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.