Word ladder

clone 

console

clone

con

tonic 

Chilton (Auto Repair Manual)

Linth (Switzerland)

Fantastic views of Lake Zürich and the Linth Plain define this technically straightforward bike tour  

nth   

I wish! 

tenth

DH does not like to travel anymore so  my solo time away is mostly to visit family  in So Ca. He always says "go anywhere you want" but it's hard to arrange and he really does not like to be home alone, for all his encouraging words   

me too - Cya!

shotten           

having recently spawned thus being less desirable for food

Food you say?  Well that's better than eating a

stone

ones

if you and I round up seven more people, we could form a

nonet

and sing the lines to a

sonnet