ENDING AND BEGINNING

Autumn is ending quickly, the sun so low it lights up the horizon like a yellow smear. The rare Sharp Shinned Hawk spent a day picking off songbirds near our feeder, before continuing to South Carolina for the winter. The Japanese Maple is at maximum red, like the rising sun on the Japanese flag (coincidence??). Tardy strawberries struggle to ripen, like students cramming the night before deadline. To balance those endings, new bulbs go into the ground ---- their pictures will be in this blog next April!

But a Beginning is the big news this week. On a daytrip to Toronto, we happened to see schoolkids at a track meet. A good omen, because we then went to the Toronto Rehab Institute to start my cardio-rehab program! Yes, after a frustrating and impatient 8 weeks I had found a really accommodating, flexible, cheery, top notch team to work with. First they took some baseline measures --- for instance 109 of my 191 pounds body weight are water!! Not crucial, but very interesting, no? Then over to the "Stress Test" where I'm wired to a bike for heart ratios, etc. I was prepared to pedal and sweat til I dropped but apparently I'm already fit enough that I barely had time to pose before they were satisfied. Next week I get my individualized program ---- bring it on!

Back at home, the cardio system got a workout by dragging leaves and hauling rocks. (The rules say no heavy furniture but nothing about 100 pound rocks!!)