Beautiful Fall Leaves

The photos won't do it justice, but the leaves were at peak this past w-e. The two big tulip poplar trees in our front yard were covered with big yellow leaves, and my neighbor's oak trees were as well. The colors had really brightened in the last week to include lots more yellow, orange, and bright red. I did get the chance to drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the trees there were just gorgeous. The weather was also very mild and sunny with high temperatures in the 70's.

I had a very good w-e before starting chemo again tomorrow. Billie and I met up at the French Broad Brewery to hear our favorite band, Brushfire Stankgrass. They play a mix of bluegrass/newgrass/ and jam band tunes a la the Grateful Dead. They have a lot of fun playing together and even came in costumes this time. Lots of the crowd showed up in costumes too since it was Halloween. Billie and I made it over to the Asheville Pizza Co for dinner and had, you guessed it, pizza. Yummm.

Saturday I did a nice run up the hill behind the house and on to Beaver lake. The birders were out at the Audabon park stalking the herons and ducks. A few of them had spotting scopes and cameras with big long lenses. Must have been some special birds in the park this w-e. I don't know what they were though. I saw some small birds flitting in and out of the brush on the banks, but they were too quick for me. As usual, I did get to see some woodpeckers in the high trees. I always like when I can see the woodpeckers. They are my special bird. The hobby group that sails those small remote controlled sailboats were on the lake too. I tried to get a good photo of them (see above) but it was a little far for my lens.

Several of us met up at a mexican place Saturday night for Jan's birthday. I got to see Ellen's new Fuji finepix camera. It has some kind of big lens on it, a wide angle zoom I think. Needless to say, it takes very sharp pictures. She and Jan had been out hiking and had some photos from the Bent Creek area, including a precious little nest that they moved all over the place and photographed. I'll never forget the year Jan turned 50, and we all met up at the Jerusalem Garden restaurant wearing our "I survived Jan's 50th birthday" T shirts. Seemed that Jan and everyone else started to have musculoskeletal injuries or falls or surgeries that year. Fortunately our gang will still get to celebrate a few more 50 year old birthdays since Holly, Ellen and I are still in our forties.

Donna Z invited me over on Sunday for some coffee and banana bread. She starts her new job at Highland Farms nursing home today; I know that she is happy and relieved to be working again after 4 months out of work. Her big news is that her Mom just got engaged to Al. They are to be married Feb 14th. Her Dad has been dead 8 years now. Glad that her Mom can be happy with someone again especially at her 78 to his 82.

Well I'll see my doctor later today to say hello and let him do the paperwork to get me admitted tomorrow. Then it's into the hospital tomorrow morning for the 4th and final round of this high dose chemo. My supervisor from work emailed me last week to check on the timing of my return to Piedmont Health Services. They are implementing a new Electronic Medical Record in mid January so it should all work out perfectly. Glad they still have room for me back in my old clinic. You just never do know after 7 months and all that has happened in this economy.

Photo: Beaver Lake with the little sailboats