Chance : The Halloween Hat

A few years ago Far Side bought a witches hat and a Halloween scarf.   Fine I will wear the stupid scarf…she is supposed to wear the hat since she is more witchy than me.

Not yesterday, she wanted me to wear the hat AND the scarf.  Fine but hurry up…I don’t have all day…I have squirrels to chase and balls to herd.

Good enough…what do you mean you didn’t get the whole hat?  How can you blame your photographic ineptitude on me?  I am just a dog. 

Far Guy is a traitor.

Wadda ya mean put my nose down?

Off with the ****hat.

I should rip it to shreds.

Are you happy now you got the whole **** hat?

Such ends the saga of the hat.  I wore it, she got her picture. She won…again.

We have loads of chocolate all bagged up for the kids that will come by later.  I am not allowed to have chocolate.  But I am allowed to have my picture taken with all the kids.  I love company and my wagger will be working overtime.  Stay tuned for pictures tomorrow!

Oh ya…Happy Halloween have some chocolate for me:) 

Wistful Wednesday: 1963

My cousin Gerald and his lovely wife Vonnie celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary last Sunday.  We did not attend the gathering, Far Guy was still recouping from his surgery.

I most likely attended the wedding way back then but for the life of me I cannot remember it.

I recognize a few of the men in this photo and the little flower girl.  Gosh everyone looks so young.  I think the best man ( the grooms brother) must have been about 17 and still in high school and where are his glasses?

The wedding must have taken place over by Sebeka. Note that the Maid of Honor has a different style dress than the bridesmaids.  I wonder if all the maids had different color dresses…perhaps graduated shades of the same color?  The fellows all have skinny ties..very fashionable, I bet their suits were black, this was before tuxedos became fashionable.

The bride wore a ball gown with hoops, that looks to have lace sleeves that probably came to a V on her hand and possibly had an elastic band that slipped over her middle finger so it would stay in place.  Her veil was probably described as a fingertip veil.  I am certain that the local paper had a complete description of the entire event.  The reception was most likely held right at the church.  Times and weddings have certainly changed…venues, registering for gifts, limousines, open bars, wedding planners spending as much on a wedding as we spent on our first home.

A simple church wedding seems to have worked for 50 years for these two:)

Train Show

A few weeks ago we went to a Train Show.  It actually had lots of old toys and tractors and some trains.   I have a blast looking at all the old tin toys.  The art work is wonderful.

 

I did see a Lionel Train that was interesting.

The boxes were there and everything.   I was tempted.  Instead I bought some dice and some marbles.  My jars are full again..guess I need more jars.

I started collecting dice and marbles because they were small and would hardly take up any space at all…anyways that is not working so well anymore.  I guess I must be a dice/marble hoarder.

I made two rounds of all the exhibitors in the Crystal Ballroom.  Then I headed to the hallway to people watch.

Every little kid that came by had to play in the water.  Can you imagine how germy that water is?  I watched two sisters about 7 years old lounge on the edge…I was certain that one or both would be going for a dip.  One Mom gave her kids pennies to throw in the fountain and told them to “Make a Wish.” 

I played around with my camera.

Far Guy made about six trips around the exhibit hall.   He was happy…he said he had seen it all.  What did he buy?  A red truck, a figurine and an airplane..not a train car in the bunch:)

Museum : Mystery Monday

Museum “stuff” still seems to take up much of my free time.  Even the off season is busy, I am certain the Board members have no idea how much work I do every week. ( mostly as a volunteer)

We have our annual meeting with elections coming up soon.  I hope people that actually volunteer time are elected instead of just figureheads that want to plump up their own obituaries.  The bylaws state that after two terms board members are required to take a term off.  Apparently that doesn’t apply…the same old people are there year after year…some have been on the board for five terms (15 years).  They have no new ideas, are reluctant to change and their get up and go gone up and went.  It is very discouraging to work with those kinds of people.

I have a new contract sitting on my desk.  I am thinking it over.

Here is the mystery item this week.

   What do you think it was used for?  What is it called?

Later today I will post the photo with the identification:)

Big Drumroll.  It is a Hog Whacker/Wacker (knacker).

Golden

One day this week we had sunshine.  It was a day to celebrate!  The sun felt so good!  It almost blinded me, I had to run for my sunglasses.

Chance and I captured the Tamaracks (Larix laricina) or Larch as they changed color.  Tamaracks are coniferous and deciduous.  Their needle like leaves turn a golden yellow in the Fall and drop to the ground.  They will appear naked and dead all winter long. In the spring the buds will pop and form greenish blue needle like leaves.

A familiar road just two miles from our home.

My other baby brother says “When the Tamaracks lose their needles we have two weeks till it snows.”  We will see.

I finished the rest of the leaf mulching yesterday.  I have a few areas yet to rake, if they get done fine, if not it will wait until spring.  The yard looks good, the leaves are pretty much gone from the trees.  The crazy wind on Friday our sunshiny day blew most of them down.

