Quiet Sunday

 We had a quiet day that was appreciated.  We went for our usual Sunday lunch out on the patio...it was warm, but there was a breeze and we had the patio all to ourselves. 

I started a new afghan with a new to me pattern. It is call the Granny Square Shell Pattern.

It is interesting after I figured it out...the joins were not well written in the pattern or perhaps I am easily confused.  Not sure if I will continue the entire afghan with the light colored shells and the different color outlines or if I should mix it up! 

Minnesota weather: High 94F or 34C   Low 68F or 20C.  In town the car said it was 99...who really knows for sure. 

We have a very busy week coming up with 7 appointments.  3 appointments are Up North. 

Far Side

Squirrelly

I went from one project to another all day Sunday.   I have a bunch of afghan squares drying, laundry done, Christmas Cards dealt with (I save letters from year to year and most photos), and more stuff sorted upstairs.  The year 1927 is all done in the Farm Diaries and I began 1928.  Two years to go...the end is in sight! Maybe.
 

I walked around outside, it was sunny but much cooler than yesterday 37 F or 3 C was the high on Sunday.

Menus were made for the week and a grocery list complied.
After all we must eat to survive the Winter!  Just like this fat ole squirrel.

Far Guy is still very short of breath, if I had three eyes they would all be on him.  One day at a time.

Far Side

Rainy Day Sunday

It rained off and on all day.  It was a good day for a movie and a nap.

Rudbeckia in the rain

I worked inside on woodcarving Christmas Ornaments. 26 are completely done.  The rain held us hostage in the house most of the day. 

Chance is very depressed, he laid outside in the rain for quite a while.  He misses his friends.  It always takes him a day or three to get over their visit and be content with his two old fogies.

Pontoon Ride for 12

I went for a pontoon ride with my other baby brother, his wife, daughter Katie, and eight of their grands.  Two kids per adult!  (They have thirteen grands total but only eight went for the ride.)

I miss the chatter of children and the little girls kept talking and talking mostly about their chickens and what their names were( Poopy, Lena, Claire, Ena and many more I cannot remember! How the original Poopy died under the water dish one day so they just named another one Poopy) and how they were going to sell eggs….and the water and fishing…and snapping turtles.

Wind in their hair.

We saw seven loons total, that is a good amount for the lake….but NO babies.  Those darn Eagles feasted on all the babies.

Back on the dock I attemped a photo…

Seven

Note : The little girl with the pink pants, her flip flops don’t match.  When I pointed that out to her she said “ It’s all right, I couldn’t find the match.”

Eight

It was a fun time out on the lake.  I enjoy all the children.  They are all growing up so fast!  The oldest boys are thirteen years old  now.  Soon they will all be teenagers!

PowWow

Every year a PowWow is held on the nearby reservation. A PowWow is a gathering much like a family reunion.  It is a special time for family to get together and dance and pay homage to their culture.

Photographs are allowed except during the Peace Pipe Ceremony.  When in doubt ...ask.

Every part of the regalia worn has meaning.  Often times special pieces of the regalia are handed down from one generation to the next.  ( Grandma’s Eagle Feather…Grandpas moccasins etc…)

The Staff and Flag Bearers

Visiting Royalty follows the flag and staff bearers.

There are many colors…these are Jingle Dancers except for the little girl on the left she is a Fancy Shawl Dancer.

This beautiful gal in the turquoise regalia is the daughter of a good friend.

Aqua and orange do go together

A young man  who’s regalia is that of a Grass Dancer

One of the littlest Fancy Shawl Dancers

This gal used some Loon fabric on her regalia.

Older women have time for beautiful beadwork.

We visited with friends and had some homemade French fries for lunch.  It clouded up and threatened rain so we headed home.  We eventually got 4/10 of an inch of rain while I was enjoying an late afternoon nap.

Sunday Afternoon

We went for a ride Sunday afternoon, it is one of my favorite things to do. Lots of times Chance and I go by ourselves, but since it was my birthday...Far Guy came along and drove. You never can tell where we will end up. We headed west.

The Sumac is beautiful, did you know that Sumac in one form or another is found in all of the lower 48? It is the only species of tree or shrub that is Native to all of them. This is Smooth Sumac or Scarlet Sumac (Rhus glabra). You can chew the berries it will quench your thirst..you can also steep the berries and make a drink.

We got lost, well not really. We knew we were still in Minnesota and still in Becker County..but when Far Guy said "I think we are headed North." And I was sure we were headed south... I began to wonder. We were on the opposite side of Pine Lake, there is a spot there overlooking the swamp and the lake where someone has built a log bench, where you can rest. The woods was quiet, there were no birds, the only sound was the wind in the trees and a few leaves falling to the ground.

We eventually found our way out, and took another road. There was a snake on that road sunning itself..I think Far Guy might have run right over it. I closed my eyes and swallowed a scream. I hope it is dead and not lurking in the undercarriage of my vehicle ready to drop onto the floor of my garage to scare me half to death. Anyway I am not going to travel that road again for awhile. We ended up at the North Side of Height of Land Lake. At the public access we allowed Chance out of the car and into the water.

Later in the day, my parents stopped by, it was too warm for them to work in the potato fields. They both drive trucks during the potato harvest. We went over to Josh and Missy's to pick some sweetcorn, Josh is my oldest Nephew, he lives next door, they have two children, Mason and Anna..they stopped to have their photo taken with their Great Grandma and Great Grandpa.

Missy has some beautiful Asters in her flower bed.. I think this one might be Aster 'Alma Potschke'. It is a stunning Aster! So there you have it, a little look into our Sunday afternoon travels:)