Trick or Treat!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

to

EVERYBODY

Non-residents in the Dock lobby trick-or-treating for a cause.

Weather Report: I don't know whether to pick a shirt from the short sleeve or the long sleeve drawer when I get dressed. Definitely, the tree colors are vanishing.

It is Halloween! Or, Día de los Muertos! You choose. I re-ran Coco yesterday afternoon. It was immensely satisfying. So, I am celebrating both. Kind of like picking out a shirt in fall.

Technology Report: It's all bolluxed up. My iPhone and my Mac immersed themselves in their own programs and refuse to talk or listen to each other even when I go get their common wire out of the Technology box to connect them. Now what.

A workaround: Downloading text images to Photos. Here is Niece Jackie in Missouri...

Happy Superpowers, Jackie!

And, the great-grands out West just having fun...

Jeff and Kingston.

Dimetrios.

Hmmm. Looks like a football shirt, Elijah.

Elijah in his element.

Kingston looks like he's ready to bust some ghosts.

Jeanenne has taken up her brush again...

And John sent an image from one of those short-sleeve evenings on the screened back porch at the farm: Picasso Luckibird perched on his new junglegym...

...eating banana.

Walks are especially nice here. A fave, of course, is the woods path...

Big Yawn

What happened?!!! This past week, I am going slower and slower and slower. After climbing over the closet sorting hump and being all satisfied and happy, the Big Yawn is taking place. A streak of laziness has taken over and I feel like crawling under a nice warm blanket. Is this how bears feel in the fall?

There is much to love and be happy for and I'll get to that. But first the self-diagnostics: I think my weak resolve is a phase (maybe). With all the efforting of the past months, and now shortening daytimes, it is likely time to get serious about physical/mental health; to set forth and keep supporting routines. Carry out once again formal times for exercise/walking. It all got jumbled and intermittent. Time to check my nutrition boxes and forget how easy it is to go get a big cookie at the Bistro to go with their free decaf I like in the evenings.

A remaining resettling stumbling block seems to be "where to get the groceries"? At this count, I visit, near and far, seven or eight different places to get the groceries, sundries, and household items for simple living. That has to stop. It is making me crazy, not to mention it is ridiculous to make this big a carbon footprint in the name of shopping for one person.

The property's woods are open to walking again after the Ash trees were hauled away.

Acorns are underfoot everywhere...

...so are walnuts.

So many leaves are off the trees now that squirrels' stick nests are now visible...

There are dozens overhead throughout the campus. They must be pretty secure dwellings because the recent high winds have not blown them away.

A felled tree in the woods hosting everything that lives around, on, and in it.

The walkway bridge makes the woods accessible to everybody, wheeled or two-legged. 

The little creek is quiet on this day and the interesting bugs I've seen sitting on my screens run around on top the water. 

This youngster image sits by the hedge at the parking lot. Someone added some bling.

The Farm Report: Wendy and John went out for their 23rd Anniversary. Aidan did the evening chores for them.

Their silver rose memento.

...and, Picasso Luckibird Bolding got a new jungle gym. It only took an hour for the whole family to put it together.

From the Good Stuff Desk: The Inquirer had an article this past week that had St. Louis (where I originated) and the World's Fair mentioned, but mainly it's a story of a woman who if she lived in this era would have happily donned a space suit a few days ago to photograph two women spacewalkers. Meet...Jessie Tarbox Beals. Glass ceiling? My eye!!!

And, what a love to have Aidan, after our lovely fall walks at the farm, explain and play for me the new cello work he is practicing now. Then, a Facetime call from Keoni showing me his apartment with my photos up on his walls, and learning more of his New York adventures and the possibilities that await.

From Missouri, Jeanenne and Larry are faithful soccer grandparents and at last week's games snapped this of two of their younger granddaughters who are not yet players...

The Weather Report: It's orange, red, yellow and brown outside. And inside. And everywhere...

In the lobby by the Bistro.

At one of the farm markets. I set my glasses on these so you can get a sense of the size.

Right after the Queen Anne's Lace turns brown and goes to seed these white flowers take their place and fulfill the same mission bringing a loveliness to even the junk they adorn.

From Wendy. Toby on a hunt in one of the pastures.

Good News

Yes, I heard back from Aidan and what good news he had to tell! He is now the first chair of his Philadelphia Youth Orchestra cello section. Go, Aidan! I'm looking forward to a couple of solo moments he'll have in the coming season's program, as well.

