Labor Day

 We had a quiet day, not much labor involved.  Far Guy did some woodcarving.  We discussed our plans for the wood carved Christmas ornament and have revised our plan.  There was simply not enough outside woodcarving days to accomplish Far Guy's original design.  However he will have all Winter to finish them up for next year.  So we are going forward with a different design....one we think we can accomplish. 

I finished up my card project and emptied out that container and then immediately filled it with "stuff" to do Christmas Cards with.  I think I have decided on a design...maybe. 

We are getting our ducks in a row...maybe. 

 

Minnesota weather: High 78F or 26C  Low was 58F or 15C.  I heard the s word for Northernmost Minnesota. 

Supper was Hobo dinner (Hamburger, potato, carrots baked and then covered with cheese) :)

Far Side

Quiet Sunday

 It was bitterly cold outside.  We have extreme windchills forecast through Tuesday afternoon.  We are staying indoors until Tuesday afternoon when we have to venture out for Far Guy's medical appointments...he has three on Tuesday afternoon, all in town thankfully. 

We finished a puzzle and Far Guy did some woodcarving and some painting.

He has some Purple Coneflowers in progress. 

Hope everyone stays warm during the cold spell. 

Far Side

Lists

 I have many things on my list for September...you know all the things I should have tended to before they made the list!

I crossed a few off my list the other day..I returned some photos to one of my cousins and had a nice visit with her, I also dropped off photos my Mom had for the American Legion Auxiliary Historian.  I got the car washed...and had some of the eye tests that my eye doc wanted...I still have one more test next week.

Far Guy finished carving this years Christmas Ornament, I did the final quality control check and they are all set to paint.  

I am researching ideas for this years Christmas card.  I may have to audition a few of the designs I found. 

My lawn mowing is done for now, we have hot dry weather and the grass is starting to turn brown.   I finished up next door on Monday...it had been two weeks or more since I was there. 

and along the back road...

Far Side

Cooking and a project

 Sunday was a day we did not cook.  We met Jen and Andy for lunch for Father's Day and toward evening we went to the last graduation party of the season.   There was lots of food there but we just had a few chips and cake. 

It sounds like the weather is going to turn hot...so more no cooking may happen this week. 

Salad and fruit might be on the menu more than once. 

I am certain we will be thankful for air conditioning.

Far Guys flower project.  He says it needs more flowers and he will work on them next winter. 

Far Side

Smoky Air

 It was a wildfire smoke day here in our part of Minnesota.  We had planned to go to one of the first car shows of the season....but the air quality kept us indoors all day.  We had looked forward to getting out with Tilly. 

Far Guy got out the flower carvings he worked on all last winter.  He wanted to do a mock up arrangement before putting the flowers on a wooden base. 

He has a very pretty walnut board for the display.

I worked on the border of my mosaic crochet Winter Wonderland.  It is almost done. 

The smoke is supposed to be less soon.  It is a red alert meaning the air is unhealthy for everyone. Hard to stay inside but we watched the birds and the bunnies and the tailless squirrel in the yard through the windows.

We both had naps in the afternoon. 

Far Side

Groceries and stuff

 We are still ordering and picking up groceries.  Since I have been so tired it is easier that way, then I go into one grocery store to pick out fruit.  There is still a Skippy Peanut Butter shortage and sometimes the Lime Outshine Bars are sold out.  Seems like it varies from week to week...oranges are just pathetic this summer.  Sweet corn is being sold and ranges in price from $5 a dozen to $14 a dozen.

I am still very tired but I think I am slowly getting better.  I am tolerating the medication and will be happy when my 30 days is up ( I am on day 15 now).  Most days I am tired and my left leg hurts and my right arm, sometimes my ear hurts and sometimes my neck and my glands are still swollen....all normal with Lymes. It may take up to six months before I feel "normal."  Far Guy is doing okay....he is taking good care of me.  He supervises my nap time ...of course as soon as my head hits the pillow I am out like a light. 

This is the blank that this years woodcarving starts with.   Far Guy carves just about every day. 

Far Side

Winners 2020 Ornament

 The winners for the ornament are the gals with these comments! Congratulations!! 

Bev 

Fargo has a 32 foot artificial tree.  11 pallets are used to store the parts.  There is a cone shaped metal frame that 'tree parts' are attached to.  To my knowledge, it has never blown over.  I'm not aware of an official Christmas tree being erected in West Fargo, although the Park Department does decorate several real trees with colored lights.

p.s.  Would love to win this year's woodcarved ornament

Henny Penny

Thank you for the second chance to enter. I wanted to look back anyway and see what happened to the tree. It was so pretty. Too bad it got blown over. Betsy mentioned in a post that you asked about others having trees in their town. I meant to drive through town on the way home this evening and forgot all about it. I think there is one in front of the courthouse. We've sure had enough wind lately to blow 

one over.

