It is feeling like a little mini-reunion here to us.
Last year, we hardly saw any of our winter friends, even though we hoped to. This year we had low expectations in this area, so we've been thrilled beyond words to have Florida friends around since we left Florida. Granted, it will not stay that way, but we are loving it for now.
Jack and Diane and their family Jim and Marlene are still at the park. Tracy and Jim are still here too. They had landed here while we were still here last time, with Lee and Judy, but I didn't see them. It was great to see then again.
On top of that, Karen and Tom are here. I have to stop and share a story about Karen here. Austin was telling Aric about Karen, because he hadn't met her yet. He says she is sooooooo nice. I compared her to someone else who I thought was sweet in the same kind of way and Austin said oh no, she is way sweeter. She is in a class all of her own. You can't compare Karen to ANYONE else. I think he has a little crush on her. Not that I can blame him because she is in a class all of her own, both inside and out.
We have enough people to play pickleball each day. Today we played twice in fact. It was hot in the morning and then cool in the evening. I prefer evening play, not only because of the weather, but because I hate playing in the morning due to my hating to be awake in the morning.
Our travel buddies are supposed to come tonight and that will just add to our contentment of being surrounded by enjoyable people.
Living the life in now sunny Virginia!
Today I would like to share with you that I have officially become a Bicycle Photographer. As you can imagine, this translates to a life of fame and glamour - and will finally enable me to quit my dayjob and live as a full-time 
A.T. (aka "somervillain") is a vintage bicycle lover who lives in the Boston area. He is an occasional commentator on this blog and a member of bikeforums. Based on the photos of my own bicycles that he has seen me post, A.T. invited me to document his and his wife's vintage collection. So far we have only done one photo session, and I post a few of the images here.
The star of these photos is A.T.'s 1950s Raleigh DL-1 Roadster - the same bicycle as the Co-Habitant's 
I must say that this DL-1 is in better condition than any other I have seen, particularly the chrome parts. When I first saw this bike from a distance, my thought was that it must be a modern replica. Of course up close all the signs of wear and age are visible, but its condition is none the less terrific.
Those who like vintage Raleigh 3-speeds know how rare it is to actually have that dynamo headlight attached to the "Heron" mount and working!
Here is a close-up of the headlight, handlebars and rod levers. The roses are distracting here (roses in November?), but it's the best close-up I have of this area.
Incredibly clean and shiny rod brakes.
Front dynamo hub.
Dynamo-powered tail light mounted on the left seat stay. What a pleasure to photograph all this stuff!
Rear Sturmey Archer hub. Notice how clean it is! A.T. did all of the work on this bicycle himself, including assembling this hub - remarkable!
Vintage Brooks B66 saddle, NOS Roadster saddlebag, rear rack.
Here is the entire bicycle again, from the non-chaindrive side. I should explain that I can't take digital photography seriously (as opposed to film photography), and therefore own no professional digital equipment. These photos were all taken with my tiny point-and-shoot camera. I could have done a much better job with proper equipment. Any suggestions? But there I go, getting ahead of myself again.
A few have already asked me about the location in these photos. All I can say, is that it is my secret magical bike photography spot, and the same "nice" neighborhood discussed in this post. It is ridiculously scenic and resembles England, which is why I thought the vintage Raleigh would look especially at home against this backdrop. I hope you enjoyed the photos of this magnificent bicycle and thank you A.T. for the permission to post these. Additional pictures of this bicycle can be viewed here.
Lakeview Cemetery, Larwill, Whitley County, Indiana
PERRY M WISEMAN
The Phend plot at South Park Cemetery, Whitley County, Indiana.
Henry and Susie Phend, my great grandparents, with their infant son Richard Lincoln.
Virgil Gilbert Phend, son of Henry and Susie.
Rolland Victor Phend, my grandfather, son of Henry and Susie.
