halloween begins

A generally rainy weekend filled with the domestic duties that the changing seasons can bring. Friday evening was the only part of the weekend that was fit to be outside and we managed to make the most of it. The Heritage Hill, just a block or two away, had the first night of trick or treating. We met some family friends there just before supper time and gave it a go. Merrick managed to return home with only a single jaw-breaker haven eaten his take as it came. Sophia in her gracious way gladly shared with him on Saturday morning. The weather was crisp but sunny and an pretty nice fall evening with the smell of wood smoke in the air. Merrick was a 1920's gangster complete with tommy gun and Sophia went as a Flapper girl, so it was a very thematic outing. We ended the evening with pizza and laughs at a friends house and the kids drifting off to sleep asking about when the next trick or treating was going to be--it will be Thursday, followed by Friday and then finally Sunday night.

Pumpkin Time

It was a gorgeous mid-October weekend with plenty of sunshine and temperatures near the mid to low 70s. We ran our normal routine, including a massive garage sale at an indoor storage unit, where we managed to pick up a nice pair of snow pants for Merrick. On our way to the Sanctuary for a hike we managed to score some very nice pumpkins that were sitting for sale. Put the money in the can type of business and the kids couldn't have been more pleased. Most of the animals in the sanctuary were feeding, which is always good for watching. We were able to watch the two river otters play in the water and wrestle around. Sadly the cougar had died (18 years old) since we were there last and the exhibit now held a fisher. The fisher itself is still a cool animal. We were also able to feed the deer, strange as it was because it was a doe season in most of the state. Sunday was a bit of grocery shopping and then the carving of the pumpkins. Sophia was meticoulus about getting every string portion of gourd from the inside, while Merrick was less interested after he drew his face on the pumpkin for me to cut out and wandered off to play in the leaves. Nap time and Packers games took place before a trip to the bike trail to roller blade and bike for the kids, as well as some munching on rose hips and wild grapes. As most weekends, not a bad way to pass a couple of days.

June in October

The gods of weather have certainly smiled on us this weekend and we tried to get outside for recreation as much as possible. Saturday was mostly domestic and yard work time but we did find time to put the finishing touches on Merrick's Tommy Gun for his halloween costume (1920's gangster, Sophia will be a Flapper). As well as spending what seemed like an inordinate amount of time on Sophia's social studies project. We did managed to sneak over to the Buzadny Fish ladders in Kewanee with some friends. The king salmon and brown trout are coming in from the lake to spawn and we watched their desire and urge filled plights as they jumped up each ladder towards the spawning grounds. Massive fish and plenty of turkey vultures and an eagle soaring above the watery buffet. The fish head to the spawning shed to be milked and their eggs/sperm are then trucked off by the DNR to various fisheries to restock the Lake. The kids were able to touch and hold the fish as well as make t-shirts by painting fish and then pressing the fish to the cloth of their shirts. On Sunday we made our way over to the local Frisbee Golf range and had a nice walk in mid-70 degree temperatures and played about a third of the course before the kids had had enough. The kids seemed to think to object was to race to be the first one to the hole and were in toss and run mode.

Small game gang

After a Saturday that was mostly a bust for both weather and activity, with the exception of baking an apple crisp and chicken soup, the kids, dogs and I headed out to the woods for a little hunting. The weather was great, about mid fifties and sunny with the leaves nearly 30% changed, a virtual painters palette of warm tones in red, orange and yellows. The recent rains had subsided and left an earthy organic smell to the woods. On the way to the county forest we had to first 'rescue" somebodies hunting dog. I figured the dog was lost, no collar and making a bee-line for the busy highway we had just turned off from. She was an older dog and apparently not far from weening her own pups--maybe why she was running away. She quickly came to the truck and did what she could to get into the truck. Not wanting to appear to be kidnapping somebody's dog (who was undoubtedly armed) I made her follow along side the truck for about a mile and a half before we found the women looking for the lost dog. With a wave and thumbs up the kids and I continued on down the road. We needed to take some practice shots with the BB gun before heading into the woods and just because we were on the trail that was apparently no excuse for the constant barrage of questions, singing, screaming and/or humming to stop. As always I knew I was just taking the gun for a walk in the woods and as such had chosen the lightest one I have. With enough idle chit-chat and banter on the trail to fill two church picnics I was more than surprised to look up and see a grouse looking back at me. It wasn't a sporting shot or even a long shot but it did put a bird in the Sophia's game pouch. Merrick it turns out is more than happy to carry the spent shell. Cleo, as I should have guessed, did not like the sound of the 20 gauge and high tailed it down the trail until the sight of the dead bird brought her back for some jumping and a mouthful of feathers. Tony was still just confused as to what he did to have to leave the couch. We did bump into one other hunter. Our return home was also timed pretty well as we came across the 172 bridge at the same time the f-22's were doing their fly over to signal the start of the Packers game, as such they also did a fly over of us as well. Again a pretty good fall day.