Seasons are changing

last week was warm and sunny

this week is much cooler

seasons are changing

cold crisp mornings and mild afternoons

no more single layers when biking

seasons are changing

The sun rises later

the daylight hours are shorter

seasons are changing

summer green foliage is fading away

leaves are turning red, orange and yellow

seasons are changing

winds have picked up making boating unpleasant

time to pull the boat out for the winter

seasons are changing

migrating birds fill the sky in huge V formations

They are heading south for the winter

seasons are changing

sunsets are more spectacular

filling the clear cool skies with dramatic colors

seasons are changing

time to reflect on fun summer times

package up all the summer memories

seasons are changing

we will soon be heading south also

leaving our summer home before winter arrives

seasons are changing

The music changes throughout the day

We have music piped into every room at home

Waking up to something lively

Usually a 70’s complication

Stevie Wonder fills the air

Foot tapping to Earth Wide and Fire

Munching breakfast to Marvin Gaye

After breakfast a change of mood

Writing to relaxing morning jazz

Lunch time with the 80’s

Talking Heads while prepping food

A club sandwich with Culture Club

Hot tea with the Thomson Twins

Dunk a cookie with Duran Duran

Time to Rev it up while cleaning the house

Rocking the floor mop to ZZ Top

Deafening vacuuming with Def Leppard

Make your bed with the Beatles

Clapton makes cleaning toilets fun

Housework is done and its time to chill

Relaxing Spa music while reading

DIY projects go faster with British Invasion bands

Sawing wood while the Who blast away

Hammering nails with the Stones

Painting walls Manfred Mann

Yard work with the Yard birds

Mid afternoon break with country music

Cheryl Crow joins for afternoon tea

Reminding me that all I want to do is have some fun

Run to the store for errands with Kenny Rogers

Ride back with Merl Haggard

Tammy Wynette helps restock the fridge

Cooking dinner with Glen Campbell

Dinner is served with some cool jazz

Set an extra dinner place for Frank Sinatra

Michael Buble for dessert

David Bowie helps to clean the dishes

Evening jazz rounds off the day

Go to sleep in silence

Thanks Mr Wind

I rode into the wind

Heart racing

Head down and pushing hard

Legs aching

Checking the computer

5 miles in

The wind blew harder

Head down lower

In the paceline

Clipped into pedals

Pulling up and pushing down

Legs complaining

Ignore the pain

Focus on speed

Checking the computer

10 miles in

Leading the paceline

But speed is dropping

Head down lower

Can hardly see the road

Push hard downstroke

Pull hard upstroke

Heart rate increases

Speed slightly up

This is supposed to be fun

Checking the computer

15 miles in

Still battling the headwind

Open fields offer no shelter

Mr Wind spots us easily

Rushes towards us relentlessly

I try my best to hide

At the back of the paceline

Checking the computer

20 miles in

Rest stop approaching

Take a welcome break

Hydrate and eat some carbs

Short rest and back on the bike

Homeward with a tailwind

Leading the pack again

Speed magically increases

This is worth the effort

Riding with head up

Taking in the scenery

Breathing the Eastern shore air

Not breathing near chicken farms

Checking the computer

25 miles in

Eagles fly overhead

Old men in lycra fly below on bikes

The wind blows harder

We pick up more speed

Sailing home gracefully

Checking the computer

30 miles in

Legs stopped complaining

Heart rate up but steady

We break formation to chat

Friendly banter as we fly

Time to split up

Riding final leg solo

Drop the pace slightly

Cooling down phase

Arrive home

37 miles in

Exhilarating ride

Thank you Mr Wind

If your life is not going as you want it to right now…….

If you are not satisfied with the way you live your life right now, here are some things you can do to make it better. Start with the first task in Week 1,  then add a further task each week so that you are covering all 8 areas by Week 8.  

Week 1– Join the wake daily up at 5am club.  It does not have to be so early, as long as you can find one hour every morning when you will be alone without any interruptions. Use this hour to complete these three 20 minute tasks in any order you want:

20 minutes of exercise with at least 10 minutes of cardio, 5 minutes of weights or resistance and 5 minutes of stretching. If you are not sure how to do any part,  find an online video. 

20 minutes of reading to learn a new skill or acquire knowledge. 

20 minutes of gentle relaxation and meditation.

Repeat this one hour routine daily, even at weekends or days off work.

Week 2– Make a plan to declutter your possessions.  Assign some time each week to tackle a specific room or area and put things into keep and dispose piles. Organize the things you keep so they are accessible, anything in a container can be labelled for easy identification. Donate or dispose of stuff every week.

Week 3– If your spending is out of control, cut up the credit cards or reduce them to just one. Cancel subscriptions to things that are non-essential like cable TV, music streaming or Apps. Track your spending with a free App or a notepad to accurately record your outgoings.  Make decisions on what you can afford and create a realistic budget for essentials like food, shelter, heating, commuting and self care/medical.  Allocate spending for entertainment and fun but stick within your budget.   If you are overwhelmed go see a financial adviser. Allocate time to this task weekly.

