Last of the Tomatoes

 I picked the last of the tomatoes before the hard frost.  I was unsure how I was going to ripen most of them.  I left a number of very small tomatoes on the plant and it was continuing to flower. 

I left them mostly on the vine and then...

Using an old sherbet container and some clothespins I made it work! 

The ones that fell off the vines are on the window ledge. 

So we will have fresh tomatoes a few more days.  We both enjoy the Yellow Pear tomatoes for their great flavor.  This year one plant gave us tomatoes from the end of July through  mid October.  We also share with my other baby brother and she who sees robins first and my baby brothers bride...my baby brother doesn't like tomatoes....he could never get over the huge hunks of tomato with macaroni that we had to eat as children.  The other two plants we had were just OK...a heirloom variety and Rutgers which was a cherry tomato that was real seedy. 

 Our sheep tank worked out great  for a planting container.  Far Guy pulled up the tomato plants after the frost and took them into the woods.  Our dog fence kennel enclosure worked great too...no deer damage.

Here are the tomatoes plants last July!

So it was a success! 

Far Side

Projects

 I made some headway on my Mosaic Crochet Afghan this week.  

Here is week two of seven.

Making progress, I am now working on week three... five weeks have been released...so I am a bit behind but I shall catch up!    Look off to the left...Mosaic Crochet is pretty from the reverse side also!   My next colors are a bit adventurous and there is a mistake at the bottom of the pink for some reason I went brain dead and didn't get all the brown and orange stripe in there...oh well all works of art have mistakes. 

I  finished 6 Christmas Ornaments yesterday.   I have 36 done now.   Slow but sure!  

I tried those Midknight Oranges from South Africa...they are juice oranges.   Next time I order Cara Cara Oranges I will write extra notes that I don't want substitutions AT ALL for oranges.  I wonder if they will get the message? 

We got a new "smart thermostat"  we have been waiting on some kind of special resistor most of the summer.  The part finally came in and the electricians did their thing.  Happy to have it checked off the list! 

Far Guy worked on Tilly's radio...it was real staticky...it is better now...I think it gets four radio stations. 

We had another hard frost, the ground was white with frost yesterday morning.  The high yesterday was 45 F  or 7 C eh...in the spring we would call it warm, in the Fall we call it cold. 

Far Side

Grocery Day Report

 They were out of Milky Way Dark minis...so I had to sub the regular Milky Way minis.   I also had a substitution on my wax paper.  I use lots of wax paper when I am painting ornaments....and baking cookies...but there are no cookies being cooled lately...just painting.   I ordered Cara Cara Oranges to see if they had them...they substituted a South Africa Orange called Midknight...I have not tried it yet.  I marked my Cara Caras  "no substitutions" and you can bet if it is not up to my rigorous orange standards...I will complain. 

We have been slowly stocking up on bath soap, laundry soap, toothpaste, shampoo and lotion. AND we have a good supply of toilet paper!  Next on my list is to check our supply of flour, yeast and sugar....and Pumpkin...because the Grands are already asking for Pumpkin Bread.  

I took my Dad to Bingo, I  got a bingo...so it was a free night out for both of us!  Dad said he had fun.  He was a bit unsteady...and almost fell once...I was able to grab him and keep him  upright.   Scary for sure. 

Far Guy took off on Ranger Blue when I left for Bingo....the other day there was "this trail"  it was narrow and rocky and I decided it was not a great trail and backed out before I got too far....it was sketchy...well guess who HAD to try it?   Far Guy reports it is just as narrow and rocky as we thought...but it also has many steep hills up and down ...he said there are huge gullies and I wouldn't have liked the trail at all.  So he had an adventure without me.

I did not get 6 Christmas Ornaments done yesterday...perhaps I can make up for it today.  The car has an oil change appointment and our electrician is stopping by to install a smart thermostat and to do some other work....so it will be another busy day. 

It froze hard enough that the Impatiens looked sick in the morning and by late afternoon they were brown and shrunken...the blooms are now only a memory. 

