The days are getting shorter...

I live in Northern Minnesota, where in the summertime, it gets dark at 11:00 pm and the sun rises at 4:30 am approximately. Now the days are getting shorter and shorter. This morning it was 47 degrees, the wind is blowing and it looks like a beautiful fall day. Maybe a thunderstorm in site. Nothing is better than a great thunderstorm, where the rain pours and there are loud crashes and booms! I love that.

I love it, but my dog Haus hates it! Pour thing, he tries to hide under my bed, and he just shakes!! Before I had Haus, when he was a puppy, he and his sister were lost in a thunderstorm. His sister didn't make it, but he was rescued and still to this day (He's 16 years old now), he is terrified. My hubby adopted him from the Humane Society for me 15 years ago! So for Haus's sake, I'll hope there isn't a storm afterall. Here is Mr. Haus, our German Shorthaired Pointer:

Acorns, Acorns Everywhere....

I love fall, it is my favorite time of year. Last night, while relaxing on my deck, I hear things falling from the trees. Acorns. My yard is filled with fallen acorns. I have beautiful mature oak trees everywhere, and as I walk through my yard, you hear crunch, crunch, crunch. The best part about the acorns is all the deer that flock to my yard every evening to eat them.

What is your favorite thing about fall?

Cassie's favorite thing? Taking a Nap - oh, wait, that's everyday....

Cassie Napping:

I have to get away from the TV!

Ok, so I'm sitting here, drinking my herbal tea, and watching Fox News. It's ridiculous the mess our country is in. I think I will just turn off the television and go outside and enjoy this fall day. It's almost exhausting to watch the news anymore. Now McCain just said he will suspend his campaign and head to Washington to work on the economic problem. Let's hope Obama follows suit.

TV off, finally I can relax again.........

Do you take your shopping bags with you?

For months now, I've been taking my own canvas bags with me to the store when I go shopping. But, I look around me when I'm in the check out line, and nobody else is doing it. EVERYONE around me is using the plastic bags.

Now, granted, I live in a tiny town in Northern Minnesota, where time has stood still. But seriously, I don't understand why people aren't using the cloth bags. They are readily available right at the check out stands, and it is a 1 time investment.

I'm amazed at the number of bags I used to get, I would have at least 50 at a time under my sink. I've now narrowed that down to about 5.

Does anyone else live in an area where 'Going Green' is basically non-exsistant?

Sunflowers

Ok, so in the spring I planted some 'Dwarf Sunflower' seeds. They have grown beautifully this summer, but I never realized how many grasshoppers would be attracted to them. There are at least 20 grasshoppers per sunflower (I think I have 6 of them). Then one of my friends noticed that my sunflowers have no seeds in them. Are the grasshoppers eating my sunflower seeds or what? Very odd.

Now, I don't mind insects, they usually don't bother me at all, until last night. I had been outdoors walking around, came back in, ate dinner, and sat down to watch some T.V. with my hubby. I have a coffee in one hand and my laptop in the other, when all of a sudden, I feel something - INSIDE my pants. I said 'I think there is something climbing up my leg!!!' It was right next to my knee. I'm sorta freaking out, so I hand hubby my coffee, set down the laptop, and run to the bathroom, with hubby right behind me. I drop my pants, and guess what was there?? A GRASSHOPPER. Yuck! My hubby picked it up and tossed it outside, but gross, seriously, why did the grasshopper have to catch a ride in my pants.

So, needless to say, next summer I will plant sunflowers again, but this time, I will plant them far away from my house.

Composting

Do you have a compost bucket? I do, and it is really making some nice soil. Just have to say, if you forget to turn it or stir it, watch out, the odors will get you!!! I put some worms in and it is working beautifully.

Fall is here!

Ok, so summer went by and I didn't do alot of blogging. Well, my garden came and went. I still have some pumpkins growing and I just picked my last tomatoes.

So the kids are back in school, and it is getting cooler by the day! Today was only 55 degrees. BRRR! I guess that really isn't that bad considering where I live and how cold it gets in the winter.

So here is Cassie's schedule now that the boys are back in school:



Miss Cassie(The Mastiff (above with Fat Kitty)) is really enjoying the cool weather. She loves to go outside first thing in the morning and just sit outside in the breaking daylight. Then she comes in and eats her breakfast, and then goes back to bed until about 10 am. At that point she gets up and we walk down the driveway to check the mail. That is very exciting for her. We then walk and check the garden, and walk all around the house to check the flowers. Then she is exhausted. Time for another 2 hour nap - on the couch this time. She takes up the entire couch!!

I do some house cleaning, around her, and then we go back out for another walk around the property.

She's such a sweetheart, couldn't ask for a better dog.

I'll write more later.