Happy Halloween!

  Here we are again already... the wheel has turned, harvest is in...

(yes I had a harvest... finally)

and time for family gatherings before winter makes her appearance.

 Not goona say whose family this is.

Wild Thing!

Anyhoo, I am anxiously awaiting photos of Donovan's costume this year.  Last year if you recall his mother made him a wonderful "Max" costume from "Where the Wild Things Are".   

He was a bit more horizontal last year so she didn't have to worry about the practicality of his outfit. Look at the great claws on the hands and feet!  Love it!

This year though he is mobile... and is he ever! 

 He likes this walking around business and keeps everybody on the move.  I just love how they take off in a direction they are not supposed to go and then turn around and look to see if you are following them.  They train us well.  

He also likes to make noise... not talking yet but singing and vocalizing at all levels.  I hear he really likes the stairwell because of the echos it makes. 

Rumor has it he will be the man of steel this year. I am hoping to see photos soon... hint hint.






We had some goings-on this year at the course so  I was slow to decorate.  I actually did not dig my decoration box out until early this morning and pulled out some of my favorites and placed them around the clubhouse. Just a few though this year.  We sent out a coupon for half price if people wear their costumes and I thought it would be best that the participating golfers be greeted with some halloween decor. 

I also did a fast  search on the internet for some fun pictures, for inspiration, and of course searched around on Etsy.

I just love Etsy.  One of the artists on Etsy does Dia De Los Muertos sculptures and I have linked to the shop on halloween before. I figured I might check her shop and she what she had going on this year...  she did not disappoint. Not as festive as the one I posted before... but I like this one.. It is called:

Best Friends Forever

 

J.T. Nee Sculpture Etsy Shop

Nice.

 And now for your spooky viewing pleasure...

The night was dark and dismal... (isn't it always!)

Anyhoo...

  The night was dark and dismal, yet the form of the unknown might now in some degree be ascertained. He appeared to be a horseman of large dimensions, and mounted on a black horse of powerful frame. He made no offer of molestation or sociability, but kept aloof on one side of the road, jogging along on the blind side of old Gunpowder, who had now got over his fright and waywardness.

     Ichabod, who had no relish for this strange midnight companion, and bethought himself of the adventure of Brom Bones with the Galloping Hessian, now quickened his steed in hopes of leaving him behind. The stranger, however, quickened his horse to an equal pace. Ichabod pulled up, and fell into a walk, thinking to lag behind, --the other did the same. His heart began to sink within him; he endeavored to resume his psalm tune, but his parched tongue clove to the roof of his mouth, and he could not utter a stave. There was something in the moody and dogged silence of this pertinacious companion that was mysterious and appalling. It was soon fearfully accounted for. On mounting a rising ground, which brought the figure of his fellow-traveller in relief against the sky, gigantic in height, and muffled in a cloak, Ichabod was horror-struck on perceiving that he was headless! but his horror was still more increased on observing that the head, which should have rested on his shoulders, was carried before him on the pommel of his saddle!

     "If I can but reach that bridge," thought Ichabod, " I am safe." Just then he heard the black steed panting and blowing close behind him; he even fancied that he felt his hot breath. Another convulsive kick in the ribs, and old Gunpowder sprang upon the bridge; he thundered over the resounding planks; he gained the opposite side; and now Ichabod cast a look behind to see if his pursuer should vanish, according to rule, in a flash of fire and brimstone. Just then he saw the goblin rising in his stirrups, and in the very act of hurling his head at him. Ichabod endeavored to dodge the horrible missile, but too late. It encountered his cranium with a tremendous crash, --he was tumbled headlong into the dust, and Gunpowder, the black steed, and the goblin rider, passed by like a whirlwind.

~From "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving 

 

Settling in a bit... finally.

We have been here at the golf course since April or so for David to train on equipment etc.  We officially took over the course in July. Summer here is the busiest time of the year for golf courses so we have not had much time to get settled in to our new home.  We have been up at 5 or 6  am to greet the first golfers at 6:30 or 7 am with a pot of strong-ass coffee and freshly mowed greens.  

Then we would fall into bed around 9:30 at night... 7 days a week.  During summer there are plenty of cold dinners, or meals that are mixed up and confused as I am trying to get some sort of cooking schedule going. Never a missed meal...  heaven forbid... we both are foodies but the eating routine has definitely been disrupted.

