Here it is already November 4th! We're having a taste of cooler fall, but that's the way it should be!
I have started this blog with fall pictures of The Land, and with Dave working away on cutting up some piles of mulberry trees.
My solar consultant, Jerry, and his sons came from Minnesota to visit and look the place over for future solar panel placement and with information on how to build an airtight, good insulated barn. All this helps toward making this lovely little piece of paradise even more energy efficient and more permaculture-like. I enjoyed meeting them. I feel I am in good hands!
I just returned from a lovely vacation in Door County with Michael. As always it went by too fast, but we enjoyed the food, the kind people and living right on Lake Michigan. The barn pictures are from Door County. I am looking for inspiration for the barn on top of the hill, but alas! these barns are too big (the first one), too austere (the 2nd one) and too unusable (3rd one). Still, I like something from each one of them.
My best friend from junior high (Carol Beth ("C.B.") Oberg called to tell me her daughter (Angie) and son-in-law were coming to visit C. B.'s mother-in-law in DeKalb to show off their new - adorable - son. Mindy, C.B.'s younger daughter came along for the visit, too. They all now live in the Seattle area. So, of course I had to go over for a visit, and I am so glad I did. Angie's husband, who's name in Hawaiian I can not pronounce nor spell, was just the sweetest young man, and so is the new baby, Pi. It was good to see Mindy and Angie, too and to say hello to Mrs. Oberg again. They all are the most gracious people! C. B. and Dave, her husband, did a super job raising their 3 girls!
As you can also see, I have a new (used) John Deere "Gator" for working on the land. What a great help it has been already! And I finally took a boat ride before we put the boat away for the winter! I also have a new buckboard...I'm not sure if I have pictures on this in my last blog or not.
Sadly, it's been 7 years since JJ left us, and I miss him every day and always will. I took this picture from JJ's chapel in his memory. There is no sorrow like this sorrow.
To try to end this blog on an "up" feeling, I have added more pictures from the first Vail trip for the triplets. Jeff had an annual meeting up there, so after it was all over, Angela drove up with the kids (brave woman that she is!) and they spent a few days enjoying the mountains. I guess it went very well. The pictures show the kids getting ready for their trip to Vail with lots of warm mittens and hats! They also liked the luggage rack to play on.
Then Halloween came along and more fun for the kids!
Over the weekend, Daddy and Mommy let the kids do some rock climbing, and oh, yes! all three kids decided they had to eat breakfast with Daddy. He is one lucky Daddy! The last pictures show Katie and Chloe playing with two dolls each.
Stay warm, dear Reader. Thanksgiving will be here soon. We have so much to be thankful for.