Biking Beauties

I met two new friends this week. Linda and Coreen are both in their sixties, retired, and crazy about cross country biking. They challenged themselves to ride across the southern tier of the United States from San Diego, California to St. Augustine, Florida. After seven weeks of cycling, they came to Milton, Florida and spent the night with my husband, Al and me.

There’s an online organization in the cycling circles called “warmshowers.org.” which my husband joined a couple years ago before his own cycling trip down the eastern coast of Florida. The purpose of this group is to extend hospitality to cyclists who need a comfortable bed, a home-cooked meal, and laundry facilities at no charge to them. Members post their cell phone numbers and a profile.

More than once, I’ve come home from work and Al has greeted me at the door with the announcement that we’re having guests for supper. Kinda like that movie in the 60’s called “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”

We’ve met couples from Norway, two newly weds who took a year off work to cycle to all 50 states, a young man from Hawaii, women who had the courage to bicycle alone and retired men who were fulfilling a wish from their ‘bucket list.’ They’ve come from all walks of life and it has been a joy to hear about their life experiences.

I admire the dedication and positive attitude they display; especially, since my exercise routine amounts to a walk around the neighborhood three times a week—if it doesn’t rain.

Thank you all for adding a special dimension to my life and may God bless you as you cycle on.

Riverwalk Festival

Tomorrow is the biggest Arts Festival in Milton, Florida and I will be marketing my books along the Blackwater River. The weather promises to be beautiful after a few days of doubt.Rain stopped late this afternoon and I gave a sigh of thanks.
I'm hoping the crowd will be readers looking for a local author(Sylvia Melvin) who has written the following:
Summer Guest- romance
Helena:Unwavering Courage- biography
Southern Sage:The Honorable Woodrow Melvin-biography
Death Behind the Dunes- Mystery

It's a two-day event so I'm going to be a tired puppy when it's over, but to me ,it's well worth it to know someone is reading a book I put my heart and soul into.

Spring Break

Have you ever wondered why "spring break time" goes so quickly? It seems like only yesterday I was composing my 'things to look forward accomplishing on my spring break list' when here it is Friday with half my chores finished and I go back to teaching on Monday!However, freshly laundered curtains do hang from sparkling windows that I scrubbed inside and out, a delicious smelling pumpkin pie sits on the counter and the leaves around the pool have been swept up and deposited over the fence. But the task I enjoyed most all week was working on my sequel to my mystery "Death Behind the Dunes". Every time I see the word count increase it gives me a thrill; yes, there is hope I'll complete "Death Beyond the Breakers" before summer.