Time's winding down, in Michigan. As I contemplate leaving this fascinating women, blind since age seven, to her usual daily life - it is with mixed feelings. I am so anxious to be home, and so hate to leave Fran. This is how she spends an inordinate amount of her time - reading - IE listening to books on tape, in an empty house at age 88 and in failing health.
She has outlived her husband(s) and most of her friends. The people she 'sees' regularly, are
paid helpers, to do the mail, bills, shopping, etc.
She bought a new computer and we are trying to get her back on email, but it is a challenge and a struggle, to be sure.
We carved a pumpkin, and look forward to handing out some candy before heading home.
Fran's getting an all new street, finally, after it being a work in progress for over a year.
Congratulations to (Adam and Anne's) Talia - on the road in the legal sense~~
Struggling trying to remember how to work this HTML and FTP stuff from a different computer.
Stay tuned.
Heidi delivers~ we welcome William Jackson Culver. Fine work, Heidi and Aaron.
Daily Double Shot, you are missing out.
Thanks to LA - pix of the new tires we'll be seeing soon~~ no air, no tube, no flats.
Someone seems to have upgraded, and is pretty happy about that...
Humor~
Can you see me now!?
October 14, 2011 Friday Still no 'after' hedge picture.
So, what have we been doing, if the porch gates are still not completed, and the hedge is still not trimmed?
In fairness, it has been raining, now and then.
So, we did get a few computers printing wirelessly. That's pretty exciting. And harder than you might think.
In other news: Heidi is getting ready to pop. Aaron is ready to catch.
All the news isn't so good, though - Barb's horse, Harley, had an escape, and was hit by a car. She sent this picture from happier times. You have our condolences, Barb and Paul.
Two 'oops' in the news - a boat oops:
A train oops~ a low speed head on, in California. Needless to say, this should never happen, and there is some tall explaining to do.
Recent storms caused this ocean buoy to break loose and wash ashore. Never realized how large they are...
Coulrophobia is a fear of clowns. Some folks we know have this.
October 11, 2011 Tuesday Rain! And plenty of it. We usually don't get a hard, heavy rain - just sprinkles. The sprinkles may last for weeks, but it isn't like a downpour. Last night it rained so hard it woke us up, beating down on the roof. What is that noise?
Lasted maybe 15 minutes, but a good drenching. The grass will go crazy, now. The hedge is already crazy, and we really must stop talking about cutting it back, and actually DO something, so Ann doesn't have to back into the driveway in order to exit her vehicle.
Hopefully, the grapes will go crazy now, too - and maybe the blueberries, as well.
The blueberries grow on either side of the front porch, but only the bush on the side with the downspout gets berries that are plump and sweet. This is really an excuse to show off the recently reworked and painted downspout. The final touch for the porch, the swinging gates, should come together later this week. Then critters like this one won't be able to slip out the front door and disappear into the neighborhood.
It has been suggested that my office is a disorganized mess. In fact, it's a recording studio - and a mess. It takes a lot of wires to record, you see, and sometimes a Guinness.
Adrie is traveling in China - and spotted this interesting signage:
October 10, 2011 Monday As mentioned, Fae and Evelyn were in town and we celebrated Fae's birthday, with help from Barb and Paul and Richard. Photo thanks to Ann~
Mom and dad out of town, Cass working.
Work progresses on the doggie porch containment gate project. After roughing out a possible gate (shown below) we came to realize that it wouldn't fit in the hinge. On to Plan 'B'. The side rails are all in place and painted, and the downspout re-routed. Now it's just coming up with two swinging gates.
October 08, 2011 Saturday Oh, Boy! Homemade noodles, Aunt Vera's recipe. These are a lot of work, but sure worth it in the taste department for those lucky enough to enjoy the fruits of Ann's labors. Thank you!
Those doing the enjoying were Fae and Evelyn, Barb and Paul, Richard, Ann and David. This was Fae's belated birthday celebration, with - cake! - ice cream, candles etc. There are pictures that will follow, maybe tomorrow.
Most of the last few days was spent on the doggie porch fence project, of which the end is finally in sight. All the pieces are mounted, and one of the swinging gates is taking shape. These will swing both ways like old time barroom doors, on the fancy hinges Ann found.
October 05, 2011 Wednesday Someone we know was up early this morning - that would be Ken, the Green Lake Snake. Although no longer residing on Green Lake, he does frequent a place on the east side of MI, up in the thumb area, where he took this fine sunrise over Lake Huron.
We were up pretty early, too - and in position to see them wheel this lovely new Motor Vessel out of the shed for the first time. Several places here in town make boats, you see. (Note fine looking Saab.)
This one has a nice racy look, we thought.
Fresh baked bread!
The baker~~ Luanne
is married to this guy, my friend James, guitar player extraordinaire~
October 03, 2011 Monday Seen this morning, while out walking~~
An entire Alaska Ferry, wrapped up and being sand blasted. No sand, paint chips, etc, can get in the waters of the Bay, you see.
On the City docks, are containers numbering in the dozens - of crabs! Alive and kicking, and wishing to have an escape.
Thanks to Shanna Brockett~ a person swinging over the water. We know what happens, next~~ we don't know who the person is, yet - but it may be Jacob Handley Smock, or Sylvia Smock!
A recent picture of Barb - taken at her Birthday celebration!
October 01, 2011 Saturday Is it Fall yet by you? Do your leaves on the trees change colors? Do you take rides in the country, just to see the Fall colors?
We used to, back in the Midwest. Not quite such a big deal, out here, in the Evergreen State.
Here are a few oddities found on the World Wide Web this day. Thanks to those that contributed.
A persistent rumor has it that Mickey D's food isn't 'real'. Supposedly, it never rots or spoils, due to being an unreal plastic something foodish thing.
You have a serious amphibious amphibian problem, when your toilet fills with them.
If you lay your finger across the dividing line between these two shades of grey - what color do you see?
Some folks know how to build serious tree houses.
I wonder if this could be one of us, at some not too distant point in the future?
We love this type of comparison - computer storage, then and now. What next? Pin head memory?
Parts of the painted porch safety doggie railing are installed over the existing wrought iron. When the project is finished, dogs that slip out the front door in their usual fast and sneaky way will be contained on the porch. No more chasing them hither and yon throughout the neighborhood.
Thanks to Linda, who caught husband, John, tossing their old fireplace off the upstairs balcony.
BOOM!
Didn't see the end of last month? 
