My photo shoot assignment went very well. I took pix all day at a tennis tournament here last Friday. The Tellico Village players against players from Fairfield Glade (a middle Tennessee community similar to ours.) By accepting the photo assignment I was off the hook for having to compete ... and that was a good thing, too.

We all got together again on the Monday after the tournment to eat the leftover goodies and to view the pix as a slideshow. It was fun to hear positive comments about the pictures from folks who had no idea I was the photographer. Equivalent to an actor's hearing applause. Rather addictive.

I will be putting the pix into a booklet similar to the one I did two years ago. That will keep me busy for awile.

Well, Hurricane Wilma has come and gone ... at least as far as our place in Naples, Florida is concerned. Jim tells us we had a tiny little bit of damage to the siding and a soffit. Whew. Could've been bad, but our place is actually a pretty sturdy little place. And, of course, it is really no where near any actual beaches or open water.

Jim lost a tree in his front yard, but those mahogany trees in the neighborhood break in every local thunder storm ... of which there are many! In fact, southern Florida is the "Lightning Strike Capital of the World!"

The palm trees continue to amaze me with their resiliance. We've seen their roots ... no tap root, no big root ball, not deep, nothing. Yet they just whip around and straighten right back up again.
You gotta love 'em!

With cooler weather come different outside chores. The temperature was perfect for John to power wash the concrete driveway. You can see the contrast between the dirty side and the newly washed area!

No chemicals are used ... it is just the power of the water that washes away the Tennessee red clay, molds and mildews.

It's as easy as vacuuming, but a lot more fun since it is outside ... and the results last a lot longer, too.

Our weather, too, has begun to change into its Autumn mode. The clear, bright nights now frequently morph into foggy, misty mornings. As the sun finally burns through, the days morph into clear, brilliant, blue sky days.

I especially like that I can enjoy this phenomenon from the comfort of my own bed, where I have lately been snuggled under the down comforter, with the windows and door open ... no more a/c.

Well, let the record show I did show up for the tennis Super Seniors State Championship tournament last weekend. Although, I did wonder occasionally what in the world I was doing there.

Our team did not win a single match. A few games, and my teammates did manage to take a couple of sets, but no matches.

The tournament took place here in Knoxville, so at least we didn't have big travel and lodging expenses.

For the record, we received lots of compliments on our "spiffy" uniforms. And, Lois and I (pictured, smiling even in defeat) were told we were the "nicest" team our competitors had to play against.

So, that should count for something!

We all agreed that this sign sort of said it all.

This takes the phrase "sifting sand" to a whole new level, doesn't it?

Friends from Tennessee who were in Florida and dropped by for a day visit were a great excuse for an airboat ride. None of them had ever done this before, even tho all have or had parents who lived in the area for years. They were as excited as kindergartners, and that made it all the more fun for me!

Don't try this at home, boys and girls! This is truly a wild gator in the Everglades. Our guide has gotten out of the airboat and is holding a dead fish to atttact it. Stupid, but impressive.

And this is the photo artist herself!

This shot of the Knoxville airport lobby was taken by Sheela in August this year. While we were practicing taking pictures with my camera, she wandered off and took this one with no input from me.

I find it very striking.