Christmas Markets..

 Well we are slowly getting the house fully decorated, and of course by we I mean mostly Amy and Grace; I mostly just haul stuff upstairs and down.  Grace has been crazy busy with school clubs and her new coffee shop job.  So we don't see her around much but she is pretty good with giving us a daily update of her day around 9pm just before I head off to bed and Amy starts in on work.  The weather finally turned to winter...Merrick was going to snowboard last Friday...but didn't like the snow conditions so him and his friends golfed on Sunday instead....it has been a warm fall.  Today however is our first blast of sub zero temps.  With our free time Amy and I have been hitting some outdoor Christmas markets..in the middle of the week even as we come to terms with a more emptied nest of a household.

November is a whoosh...

 

Well that was quick...November seemingly evaporated.  In part because the weather was super nice for the season and I think I was fooling myself that winter wasn't upon on us.  Even the sun seemed to shine most days of the month. Alas today is the first Monday of December and it is clearly winter regardless of how November transpired.  Merrick and I got on out and hunted the deer opener.  It was a good season, I had put cameras out the month before and we had 7 different bucks including one absolute beast.  We drove over on the Friday before as is usually and were expecting cold temperatures. The first of November had been on a Friday so the season started as late as possible...with that said the temperatures will quite nice with minimal wind and we were able to easily sit all day in the stands.  I had a nice 8 pointer (and a bobcat) come through and Merrick had a doe and a sixer but neither of us had a sure/ethical shot and ultimately went home with stories rather than any venison.  Merrick and Grandprize were able to walk to Merrick's stand on Friday afternoon while the rest of us checked out our areas.  Brad and Evan showed up in the late afternoon with their trailer and Nolan not until opening morning. The hunting weekend was pretty quite, minimal poetry, zero guitar and pretty early to bed each night.  Maybe everyone is getting older, wiser.  One the way home Sunday I popped a crown much to Merrick's surprise as I was spitting 'teeth' out into my hand while driving.  The work week was short with school in session for everyone (except me) only through Tuesday.  Ella and Sophia came home and Thursday afternoon found us in Two Rivers for pulled pork and Packer's games.  Actually the game was late at we headed home to watch it from our own couch and prep a Friday feast as well.  We had 40 pounds of turkey, much of which went home in ziplocks and freezer/vacuum packs for the college kids.  Bob and Nancy came over with cheesy potatoes and coconut cream pies...and ultimately I would break grandma's pie pan.  It was a good break and a good end to November. 

A weekend in the woods

Merrick had Friday off, but I still had to work before we drove to the hunting woods with plans of arriving in the dark.  Evan was already out there and Brad and Nolan showed up a little bit before us.  Joe and Paulo a little after, and Ramblin' wouldn't make an appearance until Saturday afternoon.  Merrick and I ate along the way at the Bowl & Grill just off H.  I thought it was cool, including the barefooted bowling lady, but Merrick was less than impressed.  Classic country bar with friendly locals sharing BS around a Horseshoe bar and four lanes in the back...again our opinions differed but the burgers were decent.  We set up the tent in the dark and headed to a surprise fire the Bryans had started.  Evan said the fire ban was lifted and we didn't look a gift horse in the mouth.  I hung out around the fire until 10-11ish with plans of bowhunting in the morning while Merrick came to the tent later.  By the time I got back from the stand on Saturday morning camp was starting to stir and coffee was being made.  Merrick packed a lunch and wandered off to his stand to clear some trails and maybe flush a bird on his way.  He later told me that he got spun around..(even after I asked if he had his GPS...no, do you have a compass...no....how you going to get back?....walk back the way I go in...okay I will look for you if you aren't back by dark.)  He did make it back in the early afternoon about the time Grandprize rolled in to see what was up.  The Bryan's packed up early and left, Evan for a wedding and to buy a suit; Brad and Nolan because Nolan was puking in his tent.  Georges went to work on stands and I left Grandprize and Merrick at camp to scout the south end and look for birds.  Scored a woodcock for the second year in a row and we curried that up before dinner and after shooting off some various guns just because we could.  Did try a large load of tannerite in a split tree, but the ammonia nitrate had gathered moisture so the it wasn't going to explode no matter how many times we hit the small target and watched the gray dust poof out the other side.  Sunday morning was as expected, essentially a slow breakfast and coffee and then packing up and on the road by about tenish back to home, back to day dreaming about the next time we get back out there of the big hunt

Homecoming and Going Home

 

We have been busy with all the events that are life, the events that give us pause for reflection and the events the give us milestones of celebration.  We headed back to EC to Celebrate the long and story-filled life of Grandpa Daryl.  He would have liked nothing more than to know that even in his passing that family gathered for the event. We told some great stories and laughed as we worked through the grief in our own ways filling Grandma and Grandprize's house in the process.  