That's not to say we did not get any fun time... we had visitors several occasions.  My daughter Amber and Grandson Donovan came to visit during the summer, as did my parents,

Dad and Mom at Japanese Gardens in Portland

David's brother Terry's family, my brother Dale and his wife Kendra, some friends from N. Cali, and our friend Doug the cabinet man and his son Casey.  Doug is the premiere cabinet maker... a master craftsman in my opinion, and is the same fellow who made our cabinets for the house in Michigan.  He came to visit and brought along a customized bookshelf he had crafted to fit along a low wall in the residence that ran along the living area into the kitchen area.

Not only is this a beautiful addition there is very little storage in the apartment so this was very practical as well.  While we left furniture, including beds and stuff in Michigan we DID bring boxes and boxes of books and really had no where to put them.  I also have a few kitchen collectible stuff that I drag around with me wherever we go.  We absolutely love the shelving unit.  Doug does gorgeous work and I have been slowly filling it as time and ambition has allowed. 

Speaking of my Grandson....  he is growing like a weed!  

Look at him showing off his teeth! and his new haircut!  

Mid-Haircut

Playing with Great Grandpa

He also had his first birthday last month and he and his mama, daddy, and the rest of the family enjoyed every bit of it!

Left the walking toy behind!

Look out behind you PAPA! 

And for some more photos:

Look at the rapscallion eyes!

Sweet boys once again!

Not from party but sweet girl just the same.

Donovan with the new high chair that Great Grandpa made.

Grassy Baby Toes! What is this ticklie surface!  LOL

When we first took over the residence at the course I had been Goodwill surfing and found some temporary furniture.  However, by the time September rolled around those straight backed hard wooden Ben Franklin chairs were really not enjoyable any more.

 
We had frequently taken to laying on the carpet with Delta.  So.... finally during a couple of rainy days in a row, David was able to escape with me and we ran to Ikea and got a sofa!

Yayyyy! Finally!

Pretty crazy this sofa came in this little box:

We took it home and in like 5-6 steps *poof* we had a couch!  Literally poof.  The cushions are vacuum packed into bags and when you open them they suck air in and POOF... you got cushions. 

Those vikings are pretty sharp.

And now enters the beginning of Autumn.  Kinda like a heavy happy sigh. Things are slowing down on the course, dark is coming much earlier in the evenings and staying later in the mornings.   There has even been the smell of wood smoke in the air on a couple of the more chilly mornings and finally, we have been able to get tucked in better to our new home. Heck, I even made soup a couple of nights!

It is a wonderful feeling when you are finally able make your abode your own.  When you first move you unpack... you find the absolute 'day to day' necessities and make them easily accessible.  Then you slowly start to settle in.  At some point...  your new place suddenly becomes yours.  It transforms into 'home'.   The process might be a bit different for folks but after you hang a certain photo, or put out a couple of favorite books, or even when you find a spot in the cupboard for your favorite coffee mug.

Either way there is an invisible line of sorts where it goes from just some place you are staying....  to a home.  It took a bit longer for us in this space, but it is finally happening.

Nice.

Forgotten Trees and Winter cuts in

Winter is making her appearance and
there is nothing anyone can do to prevent her arrival.

She is tapping Autumn on the shoulder saying...

"Thank you my dear. I WILL be cutting in now."

Autumn's dance this year was short and sweet.
Now she has to find her shoes and her handbag and make her way home.

David and I are also hoping to skip out of here as soon as possible
so that we can start on our next adventure in *? *
before Winter makes it hard to get around.

As I am writing I have some lentil soup in a pot upstairs for lunch and I can hear the stove popping behind me. Yes… that would be the wood stove. The weather has definitely taken a turn and it has been a struggle getting the temperature to break a high of 50 degrees the last few days. As for the low here is what my little weather widget told me a couple mornings ago:

EXPECT A KILLING FREEZE. A FREEZE WARNING MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE IMMINENT OR HIGHLY LIKELY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL KILL CROPS AND OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION.

That's ok. Really it is.

None... I repeat none of the plants I put into the ground came up this spring / summer as it never got quite warm enough at night, and never got quite enough water during the day. Bad gardening year up here apparently. However, even with the cold and the onset of winter, I have to say I think that autumn may be my favorite season.

The colors have changed and leaves are starting to fall. Every where you turn you are surrounded by tones of rusts, yellows, greens, browns, and reds.

A fallen leaf is nothing more
than a summer’s wave good bye

It looks like a fiesta and in many parts of the world this is the time to relax and enjoy the past year's toil. The spring and summer long nurturing of crops is finally over; it is time to bring in the food, and settle in for the long wait through winter until spring. There is lots of partying going on this time of year and the vibrant mixed colors of the surrounding landscape just seems to lend a lovely décor to the partying attitude.

(I bet she dances that little deer right into the freezer!)

