Fall Clean-Up

I love an industrious Fall Saturday!

  We actually got the Fall clean-up done before the snow fell last night and for once I feel at peace about the seasons changing.  Usually I'm glad to see the snow because it means the weeds will die and be covered from view.  However, there's the companion feeling of guilt and worry for the things that didn't get quite done, like raking the leaves, trimming the hedges, and tilling the garden.  This year all those things can be checked off the list!  Yippee!!

 We were blessed this year by a great neighbor who assisted in our leaf raking adventure.  He owns this fantastic device called a "Cyclone Rake" that sucks up the leaves, mulches them and then fills a bin for transport. We filled it two and a half times, probably saving ourselves the trouble of filling at least 25 bags and then the disposal of them.  Instead we spread them in our garden and orchard areas, making good use of what we have. 

 It just isn't a real fall leaf raking day if someone doesn't get buried!

What a cutie I found!!



71 Trees!



 

11 Small Pines, 7 Quacking Aspens
15 Deciduous (Maples, Ashes, Flowering Cherry), 11 Fruit Trees (Peach, Apple, Pear, Cherry, Apricot, Plum, & Nectarine)
9 Medium Pines, 18 Large Pines!
In total we planted 70 trees in our backyard this summer, plus one medium pine in the front.

The kids had the daily chore of watering to keep them alive through the summer.  So far,so good!  We have only lost three, one small pine and two fruit trees, that we will replace in the spring.

What a project!

Perfect Fall Football

It's 8:30am on a Saturday morning and the relief that there are no plans beyond the weekly chores to fill your day are brought to abrupt halt by the ringing of the phone!  You have the option of answering and being drawn into someone elses plans for the day or turning over in your cozy bed and ignoring the world...
Well what would you do?

If you are me, you ignore the first two attempts made to burst your  bubble of solitude, but by the third attempt you cave and answer the call.

What a blessing it is to have persistent friends!  We were invited to a Brigham Young University football game complete with access to the fabulous tent set up outside full of food and treats to be enjoyed before, after, and during the game!

 We quickly dawned our blue apparel and headed for Provo, with a slight detour to the local FedEx as a  favor to the one person who would have truly enjoyed every part of our day, Glen.

Here is the ironic twist to our happy tale: Glen was out of town working, while his whole family enjoyed free t-shirts, fun treats, and a beautiful sunshiny day! 

To top if all off, BYU won 55 to 7!!

Carrots, Carrots, Carrots!

 Mid October the local irrigation water is shut off for the season so we began our Fall cleaning and shut down of the garden.  In our last harvest of the season we gathered peppers, eggplant, onions, beets, and CARROTS!

 We were slack in our harvesting this year and didn't keep up with everything so some of the carrots grew to outrageous proportions!! 

We did have fun extracting the carrots of various colors.  Reds, yellow, pink, white and some of the usual orange variety too.  When cooked they all seem to taste the same, but the yellow are the ones that grew the biggest.

In our efforts to live providently we made carrot soup.  It was alright, but not a favorite.  Next year we will have to stay on top of the harvesting so we don't have so many at onetime!

Where is Bugs Bunny when you need him?!

Halloween 2010

Theme: Southwest Travel

The choice went to the oldest, who wanted to be a pilot (he has always liked professions) and the rest of the crew played parts to support his choice. 

Pilot, Stewardess ("Peanut Girl"), Luggage, and The Crazy Tourist!

 Halloween 2010 was more like Halloween weekend! 

Friday was classroom party day, Saturday was neighborhood Trick-or Treating,

and Sunday was dinner with family.

They are a fun crew! 

I hope Southwest appreciates the free advertising! 

When Glen told them our Halloween plans they did send him home with

 a bag full of peanuts, luggage tags, cups, stir sticks, "wings", and a full pad for taking drink orders.

Next years plans are already in the works...