My Saturday Poke About in Pictures

I got housework done in the morning, and then set out to run a few errands, poke about town, and practice my mad photography skills. Saturday was glorious. Mild temps, perfect for a light weight sweater, and loads of sun. If you had this dream like weather where you are, I hope you got out and enjoyed it.

I was hoping there still might be some local zucchini left so stopped by our little farmers market that sets up Thursday and Saturday mornings. The last of the green beans and tomatoes were out, plus lots of root vegetables and squashes, but no zucchini. Pumpkins and apples , plus homemade jarred salsas and jams, plus local honey was available. The Great Harvest Bread Co. was there too, but nearly sold out as I got there shortly before closing. 

At the other end of the parking lot is a small garden center the pharmacy and gift store opens up each summer to fall. All fall decor was 40% off, Christmas 30% and they had their Tera cota and ceramic pots 50% off. I would have loved to pick up a couple as we pulled dead shrubs in front, and these would be a nice change for a couple bare spots. I did by a set of seven pumpkins that spell out "harvest" to put on the fireplace mantle. I know, I'm supposed to be purging, but they were calling to me to come home. They had cider samples and pumpkin dip samples to entice shoppers to buy some mixes. I found both too sweet for my liking, so passed, despite the 40% off. 

I had a walk and passed the corn drying, waiting to be cut, sorted, and stored for feed. I love the look of the drying corn stalks and couldn't resist a picture of the corn up close. 

This was a kind of day that my mom and dad and sister would have loved. Very uncharacteristically of me, on a whim I drove into the cemetery to share a bit of my day. A couple of my sisters and brother regularly visit and clean up the potted plants by my parents and sister and brother in laws markers. With a hard frost, the flowers will probably die, but Saturday, they were lovely.

The cemetery over looks a small lake that is a run off of the Mississippi. It would be a steep walk down and there is not access, but a picture worthy view. There were a couple wild turkeys, but were too shy because as soon as I went to try and snap a picture, they ducked behind a tree or a clump of brush. 

It was a perfect Saturday to poke around downtown. I popped into a couple stores, but mostly did some window shopping. The jewelry store had some Halloween blow-ups outside, and one of the antique shops and the toy store were getting their Minnesota sports fever on. The last picture I snapped inside an upcycling store. Notice the ski/coat hanger on the wall? That one was sold, and she didn't have anymore wood water ski's at the moment, but I thought it was very clever. She was OK with me taking the picture so I had something to show others. I'm going to keep my eye open for an old water ski to try and replicate, or bring to her to have her make one for the lake. It would be perfect either in the kids loft or the boat house.

So that was my wandering around my town on Saturday. Nothing exciting, but it was a nice break from the hectic work week and a chance to play with my camera. I was home early afternoon to have lunch with DD2 and get the last of the laundry done. It was a productively lazy day. 

Ok, I'm Saying the F Word

It's been a rainy week, but muggy. Today though and this weekend, Minnesota weather folks are promising us a preview of fall, even though it's supposed to heat up next week to near summer temperatures again. I've got the two weekend countdown of procrastinated housework and projects before a house full, so will be out and about just in small spurts enjoying the cooler temperatures. It's raining now, and while I'd like to work from home, I have a couple meetings that need to be in person. Minnesota drivers become idiots with any precipitation, rain and snow, so the commute will be no less than an hour.

Wine club is tonight, but not sure if we will go or not. We might head there in time for the wine talk, but DH works until 6:00 and I hate rushing him to get out the door to get there at the beginning. DD2 is playing in a community concert in the morning, a kick off for the Arts Center open house later in the day. She just got new strings and is disappointed in how they sound, but I wonder if it is just that her old ones were so bad, she's forgotten what she is supposed to sound like. 