We still find a moment for walks around the farm between the weather and differing schedules. Aidan captured a photo of a fawn we came upon in the tall grass.

This is one of several times we've found a fawn tucked away along our farm path.

Carol emailed good news moments, too, that she and Janie have loved. She included their own video of Munchie...to quote Carol: "90 lb African turtle , one of the ranch hands found walking in the road in Tubac..probably 50+ years old..we fed him some apple"... Picasso, Wendy's found bird, has a buddy in Tubac, Arizona, Munchie, who shares with him finding the person or people who in all the world would take care of them.



As another testament to animal care, John assisted Wendy by holding onto a rooster who needs her daily ministrations for his damaged foot. Usually, Aidan has that job, but John was home early from work.

But, back to Tucson where extended summer is happening, Carol sent a short snippet of their back yard water feature...



We go to the Foreign Desk now to report that Marge, family and friends are touring Ireland.

Nice photo, ladies.
Have a great trip!

Last night, I ate an ear of corn that tasted so good it was like eating candy. The long summer weather has kept the sweet corn crop coming in at the local farm market. Soon, that will be over and the satisfactions of summertime fruit and vegetables will change to storable winter squashes and root vegetables--"grown in dirt" says one roadside stand.

In other good news, the walk-in closet is complete. I know, you weren't thinking much about the big closet here in my digs. But I sure was and am now basking in an afterglow. You'd think if you were inside my brain that I'd just painted the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. Instead, it is an ordinary accomplishment that has lent an outsized sense of satisfying peace. Also, objects or images I wanted around me are unpacked and up, or clustered here and there in a new familiarity.

Pat surprised me with an early Christmas gift for which I thank her since it not only has a row of kitty images, it blocks the bright hall light coming under the apartment door at night.

The Big Sift

Just over a week ago, I woke up and said, "Grrr". My wondrous, capacious, walk-in closet content was on my mind. Besides the objects that creep into one's life to bedevil boxes and shelves, I knew it was time to sift through the paperwork pushed aside during this summer's move, plus plenty of unwanted, past-statutes-of-limitations agglomerations, in order to establish some sort of coherent system that easily responds to new demands. Especially, after watching the old men stars of The Kominski Method and a few episodes of Grace and Frankie's fifth season; good grief, I'm that old! So, I started the Big Sift. As I held up piece after piece, paper after paper, I thought of someone, likely a reluctant heir, having to go through this stuff when some future morning I did not appear in my bathroom mirror anymore. My "to keep" or "deep six" mantra was...

1. Do I have to have this crap?

2. Do I even like this crap?

3. Will my survivors say, "Why'd she keep this crap?

Right now, I'm a little astonished that I managed to drag some parts of it across America six year ago, and in more recent accumulations, appalled by what America's health care system is doing to the forests supplying the paper. And we all thought the electronics would get rid of paper trails. hahahahaha

Hmmm. Not the Marie Kondo approach, but it is working. I'm not finished. But then, no one ever is until they don't appear in the bathroom mirror in the morning anymore.

This is about the second day so it's still kinda tidy. It got bushels-worth worse.

Pano. (The shelves are straight.) 

Thank goodness, there is the Bistro to walk to for eats. I'll post an "after".

Later.

Sometime.

________

Today, I learned that in this last week Keoni did three "Met" things made affordable by student status. One, go to the Met Cloisters close to where he lives; two, go to a Mets game, and three, go to the Met...the Metropolitan Opera for $6--in a crowded standing room where you could listen but not see it. After a little while, he went outside and asked a couple of well-heeled attendees who were leaving the opera house if they minded if he used their tickets since they were leaving. The first one or two sort of looked askance as though he was a homeless person, but an exiting elderly couple handed him two tickets. He finished watching the performance from the $260 seats.

But, his life there is not all entertainment; the musicianship he is working on and toward has grown much more serious now.

All this was part of a Skype conversation with him this afternoon. So fun to catch up as he walked around the plaza next to Lincoln Center in sight of his school and New York's fine offerings--plus, the street vendor Halal where he gets his lunches. It all puts the awe in my awesome.

I was text-checking with Aidan for news on his front, but he must be steeped in his studies and cello right now since I didn't hear back as yet. Maybe I'll learn more from him tomorrow on a walk.

Over in Missouri, Jeanenne shared a moment where young Kensie was helping her soccer team...

Go, Kensie! There were several soccer games going on at the same time. Jeanenne and Larry had five of their seven grandkids in the games and managed to see each one!

