October Gardening

 

 The cold nights have really zapped the plants so I have been pulling out plants and cleaning up the pots and gardens. Four tomato plants were too crowded in a small space but I got plenty of Romas.

 

Some of grandma's iris got transplanted into the new corner garden along with some new daffodil bulbs. Lincoln helped me dump and spread mulch over the new bed last week. This week we planted a cluster of orange tulip bulbs that should be visible from the family room windows in the spring. I do enjoy fall gardening and tucking the beds in for the season. I am hoping for some more nice weather to clean up hostas and plants that have been wilted by the frosts.

Happy Halloween!

Animals and Corn

Travis and Ashley invited me to go along for their second annual trip to a Wellsburg pumpkin patch and corn maze. The petting zoo was wonderful and there were lots of fun activities for everyone. It was so much fun to watch Lincoln and Travis explore everything.

Last year at this time of year Lincoln wasn't even walking so this was the first time he could run from one thing to the next. He was enthusiastic about everything. It was so fun to be included in their special day.

I didn't take lots of photos but like to get a few with Ashley because she is most often behind the lens when it comes to family activities. It was just fun to follow the boys around and see Lincoln's reactions.

Brecken's Party

 Brecken, my great nephew, turned three this week and we were thrilled that they traveled from Ohio so that we could all celebrate together. Kaley created an amazing party and we all enjoyed the festivities.

 Izzie and Weston looked so cute in their construction gear and are getting so grown up.

 Annalise and Saela are the two youngest and we do love babies in the family. Jeff and Kaley are holding each other's daughters in this shot.

 Everyone enjoyed the hammer and nails but Lincoln enjoyed it longer. He just loved pounding the "nails" into the foam board and he did it well.

Of course the adults had lots of fun too. I love the chance to gather with my brother, sisters, nieces, nephews, parents and extended family. We love a celebration. Happy Birthday, Brecken!

Walking More

 Although its been in the forties most days I have been dedicated to walking most days, usually five our six days a week. I am also focusing on walking more than a mile. When I moved here I found the natural one mile lap around my neighborhood and rarely went further. Yesterday just as the sun was rising Mowgli and I went out to the nearby lake and walked around twice. My friend, Chris has been great motivation too. We are walking together more often and making it over thirty minutes every time. Chatting with Chris is a bonus that makes the walk go quickly. Watching the sun rise with the geese is also a great bonus.

 Fall foliage is always a draw for me. The color was later this year and now with the frosty nights the leaves are falling quickly. Friday Mowgli and I went to the trails at Katoski and enjoyed a blanket of yellow maple leaves. It's a great place to walk close to home without the usual loop around the neighborhood. Now I just need to motivate myself to make that neighborhood loop twice instead of just once.

Coffee Dates

 Cup of Joe is one of my favorite spots on Main Street Cedar Falls. I have loved meeting friends there for years. Now I enjoy taking Lincoln for a coffee date occasionally and he is doing quite well with his coffee shop manners. I took him this week to share a cookie. It's especially fun to watch out the window to see trucks and trains.

 Having Lincoln at Cup of Joe this week reminded me of our first visit there last fall. I dug through my November 2012 photos and found these where we were sitting on the same couch in the same corner. Lincoln still likes the owl lamp lots too. It's so amazing to see the changes. He wasn't even walking when we made our first visit  and now he carries the dirty dishes up to the counter and says, "Thanks" when they help us. I just love seeing how much he has changed and love the new developments.

October Snow

 There is something magical about an October snow. I love the way that it falls on flowers and bright colored leaves. It melts on the streets and sidewalks so it doesn't need to be shoveled and creates little driving hazard. I also know that it will melt very quickly. I was disappointed that it was still dark when I went to work leaving very little opportunity to enjoy the flakes or photograph the sights. It was mostly melted when I left work at 1 pm, but I did take a few shots in the parking lot at work.

It was dark when turned on the patio light and tried to get a shot of the early morning snow. I wasn't steady enough to get a focus but still ventured out with my camera under the patio lights.

Shoot for Two

Saturday morning I made pumpkin waffles and invited all the kids. Ashley and Lincoln came and they were yummy. After building towers and playing inside we hit the backyard to get some balls which are much better for throwing than wooden blocks. We haven't used the basketball hoop much at all this summer so we filled the balls with air and shot some hoops. Dale hoisted Lincoln up with the lighter ball and Lincoln loved shooting baskets. It was quite a work out for Dale and lots of fun for Lincoln and me. I hope that Lincoln doesn't ask me to boost him up there. It would be impossible.

UNI-Dome

It was Lincoln's first trip to the UNI-Dome and his second football game, all in one weekend! Briana shared tickets and we were excited to go to the game. Jay and Briana ended up in section C even though our tickets were in section D so we didn't see them much but we all had plenty of extra elbow room. It was lots of fun to gather near the end zone together for half-time and the third quarter. This is the only shot that I got all day, just the Panther purple. Briana wore red for her alma mater, USD and her team won in double over-time. Lincoln enjoyed the game and was quite impressed with the dome when we entered. The band and TC added to the entertainment too. Thanks for the tickets,  Briana!

