12 Oakdale

I was thrilled when a female yellow rumped warbler took a bath in our birdbath. She was light enough to be able to stand on the floating solar fountain, occasionally having a bidet experience when she turned her back on the spouting water. Two days before, a grackle had taken a drink of water from it. The next day a blue jay did too, then a dove landed on the edge, although that was just a stopping place until it went to the ground to search for seeds under the bird feeder. We’ve had that dang birdbath since friends gave it to us when they retired to Hawaii. In Fort Lauderdale and here, I’ve kept it filled and clean, just to be completely ignored. Finally it might be loved.  The house finches are eating the seeds off the tropical sage, grackles and red-winged blackbirds are at the feeder, with occasional red bellied woodpeckers.  My Haikubox is hearing ruby crowned kinglets, one of which I saw when I lured it in by playing its call. Yes, I feel guilty. I finally saw the great ...

 Not that I want to run a 10K, but I would like to be able to jog a whole 5K. Still using the Zen Lab app which moves from C25K to 10K which first 8 weeks are the same. Every run starts and ends with a 5 minute warm up/cool down. Pace includes those 10 minutes. Wk      Date     Mileage            Run/Jog                                  Pace          Place 7       02/20      2.31               25 min jog                             15:39         Home             1       03/05     1.74               8x ( 60 sec jog/ 90 sec  wa...

Pride does indeed goeth before a fall. I was very proud that I’d gotten all of our tax information together to send to our preparer Dennis. After mailing it at the Gotha post office, and cleverly buying both regular and international stamps so I’ll have them when needed, I somehow stepped wrong as I was leaving and managed, somewhat gracefully, to end up sitting on the ground, right next to the curb. I must have folded my right foot under me because the top of my foot and end of my pinkie toe were scraped. I hoisted myself up to sit on the curb, retrieved my purse, and assessed my condition. Nothing seemed hurt other than my pride. I said as much to the kind man who yelled over from the mailbox to ask if I were okay. Second tumble because I wasn’t paying attention.  Last Saturday was the Art Room’s Adult Student Show, in which I showed two pieces, the holly leaves and the little boy’s bust. I’d had Denise at Windermere Art and Framing mat and mount them in frames I’d bought at a ne...

I am absolutely thrilled. My latest Dexa bone density scan shows improvement in both of my hips and my femurs. February 27, 2023: Spine: Total BMD of the spine L1-4 is 0.774 g/cm2, with a T-score of -2.5 and a Z-score of -0.2.  Left Femoral Neck: BMD is 0.557 g/cm2, with a T-score of -2.6 and a Z-score of -0.7.  Left Total Hip: BMD is 0.768 g/cm2, with a T-score of -1.4 and a Z-score of 0.3.  Right Femoral Neck: BMD is 0.520 g/cm2, with a T-score of -3.0 and a Z-score of -1.0.  Right Total Hip: BMD is 0.689 g/cm2, with a T-score of -2.1 and a Z-score of -0.4.  FRAX evaluation calculates 10-year probability of fracture: Major Osteoporotic: 19% % Hip: 6.4%% March 1, 2024: Spine: Total BMD of the spine L1-4 is 0.780 g/cm2, with a T-score of -2.4 and a Z-score of -0.1.  Left Femoral Neck: BMD is 0.584 g/cm2, with a T-score of -2.4 and a Z-score of -0.3.  Left Total Hip: BMD is 0.779 g/cm2, with a T-score of -1.3 and a Z-score of 0.4.  Right Femoral Ne...

Our trip to the Keys was marvelous, but hard on my bracelets. First, I realized my sweet little beaded one I’d bought the last time we were down disappeared from my arm. All I can figure is that I accidentally pulled it off when I tucked my hands inside my long sleeved sun shirt. Surely if the elastic had broken, I’d have had beads in my shirt. As soon as I noticed it was missing , I retraced my steps at the gas station and the bait shop, but didn’t find it. I’d restrung the original on elastic bead string, adding the glow-in-the-dark bead I’d found at our campsite. Ah, well, I hope someone else is enjoying now. When we got back to our house, I realized the one made for me by Rani, mom of our old congregation’s pianist Brenda, was coming unstrung. Fortunately, I have all the beads, including the one I stepped on in our dining room, which was amazingly not sucked up by our Roomba. In between jewelry loses, it was a good trip. We were supposed to be in the cabin Saturday, but that was ov...

Another 5K, another day of rain. It poured all day Saturday, so packet pickup was a drive through at Magnolia Park.  Our morning birding trip to Circle B Bar with Orange Audubon was cancelled, and the Bloom and Grow Garden Society’s Diamond and Denim dinner was hastily moved inside to the Oakland Park Community Center. A miserable, soggy day. Rain all night, and when I got up this morning. This time, though, I was determined to run, even in the rain.  59°: tights, shorts, 2 long sleeved shirts, cap, gloves, and poncho should be fine. By the time the race started, the rain was down to a slight drizzle. I’d overdressed.  The path was pretty muddy, so I was worried about slipping. Especially because the birds were starting wake up. I’ve had bad luck birding while walking. Jogging while birding would be worse.  I forced myself to keep my eyes on the trail, with only a few lapses. I’m pretty sure I saw a blue-gray gnatcatcher fly across and land in a low bush, but I kept ...

Another time through the Couch to 5K from Zen Labs. This time to be ready for the Lake Apopka Scenic Trail Run 5K on February 18th. Frolics amid the gators. Every run starts and ends with a 5 minute warm up/cool down. Pace includes those 10 minutes. Wk      Date     Mileage            Run/Jog                                  Pace          Place 1      12/20        1.92              60 sec jog/ 90 sec  walk         15:17        Home 1        12/22       2:13             60 sec jog/ 90 sec  walk         16:10       Home 1       12/24     2.17     ...