Happenings and Hallowen

We went for a drive, I have been wanting to fulfill a few requests for photos at Find A Grave.  We struck out with two names but had good luck with the rest of what we were looking for.  I walked among the graves up and down the hill and got my walk in for the day. We were the only ones there…well the only ones alive.

Most of my Dad’s relatives are buried at this cemetery, and very few of their grave stones are photographed.  I took enough photos to keep me busy for a few days.   If the weather holds I will go back for a few more photographs.

Back at home the lawn mower has been put away for the winter, it is cleaned up and washed off and in the garage.

Let the rest of the leaves fall where they may rest for the winter.  The bird bath is still out because it has been warm enough for the birds to use it…and they have been using it.

It feels good to be done with the yard for the winter.  I will get the snow stick out one day this week.   It is on my list.

Chance was not thrilled to wear the Halloween hat but he wishes you a Happy Halloween anyway!

What a headless dog…NO it is just Chance escaping the dreaded hat. Our treats are all bagged up and we have a lot of extra candy so we hope we have a record year with trick or treaters! There will be photos of costumes tomorrow! Next to May Day… Halloween is my second best liked holiday!

Great Grandma

Great Grandma makes someone seem really, really old. 

I will be a Great Grandmother in May and Far Guy will be a Great Grandfather.

We are now officially old.

Nope you didn’t miss anything…like a wedding.  Times change, old people’s views remain the same and the younger generation do their own thing. 

Maddie and Brent with Deacon

It is now official and was announced on Facebook.

Far Guy is dealing with the news a tad better than I am.  He confessed he thought he would never live long enough to see a Great Grandchild.

I on the other hand hoped that Maddie would get her degree, travel, see the world, grow older and wiser and then become a parent. 

It is really hard being a parent now a days…and being a single parent is even harder. I suspect that with a wedding date in 2019 that this child will be old enough to be the Ring Bearer or the Flower Girl.

Wild Rose

We had some lovely Wild Rose blooms last summer.

The flowers served as wood carving inspiration for Far Guy.

He will mount the flower and leaves on a piece of wood but for now they are sitting on the dining room table.

I told him I thought he could do a few more blooms…but he said one was enough…I think several attempts became firewood.

I might try a bloom later in the winter…when you are a woodcarver you find your stride and what you like to carve.  I can carve flowers but I don’t enjoy it as much as I enjoy the little bark houses.

Fall Flag and other stuff

I finally got the Fall flag out, it was about time.

Far Guy put a nail in the house to hold his walking stick and my broom.  The broom is so light that it kept falling over in the wind.

One day Far Guy went out the door first.  He said in a loud voice “Look out!!”  Well who needs to look I just hopped over everything and screamed bloody murder in his ear. Shortly after that the nail went up.

We don’t have many leaves left in the trees.  One more round this weekend and we will be done, it is too wet to do anything right now.  When I get done with the leaves the snow stick will go up.

Chance’s new treat ball arrived.  He likes it, it dispenses food as it rolls around on the floor, it keeps him busy for a while.  We load it with Bison and Venison Dog Food.  His last treat ball was chewed up by Labrador Retriever Guests and he was so sad.  I got that ball from Petco a long time ago, this time I ordered from Chewy.  His last one was purple and this one is bright orange and a bit smaller.

Thursday Thoughts

The only color left in the yard is the Euonymus I think the variety is ‘Chicago Fire.’

If you look closely you will see the winged branch and the berries.  You should not eat the berries…eventually birds will eat them.

 

Chance had a good birthday, he had company in the morning…Odda came to visit.  I ordered him a gift but it isn’t here yet.  It is a treat/dog food dispensing ball, it will keep him busy in the evenings.  Now that it gets dark so early we have to go for rides before supper. 

Our weather is dark and dreary, it was rainy off and on yesterday.

I stayed busy the past few days working on a carving project and the train Christmas cards and odd jobs around the house.   I cleaned out a few nooks and cranies that I had been ignoring for several weeks and washed my Fall coat and my favorite Fall gloves.

We have been getting lots of political propaganda in the mail.  I am keeping track and those who wasted the most paper will not get my vote. Democrat or Republican I don’t care who it is I refuse to vote for a paper waster…same goes for phone calls, you call me fine…you lost my vote. 

Wistful Wednesday : 50 years ago

This is a photo my Mom took at the farm right by the picture tree in the Fall of 1966.

Connie 15, Carey 12, Jody 6th birthday.

Our sister Julie was born in the summer and was only a few months old so she was not in the photo.  From all the leaves on the trees it was probably a photo taken before October 26, plus the boys have almost new looking jeans.

I am holding my other baby brothers hand, we were buds, he spent a lot of time with me. He was a talkative kid (he is still talkative) and inquisitive…Why?  Why this? Why that?  I always tried to answer his questions the best I could.