Bonnie

We live in a very small town but we do have a Christmas tree and a lighting ceremony each year. The wind has never blown it over and hopefully it won't because it is a live tree - still in the ground!

Your town's tree is beautiful and hopefully will be put back up and strongly secured so it won't blow over again! We put a wide, heavy base on our indoor tree each year since we have cats. ; )

Kathy

Our town does not have a Christmas tree. We live on a lake in northern MN and our neighbor decorated their outside pine tree with lights this year. It looks real nice.

Thank you for the chance (once again) to win one of your wood carved ornaments.

Bev and Henny Penny I have your address.  Bonnie and Kathy please send your snail mail address to me  captainconnie2001atyahoodotcom  I will mail ornaments in a few days! 

Thank you everyone for sharing the Christmas trees in your areas. 

Sadly the tree on Main Street could not be saved...however someone donated a smaller tree and The Grinch left a decorated branch one night...when I get to town I will take photos. 

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Here is the woodcarving process this year for the 2020 ornament.  I struggled with this ornament and the painting of them...I tried several different techniques...I finally found one I could live with. 

Far Guy cut the basic shapes out of Basswood

Then they were carved

Then I wood burned the names and the year.

And painted and painted note my fancy peanut butter jar holder!

Some different colors...I tried to keep track of what colors so in larger families everyone got a different color...I believe the final count was 95 ornaments.

Here is our ornament! 

We have next years design all worked out and the pieces are cut out and waiting to be woodcarved...IF we get bored this winter...although we like to do this project outside when it is nice and warm! 

Far Side

** Remember Pearl Harbor

Carving

 Far Guy woodcarves everyday out on the patio.  His latest carving was completed yesterday. 

My baby brother has a Whats this plant app on his phone.   It identified it as Creeping Bellflower.   

Here was the inspiration for the carving.

Creeping Bellflower in the wildgardens. 

I asked him what he would carve next...he didn't know ...so I sent him another flower photo for inspiration.  He is busy drawing out the petals and making a plan. 

I have not been carving at all since the Christmas Ornaments were finished.  I have a number of unfinished projects in my carving bag.  We got a call from one of the guys in the carving group...the library where we used to meet as a group is limited to five people in the building and you have to have an appointment...all others are turned away.  So our group meeting probably isn't happening anytime soon.

My baby brother brought over some pieces of black walnut one day so Far Guy carved him a spoon.  

Far Side

Rain and other stuff

 It has been a wet August so far...usually August is our dry and hot month.  It has been hot and humid from time to time but it has turned stormy and rainy.  We had 1 6/10 inches at the rain gauge from early Friday storms and all day raining.  We had some strong thunder bumpers move in.  Just like little kids we counted from the crack of the lightning to the thunder to see how far the storm was away.  Far Guy was keeping track of the storms on his phone.  I slept on and off...mostly off...so we are both tired.

Not much happening outside...except rain. 

The wildflowers are happy. 

Far Guy finished his rose carving.  We sent it off to his sister before taking a photo. So she took one for us. 

We have found that peanut butter jars work great for cushioning a woodcarving inside of a box. Far Guy painted this rose all by himself.  We discussed the color at length....I won with shades of pink. 

Far Guy's sister begins radiation treatments in early September for six weeks.

Our oldest daughter Trica tested negative for Covid finally...she had no symptoms.  She wouldn't have known about it but they tested her before emergency surgery.  (She had two positive tests.)  She is back to normal again after her surgery. 

I am working on the watercolor Christmas cards...Far Guy is carving another flower one new to him that he saw in the wild gardens. 

Far Side

Okay Ornaments

It is okay.  The ornaments did not go to option d...I am living with option c.  My CDO has to take a backseat this time.  (Compulsive Disorder Obsessive) Not everything has to be "just so."

Jen said they were OK and so did Far Guy (of course he would have reworked all of them IF I had asked him.)
A least they have a very pretty decorative hanger.

And a very pretty Christmas Box for storage of the ones completed.

I am a bit obsessive about the list...one little check mark for name and date in process...and then the color they were painted and the day they were completed.  I keep track of colors because too many of the same color in a family is not good...they should all feel special.

I carved my daily two ornaments and Far Guy did his also.  I painted some.  It is all a work in progress. 14 are completely done!  It is  a start.