First Football

Friday night, long before they needed the lights, Lincoln and I headed out for a high school football game. It was Lincoln's first trip to a football stadium and he had a great time. As soon as we entered the stadium we heard the crack of the pads and Lincoln yelled, "Pow!" and laughed out loud.

We saw running, throwing, kicking, tackling and lots of "falling down." We saw a couple of touch downs and lots of cheering. He was very engaged with watching the game and the fans. The people around us had popcorn and it looked good so Lincoln and I walked to the concession stand and he ordered for us. "Pop torn, please!"

After a quarter of football and about a quarter of a bag of popcorn it was time to head home for bedtime. We had rosy noses and big smiles. I love taking Lincoln to sporting events, basketball, hockey, baseball and now football too.

Corner Project

One thing that I didn't love when I bought this house is that there were too many garden areas. This created too many weeds and too much labor that didn't seem to bear much fruit. The garden areas line the foundation of the house so I cannot see any of the plants from inside the house and can only see some from the driveway or the patio. So my solution to the problem is to create another garden! It might not make much sense but I have been getting a work out digging up sod this week. I want to move the plants that I enjoy the most to this back corner so that I can see them from my living space. It will also free up some area behind my bedroom for a fun garden for Lincoln and me to plant in the spring. I think we may try pumpkins and sunflowers next year and if the weeds take over I will not mind that I cannot see if from the house! In the spring this corner garden should have lots of lilies and daffodils but I still have lots of work to make that happen.

Got Orange?

I am a proud Wartburg graduate but had never attended a Knight sporting event until Saturday. Dale and I had talked about making it to a game and it was the perfect day to go to our first Wartburg football game.

So many things came together to make a wonderful afternoon. It was homecoming and Wartburg won. The game was very competitive and it was fun to see how much support the team has. The stands were pretty crowded and the atmosphere was great. I loved being back on campus even though its only been eight years since I finished my last class there. I think we will make it to another football game this year or next, depending on the weather. Today was a perfect day to be out in the sunshine rather than in the dome for football. I'm so glad that we made it to Waverly.

Morning at the Mill

 We unintentionally made it most of the way to Minnesota on Saturday morning. Recently when we were heading for Lake Superior we noticed some signage for an historic mill near highway 63. I was sure it was about half an hour north of town but I was wrong. It was up near the Minnesota border and well over an hour from home.

 We left with no expectations so it wasn't terribly disappointing to drive twice as far as expected to find a grist mill that was less picturesque than we had imagined. It was a beautiful day to enjoy the Iowa harvest and we were glad to take the chance.

 Dale didn't get his camera out of the car but we did walk Mowgli and do a little exploring. All three of us seemed to enjoy getting out on the road for a quiet drive.

 This giant ear of corn was just a bonus! It seems to be made out of plastic gallon sized jugs and promotes their summer celebration. It was a fun find during our exploration. All in all it was a good adventure for a Saturday morning in October.

Friday Freeloader

 When I stopped by Ashley's house on Friday morning for a couple of hours Mowgli was very happy to see me, so happy to see me that he planted himself by my car and didn't move very far. It was obvious he wanted to be sure to go home with me. Maybe he knew it was Friday and maybe he was tired of sharing a house with a toddler who was not feeling well at all.

 Lincoln's been pretty sick this week and was pretty sad and tearful when I arrived on Friday. He was not as happy to see me as Mowgli was but eventually he showed interest in coming outside to help me plant the mum. Digging in the dirt always has some appeal. It was a great distraction as Lincoln and I cleaned out the summer plants and made a big mess on the front porch.

We sat out front for a while and even rode his bike for a bit. He is feeling better but its so hard to see him feeling sad and sick. You can see Mowgli laying by the car in this photo taken an hour after the first photo! I did take Mowgli home and he seems to enjoy the quiet at my house for now. I hope Lincoln is back to feeling his cheerful self very soon. I think that Mowgli has the same hope.

Evening Walks

My evening walks have been nice. It's looking more like fall even though it's probably not going to be a terribly colorful year. The weather has been good for walking even if its been a bit warm and windy. I do need to start going around the lake twice rather than once. With the beautiful scenery it should be easy but its so hard to walk right past my car and keep going.

Annual

 Monday was my annual physical, well I skipped last year so maybe it's not really annual but I intend for it to be that. I spent too much time at the gynecologist last year to want to find another new doctor. So I finally got around to finding a doctor, getting records transferred and making an appointment. I got a clean report on my mammogram but my numbers from my blood work are not back yet.  I mentioned to the doctor that I have been having lots of heel pain and she confirmed that I have plantar fasciitis. Not a big deal but I intend to work hard to ease the symptoms. Walking on softer surfaces is one of the easier things for me. I would much rather walk on a dirt trail through the woods or around the lake anyway. I do need to part with some money and get some new running shoes and a much more supportive shoe to wear for work and for leisure. She also recommended heel cups for inside my shoes.  I suspect my summer in flip-flops has created much of the problem so it's fortunate that flip-flop season has nearly ended. I do love wearing the least amount possible on my feet!

 So I will buy the shoes and the inserts, work on my stretching exercises and take the anti-inflammatory. I will also take the extra time to go to the soft trails more often instead of walking around the block. The view is worth the three minute drive anyway!