Happy Birthday Jody!

 

Chance :12 years old

It is my turn again today!!!

Today I enter my 12th year.  I was born in a barn near Aldrich Minnesota, I had lots of brothers and a sister and a great place to play and little kids to play with.  I grew and grew.  Then Far Side and Far Guy came to visit all the puppies…I walked up to Far Guy, he picked me up and didn’t put me back down.

I had to pose for the traditional birthday photo. She got lots of photos with my eyes closed…I am not an easy model.

This year she decided that I needed to lay in front of the Euonymus bush…it might be the prettiest spot in the yard to show me off…at least that is what she said.

And here I am at my black and white best.

12 years old is the average life span of a Border Collie…I made it!  I have some back leg and hip problems…sometimes my old legs just don’t want to go up or down the stairs.  I take a medication and an aspirin.  I have a vest with a handle that I can wear and someone will help me up and down the stairs.

I still play ball some days…some days not so much.  I have a nice bed to sleep on, sometimes I sleep there and sometimes not.  Most days I get to go for a ride!

Rides and treats are my favorite things…Happy Birthday to Me!

Chance : Herding

Hiya it is me Chance!  Yesterday I got some herding practice.

Far Side and I were in the old parking lot.  I am pointing to the critter about to be herded.

I have my eye on it.

I tried to turn it around.

It made it to the leaves, I herded it around in the leaves for awhile, it was airborn several times and then it played dead…so I brought it out for Far Side.  She was thrilled and said “Good Boy Good Boy!”

Fall Projects

The kitchen and bathroom have been put back together after being torn apart for the computer wires.

Far Guy mowed the wildgardens down while I cleaned out my car, the windows are washed and the inside is spotless and free of dog hair. 

I have my own shop vac in my garage. Didya know that mice can crawl up the shop vac hose and then die inside the canister?  They can, then your hero comes by and says “Sweetie I think there is a mouse in your shop vac it smells horrible.  I will dispose of it for you.”

Late in the afternoon I watched Quiz Show on Netflix…had a long nap woke up when it was over and then began watching Once Upon A Time.  Once Upon A Time was better than I anticipated.  Far Guy cooked supper...spaghetti.

  Flowers in the wildgardens last August.

Vanes and Fall Projects

We have a whole bunch of windmill vanes in the grain bin.  They are from long ago and a farmstead in North Dakota.

They may be a project for next summer.

Earlier this fall we saw this just leaning up against a tree and we both liked it.

Yesterday LumberMason and I dug up, moved and stacked a whole bunch of landscape bricks that were all around one of the old gardens. We were working really hard and getting tired… then the reinforcements came in Mason’s Mom and his sister, many hands make for lighter work. I think the blocks weigh about 20 pound each, I am tired.  It will make that wild garden easier to mow in the fall.  I will put the blocks up for sale.

The kitchen and bathroom are tore apart as we are trying to string the cable for the computers.  If I look on the bright side I will have some cabinets cleaned before winter. But what a mess…we barely had room to eat at the dining room table last night. Chance is certain we are doing something drastic as his dog food has been moved out of the cabinet and it is sitting against a wall…he doesn’t like change either.

Update: The cable reached it’s destination and we have great Internet Speeds!!  Yeah for us old folks!! We came out of the utility room along the top of the kitchen cabinets, down inside a cabinet, then out the cabinet back wall through the wall into a bathroom cabinet and from there through the wall into the Living Room.  For awhile there I was wondering if I might have to get real creative disguising a cable wire with twinkly lights running through the kitchen into the living room.  I am relieved that this project is done.

Fall Projects

I am making headway.  The leaves were mulched again, I believe that is the sixth or seventh time. Far Guy accused me of waiting on the lawn tractor and as soon as a leaf hit the ground I mulched it…I don’t think it was quite that bad.

One more nice day and the lawn should be done for the winter.  I trimmed most of the limbs that I have been fighting all summer…the limbs never seem as bad when they are leafless.

We accomplished all the soup making, the freezer has an assortment of meals ready to warm up.  Vegetable Soup, Chicken and Noodles, Chicken Tortilla Soup and Chili.

My glass flowers are all cleaned and put away for the winter.  We took the rain gauge in before it froze!

We are working on a carving project so most days we spend a few hours carving. 

We finally discovered what our Internet problems are and we are in the process of figuring out how we can hardwire both the HP Computers that are supposed to be wireless but are slow and experience dropped signals…which puts someone in a very bad mood.  His computer which is still under warranty drops the signal quite often…he is a regular at HP Support.

I have a theory about the Internet problems but what do I know?  When the lightening damaged our Router I believe it also damaged our Wireless connection on the two Desk Tops…the HP Laptop is just fine as is the Ipad… those signals are strong. The router was replaced and nothing has been the same since with the Desk Tops.   We had a Technician over who could not find the problem and had no answers.  Thanks to good friend and computer guru Intense Guy we are on a better track now. 

