a great day all.

Ernie

Using hay hook to pull bales up onto the wagon.

Hi Paul.

Hopefully, the Yankees will turn it around when they return home!

Guess I now turn to my OH IO football game tomorrow at noon.  I bleed scarlet and gray!

Nicer weather coming today and this weekend. I will huff and puff and blow it your way! 
 

Susan

Hi Ernie,

Growing older is not for sissies!  As I recall, I was 65 and all cataract removal covered. Our country is so pathetic with senior medical coverage. A shame that you had to cover so much!

Obviously, a satellite image prior to the hurricane. Can you get a current one?  Can’t imagine being a property owner and going back and starting over! Many home owners may decide not to rebuild.

Carry on. Finn and I to meet a golden friend for a walk about!  
 

Susan

Good morning Susan and all.  36 here this morn so a little warmer than the last few mornings.  I will

be taking the Monte Carlo SS down to the farm today so I can take my rope, 2 chain saws, and wedges

to drive in if a saw gets stuck.  Will have my brothers saw also but a very large trunk and can's leave

this job half done.  Hugh tree is only 8 or 10 feet from the house and basement.  Was a hugh mistake

they made.  That north side of the house has moss all over the roof.  Unfortunately, the sun is in the

southern sky now so even when the shade is removed won't be a lot of sun for a while, to kill the moss.

There is so much to do there I'm always a step behind.  Can't stay there because it stinks so badly from

the cats.  Brother once said he was going to rehome them but when I brought it up later would think it

was my idea and very bad one.  They had almost 100 cats in their home until it was destroyed.  I'm sure

it's to late to save the shingles of the roof.

Will be the largest live tree I've ever cut down so will be careful with every step.  Thing has got to weigh tons.

Has branches 20 or 30 inches circumference rubbing against the roof.  I have now way of trimming branches

that big.  Strange I still am learning by doing things for the first time.  But good for my life.  I plan on having the Allis

Chalmers tractor pulling on it away from the house after cutting the wedge in it on the fall side.  With the stick

clutch disengaged so it's not pulling at full force.  Using the 8200 pound rope I just got.  We have two dead trees

here at home I have to cut but much lighter. 

Probably last trip for the Monte this year, comes off the road in a few weeks, will try to enjoy the ride.  Has a 383

cubic inch stroker engine with a lock up torque converter transmission, that I have set to manual activation inside.

A warm day for this date but still a cool day.  I will probably go north on my bike to walk Brandy's sister on one of

the cloudier days.  Guess this is probably our Indian Summer, about 2 weeks early but doubt we will get another

the way Fall came crashing down. 

I know the laser surgery and enhanced lenses are costing a lot but can't find much bad reviews for the Dr. or his

clinic.  We only know one person that used him for cataract surgery and she's very happy with the results.  Wife

has several eye problems and all are taken care of at once.  So this might be our last run in with  cataracts, so

might as well get all the problems solved at once with laser and enhanced lenses. 

I only got the pups up into the woods for one walk yesterday, wife and grandson got them out for another around

the lawn later.  I scooped all the leaves and pine needles off the pool cover.  Pushed the red algae off the cover

with the net and pumped the water off the cover.  Will be so cold I don't think algae will form again. 

Glad Finn is doing well.

Enjoy the nice weather.

Ernie

Sounds like you have it well planned for the tree, Ernie, but do be careful. 

I'm up early for a Red Cross shift. Midtown in the city is really disgusting at this hour. Garbage out for the sanitation crews and rats all about. I guess 100 cats might scare them some. 

Enjoy the day everyone.  

Good morning Paul.  Woke in the middle of my night because of having caffeine coffee all day.

Better than falling asleep and going off the road.  No wife along to wake me in such a case.  It

smells so bad wife doesn't go down to the farm because of all the cats.

Did get the tree down.  Was heaviest over the roof of the house was the only thing I hadn't counted

on.  Tree was already being held away from the house with the tractor but pinched the saw when

I tried to cut on the opposite side of the wedge.  Had to go put pressure on with the tractor, then

engage the clutch fully and shut the tractor off.  Tractor is a large diesel so much more power than

my little backhoe.  New experience for me to cut down such a large live tree.  People that burn wood

do it often.  Tree was only about 6 feet from the basement wall, must have just grown there and

nobody thought it would get so large. Or could have been thought of as special because of who or

when it was planted. 

I can't imagine the rats, used to see lots in neighbors grainary when I was young, large bin of grain

upstairs in cow barn with a shoot to get it downstairs.  Was one in a trailer we rented on a farm back

in the 70s, caught it with a fox trap.  I must have seen movies with them out on the streets.  I know

I've seen them in animated TV shows, but they were friendly and could talk.    Charlotte's Web.

Monte Carlo SS worked well for the trip.  The radio in there wouldn't tune so got to listen to the engine

lots. 

Have a great day all.

Ernie

Not a great picture, rest are videos. 

I hope all is well......I do think of our many friends here with affection for all the support when we quit smoking....I still can't believe it has been 15 yrs for me....