Raspberries

A beautiful fall day. First workday of Central Standard Time. I picked up some volunteer raspberries from Mom & Dad's and, after dinner, planted them in front, alongside our north property line.

They think they're people

I saw this pic in Saturday's Journal Sentinel.



---"I told you this wouldn't be as much fun as the Brewers game."

Days go by

Much done since last I wrote.
Had my letter published in the Journal Sentinel.
Badgers beat Purdue.
Packers beat Miami.
Badgers beat Illinois.
Kids had a good day at Grandma & Grandpa's.
We all had a good meal of tacos there.
Sunday during and after the Packer game, I raked the front yard. With the light wind's of Monday night and Tuesday assistance, I raked the back yard on those evenings.
Changed the car oil Thursday night.
Cleaned the gutters and put away backyard stuff for winter during the Badger game, and replaced the downstairs light fixtures afterwards.
Kids & Shelly went to Rouman Theater's Halloween party today.

Shelly had her hair dyed yesterday, but she didn't like the outcome. She brought the color back a little today with Clairol's help.
photos:
Saddleview Knob geocache location
E Big Lake Loop Rd. - Three Lakes
Me in the back yard
two from Javen Rd. - Three Lakes

Light My Way

I received a telephone message today from Kelly at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. They will be publishing my letter to the editor on Thursday.

Whose House?

The lighting project went well yesterday. New ceiling cans in the kitchen. Flourescent bulbs, new flat switches. I'm a little sore today from kneeling on the rafters. Jamie built a model Camaro, and Michaela painted a wooden truck. Projects galore.












More today. Jamie & Kayla & I carved Jack-O-Lanterns from Mom & Dad's plentiful crop of orange gourds. Shelly turned Jack's embryos into snack food, and his flesh into dessert. She also found time to whip up Blue-Ribbon Chicken.


















Whilst she cooked, the kids and I placed a geocache on a ridge in the Nose Lake region of the Oneida County Forest. These kids are troopers, we must have hiked 3 miles. No pear-tree dwellers in any of those miles, though.

Efficiency

I'm wiring some lights in the kitchen on Saturday, so I went to Menards for parts last night.
I forgot the switch plate.

I had to get more thermals at Wal-Mart today, so I checked there. They had a white decora, not ivory. I was in a hurry, but I wanted to have the parts-shopping done. So I went to Home Depot.
BAM! -there's the part. But wait,... there's more...
You check out your purchases yourself, put the money or card in the slot. Booyah! Get in, get out, nobody gets hurt.
Cool.

Snow

It was cold and snowy and windy today. And after I stopped at Menards, it was dark when I got home. But Shelly had a fire in the wood-burner, and a wonderful supper of steak and potatoes. Amen.

A Time to Reap

Thanks for the vegetables, Mom & Dad!

Darlington

We took the day off on Friday and drove down to Platteville. We stopped at a couple of geocaches on the way and arrived at Dan & Charity's at around 4:00. We went on to Darlington to rehearse at Holy Rosary Church, then to Chandler's in Mineral Point for dinner.

Saturday, Michaela and Shelly went to the church early for pictures, and Jamie & I went to a geocache in Calalmine. The church and ceremony were beautiful. Fr. Monty knew the Baxters well, he had married Dennis & Joyce McPhail 30 years ago.

The reception was at the Iowa County Fairgrounds, in Mineral Point. It too, was beautiful, and the most fun I've had at a wedding reception in awhile.

St Mary's Church in Platteville dedicated a religious library partially in John's name on Sunday. And afterwards, we visited his grave.

Calumet

Peace.

Calumet is peace pipe. We headed out after work on Friday, in the cold and rain, and arrived at Calumet County Park on Lake Winnebago around 9:45. The VonOepens and Gibsons were already there. I've never stayed on the ocean, but my imagination told my I arrived at the seashore that night. It wasn't as cold as up north, and the southwest wind coming across the lake was noticeably warm. The waves crashed against the rocks. The ring of lights of the Fox Cities shone through a swirl of grays: the water with slightly visible waves flashing varying muddled tones, the misty sky with a hint of light pollution that I didn't mind in this context, and the shadows of the old willows which held the cliffs together.

Our first pop-up camp set-up went very well. With Phil's expertise, and Dave's help, we built a temporary homestead. We sat around the fire for a couple of hours, sharing some B&B, and toasting Dave's birthday.

On Saturday the skies cleared. The men and boys geocached, and the women and girls went into Appleton to shop for a bit.

In the evening, Dan Hogan and his mom and children stopped by (Brenda had to work) - from Green Bay, Phil's sister Suzanne and her family - from Appleton, and his sister Jennifer and her dog - from Sherwood, also visited.

Sunday, most of us drove up to High Cliff State Park to check it out.

I "swam" in October.

And I found my 100th geocache.

Shed Reclamation

I took advantage of the fair weather, lo these past two evenings, in putting up shed roof pieces.
One cannot have too many sheds, I say.

Camper

All this past week, in the evening, I prepared the camper for it's maiden voyage.
Calumet County Park on Lake Winnebago.

I should have some time tomorrow to post the trip story and pics.

This evening I reclaimed some more wood-shed roof.

Way Behind, But in A Good Way

Two weekends previously, The Gibsons, The Majeri, and Mary visited. Saturday morning, we watched Jamie play football and Michaela cheer. The weather was so-so, so we had a chili cook-off.

In the evening Shelly & Dave went to watch the cage fights at the Ice Arena.

The Ronyak & Gibson children camped out in the pop-up on Saturday night.