Week 4– Reduce your screen time from phones, computers and TV.  Put your phone on silent for most of the day so you are not interrupted by unscheduled calls, texts or notifications.   Consider giving up social media completely, it is not an essential part of healthy living.  Spend more time in nature taking walks or bike riding. Stop and smell the roses. Make a plan to focus on this each week.

Week 5– Prioritize experiences over material possessions.   Find joy in simple things like writing, reading, spending time with loved ones or just taking a walk. Every week, find time to reach out to a friend or loved one you have drifted from.

Week 6– Plan your time effectively and leave gaps between tasks to allow for over-run or downtime. Practice single tasking and try to finish a task before starting a new one. Learn to say no to things that are not important to you and focus more on what is. Check in on this aspect weekly

Week 7– Practice self care to ensure your physical, mental and spiritual well being is not being ignored.  If you need to lose weight, start a diet and exercise program. If your drinking habits are excessive, considering having a totally dry month. Join a group with shared interests and consider volunteering as a way to donate your time helping others. Verify you have addressed this at least one a week.

Week 8– Look back and reflect on how your life has improved, allocate more time on areas that are not yet yielding results.  Reward yourself with some outrageous, decadent, delicious, guilt-free self indulgence.

Crowded travel

Woke up 6am

In England

Great vacation

Family reunion

Travel day

Packed cases

Light breakfast

Family hugs

Tearful goodbyes

9am taxi

Crowded roads

11am Airport

Crowded check-in

Crowded terminal

Crowded security

Crowded gate

Crowded boarding

Crowded flight

Arrived Iceland 

2hr layover

Crowded terminal 

Crowded cafe

Crowded restroom

Crowded gate

Crowded boarding

Crowded flight

Crowded movies

Took nap

Crowded dreams

Arrived USA

Passport control

Crowded lines

Baggage delayed

Crowded belt

Walked outside

Crowded pickup

Found ride

uncrowded drive

Arrived Home

No crowds

22hr journey

Uncrowded house

Uncrowded bed

Uncrowded sleep

Uncrowded dreams

5am awake

Jet lagged

No crowds

Relaxing day

Uncrowded unpacking

Uncrowded reflections

Happy memories

Forgot crowds

Northern lights

Stepping outside late in the evening

It was a very dark, clear, star filled sky

After a few minutes my eyes adjusted to the low light

Looking north I could see a faint red glow

Not far away was a gentle green glow

The longer I looked, the clearer the glow became

It was my first time witnessing the northern lights

Total silence accompanied the spectacle

Everybody whispered as a mark of respect

Fearful that any sound might frighten them away

These mysterious colored flying ghosts

Only appearing when conditions are perfect

Thankfully we were in the right place at the right time

Great show northern lights

How about an encore nightly

Psychopath story (original author not known)

Man sits by me on train.

MAN: Loads of psychopaths around here

ME: Really?

MAN: Loads mate

ME: How’d you know?

MAN: There’s signs aren’t there?

ME: I guess?

MAN: I love them

(47 minutes of awkward silence.)

Man leaves train, he has a bike. I realise he was saying ‘cycle paths’.

World Octopus Day

Yesterday was world octopus day

Lets take a few moments to marvel at these incredible creatures

Their eight arms have suckers to grasp and explore their surroundings

Masters of camouflage who can instantly blend to avoid predators

These highly intelligent creatures can solve complex puzzles

They have blue blood and three hearts

They can grow a new arm if they lose one

Having no bones allows them to squeeze into tight spaces

They are venous and use ink as a defense mechanism

They use tools to build shelters

Jet propulsion allows them to dart about quickly

Equipped with incredible eyesight that can detect polarized light and see things in very low light

They taste ever so good in seafood dishes like paella

English Rain

English rain is often a quiet and persistent presence

more of a mist than a downpour

it arrives in a soft steady drizzle soaking the earth slowly but thoroughly

the clouds hang low

casting a gray light over the countryside and cities alike

making the green fields glow more vibrantly

people dash around clutching umbrellas

splashing in puddles

waiting for the rain to stop

England would not be England without rain

Sheep graze while I gaze

I gaze upon yonder fields

Rolling hills beside the bay

A flock of sheep grazing

Dotted in a random pattern

Like chess pieces in the middle of a game

Munching their way up and down the hill

They were there yesterday and the day before

Oblivious to wind, rain or baking sun

An integral part of the landscape

What do they think of as they meander through that field

Are they in awe of the beautiful landscape

Do they chat amongst themselves and exchange sheepy gossip

Is there a leader in the pack directing their every move

We will never know unless we learn to speak sheep

One day the farmer will take some to market

Perhaps leaving some to grow fatter

I will watch over them as we eat our Sunday roast

Pouring gravy over my potatoes, peas and lamb

Whispering to the sheep in yonder pasture

Sorry I just ate your mother