Speaking of parties, David is on a group email address list for one of his friends... we will lovingly call him Napa Valley Matt. Well, Napa Valley Matt sent us an invitation for an Oktoberfest party in St. Helena. Folks are to bring their dancing boots, a flashlight, and you are assigned a dish depending on the initial in your name. Oh yes and since it is an Oktoberfest there will be beer and since it is in the wine country... well, there will be wine. It sounded like great fun and if we happened to be in the wine country in the next couple of weeks we would definitely join in. And for those of you who don’t know… in case you are feeling bad for those California folks and their year round sunshine? There still are visible seasons and the wine country is as beautiful in the fall as it is the rest of the year.

Halloween time back home is fun as well. While I have never gotten my act together in time to go, an old work buddy and his wife have a Halloween party each year and I love hearing and seeing the photos of the costumes people wear each year. I am sure they will have another this year for which I bet they are plotting and planning right now. I can not wait until November to find out the details!

However, along with the celebrations Autumn is also a time of year that makes people contemplative and maybe even a bit blue.

I suppose it is the odd contrast of the joy of harvest and the melancholy of the year coming to an end. Maybe our response is a reflection of what is happening in nature. The riot of color that we see and enjoy in the leaves and plants... is actually occurring because the leaves are dying. A cycle is coming to a close. Happiness, relaxation, contemplation, ...death. Some pretty heavy emotions. That is probably the reason we have several universally themed type holidays coming up in the next month or so...

Man oh man I just love Halloween!

Pomona
Roman goddess of Fruit Trees

The Forgotten Trees
Good grief. Pomona must love the U.P. because everywhere you go when driving around the countryside there are apple trees.

Apples everywhere growing wild.

When you come across a single apple tree standing alone in the middle of the forest it quite possibly might be a bird turd tree. (technical landscaping term) However, others you can tell were once part of someone’s homestead as there are several trees are still growing in a row. David and I have been driving around in the middle of nowhere and we have seen hidden amongst the maples and pines small abandoned orchards with numerous trees.

The one thing in common this time of year here is that these forgotten trees whether one or fifty is that they are absolutely bent nearly double with apples. Apples that are turning just as fiery red and yellow as the maples that are slowly over-taking them.

As you may or may not know, apples have quite a history... from the story of the Garden of the Hesperides, the Isle of Avalon (probably from the Celtic word abal: apple), the Norse myth that apples provide eternal youth, the Judgment of Paris, Atalanta's race, Hercules' 11th trial, and then of course there were these two characters.

Sometimes the apple's history was good, sometimes not so good...
It sure got Paris into a whole lot of trouble.

Either way this fruit has been around a long time, and I can see why. These forgotten trees are survivors. The house belonging to the person who planted the trees may have long since disappeared back into the earth. Any remaining barns, wagons, horses, or even automobiles might also be found buried somewhere under these tree's boughs. To be honest, not only has the sower of the seed probably long since returned to the earth as well… it might be a good bet that so has his or her descendants. Yet the apple trees continue to grow and give fruit. They thrive even when there is no one left to pick them. No one that is but the birds, deer, squirrels, and bears.

So, in honor of the resilient apple... and the buckets of apples filling the pantries of all our neighbors... I have included my mother's apple cake recipe below.

Very tasty, very easy, great for home and potluck alike.

The rules are follow the recipe once, then adapt as you like in future bakings. ::wink::
I don't quite use the whole amount of sugar but I eyeball it anyway
so you are going to have to figure it out for yourself.

Apple cake
First batch mix in this order stirring with a fork:
1 egg
1 cup sugar
2 cups rough chopped Granny Smith apples
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup oil
Second batch mix in a separate bowl:
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg.

Add the dry mix from the bowl into the apple mix and stir well. This will be thick and it might seem like there are too many apples and not enough batter… that is just the right consistency. Pour into 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan spreading with spatula. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. This recipe easily doubled to put into a 9 x 13 pan. (Granny Smith apples are the bright green tart apples.... I know I know ! That is not a granny smith in the picture. I just had used them all so did not have one to photo.)

I am rich today with autumn's gold,
All that my covetous hands can hold;
Frost-painted leaves and goldenrod,
A goldfinch on a milkweed pod,
Huge golden pumpkins in the field
With heaps of corn from a bounteous yield,
Golden apples heavy on the trees
Rivaling those of Hesperides,
Golden rays of balmy sunshine spread
Over all like butter on warm bread;
And the harvest moon will this night unfold
The streams running full of molten gold.
Oh, who could find a dearth of bliss
With autumn glory such as this!
- Gladys Harp