Independence Day

It's Tuesday. And it should feel like Monday, but all day long I've been thinking it's Wednesday. Doesn't make any sense at all. :-)

Monday started out with a *BANG*!! Of a starter's gun, that is. And it was in Stewartville for the Summerfest races. There was a good Team R.E.D. showing, man of whom took home age group awards.

The 5-mile was won in 29 minutes by Rob Mitchell who just last weekend ran the last 38 miles of the Western States (100-mile) Ultramarathon with Chris Koch.

Both the 3-mile and 5-mile were won by Michelle Jamieson.

It was a beautiful summer day. Warm, but beautiful.

I brought some cookies. Therese Schumaker and her daughter Leah each enjoyed one.

I gave a bag of cookies to Kuniaki as he is leaving Rochester next week. He had a wonderful surprise for me ... a Tokyo Marathon shirt. How nice!! It's a great shirt. Even has a scene from the city on the lower back.

They have a kids' 1/2 mile race down there. Those kids are so cute.

During the afternoon, I continued to add to the pile of dead branches from the lilacs. What a job.

Evening brought a very pleasant 20-mile bike ride with Paul.

Speaking of biking. Matt and I were watchins some of the team time trial on the Tour de France this weekend. What incredible athletes (and hopefully drug free). Some of those teams were averaging 60 km/hr during the ride. That's approaching 40 mph. Incredible. They're just legs 'n lungs. There was a cute little miss at All Comers' this evening wearing a TDF yellow jersey. So cute. I think she won all her races too.

It was a nice evening for All Comers with a very good turnout once agian.

Today, the linden tree on the east side of the house got cut down. It wasn't healthy and had outgrown the space for it. Nevertheless it's hard to lose a big mature tree.

My day today: lift and an hour swim in the AM. Had a good swim. Decided to time a couple of "faster" laps (which for the average swimmer would have been slow). 50 and 53 seconds. Found out that my friend Mike at the Y has started running!! Way cool!! I'm very proud of him. He's up to about 2 1/2 miles he said. I told him I thought there might be a 5K in his future. :-)

Well, there's more my "to be blogged" list, but I didn't sleep well last night so I think I'll save it for tomorrow and hit the hay.

G'night all .............