This shot was taken in Inverness, Florida. Amazing how many towns across the country have put preserved railroad rolling stock into parks or other public spaces. I like the idea better than the tanks, cannons, missiles and other implements of death which also appear in many such spaces. This one is right next to the Withlacoochee Trail, a “rails to trails” linear park. It is a well-paved trail and runs, I think 46 miles. It is named after the Withlacoochee River.
I’ve been going through a few days of what I call “brain fog.” To those who don’t get this, I am at a loss to describe it. It involves low energy level, a slight to moderate feeling of pressure (I need a better word than “pressure” but I can’t think of one) in the head, mild headache and/or other aches, and a general feeling of not feeling well. I usually combat it by watching my diet even more carefully, not drinking my usual daily glass of red wine, and trying to get more exercise than usual (and, feeling this way, it is quite difficult to flog myself into getting exercise). Irritability often comes with this malaise, and I have to be especially careful to avoid snapping at people over minor or imagined things. If I were to guess, I’d say it has to do with my old friend Mr. Depresion trying to break the bonds I’ve tied him down with. Depression seems to run in my family, and it has, in the past, been very disabling for me. These spells seldom last more than a few days, thank goodness, but they are no fun while they are present.
On a much happier note, a report on my son in law (also named Gerry, as was his late father). After he recovered from his second bout with cancer (first bout was Hodgkin’s Disease, second was non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma). He decided to “give back” as the phrase goes. He is a trader specializing in shares of foreign corporations not traded on U.S. exchanges (it’s a highly specialized line of work, and I won’t attempt to explain it further). He persuaded the company he works at to set aside one day’s trading revenues each year to donate to cancer research/assistance. This has been going on a few years, and has been successful. This week he appeared on CNBC on “Squawk on the Street” to talk about this, and also on Fox. We are very proud of him for many reasons, not the least of which is this effort he makes to help others. He calls this effort “Trading for a Cure.” I hope this bit of preening for a family member will be forgiven.
That’s about it for today.
