Burning Bush, Apples, Cats and Fire

It has been cold, damp and dreary lately but we did manage to get the yard and garden cleaned up for winter yesterday.  A few notes and a full pictorial is over at the garden blog.  Stop over and have a look, it's probably the last big post for the year over there.  As we were finishing up it started to sprinkle, so I think we lucked out.  Otherwise, I don't have anything grand to say today, just wanted to post a few recent pictures and note a few things.

The burning bush is at its red-leaf peak before they join the growing number of leaves blowing about the ground.  The walnut trees next door are finished and I have those leaves mulched into the lawn, the rest will be gathered soon to be mulched for the flowerbeds.  Since we had the tree removed we get more leaves in front even though that yard is maybe one third the size - it has all the big trees that line the street out front.  Once the leaves are done then all that should be left to do outside before the snow comes is the gutters.

Kate brought home a lot of apples recently after a trip to an orchard.  Yesterday the house smelled lovely all day as she made apple butter.  Even though it was a double batch there are still lots of apples left.  I think we'll be having apple pie soon with lots left for the freezer.



I haven't really posted much on the cats in quite some time, but no news is good news as they are happy and healthy.  Some time ago there was another neighborhood cat that used to come around and see our cats inside the back door and through the windows.  Basil now 'patrols' the perimeter at times, going from window to window, looking for that cat.  I don't think he's upset or anything, but he is very curious.  Hamish doesn't seem to mind, knowing his brother is on the case.

I spent some time by the fire on Friday evening.  The cool weather and break in the dampness made it a pleasure once again to sit by the fire and figure out all the world's problems - or stare blankly into the flames and relax.  Same difference.

First Snow of the Season, 2018

I was watching the Badger game today when it started snowing on TV.  Realizing the game is here, I turned my head and saw the snow out the window.  Today has been very windy, with snow and wind, then sun and calm, then hail and wind and then more wind and sun.  Enough snow to cause blizzard conditions for a time at the game, and while the whole football field was completely white with snow for much of the second quarter we had no accumulations here at the house.  The sticks blown from the trees are certainly accumulating, though.  In the twenty second video below, the car alarm in the background seemed strangely appropriate at the time.



I know I've not really written much of anything for some time, but that's just how it goes.  I've been doing overtime at work that has me tired often at home and, well, not a lot has been happening worth writing about.  Winter is definitely on its way, so there are chores to be done to get prepared.  Perhaps I can get a few things done this weekend and I should get some pictures over at the garden blog.  Otherwise, I hope all are well.  Cats are still cute, the lakes are still flooded, and I'm still tired.  Normal posting shall resume eventually.

LLP Bonus - Ledger

I don't remember how I came across this but I think it was in my Youtube recommendations or I saw it in a list, something like that.  Ledger is a side project by Jen Ledger, drummer for the band Skillet, which I heard of before but now found out is a christian hard rock band.  I watched a recent show of theirs last night and yes, they are definitely christian as Jesus was mentioned during 3 or 4 talks in between songs.  Still, I've been playing the Ledger EP lots the last couple weeks, mainly the song Iconic.  Not enough for a full post, but I do like it enough to be a bonus Latest Listening Pleasure.  I like her voice, and basically that's what made me keep playing the EP.  The songs are more pop than I usually listen to, but it's fun.  Odd fact:  She relocated at 16 from Coventry, England to major in drums at a religious school here in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Ledger - Iconic

September This-And-Thats

Here we are, as the dog days of summer turn into the cool days of fall.  The days are getting shorter, the temperatures - especially at night - are much cooler, yet the mosquitoes are still buzzing about.  Well, before I have to change the title I best start typing, eh?

• While I'm thinking of it, here's some things that happened this last week that have not happened in some time:  Wearing a light jacket.  Turning on the furnace.  And getting our first frost of the season.  Some people like fall, I say at least it's not winter yet - but you know it's coming...
• With that reality I spent time today moving the power washer and other garage things inside to over-winter in the basement.  Cleaned up about half the pots on the stump and reorganized the garage a bit for a place exclusively for garden items and pots.  I also spent more time bent over weeding than I should have.  This year's side of the compost bin is fuller but there's lots more to come.
• I had another critter digging a hole by the side of the house recently.  Neighbor Dave had a critter bomb left over so we set that off, but to no avail.  I refilled the hole a couple times, put rocks on top, even pounded a thick branch down the hole yet the critter persisted.  Next, I bought a small live trap, caught the chipmunk almost immediately, and let him go down by the creek.  Thankfully, no more holes since.

• I wrote everything above this sentence yesterday, ran out of thoughts and took a walk down to the creek, came back and wrote another flood post.  Looking back at my third sentence, I must now get this finished today!
• We got a bit of rain last night, but thankfully not enough rain recently to exacerbate our high water issues.  Hopefully with time the water will drain and smarter lake levels will be maintained in the long term, but next year I suspect short memories will leave us susceptible to this happening again.  But I hope not.  Also, we weren't the only area in southern Wisconsin to have flooding issues, and I know South Carolina is certainly still having flood issues.  Weather 'events' seem to be happening at a much faster rate than years past.  Global warming or not, the climate is changing.  I wonder what this winter will bring?
• The Badgers had a bye yesterday, the Packers play soon (so another break from writing), and the Brewers and Cubs games are this afternoon.  The Brewers and Cubs are tied and today is the last game of the season.  If they both win there will be a tiebreaker game tomorrow, and the loser plays in the wildcard game the next day while the winner gets first seed and home field advantage for the playoffs.  It's going to be an interesting day, then I'll finish this.  I promise.

"...(T)hen I'll finish this.  I promise."  Famous last words.  I wrote the first half of this on Saturday, the second half on Sunday, and now it's Monday.  No sense continuing with the bullet points, I didn't have much to write about anyway.  And screw it, the title will remain unchanged.

So, since I last sat down to write we got more rain overnight and all day today.  There's water in the basement again so I got the rugs up after work today, but just a bit too late.  I haven't looked at the numbers yet and I'm not sure I want to.  We could sure use a dry spell - until winter.

Also, the Packers won yesterday, but even though they shut out the other team (for the first time in like 8 years) the mood seemed somber as they could have played much better.  Also, the Brewers and Cubs both won yesterday and played a tiebreaker game today which the Brewers won so they win the division outright and with the best record in the National League will have home-field advantage as long as they're in it, up to the World Series.  Go Brewers!

Lastly, I include pictures of a lone mushroom/toadstool I saw in the back yard a couple weeks ago that I thought would make a good picture.  I hope you think so too, because I got about 487 mosquito bites taking the pictures!