Frost on the pumpkin

It is starting to get a little colder here. We went from frosty mornings:

to the first October snow within a day or so!

However, the snow did not last long, nor did it hit this area the same. The picture of the church above was maybe 20 miles or so from the picture below. This one was taken closer to Houghton and you have to pass by Lake Superior to get there.

Apparently something called the lake effect makes a big difference both near the great lakes and the smaller ones (like ours) You see right now, the water temperature is warmer so the towns near the lakes... and our house near our lake... are a bit warmer because of the effect the water has on the climate in the surrounding areas. However, when the lakes freeze... and yes Lake Superior freezes... then the towns and homes near the water will be colder because again... of the effect the frozen water has on the climate. That is how I understand it anyway.

Anyhoo, the local folks say normally in October a bit of snow will fall, then there will be some clear days before we get walloped. Then they ask me if I have been through 'a snow' before... dang. They keep asking me that.

oh dear.

Frankly, I try to stay on track with getting prepared for the upcoming winter. Intellectually I know this will be different than what I have ever experienced... but unfortunately I have a bit of the grasshopper in my California blood. Ya know... the Ant and the Grasshopper story? The Grasshopper spends his time fiddling around and having a good old time not getting prepared for the winter. Meanwhile, the ants are working hard all through the good weather stocking up on supplies. That is what has been going on around here. It is a very busy time for people, hunting, canning, stocking freezers, moving firewood, etc.

When I do make it to the store, the canning section looks like a pack of wildebeests attacked it. Stores can not seem to keep up with the supplies... and here I am driving around looking at the pretty leaves, playing with the dogs.

Guess which one is which?

One is goofing around with the camera while the other cuts wood.

Actually... I am just (sorta) kidding. Those of you who know me know I am helping...

It's just I don't have the impending sense of doom coming that people seem to have.

Winter here can't be that bad right?

Right?

As far as what I have been up to, I have been working at the post office on weekends and even cover on other days here and there when the postmaster needs time off.

Here is a picture I took the other morning as the sun was rising, it is a bit blurry sorry.

My point and shoot camera sometimes is a little lacking... or maybe it is the photographer.

I had just raised the flag right before I took this.

I also have been getting the house set up a little more. We have not painted inside, that will be a later job but I am trying to organize... find places for pictures...

changing furniture around stuff like that. We lucked out the other day and stumbled on a table set that we both liked:

Nothing fancy, but we really liked the style and color. Now we can sit at a table to eat... almost like grownups!

I also have set up my pantry.

Yayyyy! Bean soup all winter!

I also have been helping move the firewood up closer to the house. We are taking advantage of the protection that the deck may give and are stacking firewood right on the patio downstairs... which handily is where the woodstove is located.

We are using the poles under the deck to help hold the wood. I have one row there and plan on putting two more and then on the other side of the patio I will be adding a couple more rows. I stacked it just up to the window as you can see below... because that window is where I am sitting right now writing this blog! All I have to do is move my eyeballs up from the computer screen to see the lake. Can't be blockin' that view now!

It takes a bit of time to move the wood because first of all I have to move the right kind of wood and I always forget which is which...
maple, birch, basswood..
*what-ev-er*
It all burns right?
(says the grasshopper)

No they are not the same and it makes a big difference. So first I have to go to the right pile and then I have to get the scooter, hook up the trailer.... get the dogs and put them on board because heaven forbid you ride the scooter without them.



I then load up and drive around the house and unload.
Phew.
Makes me tired just thinking about it... hmmm... wonder what is on hgtv?

Probably some halloween special. Speaking of that, sounds like the handful of kids that are around here might actually make it to the house to trick or treat. I bought a bag of small reeses the other day to prepare... then I had to buy another because that one went somewhere. I am thinking about calling Trooper Pat.

Anyway... I bought a new one and since there is only one day until Halloween, hopefully we will have some treats to give to the intrepid halloweeners who make it to our door.

And to you! Happy Halloween!
And now for some creepy pictures to get you in the mood... queue the scary music

Actually, I just noticed something... this is very scary!
View the next picture with caution... scroll slowly

You have been warned

Oh my gosh do you notice the resemblance!?!?!?

Badgers, Wolverines, and COSMO the Magnificent

First of all, please excuse the font weirdness in the post.. I dunno what the heck is going on with it. Hope it is not too distracting.

It has been kind of a mixed bag of things going on lately. My knee is still sore and I am wearing a brace around… but I ditched the crutches because they are awkward to maneuver… but then again so is a twisted knee. duh Becca. The only thing really different this time is that I seem to have a bruise down the back of my knee along the calf muscle area. Not sure what that is about but it does not hurt any worse than when I have done this before… Anyway…

We have been doing so many different things, tying up loose ends on bigger projects and starting on new ones. All with the goal to get moved in which may happen in a week or two! Really! I keep saying that but really just a week or two!