Since we built this house we think we know a way to run the wires from the Utility Room to the Living Room…we will see. It could be an adventure.

Pumpkins

Have you noticed the price of pumpkins?  I saw the price of $10 for a medium size pumpkin.

We are lucky enough to have neighbors/relatives that have a garden.

Their rock is decorated quite nicely!

I wonder how long until the deer raid the pumpkins?  Deer like pumpkins.

Midway Memories: Paul

Paul grew up in the little town of Belmond Iowa.  His Dad owned a TV Sales and Repair Shop.  I met his Mom once she was a smiley grey haired plump little lady.

Paul always wanted to be a carnie.  It was all he thought about growing up.
Paul talked about nothing but Carnival…and that is still the case…he can recall where we were years ago and what show we visited on what day.

When he came out on the road about 1966 he was second man on the Merry Go Round.  He had just graduated from High School.  It was what he dreamt about all those years.

He would go up the ranks quickly, he was a good truck driver and soon became Foreman on the Scrambler.  Then “The Boss “ bought a Super Slide and Paul was responsible for that too..until Far Guy took the slide over.

Far Guy’s Mom marked this photo Eugene and Best Friend Paul.
Paul had red hair….well until it turned grey.

Paul and the Super Slide in 1969.

I took this photo in 1968.  Paul and John are in the background playing the diggers on another show.  Far Guy is in front…look at those sideburns and all that hair!

Days off after doing laundry and catching up on sleep…we would all get together and plan a trip…either to another show to take photos and talk to who ever would talk to us…or out for supper and a movie. Paul with his photographic memory could tell you where this photo was taken…his favorite saying is “Do you remember when?”

John was from Belmond also…he worked the wheel.  We think he was only out on the show for one year. Wheel John.

Paul was the best man at our wedding.  We see him from time to time, and if the phone rings you can bet you will be busy for an hour or so.

Paul in Owatonna Minnesota in 2005.  We have met him there a couple of times and he has been up to visit and stay with us.

Paul and Popcorn go hand in hand.  Many times he would stop by the joint and share his popcorn or just bring me my own container.  Charlie knew the extra popcorn was for me. (Charlie had the Caramel Apple/Caramel Corn/Popcorn/Salted Peanut joint….popcorn was always free to the carnies.)

H and H Amusements was a big dream that he and Far Guy had.  Far Guy got drafted and went into the Air Force and Paul had asthma so he wasn’t drafted.  Paul would later buy a Fun House and a Rock-O-Plane and he traveled independently.   He was married for a short time and has a daughter and a grandson. His daughter was out on the road for a summer or two working for Mitch Buxton.  Eventually Paul outgrew his love of working on a carnival and went to work for a Sand and Gravel Company Driving Truck. 

He has never outgrown his love of the carnival business or the ability to talk about it.

Yard Report and Fall Projects

I worked in my small garden out front after that nasty frost.

I pulled out the frozen plants before they turned to mush.

I took away some of the garden ornaments.  The squirrels stole one of my red white and blue whirlygigs sticks…I couldn’t find it anyplace.  My Victoria Blue Salvia is still alive.

I worked on my solar lights one afternoon replacing the non working lights with working ones.  I bought a whole bunch of replacements the other day on sale…I used a number of them but still have some stashed away for next spring.  Far Guy calls it my light garden…and I suppose it is, I like seeing the lights out the window in the evening…I know the snow will cover them up…but they will emerge again in the spring.

The yard looks better, I will mulch leaves one more time and then I may be done.

I am feeling better but still tire easily, I hope to continue on with my fall work list outside this week.  Clean out my car, take in glass flowers, mulch one last time and trim some tree branches (The ones I have to duck whilst mowing.) I have a larger project later in the week and have called for help from LumberMason next door…he is out of school for MEA. This weeks freezer meal is Chicken Tortilla Soup…I don’t care for it but Far Guy enjoys it.

Anyone out there watching Timeless?  How about This is Us?   Both shows are better than I had anticipated.

 

Train Show

Yesterday we attended a Train and Toy Show.   I enjoyed it but not as much as Far Guy.  After I was done shopping I went out to the lobby and found a comfy chair to people watch and wait for the shopping to be done.  Seems like I was the Biggest Shopper of the day.

I thought for sure that this would be coming home with us…I suppose because it was a reproduction…it stayed there.

I like looking at the tin toys.

This is a plate used from 1940-1969 the pattern is Great Northern Mountains and Flowers.  I thought this guy was way overpriced…oh well if I ever see any at a garage sale I will snap them right up!

So what did I buy?  A comic book to read in my comfy chair in the lobby and a gift for Far Guy.

Now he has more little people to paint.  The box is probably worth as much as the people inside.