CIVILIZED CRITTERS?

What are these two up to? Jeremy and a friend walked the game trail and found the camera.

Caught some blackberry pickers! We know who you are...we're glad you got some berries.

AUTUMN BEGINS

Fall is my favorite season of the year. I have always liked it. I suppose it started as a kid when I was waiting for my birthday to arrive...it's in October. I always liked school, too. School clothes shopping was a big event in a family with nine kids. Trying on all the new clothes for just the right "first day" outfit was wonderful. I love the holidays and they start off in the fall. Harvest time is beautiful. All the colors of browns, oranges, reds, creams, deep purples, greens and yellows. I enjoy decorating the house for harvest/thanksgiving. It's really the longest season I get to decorate since it can go from September clear up to Thanksgiving Day before I get to change it to Christmas. I have started collecting vintage Halloween decorations. I go the Portland Antique Expo show every October for my birthday. It's always the last weekend of the month and the vendors have a lot of Halloween to choose from so I started looking. Warm days and cool nights are welcome after a long hot summer (although this year we had no summer).
Oh, and I love candles, hot chocolate, flannel pajama pants, dried gourds, and apple cider. The list goes on. Let's just say I am happy autumn has arrived!

Backtracking...Sept.8th

Happy Birthday to our first child. Jeremy Wayne was born on

9-8-81. He was a big baby just like Wyatt. Jeremy was two weeks past my due date and that gave him time to reach 9lbs. 1 oz. I don't know how this happened but a kid of mine isn't a big fan of sweets! He doesn't like candy. I don't think I've seen him eat a cookie. Cake is not at the top of the list either. I made this "cake" out of sushi from Costco. I did buy a small red velvet cake also and he liked that. He said it was his favorite. I didn't even know he had a favorite. Also on the 8th we got several photos of another bear at the property. This time we moved the camera down behind the old house right in the middle of all the plum trees. There's also an abundance of apple trees and blackberries. He's been past here several times. I call him Bubba. I don't want to meet him in person so when I was picking blackberries I made sure I was making lots of noise! With my computer down for five days I wasn't able to post on the 8th and then Wyatt trumped everything as soon as it was connected again. I'm all caught up now.

WYATT BOND

He's here! My sweet little grandbaby. He was due today but was born yesterday and a good thing too since he was already 9 lbs. 2 oz. My dang computer has been off for five days and we finally got service today so I have been catching up. There are more pictures of him on facebook. I was able to get a couple of him at work through a friends phone. Brandon e-mailed them to her phone so I could see him as soon as possible. He's healthy and happy. Love ya, Wyatt, Brandon and Monica....see you in October.

MMMM&MMMM's

I fell off the wagon. I am addicted to m&m's and if I let myself, I can fall hard! I lost 17 lbs this summer getting ready to fit in the dress I wanted to for Tonie's wedding. I did it by a lot of hard work, counting calories, walking, going to the gym and cutting down to 1 small bag of m&m's each Saturday. It worked. The dress looked great. The shoes and the purple toenail polish finished off the outfit. I started vacation on August 16 when I drove to Boise to catch my flight to Tennessee on the 17th. I decided since I was on vacation I would treat myself. I had m&m's for the drive. I ate them in the hotel. I bought more at the airport for the flight. Tonie had special blue and purple ones made for the wedding so I had more than my fair share of those. I bought some more in Kingsport when we were shopping for the reception. I had them in my room so I could enjoy them late at night. I brought some of the wedding favor jars home in my luggage...they were full of m&m's. I bought more for the return flights. The bag above I got for my camping trip to Sisters. I had them in my purse for two days before I tore into them. I did share with Sandra and Lexy (Morgan maintained her willpower). Once I bought this big bag all bets were off. I soon found myself "extending" my vacation until after Labor Day since the week was shot anyway. I bought and ate a 19 oz bag all by myself. Then I got another yesterday to finish before I start my diet again on Monday...but wait, Monday is a holiday so I can't start until Tuesday. Enough time for another big bag. I'm sick I tell you! I bet I have had 5 lbs of m&m's in the last three weeks!! I will not be the "big" grandma. My nieces had two grandmas...Tiny Grandma and Big Grandma. I might be Oregon Grandma but I refuse to be Big Grandma so once I finish that last big family size bag of m&m's I will climb back on that wagon kicking and screaming!

OPEN SESAME

It's time for a property update. While I was gone for two weeks look what my sweetie did for me. He put in a new gate. One that I can open. Although I did enjoy sitting in the rig every time he had to open the other one. He has been having a hard time with pain in his right shoulder and I think it is from pulling on that old style gate and slipping the loop over the pole...you know the kind I am talking about. We went out there tonight and he sat there in the drivers seat while I opened the new gate. Now why did I ask for this? It is nice isn't it. I had a message from the realtor to call her and I was afraid too, thinking that the couple had given up and weren't going to be able to get the loan. I called and got the good news that things are still on and they had to apply in the girls name only so we had new papers to sign. Now just waiting for closing on or about Sept.20. I will be glad when it is all in writing. Signed sealed and delivered!

Also, while I was gone look what ripened. I picked a few today. They sure are nasty prickly. It's too bad so many go to waste because you can't get to them. Delicious though. Want some?