Far Side

Cooler Day

 It was cold yesterday.  The high was 47 F or 8 C eh....it was a bit windy and some more leaves fell out of the trees in our yard.   Next week when it warms up I will finish the yard work....maybe.   It spit rain in the afternoon. 

I brought in the last of the tomatoes.  Rain gauges and some yard decorations were taken to the garage. 

In the afternoon Baxter came to visit. 

"Hey Treat Lady, couldya take me home?"

 We went for a Ranger Blue ride...Baxter wanted to stop at his friends house....but his friend was no where in sight.  Baxter likes Ranger rides.   He still has some separation anxiety...but he is getting better....he has a treat ball to knock around and a treat UFO...that dispenses treats.  When he is tired of trips from me to the door he settles down amongst the shoes in the shoe tray and gives me the evil eye....he wants to go home.   I keep him on lead outside...cause he knows his way home....besides that... it is the skunk time of year.

Found a new to us trail. 

I got the daily 6 Christmas ornaments done...total is 30 now.  Groceries were ordered for pick up.  It is always an adventure to see what is missing. 

Far Side

cool

 Yesterday as I mulched the leaves in the yard for the 8 1/2 time out of a possible10 the temperature began to drop.   I was chilled by the time I was done.   I was spoiled by the warm weather.

Poor Tilly had a hesitation when she shifted into passing gear...well it is fixed now...she runs like a champ.   Far Guy has been tinkering with her everyday.   He was pleased with the way she drove. 

I caught up with some things inside the house...laundry and cleaning the bathroom.  I managed to paint 12 Christmas ornaments ...yeah me...24 are done!

I am feeling much better...still a tad tired...but that might be my new normal. 

I need to dig out a pair of snowboots, a hat and some mittens..oh and maybe a coat. 

 I am not watering flowers anymore, the hoses have been disconnected.

There was still a bee out on the Salvia...apparently it did not get the memo.  Oh and the Juncos (we call them Snowbirds) have been here off and on the past few days...making their way North I hope...perhaps we are just a stop on the way.

Far Side

 

Nice October Day

 It is our last nice day for awhile...it was  79 F  or 26 C eh yesterday afternoon...really nice for October.  Then tonight the weatherman said the "s" word. 

Far Guy was busy tinkering with his car, I finished spraying for weeds cause it was a nice sunny day for the little suckers to suck up the killing poison.  Then I sprayed for ants one last time...cleaned up all my buckets and stored them for the winter.  Check something off my list! 

I am trying to paint Christmas ornaments everyday...half the dining room table is full of paints and ornaments drying.  I have 12 all done.  My goal is to do 6 a day until they are all done.  It is a slow process.  

We went for a Ranger Blue ride in the afternoon.

We were trying to find a trail that we were on a number of years ago...we didn't find it but will try again another day.

At home my flowers are still blooming.   The South side flowers were frozen but the North side survived...go figure.

Far Side 

Fruity Lake

 We visited a  old high school friend over on Strawberry Lake.  Lakes in his area are "fruity"  Raspberry Lake is nearby as is Cranberry Lake.   Dave said that Strawberry Lake is shaped like a strawberry. 

It is a pretty lake with clear water and no weeds as far as I could tell.

We usually see Dave and Deb over the summer...someplace...not so much with pandemic.  This was their last weekend at their lake place so we were glad to see them.  Dave is going through some health challenges and is headed to Mayo Clinic soon. 

Seems like everyone has some struggles. 

Far Guy is feeling much better, his cough is finally gone.  I am still feeling the after effects of my flu shot...but no one has ever died from swelling in your butt that is as large as a grapefruit...and that is the reason I spare my arm from the trauma.  I am sore and tired.   I am not looking forward to the third Covid shot but that will not happen until November or December.

Far Side

Another quiet day

 We had another quiet day.  I worked on painting Christmas ornaments and we went for a ride in the afternoon. 

There is still a bit of color out there.

In the evening we visited our oldest daughter Trica.   

Far Side

Quiet Day

 We saw this nest along one of the trails in the area.  It is a wasp nest. 

We have gone on this trail before and this is the first time we have seen the nest. 