Far Guy felt good enough to take us all for a ride yesterday. No sun, only clouds.

After the Tamaracks are done we will just have brown, grey and then white to celebrate.

So I will embrace the golden while it lasts:)

Birthdays and Surgery

Far Guy had his oral surgery yesterday, his last wisdom tooth and a fistula were removed.  He feels like crap.  He rests when the pain lets him.  I suspect it will be a slow recovery and I am hoping that he doesn’t suffer with a dry socket this time.

Chance had a pretty good birthday, he went for two rides and played ball several times.  We took another birthday photo.  The wind was blowing and someone was shooting ducks down on the river both things tend to make a Border Collie nervous.

I captured him doing one of his favorite things.

We left Far Guy home to rest when we went for our late afternoon drive.

Happy Birthday to my other baby brother today!  He is getting pretty old.

Here he is propped up on the couch when he was about 2 months old in 1960.

He was a good baby, he gave me lots of babysitting practice:)

Chance: Happy Birthday to me!

Hiya!  I am NINE years old today.  Can you believe it?

Yessiree nine years ago I was born in a barn in central Minnesota.  I had lots of brothers and a sister and as we grew up we had the run of the whole barn.  Lots of little kids lived in the house and would come to the barn to play with us. I LIKE KIDS.

I picked out Far Guy as soon as he came into the barn on December 26, 2004.  They were there just to “look” at puppies. I walked right up to him and he picked me up and didn’t put me down.  The rest is history.  Far Side had no say in it whatsoever…even though she was smitten with my brother who was hiding behind a hay bale and wouldn’t come out.

I am a little spoiled.  I don’t like being at home alone, I don’t get into mischief..but I do serenade the neighborhood.  Mostly I am allowed to go along everywhere…except if it is too hot in the car.

I wake everyone up in the morning by sticking my cold nose right in their face.  After everyone is up, I settle in for my morning nap until it is mail time.  I play ball after getting the mail and sometimes “chase me.”  I play ball off and on throughout the day.

I like to eat right at 6 PM, and someone should be cooking by 5:30 or before.  They should also be making me some of my favorite vegetables…spaghetti squash or carrots.

I like to go for rides and my day is not complete until we go someplace.

Far Side worked hard one day taking a perfect birthday picture.

She says I am really really handsome when I want to be with my eyes open and everything. 

I growed up to be a pretty nice dog…must have something to do with my owners:)

October Happenings

The weather has turned cold and damp.  Bone chilling dampness that makes your body hurt all over.  I got out my snow boots.  I should have gotten out my parka too. Hindsight is twenty twenty or perhaps I am delusional and think it will warm up.

The snow brought out the Juncos to the grass under the feeders.  The Blue Jays are passing through too, I hope they don’t stay. Squirrels and Blue Jays can be within a foot of each other and still not be bothered.

There are still a bunch of leaves in the trees.

There is a Red Bellied Woodpecker in that tree.

Our usual birds are still here; Nuthatches, Chickadees and Woodpeckers…Downy, Hairy and Red Bellied.

This is a female Downy Woodpecker…they have a shorter beak than the Hairys.

We put the snow stick up yesterday.  We will have some fun with that and have a snow stick contest like last year and the year before.  This year the stick has larger numbers…for us older people.

As you can see there is some snow on those leaves.  I hope it melts so we can mulch the yard at least one more time.

Far Guy got the Wild Gardens all mowed down.

Someone got some snow on his ears.  It is that time of year that makes dog owners nervous.  The skunks are out.  The other night we saw two running along the road and there are sail skunks ( dead as a door nail flatter than a pancake and uber smelly) on the roads…and we all cheer…well Chance would cheer if he could.  I take Chance out at night on leash only.  Far Guy is braver and goes outside and barks and then takes Chance out off leash.  I question that…better safe than sorry I say…but they are males and I am out numbered. It will almost be a relief when we finally get a foot or more of snow on the ground and the skunks go into their semi hibernation state. It will be warmer once the snow blankets the ground too:) 

Wistful Wednesday: 1953

I didn’t know the story about this photo before.  So I called my Aunt and asked her.  She being sharper than a tack, knew exactly the photograph I was talking about.

Arnie and me in ‘53

This is my Uncle Arnold and my Aunt Anna, siblings of my fathers.  Their Mother  (My Grandmother died in June of 1953.) This photo was taken at the train station in Detroit Lakes Minnesota.  Uncle Arnold had been home for the funeral and he was headed back to Norfolk Virginia where he was stationed.  He was in the Navy.

I had never heard my Uncle Arnold referred to as Arnie before, when I asked my Aunt she laughed and said “I did it just to irritate him.”

Aunt Anna celebrated her birthday on Monday.  She was 18 years old in this photo in 1953. Uncle Arnold was 21.  Uncle Arnold died of a massive heart attack in April of 1992 he was just 60 years old.  He was a wonderful man with a great sense of humor, he was a farmer and a carpenter.

