The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have. "Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain."
Do what you like ~ Like what you do ~ Optimism can take you anywhere!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
What a Difference...
What a difference a day, or perhaps several days, makes...
I returned from my visit to a blaze of color in the front yard and now, a little over a week later, the color is gone!
The leaves are on the garden for the winter.
The 'volunteer' grapefruit tree has been re-potted to bring inside.
Another project we are trying: we picked the remaining green tomatoes to see if they would ripen inside. They are to be placed in the dark, covered by newspaper in a 'warm' area.
We have had a few successes so far.
The key, of course, it to be sure the green fruit is not bruised or damaged in any way...
Happy Hallowe'en!
Now that all the Trick-or-Treaters are gone, may I eat the rest of the candy?
We woke to a surprise this morning: the outside temperature was 33 degrees and there was frost on the ground!
We shouldn't complain. Both Minnesota Fred and Aunt Velma in Pennsylvania have had SNOW!
Last week was cold and dreary, with temperatures in the mid 40's, twenty degrees below normal for this time of year. We have had twice as much rain as is normal for October: a little over three inches, when the normal is an inch and a half.
This week promises to have more seasonal temperatures: sunny with temperatures in the mid 60's.
Sunday was a sunny day, cool but sunny. We watched the cyclocross races at Harbin Park. We had watched the races about 10 years ago when only local racers participated. Today there were racers from Wisconsin, South Carolina, Washington as well as from the tri-state area. The races concluded a local three day event.
Cyclocross races include numerous 'obstacles'.
The sand traps: going and coming. Most riders ran with their bikes going uphill, but attempted to ride through the sand on the way back downhill.
There were gradual turns...
...and there were 180 degree turns. We sat near a 90 degree turn with an incline after the turn!
Bikes were carried across these boards.
The women were cheered as they 'jumped' their bikes over two well spaced 6" X 6" beams.
And the mud pit...
A successful day for the presenters and for the participants.
The Little People and their mom came up for a visit.
"May I play, too?" asks Little Miss El."
We had rain all day Friday, so we took a trip over to EnterTRAINment Junction . EnterTRAINment Junction is billed as the world's largest indoor, interactive model train display with 90 large-scale trains (1,200 cars), two miles of track, detailed cities, towns, villages and factories.
Half-way through the train displays, we stopped at the 5,000 square foot 'entertainment area'.
K.K. and Noah each had a list of items to 'find' within the train displays. Noah's scavenger hunt included items such as 'a man reading a newspaper', 'clothes drying on a clothesline', 'two kids on monkey bars', 'a dog on a grave' and 'two cyclists on the bike trail'
After noticing the size of the locomotive wheels, we went upstairs to watch the trains from above.
Then, on to "Jack-o-Lantern Junction."
We roamed through a Victorian House with 'spooky' decorations, a maze of mirrors that had us laughing, a series of chain link fences. We stopped for edible 'treats' along the way. There were twists and turns and always a surprise around the corner.
It was a sunny day. We went to the Gorman Heritage Farm for the Sunflower Festival. Visitors could pick the sunflowers of their choice for a mere 50 cents a stalk!
Over the years, members of the Elfun Society, GE's volunteer organization, have completed projects at the Gorman Heritage Farm. Many years ago, John 'raced' his friend to complete laying the bricks to the Lower Spring House.
Farmyard animals... oh, and this, by the way, is Oliver Country!
Some one got 'yelled' at for wearing his John Deere hat! That same person got a $2.00 off coupon to Bob Evans for the same reason!
The more hardy hiked to the overlook.
View of the farm and Evendale from the 'overlook.'
Atop the overlook: the farm and the area around it in the early 1800's.
Above the overlook...
Another Elfun project was to clear the trails up to the overlook.
There were several signs but only one bench along the trail.
The Gorman Interpretive Building had a nice display of quilts as well as a selection of items for sale.
