It's Fall... in case you hadn't heard

I think someone's been toying with my clock again. It was just September... and now we're in the second half of October???

Boy.

It's looked like fall for a while. Gorgeous, if a bit nekkid in some spots and a little work in others.

It's felt like fall, too. Mostly perfect... although some seemed to know it was time to head outta Dodge.

(Geese. Real ones. Really.)

Others felt rejuvenated by the fall feel. Emma felt like singing...


and stalking the neighbor cows.



Kali felt like playing ball (oh, wait, she always feels like playing ball)...



and hollerin' about how good she feels, surrounded by sticks and stuff.



Sami feels like bein' on the prowl... as if she ever doesn't.



Randy and I feel like it's probably time to clean the heater, as much as I hate even pondering turning it on in October. Where's that global warming when you need it? Al? Al?

Anyone seen Al?

It's not just leaves falling this weekend. After promised flurries, we've been promised by the weatherman (yeah, I know) that we'll be back in gorgeous fall weather by the middle of the week.

And not a soul will complain, Al or not.

Been on Vacation... Not

I have been MIA in almost all things computer-y, thanks to the unfortunate and unexpected crash of my computer on August 26.

Since then, my brain has been on vacation, if not the rest of me, as I have attempted to get squared away again in the world of technology. To say I've had fun would be overstating it jest a tad, and if you want a sampling of what that means, you can catch up a little here.

Sheesh.

I believe the basic computer stuff is back in business, and I'm hoping that means my brain has come out of hibernation or wherever the heck it's been lately. It hasn't been on the premises.

While I've been 'away,' almost a month has passed, and football has started in earnest for Randy (coach) and Matthew (now a coach, too!). I-N-S-A-N-I-T-Y.

Football - with just a few letters whacked - is fall, though, and it's definitely looking and feeling like fall here. Leaves have been dropping off some trees, changing colors on others, and after a particularly mild summer, the temperatures are... well, you just have to BE here to appreciate them!

Take a break from your own looney bin and head to the cabin!

Emma will welcome you with unbridled energy. Well, okay, she'll sit by the sign on occasion.

Sit in the swing with Sami... if you dare.



If you look at Kali just right ( i.e., at all), she'll let you throw her ball.

We look forward to seeing you!

August Already? Really?

I think someone is pulling a fast one on the calendar. How could it possibly be the 18th of AUGUST already???

That means our daughter Katie turns 20 tomorrow. The end of the teens in the family. It would be a sad day if I had time to think about it. Thank goodness I don't.

All's fine here in the mountains. Randy reports back for teaching duties on top of football tomorrow, which means our summer 'break' has ended officially. Actually, I'm still waiting for it to begin officially. Coming home from practice/scrimmage/meeting at 1am and heading back out at 5-5:30 am doesn't sound like much of a break to me. Party-pooper, I am.

The weather has continued to be impressive for summer! Not too hot, plenty of rain, plenty of opportunities for Kali to learn two new games with her $$$ orange rubber ball -

1) Drop It Down the Hill and Go Get It (and Hope It Doesn't Go Under the New Steps Daddy Just Built), and

2) Drop It in the Pond and Go Get It... After It Magically Floats Out Just Enough to Warrant a SWIM.

With either one, R-E-P-E-A-T is a given.

Ahhhh... summer vacation.

For the hairballs, anyway.

July... 26th?!?!?

One week from today will be the SECOND day of August.

Talk about a fast-forward summer! School here starts in 11 days, so I'm sure there are a lot of big and little happy school folks around here.

Not.

We continue to enjoy summertime temperatures in the low to mid 70s. Low 80s if it's a hot day. Sorry, all you folks with the 100+ temps (really sorry, as we've been there, done that). You should come see us!

Meanwhile, Randy has been using his time wisely during his summer break, which will make full-time football seem like a vacation. Besides replacing the rock work in front of the cabin steps, he finished the steps from the cabin yard as Phase 1 of the trail-from-the-cabin-to-the-pond project. He had a little help from me (little being the key word here) and Kali.

The trail's not finished, but THIS was the biggest 'step' of the project. We think.

As football has been only part-time this summer, the coach went into overdrive with fixing the little spring creek by the pond, continuing to spruce up the new little waterfall/park area,



painting the storeroom, and working on getting the painting finished on the house. As usual, it's considerably more tedious than previously thought, but at least it's stopped looking like the painters skipped town.

Matthew's been home for a week from his summer football coaching duties (courtesy of the head coach's daughter's wedding), and he has entertained us with FOUR movies so far on the TV he bought for his own graduation present. It's like going to the movie theater, but we can look like slobs, start and stop it whenever we want, don't have to deal with sticky floors and grungy seats, and don't have to pay! Well, okay, maybe it's not so much like going to the movie theater, but it's been great fun to actually SEE a movie again! Been a long time.

Katie returns from a packed week with a friend, with whom she visited Boston and New York City. She promises she took lots of pictures!

Randy (there he is again) mowed on the mountain top and came back with a bag of the first harvest of blackberries! Woo-hoo!

Speaking of Randy, he may be taking a nap right now in the recliner.

Now THAT I can join in on....