If only snippets for now of the fall weather, our schedule tells us we are out of summer. DH had the first NFL game on t.v. last night and DD already had homework. I had a small pile of papers to read and sign; papers like emergency contacts updates, technology use and plagiarism agreements, also signed by DD, and others that I may not be sure I knew what I was signing. Signing a lot of papers is a sign of my fall. In reading what I've typed, it reads so dull, but we are busy. Busy with the everyday, the things that need to be done, and busy transitioning to changes in school and work for each of us. I guess the F word is here.

More Gifts of Veggies

Fall came back to Minnesota.  Not 80 degrees today, it is sweater weather.  I received another bounty of garden produce from a coworkers brother who is a tenant farmer in the rural Twin Cities area, growing for selling at farmers market.  With the end of the season approaching, apparently he has more than he thinks will sell, and happy to share his surplus.  It won't be hard to get our 5 a day in this week.  I'm so pleased, but does anyone know what sort of pepper this is, and importantly, how hot is it?  Once I know that, I am in need of ideas of what to do with them.  Do they fry up and mellow in flavor like bell peppers?  Do they freeze well?  Should I stuff them with cheese like jalapeno poppers or Chille Relleno?

They are absolutely stunning in color, but I have a fear that steam will be coming out my families ears if I don't prepare them well.  In my care package was also some more tomatoes, onions, and a bulb of garlic.  I could see pico de gallo in my future.  Underneath the skinny peppers are a slew of red and green bell peppers as well.  Regardless of what I end up doing, I better set some time aside this coming weekend  for baking.  Now that it is cooler, I can give a thank you to my generous "gifters" with some fresh baked pumpkin bread.   

Early Fall in the River valley

Today is the first full day of fall.  We have had some quite chilly mornings, mixed with wonderful sun, slowly heating up the air.  It was a little hazardous vision wise on my drive to work but I was stopped and able to take a couple quick photos of the fog coming off the Mississippi.  Pardon the dash board.  I could live year round in these kind of temperatures.  The fog has such allure, particularly seeing it over a river when you can't tell where the land, water, or sky meet. 

I was loaded, over loaded in fact at work, so couldn't so much as get a walk around the building.  I made up for it at home, and Kota, my darling dog, even scored two walks-one before dinner, and a second just a bit ago, in the dark.    I got dinner started, some simple rice, beans, and cheese with tortilla, and headed for walk one. Once back, the girls and I went to town on the makeshift tex-mex, eating out on the deck rather than inside.  I polished off the remaining premixed margarita's, hiding in my fridge for just such a dinner happy hour.  Walk two required a flashlight as there wasn't so much as a star to help guide us on the path. 

We met loads of other dogs and owners both times. It is so hard keeping indoors on these warmer fall nights in Minnesota.  We are anticipating another 80 degree high on Wednesday, but know we must brace for the 30-40 degree swing south, potentially coming in the same week. While I raved about my dream to relocate to the UK, this is the season, and kind of weather, that draws folks into my part of Minnesota.  Sadly, after fall lures them in, winter freezes the feet to the ground.  I'm a long way from retirement, but I think I might have a seasonal living plan for when I do.  Minnesota gets dibs on September -early November.  


Just a foggy haze on the other side of the bridge



You can see the fog rising up from the river

I want to thank all of you that have given my site a read or two.  On Sunday I hit my first milestone and went over 1,000 page views.  Now granted, I probably might be a fair share of those even with trying to not track my own.  While I read blogs that have thousands of views a day,  sharing my ideas and thoughts with any of you readers has been a wonderful outlet for the random things going through my head.  Trying to adjust to a new framework, and see life with a realistic, but open minded lens to other perspectives and writing about it has been more difficult than I thought.  Trying to not sound whiny, insensitive, dull, or self indulgent is a challenge.  I hope my posts get better, lighter, and are infused with more fun.  As I move into the next phase, I intend to bring in a little content with some research behind it.  Comments and ideas are appreciated.  For those who found me, and came back more than once, and those that did so from outside the US, let me know what's working, or what maybe isn't.  Thanks again.