Time for some fall, football, and food | Life in Ludlow

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It was not a kaleidoscope, but it was certainly colorful as long as you like the mix of gold, green, and brown. 

The view was down Beaver Valley as you drive south down Beaver Valley Road out of Chimacum. For about two miles both sides of the valley gave any “leaf peeper” a show equal to most of the other seasonal views in the U.S. 

The bad news is that last weekend’s rain storms may have blown the leaves down and thus destroyed the view until this time next year. 

The good news is that, unlike during my misguided youth in Northeastern Ohio, I will not be required to rake them all up in a pile suitable for either burning or jumping in. 

Aw, the good old days. I struggle to lean over to pick up the errant leaf in the sidewalk today. 

There was so much rain forecast in Northern California last Sunday the “Ironman California” competition in Sacramento was cancelled. Do you see anything strange about that? The footballers must be tougher since at this writing the Forty-niners were still scheduled to play the Colts in an NFL game. 

I do wish the game between the Chiefs and the Titans was washed out since the Titans won 27-3. At least the Chiefs won the second half, 3-0. 

Since I have segued to football, I must report that the Wabash “Little Giants” lost to the Ohio Wesleyan “Battling Bishops” in overtime 35-28 last Saturday. It might be fun to note that it was the first time the “Battling Bishops” have been winners since 1970. Some of you folks were not even born then! 

The Ohio Wesleyan coach is a fourth-generation football coach in Ohio and I am pretty sure he was not born then. His father and I were football teammates at Hudson High sometime back in the last century.

We have learned to abide by the pandemic protocols so that we can occasionally venture out for a meal or socializing or both. Last week we packed up our vaccination cards and headed to the Port Ludlow Yacht Club “Wreck Room” to partake in “Lite Bites.” This event featured an interesting gluten-free pesto pasta and salad. The pasta was a politically correct “green” made using chickpeas and provided by the ever-delightful Lori Longo and her husband Fred Dahlem. 

We enjoyed sitting with Dale and Cathleen Blackburn and Greg and Lynn Buscher. Greg clearly has time on his hands because he knew that I write this column. Dale was sympathetic to my cause because he actually writes a serious column for some specialized magazine with a more technical theme. None of them cared that I had written 600 of these columns over the past 12 years. 

We went to the Dusty Green Café last Sunday morning for pumpkin pancakes. Since it was rainy, gray, and breezy we correctly surmised there would not be a line waiting for service. There were plenty of tasty pancakes plus a couple of eggs and sausage to go with them. 

The other day a Navy shipmate of mine from the late 1960s wrote a survival tip when lost in the woods. You need to just start talking about politics and someone will show up to argue with you.

Love a curmudgeon and have a great week. 

(Ned Luce is a retired IBM executive and Port Ludlow resident and is fondly recalled by his high school football coach as outstanding on the sideline when not out standing in the field. Email Ned at ned@ptleader.com.)