Autumn Photos

I promised photos from last weekend. Here it is the next and I am getting around to posting the photos.

The door is to an old building that appears to be a windmill in Menomenee Falls.

This next photo is off of 107th and Mequon Road.

Sometimes brownies don't even make the cultural divide

Companies create their own rites to celebrate. Here at Metavante women who are newly pregnant announce their status by bring in a dish of home baked brownies. On the surface, this appears quite innocuous. However, a large number of the software developers are from India. Brownies are not part of their normal diets and the art of baking brownies is not part of their skill set.

Today a lovely young Inidan woman brought a large dish of brownies into the break room. Smiles and congratulations were extended all around. Innocently, I pick up a small brownie and returned to my desk. It was a brick. I suspect that woman pulled the brownies out of the oven when the instructions said and couldn't believe that they were done. They probably were very soft and perhaps a little runny. She put them back in until they were "set." (For those readers who may never have baked brownies, you should not over bake as they dry out very quickly.)

Death, Demons, Ghosts, and Autumn

On Sunday, my nephew, Joe, died. He had not been well, but I don't know all the details. The obit in the Tucson Citzen reads "STEAVENSON, Joe Kevin, passed away at St. Joseph's Hospital, Tucson, AZ on October 19, 2008. He was born on October 8, 1965 in TX. to Joyce Blackburn and C.B. Steavenson. He is survived by the love of his life, Cindy Bartley, and her children, Christy and Davey; his mother, Joyce of Sapulpa, OK, and brother, Trent, of Kyle, TX. He was preceded in death by his father, C.B. Steavenson and brother, Russell."

All of us that carry the blood of my father carry the taint of demons. Some of us manage these beasts better than others. Joe, I fear, was more consumed by his. Some of our demons age with us and, like us, get old and tired, diminishing in their threats. Others seem to be ever present and just as haunting as when they first appeared. I hope that Joe's diminished as he aged. I also hope that in death that he found peace.

I do know that Joe has joined my pantheon of ghosts. They kept me awake last night. (Oddly, my mother doesn't join them. She comes by herself.) These four, now five, seem to be having a great time and tend to all talk at once. They will get quieter as the week goes on.

Autumn has fully arrived in Wisconsin. Gary and I drove around this weekend and took some pictures that I will post later in the week. The colors are outstanding this year. The weather has cooled slowly, allowing the trees to put on a brilliant display.

Dis-ease

This cold thing is consuming me. I went to Doc-in-the-box yesterday because I have bacterial conjunctivitis. I seem to be avoiding the normal sinus infections or bronchitis. So for now, only antibiotic drops for the eyes. No contacts for the week.

I did have another fever episode about 3 am this morning. I thought I was done with this part of the illness. Consequently, I didn't get out of bed until 7 am. And to work at 10. I figure if I get 5 hours in, I will be doing good.

This was the week that was...I think

Prehaps this entry should be labelled "Whip OUT."

A simple explanation: Gary had a cold; now I have a cold. And no progress has been made on any front.

This morning, after a solid night's sleep, Ginger and I walked across to the park and took a couple of pictures. Actually, Ginger just sniffed around and charged in all the leaves.

This picture shows our new dock (the neighborhood, not our personal). I thought the light was just perfect. The Milwaukee River is across the street from our house. When you open my front door, you see the neighborhood park that fronts the river.

No progress on the novel. I guess you could say that the drugs for the cold are interfering with the channelling.

Master Gardener Class

At the first of September, I join a Master Gardener Class. I have only lived in the "fer nort" for two years. I know none of the plants here and less about how to feed and care for them. Master Gardener classes will help with both of these. Additionally, I am meeting a splendid group of people.

On Saturday, I volunteered cleaning up a 4X20 bed in front of the Grafton library. The two ladies who initiated the project three or four years ago are in their seventies and needed some assistance. While two of us showed up to help, they persisted in doing the majority of the work.

Classes are on Tuesday nights. Last night we had a plant disease expert talk about plant fungi, bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that affect plants. It was a good talk.