 I depart my new home and look warily at the clouds. Some precipitation up there and a sprinkle or two where I am as I go around the corner to.....  ....Sabino Canyon where my route includes a look at the very dry, Sabino Canyon dam.  I cross the dry stream bed and get on Sabino Canyon Road for the return to the parking lot, finishing my 3 mile loop hike.  Next day, I ride past the many farms on Woodland Rd and than head....  ....to the 49er subdivision. It's famous for the extensive displays for Halloween and once again....  ....did not disappoint!  Where do they store all this?  This is new and creative. The use of 12' skeletons is widespread now including....  ...this one. The homeowner leaves this out all year. For Easter, it's dressed like a bunny, for St. Patricks day like a leprechaun, etc...  This has my vote as the best presentation.
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 My first full day back and an invite to reunite with Jack! Missed my buddy the last 6 months and apparently, he has missed me too.  My friend, Amy, asked me to look at some outdoor projects I could do (without family options, my afternoons and evenings now have a void) so while in her front yard....unbelievable....a rattlesnake!!! I grabbed it with a snake stick thingy, put it in a bucket and drove it about a mile away to release. The snake means us no harm so killing it will cause me regret. Just can't have them this close to the house and Jack.  I was aching to go hiking but my hiking legs are, not good so selected a short, 2 mile loop that included....  ....a visit to a shallow mine. Continuing....  ....I could spot the Phoneline trail against a far canyon wall, here in Sabino Canyon.  Ahhh, Thimble Peak! It was great to get out but my deteriorating cycling legs need attention.
 A beautiful day and I decided to spend part of it at the Denison Bio Reserve doing some running/hiking.  I selected one of the longer loops that included passing this teepee. There is no opening for it, just standing sticks.  Evidence of the damage done by the emerald ash borer will be around for a long time but fortunately....  ....there are plenty of other species on this acreage. This red oak is likely one of the largest in the state.  The beech trees are magnificent too. I finished my 4 mile route, went to my woods to finish a project and the following morning....  ...departed Ohio at 4am, followed by a second day with an early start and stopped once more in Las Cruces, NM before a final 4 hour drive. It's great to be back in southern AZ!!!  Oh those wonderful mountain ranges and colors!
 returning from a group ride, I check the water level at one of the feeder streams and it's level is still diminishing, despite the rain last week.  My projects for this season are almost done as I replace a facia board on both sides of a barn I built many years ago.  Another group ride took us along the Scioto river. Beautiful setting.  My 30 something neighbor who lives below me invited me down for a cocktail. She's dog setting this enormous animal.  The Halloween displays certainly get creative as I ride around Central Ohio.  The size of the skeletons are huge on some properties. They would be space eaters when taken down.  And so, I'm heading back to southern AZ. I sold my condos so I would have the freedom to go anywhere if I decided to bug out of Ohio but I miss the....  ....mountains so am headed back. The Ohio visit was awesome but dang, the grey winters, too much for me.
 I gotta admit, this was a lot of fun for me as a spectator. Yeah, it rained but it was light and while wearing a waterproof cycling jacket, I was good.  My grandson's team, comprised of half Granville kids and others, played "The" Granville team. All dressed in the Granville blue/white colors. Parents were intense! They and the kids knew what was at stake in this rivalry game which was also the final game of a tournament and....  ...Anthony's team won! It was intense and when the kid scored a goal (the short kid on the right), I had to fight back tears, lol.  Coming back from a group ride, we entered Galena and were greeted with this Halloween scene in front of a bank.  I surprisingly completed my main goal with the woods so now hitting other projects, such as removing the low hanging branches from a row of white pines.  OHIO pose the Skeltons.
 There has been a flurry of soccer games to which I feel the need to attend. For Anthony's games, I sit and watch with everyone else but for Ben's games, little brother Chris insists I chase him around an adjoining field but I can still see most of the action.  We received a couple of days of light rain but not enough, not nearly enough and than Helene roars through....  ....oh, this will be good for us, unfortunately a disaster for areas south.  Boy, do we need the rain. The latest is that it's the worse drought since 1988 but someone else stated they heard since the 1930's????  We received about 2' of rain, around 5-6" around Protsmouth to our south and than the devastating amounts in NC, TN, etc...  The soccer game go on, rain or shine as I head to watch a very spirited game between Anthony's team and the Granville team. The passion among the parents for this one, was amazing. More to come.
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