It was a quick trip over and back.  While Merrick chose not to go to homecoming Grace wasn't about to miss it.  Her and her friends were making bouquets at the house and then all met over at Lambeau for photos.  Amy and I went to capture a few shots and had to hit Hobby Lobby on the way for a wardrobe malfunction kit.  Grace was completely unfazed by getting stitched up in the atrium before her gang headed off to chick a filet for a pre dance meal.

Somewhere in those events we also drove north looking for the northern lights, we did see them, albeit wispy and light rather than bold and trippy.  Shelly came for a visit as well, that too was a whirlwind stopping first in EC to pick up Ella and then an over and back trip with Missy in the same day for a quick visit.  Life is made up of all these little moments, the fodder of thoughts as you look toward the night sky and strain for either more boldness or find contentment in the wisps and subtle shimmers of light.

A little fall beach day!

 It has been unseasonably hot and harder and harder to admit summer is over...or even that school is in session.  Merrick spent Saturday morning across town trying to improve his ACT score. Friday night only Grace made it to dinner with us at GreyStone and Saturday night only Merrick made it to dinner with us as we headed downtown for some patio eating at Copper State....the prolonged summer vibe is impacting our desire to cook as well.  Sunday found Amy, Grace, and Grace's friend driving north to visit Boot Lake.  Merrick opted not to go, but the rest of us loaded up the kayaks, fishing gear, and inflatable beach float and made the beach before noon, stopping only at the grocery store for beach snacks, drinks, and sandwiches.  Amy and I paddled around the lake.  I fished and listened to the Packers game.  My understanding is the girls laid on the beach or the inflated mats and just jabbered at each other all afternoon.  We were back home by 4 to grill some jalapeno poppers and pizzas on the patio before Grace headed off to open turf for LaX.  We all made it to school Monday morning, but that wasn't the sentiment on Sunday night.

Upland prep

 

We are coming into the nicest part of the seasons.  The evenings are crisp, the humidity is low, and the red maples are starting to show their fall colors.  Grace headed to Fall LaX tryouts and some Dress shopping in Appleton.  Merrick and I headed to the clay course to get in a few rounds in case we get into woodcock or grouse in the coming weeks.  Solid scores by both of us and some patio snacks at Greystone on the way home.  Everyone is settling into the new (old) routines of school.  Sounds like there will be no apple picking this fall however because of bad set of growing conditions.

The Summer comes to A Close

Well the Summer is essentially 'over' this week as we all head back to our respective schools.  We did put a solid ending into the books to mark this finality.  Merrick had his senior pictures taken as a roll through another rite of passage.  Great location and we are excited to get them back.  We also smiled for the camera for our Family portraits through another studio...we weren't as excited about their artistic license, but it will look good on the wall with all six of us together.  Sophia mad the drive back for the photos and then we chased her back across the state the following weekend and she gave Merrick and Grace a wonderful 'student' led tour of Campus.  It was fun to see how much she feels at home on campus, pulling open closed campus doors and leading us through dark lecture halls because it is her school and she can do those types of things.  We got to check out her new apartments and her and Trevor joined us for a late lunch before grabbing some pizzas and heading to Becky/Brad's place for the night.  We headed home the following Saturday and stopped in Oshkosh for some outlet mall shopping for school clothes...but I think I bought the most stuff.  Ella headed back to Eau Claire, with our help but before she did we joined us at the winery for a little bluegrass.  I suggested we go get tattoos the following day instead of packing....and Sophia joined us too.  It was a unique and wonderful afternoon for the three of us at the tattoo shop that left us all with a literally mark for life.  Ella's place is nice and it didn't take long to move her in before we made  run for ice cream and costco to fill up the empty cabinets.  Now the temps are climbing and we are heading back into the suana like rooms to start another school year.