Lawn Mowing Saturday

Today must have been the day everyone in southwest Port Tampa decided it was time to brave the oak pollen and spend some time outdoors. I use a quiet electric lawn mower so I was happy to be serenaded by a group of middle school aged girls playing softball in the park a block away. One of the things we love about Port Tampa is that kids can walk to the parks for some unstructured play. No calls of "out" or "safe" turning into free for alls with parents shouting at refs here. If the kids can't come to an agreement the game disintegrates and everyone goes home. Somehow they manage to work it out, as do the basketball players who play under the lights at the Kwame Doster rec center.

Our neighbor's great grandson is mowing her lawn today. She's lived in the same house across our street since 1942 and says she can remember when the mosquitoes were so bad "you could just stand in the middle of the street and they'd carry you along." The bugs aren't nearly so bad now but not everything has changed. Keep a tight lid on your trash or the racoons will soon find it. I saw tracks in the ditch this morning.

Time for some lemonade and a break on the back porch. The sun has climbed so that the porch is fully shaded, the wind is rustling the palm leaves just so, the daughter is at the Yankees game and I have that rarity in the adult world-an hour or two with nothing to do...