The past several days have been filled with all kinds of things. Beginning with a scaled down, yet scrumptious Thanksgiving Day Dinner. Yes, there were fewer people and fewer side dishes, but Debi, Karl, Elise and I, thoroughly enjoyed our meal together. Karl and I soaked up some afternoon sunshine while tossing the pigskin around the backyard (giving rise to many fond memories). The main event, was of course, the Turkey (from @TheButcherPlace), which was brined, rubbed and roasted to delicious perfection, by Karl.

Friday, I began what turned into several days of frustration with the outdoor Christmas lights. This is the earliest I have ever begun to decorate for Christmas. I am not the lone early bird, in fact I have seen houses completely decked out, since Halloween. Another strange byproduct of Covid 19, I guess. The Icicle Lights that didn’t light up, the Colored Lights that didn’t, then did and then did not again – all made for a bit of a fiasco. Through it all, I remained surprisingly calm and displayed (what I felt, at least, was) great patience. More lights have been ordered and I am viewing the decorating as a somewhat long term process (one of the many benefits of being retired, I suppose). Our neighbor and close family friend (and former Coker College Lacrosse Standout, @Coker_Cobras), Shane Wilson stopped by in the early evening, with probably ten pounds of Venison from his most recent deer hunting trip, upstate. We had a nice visit and we were all touched by Shane’s generosity.

Saturday, Debi and I got an early start and embarked on what ended up being a more than five mile hike around the Lake at Blydenburgh Park in Smithtown. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, which made it all the more enjoyable. It felt so great to be out in the natural beauty. I don’t know why, but I am always happy to see the Parks being utilized by so many people. There were plenty of hikers, dogwalkers, runners and a handful of fishermen (a couple in small boats and a few on foot). The lake has an abundance of Swans and a variety of Ducks, and the surrounding woods are home to all kinds of birds – at one point I got a very close look at a Woodpecker, but I was not quick enough to get a photo. By the time we had completed the long loop, the Park almost seemed crowded. We left feeling a bit tired, but invigorated at the same time.

Sunday morning, we had to fight the inertia and force ourselves out for a walk at nearby, Eisenhower Park. This has become our de facto, walking venue. It was significantly cooler out, but still terrific late November weather. We noticed much less activity in the Park, as compared to the level we saw in the summer. Still there was plenty going on – touch football, walkers, runners, people working out on the various fitness apparatuses and a couple of people sailing model boats on the lake. Not as taxing or as long as our trek the day before, but still a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

So, it was a great few days. I can feel the momentum of the world gathering speed, as it heads toward Christmas time, even during this pandemic.

** Just one last thought. Saturday Night I watched the “Iron Bowl”, and though it was never really a close contest and Alabama proved to be the better team by a substantial margin, Auburn has at least three players on the “All Name Team”,

1. Smoke Monday
2. Tank Bigsby
3. Big Kat Bryant