I'll be going to Missouri in a few weeks and give a bit of help while Jeanenne has a knee replaced. All the kids must be at least a foot taller since I saw them a couple of years ago.

Out in Arizona, Gloria was walking a labyrinth out in the desert one evening in site of the Catalina Mountains. She shared the picture that Joseph snapped of her. We both remembered with poignancy, the many walks we took together at Catalina State Park.

The colors of fall are appearing. It started a little early and is not as colorful as the first year or two here. The rains, or lack of, have played a role. Many of the trees' leaves turned brown early this year and dropped off long before their usual fades from green to bright colors. The Dock oaks have been prolific and acorns crunching under tires and underfoot are part of the sounds. Farm markets are selling mini hay bales that make me think of Lilliputian balers and tractors. The farm stand colors are to be loved...

Picasso

A small, tropical bird lost and on his own in Pennsylvania flapped into Wendy's attention inside her barn feed room on Fall's first truly chilly (44°) morning this past Friday. She stopped her cleaning, and looked for something to capture this flash of colored feathers thinking he must belong to someone. Deciding she needed a sheet to throw over him to avoid injuring him, she started running to the house, the bird flew out, too, and landed in the tree just outside the barn. While she ran, he flew to the house kitchen window screen and clung to the screen. She ran up the back porch stairs, and the bird flew over and landed on her head. As she carefully walked to the door and entered the house he climbed down onto her shoulder.

And that's where a friend, whom I'd been lunching with, and I found them after the SOS text/call. While Wendy had been sitting at her kitchen table with the bird clinging to her shoulder, she'd been researching and calling to see if there were any lost birds posted somewhere. No lost bird messages. She'd locked Karma, the house pussycat, in the bathroom then began to find out what to do with a very stressed, exhausted ball of ruffled feathers. She was starving having had no breakfast and began eating a banana when the bird fluttered to her hand and started eating the banana, too. She reported to us that he'd drunk water and she was prepared to run get some birdseed if I could stay. My friend snapped this picture of him after he transferred to my shoulder...

He kept falling asleep,

Wendy took off to get the birdseed and soon returned to add another small bowl of seed next to the water bowl while I continued my perch, warm body service to him. Wendy finished up her barn chores and the bird continued his trips down my arm to eat or drink at the bowls falling asleep sometimes while doing so, and returning to my should for more napping. A couple of hours later when Aidan returned from his school day the bird had perked up considerably...

His feathers are a little more in order after he did some grooming.

Aidan became a third shoulder perch while Wendy and I went to the Petsmart in Quakertown for a suitable cage, cuttle bone and better feed. He'd wiggled right out of a makeshift dog crate cage she'd rigged, flying right back to her shoulder.

On the trip back from Q'town, Wendy named him Picasso.

The bird rescue people Wendy talked with estimated by his condition that he'd been lost about four days. By yesterday afternoon, he is now part of Wendy and family's life.

Picasso.
Wendy's been pealing grapes which he loves to eat.

How did this little bird know to find The Person who would undoubtedly take care--really good care--of him the rest of his days.

How did Friday morning's promise of an ordinary, cooler Fall day become a day about an affectionate, people-oriented little bird?

Be ready. Life has more adventures than we are able to imagine.

______

It's been such a pleasure getting in a walk or two each week at the farm for quite awhile now. It sure broke up the chores of sorting through much paperwork left from the summer's efforts to settle in. I am surprised at the amount of paper stuff relating to health and medical activity that now occupies what long ago was a single file folder. Well, consolidating that and a couple dozen other files, culling and weeding, has been taking place. Kinda dull, but then, there are the walks and bird happenings to break it up.

Here's a chicken and Aidan picture...

Miss Florence came to greet us after a walk.

Sometimes, we've taken the dogs along with us. Aidan takes Frezz and Sebastian, and I take Fancy. We two old ladies bring up the rear.

Fancy is pretty arthritic but adores the walk.

Aidan has begun giving cello lessons, and has one student; an adult learner, at that. Way to go, Aidan!!!

We heard from New York, too...

Keoni's study corner in his shared apartment.

And, his view one day out a practice room window.

Another day, John sent the view out his sig.com worksite window...

My new Singer!
Here's a little work station I set up to finish some baby gowns I was sewing for MCC Industries, a Mennonite establishment that transforms what we throw away into useful supplies for their missions.

The instruction book for my old 57-year-old machine...

...that finally stopped because its drive belt fell into shreds.

Well, it's time to get back to the activities of this Monday. I'll see you again in a few days.

Frezz. Sent from Aidan.