Southern Summers

Summer is in full swing here in NTX.  Forecasts for this week have heat indices over 100*F, and real temps up to 100*F at least twice this week.  With as wet a spring and early summer as we have had here, this has pushed back our annual first triple digit temp day to mid July.  This is nice.  However, with the Tour de Paris upcoming this weekend, I am thinking I want to buy one of those Endura-Cool towels!  I will be riding the TdP on Saturday, after staying with some friends in Paris the night before.

TdP 2014

With the heat, the dogs have decided it is time for an all-day siesta.  The boys are hogging the entire dog couch, and Shiloh is probably on Monkey3's bed.  Sometimes I wish I could sleep as much, as deeply, as my dogs!

Solar charging dogs

The Monkeys all have summer plans, the oldest doing a local mission trip with our church later this month, the middle Monkey is now a helper with Vacation Bible School, and the youngest attending her final edition of said VBS.  This gives me a partial break from the usual daily Monkeywars.

That time has been spent working on household projects.  We have decided it is time to buckle down and fix some things that have been in need of fixing for some time.  You know how it is...sometimes it is easier to put off repairs until it is cooler weather, or better finances, or more spare time, or whatever it is that is your excuse for procrastination.

My shoulder rehab continues.  Doc is amazed at how well and how quickly I have healed.  I am now working slowly on strengthening the small muscles of the shoulder, in order to be able to work on the large muscles later this summer.  I wish I knew just what it was that has led to the rapid recovery.  If I could pinpoint it, I'd bottle it and make my millions!  As it is, I think it was a fortuitous alignment of things;  prayer, Cissus Quadrangularis supps, positive mindset, being fairly healthy and fairly strong before surgery, and a good surgeon.  By winter I plan to be lifting seriously again.  I will be modifying what I do, and concentrating on form more than before.  I don't fancy getting injured lifting.

Hopefully, y'all are having a good summer too.   Plans are moving forward for some big changes.  If it all works out, it will be a new set of challenges and adventures.  Stay tuned, I'll have a gear review to share, sooner rather than later, and a report on the Tour de Paris 2015.