We had a quiet day on Friday.   I had a nap in the afternoon.  I am feeling a bit "off"  my Covid shot arm really hurts...not sure if that is a coincidence or not....the weather changed.   I often have intense itching in that arm.   I got the flu shot in the butt...the injection site is swollen to the size of a softball and has a temperature.  I am tired and chilled, but I am often tired because I am old. 

We started painting the Christmas Ornaments...the first few test ones turned out great so painting is a go.   It will be a process and I hope to be done by November 1st...we will see. 

Far Guy made Halibut and a baked potato for supper...raspberries for dessert.   He is a good cook. 

We may get our first freeze overnight. 

Far Side

Rain

 We finally have a few days of badly needed rain.   We have not had a frost yet, possibly this weekend. 

Before the rain we managed to get Wet and Forget on the deck on the North side of the house,  the patio out front, the picnic bench, a wooden seat and the Ferris Wheel Seat. We find that wet and forget works great on moss and lichens that cover everything here in the northwoods.   It has been two years since the last application. 

I killed some thistle and some weeds.  Always a fun job for me.   I have a few more weeds to kill before it snows.   

I mulched again...not that it did much good with the wind and the rain...but 7 1/2 times out of 10 is done.  I raked some leaves away from the buildings and mulched them up.  Still more to do but until it dries up nothing more can be done. 

Thursday grocery day...no lime Outshine bars or mixed frozen vegetables.

We got our High Dose Flu shots yesterday.  Keeping my fingers and toes crossed that I can skip the rotten side effects. 

Far Side

Crochet along

 I joined yet another crochet along...when I have two unfinished CAL's already.  Oh well winter projects! 

This is week one of the new CAL, I am not following the color suggestions...I am making it all different colors.  This will be a large blanket.

I am working on week two, then there is week three and four will be released on Thursday. 

So I am behind.  I swear the other ladies must crochet non stop. 

Yes I take my crochet projects along in the car, I crochet when Far Guy drives and I crochet while waiting.  I usually take a project when we go to appointments.  Soon this crochet project will be too large to take along. 

Far Guy and I are working on lots of Fall Projects.   Keeping busy.

Far Side

92

 My Mom is 92 today. 

She keeps busy taking care of my Dad and sewing.  She makes all kinds of quilts and table runners.  She and Dad still live in their own home in town.  Dad still mows the lawn and Mom tends the numerous flowers she has planted all over.  She cans fruit...this year it was peaches and pears.

Isolation during the pandemic has been hard for her, because she is a very social person.   When you are 92 years old, most of your friends have died and those who are still alive are in a nursing home or assisted living.  She has two brothers who are still living and three sister in laws. Her brother that is younger than me lives in Nebraska and rarely comes up north anymore.  She and Dad get together with her brother and sister in law that live just 40 miles away...they play cards....pinochle  most likely...they tried to teach Far Guy and I one time...that didn't work at all.

Happy Birthday Mom! 

Appointment

 An appointment up North took most of our day.   Three hours there, I sat in the vehicle while Far Guy was in the Clinic, we visited Andy and Jen had supper with them, then drove three hours home again. 

The other day I finally got the Fall flag up! 

Far Side

Some Grands and Great Grands

 Some of our Grandchildren were at the party.  It was so good to see them!

Noah

Savannah 

Maddie and Cee Cee

Cee Cee and Hey Mikey running around! 

Hey Mikey

Cee Cee after running around , falling down and getting a dirty face! 

The scratch on her cheek is from a kitty cat...I think she grabbed the cats tail.

We missed Adam (he had a stomach ache) and Miss Paige who is away at school.  

Far Side

Gathering

 Yesterday we had a gathering for my parents birthdays and their anniversary.   My baby brother and his bride hosted the party at their lake home.  It was a bit rainy so we gathered in the garage and in the porch to eat.

There was a good turnout. Many of my cousins showed up, my Dad has no living siblings, my Mom has two living siblings and Uncle Al showed up.  There were 4 grandchildren, 13 Great Grandchildren and 2 Great Great Grandchildren to help celebrate.