For an example of the detail jobs we have been doing, I had started putting the knobs and pulls on the cabinets. However, some of the pilot holes were a teeny tiny fraction off so David had to redrill them. He finished installing them and now all the pulls and knobs are on. I love them!

The cabinets are great! They are knotty alder with a lighter very slight cherry kind of color. I wanted a touch red but not a lot of red. The grain and the knots in the wood are very pretty! I even started putting my dishes in them! Might as well unpack them! They have been in boxes since March and that is an easy job to get out of the way… with the added bonus of making me very excited that we are getting nearer and nearer to being in the house!

I also moved my hippy chimes to the patio downstairs to a new temporary home.
They sound pretty with the wind coming up off the lake:

and we have been watching the grass pop up between the straw on the hill facing the lake.

Ya kinda have to look closely but it is there! We put that down not only to get some grass growing but to help hold the soil on the hill.

Froggy got moved up the hill near the house. Right now he is on a rock in the east side garden area of the house, over looking the driveway. He likes his new spot and has a good view from the top of that rock... also keeps the dogs from peeing on him. That's always a good thing. I had Dickie Bird put that rock there after he placed that bigger one on the west side of the house.

After a difficult battle that I won't go into here because it pisses me off, we have picked and chosen through the laminate flooring we purchased and have started to install it. It has been some work let me tell you... but it is looking o.k. Here it is halfway done in the loft bedroom:

As one always does when you build a house, we have adapted and changed stuff around a bit. We will still use the laminate in our loft bedroom, and will try it down in the office and guest bedroom. We had to pick a different tile for the guest bathroom and will probably have to end up doing a different treatment on the floor in the main living room area. The changes came about because of a problem with the laminate and the decision of the company to not assist us. We will be dealing with that later.

Anyway... the main living floor which consists of the living room, the kitchen, and pantry. We had originally planned on using the laminate throughout most of the house... well.. that is not going to work.

SO.... we are considering flooring on that level with the same stuff we used on the ceiling.

Pine wood floors.. yes yes yes we know.

Pine is soft.

But we think it will be nice looking... here are a couple of example of pine floor. (We plan to have a matte finish not glossy) and once we get that kitchen area floored we can move in!

Yep.. move in... in a week or two! ;)

The dogs have been troopers,
except for Cosmo who has turned into part wildabeast and part wolverine

who keeps embarrassing us by his ferocious behavior towards man and beast. No one here probably believes us, but he really is a truly lovely boy who just wants to be near us.

Us and no one else... ever ever ever... mine mine... and no one else can get near!!!

Poor boy, he is just confused and tries to rule the pack around here… the home pack here at Jerry's house that consists of:

Chuck a ridgeback, greyhound or afghan hound cross and Beau a Newfoundland/lab cross

and a lab / german shepherd cross. Speaking of her... here is Ms. Delta getting a play stick:

Notice the resemblances below?

Cosmo on the left... wolverine on the right.

He has all the big dogs giving him a wide berth. Not so much because he is so tough but because he is a tenacious snippy little bastard who will just not give up!

He has no fear. Imagine that... a Jack Russell /fox terrier cross with no fear.

Hmmmm. Anyway, he continually goes after Beau… the Newfoundland lab cross who really is the pack leader and is normally very gentle with Cosmo until Beau has had enough.

At first Beau would just step on Cosmo with his great big paw and hold him down… he was like:

'Dude.. that's just wrong. What is your problem?!'

Except probably since Beau is not a west coast dog but instead is a Midwestern dog he probably really said:

' Ooooo.... What is wrong with you?!... Hay?'

However, the last time Cosmo started in on Beau, Beau took Cosmo by the scruff and gave him a little shake down. I have to say, it did not matter so much. Cosmo STILL bared his fangs (not hard for him to do as they stick straight out on their own) and growled ferociously and snapped and snarled... while Beau slobber was dripping down his neck.

I have seen them all sitting in a room... all three big dogs huddled on one side, together and then Cosmo on the other staring at them all. He controls Delta, who is the biggest dog around here, with just a look. If Cosmo is sitting on the couch and is in a grumpy mood when she walks in, she looks to him and he must give her the doggy secret evil eye or something because she will drop her head and slink back out. Geez. Most of the time they get a long pretty well although she does always defer to him.

Maybe this is a closer resemblance...

That one thing is a badger by the way... a friendly little fellow. See him smiling? Ummm.. the first one... without the blue collar.

I was thinking about Cosmo and his behavior the other day and put it down to being a terrier. I just happened to see this commercial on t.v. the other day and it made me think about how he acts with these big dogs. It sure fits and Jack Russell/Fox terrier owners would probably all agree. He just does not get it... that whole size thing does not matter to him.

And finally a couple of sunflowers that I planted when spring finally came around a few months ago. I got the seeds from Lynette as a moving present. I was not sure they would make it but they sure are cheerful. This one I planted at Jerry and Karen's house. I will put some in at our house next spring!