Mortaring

is a bit like frosting a really big, heavy, ugly, gritty cake.

When this stuff starts to set, it is way worse than an over-beaten ganache.  It ain't pretty, but hopefully the patches will hold mom's front steps together for another year.  Or until I can draw up a plan for a new porch/deck with a built in wheelchair ramp and gather some quotes from contractors.

A Lovely Saturday Afternoon

Fresh Air, ooh the smells.

Pretty Sights

Somebody is a serious Chevy fan.

Love the smells but holding up my nose is just too much work.

Is your dog this lazy?

Oh look, the turkeys flew to town for hunting season.

Chloe was vibrating with excitement when she saw them.

A yummy end to a beautiful day - some fresh apples from the orchard with potato waffles and apple sauce.

Back to the Orchard

It's a beautiful, sunny day.

It is time for a drive out to the orchard

to get some more apples and cider.

They have really nice apples this year.

At least someone does.

Unfortunately, my trees did not do well this year.
Due to heavy rains,
I did not manage to spray them at all this summer,
which caused quite a few of lost apples to bugs.
But that does not explain the branches on the winesap tree just dying for no good reason.  I have had to remove at least four main branches already and this summer's growth is really quite pitiful.  The only explanation is that the utility crews who ran the new gas mains under the sidewalk using directional boring had something really nasty in their boring solution, and it has poisoned my apple tree.

So this summer we had the misfortune to pay $3,550 for a new road, new water and sewer mains, etc.  Plus we paid them to attempt to murder our trees, and we have to water the grass seed on the city's terrace.  No, they are not giving us a discount on the water bill for us watering their grass. 

I'm going for a drive in the country.

Hopefully, the blue skies, beautiful scenery and winding roads will be therapeutic.

Colors

Enjoy them while they last!

 Because unfortunately, snowbanks only come in white.

Ready for Pheasant Season?

"Thanks mom for shaving off the hair (also known as burr velcro).  However, it would have been nicer if you had cut my hair a couple weeks ago, because it seems a bit chilly in here all of a sudden.

Maybe dad will take me pheasant hunting this weekend now that he has some vacation time.  Or maybe I'll just keep him company on the couch while he rests and decides what to do this next week."

On Tuesday

I killed the weeds in the sidewalk cracks with an ice scraper.  Ok, maybe I just chopped off the tops of some of them.  It still provides a feeling of accomplishment, because that item has been naggingly ever present on the to do list all summer long.  As a bonus they shouldn't be able to grow back in time to hamper shoveling this coming winter.  There is no doubt it is returning; overnight temperatures have been in the 30's & 40's rather consistently for the last couple of weeks already.

Chloe's Fortune Cookie Duds

"Seriously Ma, some of these fortunes make no sense whatsoever,

but let's have a look anyhow."

Fortune 1:

You are interested in public service and would make an outstanding statesman.

"Ma, I have no interest in politics, but you're right I could probably still be a better president than the one we have now, but that rule about being over 35 would have to be recalculated in dog years."

Fortune 2:

You have the ability to sense and know higher truth.

"Yeah Ma, I know you keep the bread on the wire shelf above the stove where I can't reach it.  Does that qualify as knowing a higher truth?"

Fortune 3:

By working hard, you get to play hard guilt-free.

"Ma, what's work?  For that matter what's guilt too?  I like the play activity, can we do some of that today?"

Fortune 4:

Always the beautiful answer who asks a more beautiful question.

"Did something get lost in translation?"

Fortune 5:

A dream will always triumph over reality, once it is given a chance.

"Ma, even I know that one only works if you stay sleeping; because every time I wake up, I still haven't caught the squirrel."

Fortunes 6-8:

The best angle from which to approach any problem is the TRYangle.

Stubbornness is not a good virtue.

Genius is eternal patience.

"Ma, these fortune cookies sure do give contradictory advice."

Fortune 9:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Wonton or Dumpling?

"Ma, I don't understand that one, but it is making me hungry.  Could you order some wontons and dumplings as takeout from that nice Chinese restaurant?"

Fortune 10:

You will learn something new every day.

"Ma, Why should I do that?  Aside from possibly learning to turn doorknobs so that I can go eliminate the cat problem downstairs, I have all the skills I need to be your best friend.  Besides, you didn't seem like it when I learned to spell short words like o-u-t and

t-r-e-a-t anyway"

Fortune 11:

You are magnetic in your bearing.

"Ma, that only works if Dad puts a compass in my pack when we go hunting.  Besides, I have enough trouble with being static cling 'swiffer' dog.  By the way, you should vacuum again - just saying."

Fortune 12:

Avoid compulsively making things worse.

"Ma, that's a low blow.  You know I like licking my toes.  Besides, how would you know to give me all those blobs of peanut butter during summer allergy season otherwise."

Fortune 13:

A danger foreseen is half avoided.

"Ma, this one is true.  I don't care how many times you tell me the big, scary dog up the street died years ago, I am still going to avoid walking anywhere near that house."

Fortune 14:

Goodness is its own reward.

"Ma, then why were dog biscuits invented?"