Mom and Dad with the cake made by Jen

There was lots of food.  Hamburgers, brats, pasta salad, coleslaw, potato salad, veggie tray, baked beans, chips, cake and ice cream cake.

My other baby brother, my baby brother, me and Mom and Dad

Dad knew who his children were...he could not come up with my name but knew I was born first, he called my brothers by name. 

Far Side

Flowers

 Usually we have several freezes by now.   So the flowers are still blooming.

As you can see there are a few leaves in the yard.  I refrained from mulching yesterday and just did the stuff on my list.  There are still more leaves to fall.

The backside is almost prettier than the front.   I won't complain about watering them...and the deer have not eaten them lately.

Today is my Dad's 95th birthday.  I will tell him he is really old, just like he told me a few weeks ago on my birthday that I was really old!  Dad has memory problems so I hope he recalls that it is his birthday!

Far Side

Busy Days

 No big surprises with grocery pickup.  I even got some Apples at Wallyworld. 

I ran errands in town and stopped by my parents to wish them a happy anniversary in person!   Mom had Mohs surgery on a cancerous spot on her face on Tuesday...she has a few stitches but she looks pretty good. 

I had book club in the afternoon, the book was Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K Hamilton a vampire/horror book.  I give it a 3 out of 10...I would not read it again. 

I mulched leaves ... again... 6 1/2 out of 10 times.  I might even be able to stop at 9 this year we will see.  It is supposed to rain and I didn't want the dry leaves to get wet.

In the evening I made ice cream cakes with the help of my baby brothers bride and visiting Cindy. 

Far Guy finished all the woodcarvings for Christmas Ornaments...I have to do some final sanding before we declare that part finished...but the end is in sight!

 Today (Friday) is potato salad day...in preparation for a party at my baby brothers lake place for my parents on Saturday afternoon.

So the days are busy around here!  I look forward to some calmer days next week....we get our flu shots next Thursday....I scheduled it for a few days that I could set aside to just be sick....and if I am lucky enough to not be sick I can find some things to do! 

Far Side

Cemeteries and a Church

 My baby brother picked me up on Wednesday morning and we did some cemetery work...trimmed around headstones and cleaned them up.  Other helpers were my baby brothers bride and their friends from Wyoming Mark and Cindy.   Lots of help scrubbing lichens away.

Our Paternal Grandparents and a bit further away our Great Grandparents and some Uncles and Aunts. 

One of the Maple trees was still somewhat in leaf. 

Then we went to our Maternal Grandparents and Great Grandparents graves. 

It was a beautiful day to be out and about.

Today is my parents 71st Wedding Anniversary they were married in this church.  Their birthdays are coming up soon.  Dad will be 95 and Mom 92. 

The Church is next to the cemetery, they no longer have services there but the church is used for special occasions. 

Far Side

Appointment for Tilly

 The new old car Tilly had an appointment about 45 miles from home.   It was her last look at before we drop her off in December for her body work and new paint...she will return mid summer.   Far Guy thinks that is a long time...he would like to have her home for the entire summer.  

Tilly was stubborn in the morning...so we went in the afternoon...her battery was dead as a doornail.  Not sure why... Far Guy thinks it is one of two things...we will see.  After her battery got charged up she purred along.  

It was an uneventful trip.

There is still some color.  Some trees are really confused and still have green leaves. 

The Smoky Hills show that the wildfire smoke is back. 

Once back home I mulched leaves again...I am at 5 1/2 out of 10 now.   We still have about 50 % of the leaves in the trees. 

In the morning whilst waiting Far Guy wood carved and I worked on a project in the garage.  Just before supper we went for a ride down to the river. 

Far Side

Fall Projects

Working on some Fall Projects, we touched up the stain on our log posts out front.  I cleaned up the sauna and washed the rugs.   Straightening up in the garage...that is a big job!    Mulching leaves...4 1/2  out of about 10 mulchings are done.   Not all the leaves are out of the trees.   Far Guy accuses me of sitting on the lawn mower waiting for a few leaves to fall.  ( Far Guy has a list...I do not...I have just been doing projects that I feel like doing!)