The wind was horrid yesterday...but it kept the skeeters away.  The wind dried out my flower bed...so I watered and then it rained...go figure.

Perfection is over rated anyway.
 Far Side

Masks and more

A package came in the mail.

It was from Shirley...she had a foaling contest and I was the closest guess on the date that Midnight Moondance was born. Thank you so much Shirley! The masks are just perfect!

Our weather has turned real warm. 

I am staying busy.  Far Guy is wood carving on the Christmas Ornaments out at the patio table.  I  join him for a short time...I have not carved in a little while so I am breaking in those wrist/fingers slowly so my hands don't sleep all night and keep me awake.

I began the someday project that was INSIDE the milk can. It is a many step project that involved some research and trial and error.  It is a labor of love for sure.  It will take me all summer to finish...maybe longer.
Far Side

Hooks and flowers

Far Guy wood carved some crochet hooks for me, the wood is black walnut.  They match my yarn bowl...which I just love!

I used each of the hooks a bit, they do work but are not as fast as my other hooks.  I have another shawl in the works.  One more is upstairs being blocked.

I planted the small flower garden yesterday; Impatiens, Violas, Pansies and Salvia.

I pinched most of the flowers off so they would settle in faster and bush out!  We got a little rain yesterday just enough to settle the pollen and the dust...not enough to wet the soil more than one inch...if you dig around it is dry as a old bone.  We missed spring rains completely...we have had quite a dry spell...no April showers that bring May flowers or June bugs.  Although we are starting to see some skeeters...

Last night we watched a Doe with a few days old fawn come through our yard.

Far Side

Dreary Day

I finally figured out a pattern for the latest shawl I am working on.  It is now in progress.

It was a cloudy dreary day.  I cleaned the bathroom, did some laundry and watched a movie on Netflix.  Ghosts of Girlfriends Past  I enjoyed it...it was a crazy movie and I give it an 8 out of 10 stars.  No nap yesterday.

Our county now has 28 cases of Covid  19. Safe at Home has been updated. The Governor of Minnesota is calling his new program Stay Safe Minnesota.  Some retail businesses can open and operate at 50 % capacity, groups of 10 people can gather staying safe.  They expect more people will get sick but say the State cannot stay closed forever.

People have been saying we are all in the same boat...well some people have small rafts and some have yachts.

There is so much misinformation out there who really know what is what.  We will disinfect, wash hands and wear masks for a long time....what can it hurt.

We will stay mostly at home for as long as it takes...to either get the virus or the vaccine.  We still have to make that weekly trip to the Infusion Center.  Other than that we are comfortable in our hermit life. We are lucky that we can send an occasional shopping list with my other baby brother and she who sees robins first to stores without curbside pickup.

Far Guy's carving of a sunflower and a red rose, the bark house is one of my carvings.

Far Side

Far Guy's Woodcarving Projects and Graupel

Far Guys facebook friends voted on the color...yellow won. 

I helped him a bit choosing the right color yellow.

It is a lovely rose!  It was packaged up and mailed to one of his high school friends.

I asked him what he was going to carve next...he had no idea...but I had an idea for him!

The wood is Black Walnut....and this treasure will be all mine!

Ever heard of Graupel?  That is the word they use to describe the soft snowy balls that have been falling from the sky.  One minute the sun is shining and the next graupel is falling from the sky.

The Juncos are back along with two Purple Finches.
Far Side

Tree and Ornaments

The Christmas tree is up on Main Street.   It has a few decorations and lights.  The official tree lighting ceremony is supposed to be on Friday night...I happened by just after the Power Company finished the lights and they were probably testing them...who really knows for sure.

Yes it sits in the center of the street and takes up about four parking spots.  As you can tell it is gloomy here...it spit rain and then snow yesterday.

Tell me about a Christmas tree in your community...is there one?   All comments will be entered in this years Christmas Ornament Give Away...a fantastic one of a kind wood carved ornament worthy of collecting!

  I will take comments until Friday night at 9 PM ...then I will draw for winners and mail your prize on Monday December 2 in plenty of time for Christmas.  Those of you who like to email me...please do!

The wood carved ornament will be revealed soon.

Far Side

Woodcarving

This is Far Guys latest woodcarving.  It has been quite a project and is keeping him busy.  He is working on the Black Walnut base now and then the leaves are next. 

Each petal is carved individually out of Basswood and then they are fit together...like a big old puzzle,   I have absolutely no interest in carving flowers...but Far Guy loves to design them...and carve them...must be the challenge!

The join on these three huge flowers was very interesting.

