I’m back at water aerobics! I met with a physical therapist at Courage Kenny last week and after a thorough exam, she had me come back the next day to try exercises in the pool. It’s Olympic size, flat bottomed with a step down from three and a half to four and a half feet, then to five and a half, then to six and a half; heated to about ninety degrees – heaven! I discovered, to my delight, that I can do the cross-country ski, jumping jacks, and other movements, and so signed up for classes. One problem: they are not covered by my medical insurance.

I went to my first class on Friday – greeted joyously some old friends (I’d been doing water aerobics for years at Courage) and as I was leaving around 8 am, I saw a coyote moving smoothly across a grassy area between a street and the driveway into Courage Kenny’s parking lot. There were a few other cars around, and he ignored them until I cut into the connection to the street, right in front of him. He dodged and trotted back the way he’d come. He was looking healthy, his coat full and tail bushy, unlike most of the coyotes I’ve seen in videos. I thought at first he was somebody’s mixed-breed dog, but no, on second look, it was a coyote. Big, erect ears, narrow eyes, tail carried down, coat medium-long and a mixed tan and brown color, nice springy trot, no eye contact. I like seeing deer and raccoons in the city, but I feel a little less welcoming towards coyotes. I hope nobody’s feeding him.

Romance Times had a great review of the forthcoming Knit Your Own Murder. By the way, do any of you know of a needlework shop in your area that might be interested in hosting a signing? By “your area,” I mean someplace not too distant from my own Minnesota, as I’m still not up to driving to California or Texas or Maryland. Nebraska would be good, or North Dakota, or Illinois. I’m already scheduled for Once Upon A Crime on August 6 at noon, Excelsior Bay Books on August 13 at 1 p.m., at The Mystery Bookstore in Omaha on August 20, and Beans and Books Coffeehouse in Shawano, Wisconson, Sept. 10 (time not yet determined).