We have some of the Asian Beetles...the stinky little things bite and it hurts.  With the warm weather there are some itty bitty bugs that bite...some kind of gnat.   Our temperatures vary from a low of 45F (7 C) in the morning to a high of 78 F  (26 C) that is unseasonably warm for October in Minnesota. 

We have the Christmas Ornament count up to 100 ready to paint...Far Guy wants to carve a few more. 

We go for some kind of ride with Ranger Blue everyday. 

Far Side

How do you like them apples?

 We have a small Apple Orchard about 20 miles from us.  They are only open on weekends. 

The apple of the weekend was Honeycrisp

We bought some and they are crisp and wonderful...just picked off the tree flavor. 

They have some things for kids to do and tables and chairs sitting near the orchard.   They were a friendly bunch.   The farm originally belong to their grandfather and now two grandsons (brothers) own it. 

It was a nice drive over and back...a good Sunday drive. 

When the huge grocery store does not have apples...a small business does!

Far Side

Trails

 We live in an area where there are many backwoods trails to ride.  

We were gone about three hours yesterday riding up North of us. 

It was a pretty afternoon. 

My other baby brother, she who sees robins first, Far Guy, my baby brother and his bride. 

We got back home just after sunset.   

Far Side

Ranger Blue

 Finally...we ordered a Polaris Ranger UTV (Utility Task Vehicle) March 19.  It was supposed to be here May 15, then June 1, then July 28 - August 10, then August 28 - Sept 10, then Sept 17...it finally arrived at the dealer October 1st. I called my baby brother who has a trailer and we went to get it.  

FINALLY  Ranger Blue has arrived!

We ordered it because we figured it would be real fun to have for the Summer...now Fall but at least we got it before Winter!  Both of my brothers have Rangers they were generous with theirs over the summer so we got to go for a few rides always saying "When we get ours we can explore that trail! "

Many people call them an ATV ( All Terrain Vehicle) or a side by side.   Ours has Air Conditioning and Heat, it is fully enclosed so it won't be horribly dusty for Far Guy.   It has a center display that shows all the trails in the area on a map so we might not get lost.   It has seat belts, mirrors and blinkers so we can drive it on all trails, Township Roads or County Roads.  We can cross State Highways to get to trails or other roads. 

It is a fun ride! 

Two does in the woods and a buck out front.

It should be a great adventure!  

Far Side

October

 The Rail Road Bridge across Fish Hook River is gone. 

Yesterday after picking up groceries I had a few minutes so I went over to what is now known as Red Bridge Park.

You can see the yellow floats out there where the bridge used to be...and the guy in the boat was doing something...sounded like he was sucking up stuff.  The bridge had not been used as a Rail Road bridge for years...they said it was "unsafe"  and had to come down...it was a great place to take photos.  Progress...not so much.

Grocery Adventures yielded a bag of rotten oranges, no apples and no wild rice...good thing I have a bunch of cooked rice in the freezer.  I called and complained about the oranges...they gave me a refund.  No apples...who woulda thunk it? 

Leaf Mulching Day 2 1/2  was a success...about 20 percent of the leaves have fallen in our yard.  My mower is working great and may actually make it through the Fall mulching...knock on wood.  I can use my brothers mower if mine fails...because I am sure the wait to get a new mower is mighty long...maybe years...a goat would be faster.

 No rain yet but they say it is coming.   Good thing too as after supper I went out to water the tomato plants and pick our daily couple of tomatoes and I smelled smoke...smoke had filled the yard....I went to investigate...just a stupid a$$ lake person that had raked his leaves into a pile on his driveway and lit them on fire.  I drove by slow and gave him the evil eye...turned around again and gave him more of the evil eye...I was tempted to stop and ask him if he had a permit to burn and a real brain but I kept driving toward home.  The woods are still DRY and a fire waiting to happen...I would bet he had no water hose nearby either. Dumb A$$.

Goodbye September hello October.  Yes I might be a tad cranky. 

Far Side