I completed my taxes this morning.  Or, at least I did for now.  Quarterly filing means I have to spend a few more frustrating hours on the activity this year.  I had hoped that the time would be less than twenty hours, but guessed thirty.  That is about how many it took.  The final frustration was that, for whatever reason, my Acrobat Reader seems not to be able to download the quarterly estimated filing forms.  I'll have to stop at the library to pick them up.  All this effort and we owe the IRS $757 for last year.  Most of this was for wage tax.&nb

More Irish Music Please!

A neighbor accused us of being "short-timers" this morning.  "Less than four days left, and you are short-timers," he said.  

Winter has wonderfully returned to South Florida.  Only 55 degrees now and going up to 60 today.  Worse, it just showered.  Still, no sign of the white stuff that seems so much in abundance in the Northeast right now. 

It is a sensational Sunday in southwest Florida, 75 degrees, sunny, and with a slight breeze.  Anne drove Mom & Dad to the Estero Island Beach Club after church and breakfast this morning.  I (Chuck) remain at the condo to catch up and bake bread.  I'll go down at suppertime and support the retreat back tonight.

For the naturalists among us.

The Heritage Cove contingent has returned "home" for the evening.  Mat & Jen arrived by air last evening.  Anne picked them up at the airport and brought them here.  I (Chuck) stayed at the Estero Island Beach Club with Mom & Dad and the Gallups and Pam who had arrived by automobile in the late afternoon.  Their journey was made eventful by snow which followed them almost to the Florida border.  They stopped overnight at Mt.

Well, since my last writing on the subject, the health care (insurance) reform effort has gone full circle again.  The Democrats with a “super-majority” were unable to craft a plan that even this group of interventionist politicians could stomach.  Now that the party has only a majority, it has deigned to at least offer to discuss the matter with the minority party.  I anticipate that the talks will go nowhere because the Democrats want only to consider offering crumbs to the Republicans in the hope that they will take these

Anne and I plan to begin a Western Adventure after returning briefly to Pennsylvania to visit kith and kin and provision our motorhome.  The purpose of the trip will be to visit Alex and other friends and relatives and to enjoy western scenery, but, as usual, we will also be seeking exquisite glimses of avian fauna.

Evening has fallen at Heritage Cove.  My eyes are blurry from a good swim at the pool this afternoon.  Bob H. joined me at the pool, but instead of swimming laps, he enjoyed the afternoon warmth in a lounge chair and worked on a novel.  Mom, Cathy, and Anne spent most of the day at a quilt workshop in North Fort Myers.  Dad played bocce.  A good day was had by all.