1st Snow...

...but, oh, how I wish it was the last!! This dusting of Mother Nature's frozen dandruff existed less than an hour and let's just say...it was 59 minutes longer than necessary, for I get the point...no aimless motorcycling in the forecast :-((

How I ended up in the frozen tundra, especially since my little birds all flew the coop, for the most part, to warmer climates, is beyond my comprehension. I spent sporadic years attempting to root myself in various other parts of the country, but for time worn reasons & fairy tale rhymes, I would migrate back "home" to Wisconsin.

One day, the sooner the better, I will grab the bull by the horns and steer myself towards a place where the weather alone won't institutionalize me. In the mean time, I'll rub my hands together, don my feet with extra fleece and wear hats indoors while I conjure up my ideal destination. ~

Hope Won!!

I woke up in St. Louis this morning. I live north of Milwaukee. That's 440 miles in between. A 6-1/2 - 7 hour piece of cake ride, well, technically a drive, because I had the 4-wheeled vehicle. (Hey, it was only 45 degrees last Thursday when I left home.) Of course it was in the upper 70's all week in SL, but I gave up predicting weather when I descended earth, and besides, I've done my time as a frozen Popsicle, and quite frankly...it's not that freakin' cool.

Anyway, the mission was to get back home before the polls closed at 8pm. No problem, except that I
was hangin' with my FRP and it is sooooooo hard to say goodbye. I pulled it off though...got in as many smooches as baby would allow and hit the road, only stopping once for gas and once for a photo-op. Arrived at 7 on the dot, filled out my ballot, snapped a photo and finished the journey home to watch the night's events unfold. And glory hallelujah, unfold it did!!

My Spooky Family

When I heard that my FRP was going to go out after dark, dressed up in a costume to bang on stranger's doors and beg for candy, I was like...I'll be right there, cuz this I have to see for myself!!

Unfortunately for her, she was only allowed to suck on wrappers, mainly because she has no teeth, but also because she has one of those Dads who will sell her out for a big Snickers bar and a Mom who refuses to let her try anything 'bad' until she falls in love with all vegetables first (good luck with that BTW!!)

We carved pupmkins (notice no braggin' photo of that!), baked pumpkin seeds, tricked & treated way past dark (the folks of St. Louis demand that trick 'r treaters tell a joke before receiving their treat - I had never heard of such a ritual, but think it's a fun one - they also offer adult beverages to adults which I declined, but also think is a fun ritual!) and in general had a very Happy Halloween...something I have purposely avoided for years. Funny what those little devils do to you ~

Bloody Sunday Birthdays!!!

We agreed to meet Sunday morning by 11am for a couple of celebratory Bloody Marys and perhaps what would be the last bike ride of the season (for the others anyway!!).

It was quite daring to sign-up for a bike ride this time of year...it was 47 degrees outside when I woke up and only 52 degrees when we started off with the sun up..., but everyone showed; their chaps & gloves in tow and off we went.

Our first leg was a mere 35 miles - beautifully colored autumn scenery - nobody seriously bitched, no limbs froze and the company & the Bloodys' were worth the trip.

By the time we set off for our next stop it had warmed up to a comfortable 65 degrees, and I for one could have kept right on riding. Instead we cozily settled in to watch a Green Bay Packer game, sampled mystery shots each time the Packers scored and laughed out loud A LOT (BTW...the Packers kicked butt!!)

Unfortunately someone noticed that it had become dark outside...our cue to head out..., so the remaining four bikes headed down the highway and one-by-one broke off for home. I could be mistaken, but I believe it was warmer than it had been all day ~

All I wanna do...

If Columbus discovered America, then I have discovered many places & things too.

I sat in the middle of a forest today and I could swear that not another soul has ever sat there before me. I cruised down a back road so remote that the leaves hadn't bothered to change color until they heard me comin' round the bend. I watched as the gas station's sign flashed it's price per gallon...4 cents less that the moments before. According to some dictionary definitions, Columbus and I have discovered places. According to other definitions, neither of us discovered anything, because we weren't FIRST... time, place or thing seen or realized.

It always pissed me off that I was taught Columbus "discovered" America. For some reason though I never bought in to the whole story, at least not the way it was still being presented in the textbooks of the early 70s, but it took years for anyone to offer the truer, more accurate version, which once surfaced subsided my resentment somewhat.

I never doubted his importance or mission, or that he sailed the ocean blue in 1492 aboard the Santa Maria along with two other ships, Pinta and Nina, which were no doubt full of men, supplies and Spanish whatnot in order to "discover" a new passage to India. But no one could or would ever explain the hypocrisy of claiming discovery of an inhabited land or for an existing idea. The question I posed repeatedly to get someone to admit the truth to me was this - If I "discovered" a 5 dollar bill on the kitchen table would it be mine to claim without repercussion? The answer varied somewhat, depending on who was "schooling" me, but basically I was assured that my discovery and Columbus' were two completely different things. I begged to differ, but it got me nowhere closer to a new passage to India than Columbus!

Autumn Days

Summer is pretty much over...the leaves are beginning to turn colors, the windows have been shut day & night for the past 12 days or so, the garden is no longer producing, the neighbors have their blow-up/light-up ghost/pumpkin display in place, and I had to don scarf & gloves to ride the last 2 times out.

Fall clean up is well under way - so far I got all of the tomato cages down, the summer plants pulled and the spring bulbs planted in the garden; had the oil and fluids changed in the four-wheeled vehicle, even filled it up with gas...first time since the end of March!! Took all of the big quilts to the cleaners for freshening and laundered all the curtains and throw rugs. Still need to wash a few outside windows, which is an ultimate waste of time because our gravel driveway dust tends to end up blocking my view within days anyway...I'll do it just the same.

Looking forward to our family's "event of the season" this weekend, my sister's wedding!! Everyone will be home, so of course I'm cooking, cleaning and even doing some baking just in case a hunger pang should arise! I'll post some pix on Flickr as they come in.

Happy Autumn Days & Nights to All ~

A few sights from the week