Spectacular! Just spectacular!

1.  Edited mid Monday morning
2.  Edited Monday evening

Is there another way to describe that weekend we just had here in Southern Maine?  My goodness!  Here it is October; Mount Washington in New Hampshire has already seen snow this fall season, although not this past weekend.  Saturday officially tied the record (81 degrees) for the high temperature on an Oct. 8th. 

Sunday simply wasn't going to be outdone and even did better; Sunday evening's TV weather said we reached a high of 85 while crushing the old record for Oct. 8th of 79.  That was the temperature also on our home device.  but the TV said Monday morning the high was 81.  I'll go with my temperature.  (1. Added  Monday morning:  I just heard on a local radio station that indeed Portland did set that 85 degree record yesterday so I'll stick with my record crushing statement earlier.)

It was a weekend to be outside.  And the Gator Clan was.

This Monday isn't going to be too shabby, either, if the forecast for a high in the uper 70s holds.  This will end those super days, possibly for the season.  Tuesday and Wednesday will see the highs fall and we're told we could get a rainy Thursday.  2. Added Monday evening:  In fact, today was just as nice as the two weekend days.  We didn't set a new record but we did tie the old one at 81 degrees.)

Octobers are known for a spell like this one.  Over the years, and usually on the weekend that's near the Oct. 8th date, we have seen similar if not quite as super weather.  Gator Wife and I used to use this weekend for our annual leaf-peeping trip.  We've rarely been disappointed, but this weekend was devoted to outdoor stuff around the home so we didn't go.  Perhaps a short trip last Thursday into foliage country was so disappointing, it looked like it has passed peak, discouraged us this year in spite of the TV stations telling us the foliage was at or near peak and spectacular.

Nevertheless, that past weekend was spectacular, simply spectacular.

I think I don't understand just what the "occupies" around our country are for.  In fact, reading the news reports about them, I'm not even sure the occupiers know what they are for.  Of course when asked, many will say they're protesting "corporate greed."   I find that fascinating as included in all the pictures are cell phones, tablets, laptops, music devices, designer clothing and accessories, and dozens of other things, all resulting from the work of corporations. 

I can't help but wonder where these mostly young folk would be without their corporate gadgets.

I'm not a fan of Herman Cain, a republican presidential hopeful, but he may have hit it right on the head over the weekend when he opined that the Occupy XX movement just might be a well organized attempt to deflect the growing realization that the economy and lack of jobs is really because of the completely failed policies of the present President and his administration.

I say I'm not a Cain fan, but I'm not a fan of any of the hopefuls at this juncture.  There are some I have eliminated from my consideration and with the list now set and no one hiding in the wings, I've got to start paying better attention to see which one I could vote for.  The election process, at least the process leading up to an official nominee next summer, gets underway in just three short months, and perhaps ever quicker if Iowa pushes its sessions to Christmas time.

By the time you read this, the jobs bill fight in Washington could be over.  A vote on President Obama's plan to create mostly temporary jobs could be held as early as today.  I have wondered, though, why the President keeps blaming the Republicans in Congress for the lack of a vote.  It was Harry Reid, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, one man, who has done all the blocking of the vote.  The President's plan for a new stimulus package has now been rewritten by Reid and it is his change that faces Congress.  Yet it's the nasty Republicans who are holding things up, according to the President.

No matter whose bill it is, it is wrong for America.  Earlier stimulus packages haven't worked so one must wonder why people think this one will succeed.

Gator