My Dad and my Aunt Anna are the only siblings still living, out of fourteen only two remain:)

One of those days

I broke the printer this morning…it is not just sick..I killed it.  We have had it a good long time.  It was a good printer, something went clunk. I tried to fix it, Far Guy tried to fix it..it is beyond repair.  I put it on the shopping list and a replacement is sitting here in a box.

Whilst I was trying to get some other “stuff” done Far Guy was wrestling with the vacuum cleaner.  He was hoping it would be broken too so he could replace it..but it lives yet another day or two or three to aggravate him some more.

Far Guy wanted two simple things at Wally World..blueberries and printer paper that you can print stickers on.  No such luck.  When the gal asked him if he found everything he lied and said “yes.”  Then he said (I was so proud of him) “I lied I did not find everything”  She said “That’s okay sometimes I lie too.” ( She never asked him what he couldn’t find.)  Customer service at it’s finest.

I was asked to do something extra special for the museum.  I politely asked a third party to email me a photo. She is a ditz and said “I cannot email photos but I will mail you one.”  I asked her to mail it to me at home, she replied “I already sent it to the museum”…lets see you want me to drive how far..28 miles because you are S.T.U.P.I.D. ?? Apparently.  I drove to town, the photos are bad copies or blurry..go figure.  What a waste of my time.  I don’t have any nerves to get on anymore they are all shot.

I think I might need to hibernate just a tad to improve my mood…  I may not get up till noon and I may not answer the freaking phone all day long:)

First Snow Sunday October 20 2013

Well we had our first snow early Sunday morning. I knew something was up when Chance came in all wet.  He nudged me with his cold nose and I reached out to pet him and tell him to go back to sleep and my hand was all wet…he was just a wagging his tail…like a little kid  anxious to share his early morning discovery.

My scarecrow was all snowy.

My sunny sunflowers were snowy instead of sunny.

The wild turkeys were out and about. It was a grey dull dreary day, yes the snow melted, I am certain it is only a matter of time before it sticks on the ground…traditionally our 3rd snow will stay.  We went 165 days without snow on the ground, from May 7 until October 20. Uffda.  Doesn’t sound like global warming to me. 

We don’t have the new snow stick made yet.  It is on our list of things to do:)

Last of the flowers

Usually we have heavy frosts by now.  I have not taken flower photos this time of year in a long time.

My roses put on a show all summer.   How they survive with no care and no extra water is beyond me, they must have deep roots. 

The Gaillardia had a wonderful summer, it isn’t a fussy plant.

I have them in three colors:  Burgundy, Goblin and Golden Goblin (Yellow).  This one is Goblin.

We raked some leaves onto the septic system.  We moved the last of the wood pile to my brothers.  We took a nap.

Asters

The lawn furniture has been put away. The grill went to the greenhouse/work shop.  The three wheeler went away for the winter.  Far Guy will put Stabil in all the gas tanks soon.

I think the No Hunting signs are all in place, only one had to be replaced.  Some idiot keeps tearing the same one down every year.  The bum.

I hung up all the shovels and rakes and I know where a particular shovel is that we will be needing but I will not mention the “S” word yet.

Now to wait for the rest of the leaves to fall out of the trees so we can finish raking and or mulching leaves.  As soon as we have a hard freeze Far Guy will mow down all the wildflower gardens.

All photos taken October 17, 2013:)

Trip to the Dentist

Gosh I hate going to the Dentist, but I am done again for six months.  Far Guy is not so lucky, he is scheduled for Oral Surgery, he has a wisdom tooth coming in sideways and a fistula. (Left over from a root amputation or a wayward bone fragment.)  He is not crazy, many times over the past few years he has said “Something is not right up there in my mouth.”  Well he was right and not crazy..the X Rays prove it.  He doesn’t get the famous Olympian Hockey playing Baker this time but another fellow.  I will let you know when it is over.  I have asked that they gel foam the incision and stitch him up to try to avoid a dry socket..we will see.  He has asked for Nitrous. This is his last Wisdom Tooth…he should have had them all removed at once when he was younger…he had two done at once and swore never again…well never again is on round two.

We go to a further away little town to the Dentist.  He is a Finnish lad.   His wife who shoulda been a Dentist is the hygienist. We schedule our appointments back to back, since it is a 40 minute drive over there.

Chance and I went wandering about town and the immediate area while Far Guy was in the chair.

We stopped by St. Urho and then headed out to the forest fire area.

This area burned last summer.  It was part of the Green Valley Forest Fire.

Sad to see wide open spaces that used to be filled with pine trees.  There are huge piles of brush and some wood is being chipped into small pieces.  What logs could be salvaged are long gone.

I found this great bunch of Halloween decorations.  Someone has the Halloween spirit!

While I was in the chair Far Guy and Chance went to visit a classmate of his who is in assisted living.   He has a memory problem that was induced by overindulgence in alcohol following the death of his girlfriend.  He can remember everything in the distant past, but cannot remember if he ate today or who visited him.  He always remembers Far Guy.  I am not sure how much company he gets…but if he cannot remember does it really matter:(