We have MANY Doctors appointments this week...not much will be accomplished on the craft projects this week other than those I can take along in a bag.

Far Side

The Hunt

The Minnesota Deer Hunt begins this weekend.

IF we were hunters we could hunt from our yard.

These are photos on the Trail Cam in September.

My brother brought over a jar of canned venison...the last of his 2018 deer.  I think he is counting on getting a deer this weekend.   My Dad also plans to hunt.

It is still cold here, some of our snow has melted.  From the tracks in our yard we have several rabbits and a big Buck (Deer) went through.  Usually the last weekend of deer hunting is cold this year it will be cold the first weekend...maybe after that we will get a good old fashioned Indian Summer...I can always hope.

I finished and painted a wood carving yesterday...it has been in my carving bag a few months...good to finally finish it.  I took a photo that I will share sometime after I have given it away.

Far Side

Projects

Snow was in the air again today, soon it will be on the ground. 

We ran errands and then fixed a shelf in Far Guy's garage.  It was obviously loaded down with too much junk many treasures.

Inside projects:
Far Guy is working on a carving.  It will be a flower.

We sit side by side...sharing the desk.  I watch TV and he has his headsets with music playing...sometimes I forget and talk to him...and he doesn't hear a word...then if he notices me talking he pulls off his headset and says "WHAT?"  By that time I am done talking and say "NOTHING!"

I am working on the Christmas card...I chose the sentiment with Far Guy's help.  I hope to finish up the Christmas Card project this week...God willing and the crick don't rise.
Far Side

June

June 1st seems like a good day to declare summer.  We have had two very warm days...very warm for me is 80 F.  I like 72 during the day and 66 at night.

We began the Christmas Ornament Woodcarving design process.  We have two designs...perhaps two years worth.  I like them both.  I can carve one in about a half an hour.  Rough cutting of the blanks has begun.  We brought out a table and the band saw to the overhang of Far Guy's garage, he set up a fan to blow sawdust away and wears a mask when cutting.

I went to Bingo with my Dad and my Baby Brother...I bingoed once ($15) and then my Dad bingoed on the blackout...three people bingoed so he had to share and only got a third($334)of the pot ($1,000) and then shared with my baby brother and me...so we each got $110 so we can go to bingo again for a few weeks. ( We play one wins we all win)

I bought flowers...haven't planted them yet.

Picked up a woodscrew someplace so had to get a tire repaired.  New cars tell you when you have a low tire...it didn't look low...but it was.

Our bird traffic has slowed down...the Indigo Buntings are still here but I believe the Orioles are gone as is the Scarlet Tanager.

The Scarlet Tanager used my glass flower for a resting spot and drank water from the cup.

Far Side

Hawaii : Day Five

This was a wonderful day spent in and around Hilo. We dropped the teenagers off at an arcade in the mall.  Then we stopped by a famous woodcarvers shop.

David and the canoe that he is carving for someones home.

He is a very talented woodcarver.  Far Guy and Andy had a really good visit with him. Jen and I met his three year old daughter Olivia who entertained us drawing smiley faces.

After picking up the boys at the mall we headed north to Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens.  Far Guy and I toured the gardens while everyone else went for a long hike to a beach. The gardens are fantastic!  There are a mile of trails throughout the gardens.

The Orchids were stunning…I have many many photos of flowers.  Imagine that!

Spider Lily at Onomea Bay

Banyan Tree at Hilo…the Banyan trees are originally from India…they were brought here by missionaries.  Several homeless people make their homes by these trees…I believe that pile of “stuff” belongs to a homeless person. At some of the beaches there would be mattresses and belongings tucked away, people pushing shopping carts and people who lived in their cars or pickups loaded with stuff covered in rotting tarps flapping in the breeze.  I believe we met one such person…I will call her Shell Mary…she was born in Minnesota but has been in the islands for many years…first in Maui which was too expensive for her and now on the Big Island…she gifted us with some shells she had collected.

We enjoyed the farmers market at Hilo…the fruit market was awesome. We tried many new to us fruits.

It was getting late and we were all hungry, we dined in Hilo at a family restaurant.  We returned to the Military Camp for one last night…this time we had a three bedroom cottage with a kitchen.  Our last cottage was perfect…it didn’t smell and was very comfortable.

Far Guy was having a difficult time breathing, between the sulpher fumes and the altitude…so we decided to return to Kona and the west side of the Big Island the next day...

****

Far Guy survived the Infusion Port replacement, however the surgeon has concerns about how well this port flows.  Far Guy is tired and sore.  He is supposed to rest as much as possible and take it easy for the next 10 days.