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Linking to Savy Seasons

My fall favorites

Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE FALL! I love the colors, the smells, the food, football, the late gardens....I just love it all. Good things have happened for me in the fall. My oldest son was born in Sept., my daughter got married in Oct., three of my seven grandchildren were born in fall. Life just seems to come together in the fall. My good friend hated fall, she would tell me it was like death to her, as the years have come and gone she now says she sees the beauty and life of fall through my eyes. Fall still isn't her favorite time of year. I can only influence so many I guess. Here are a few things I really, really love about fall. Please note that none of these first photos are mine, some are from Martha Stewart, some I pulled off the net that didn't show any authors, so sorry to those of you with the great photos.

Several years ago one of my good leaf peeping friends decided to go East to see the fall foliage. We flew out of Denver, Colorado with a few stops in between we made it to Burlington, Vermont. Coming from an area with few trees which are mostly pine trees I was in awe from the moment I saw the tips of the trees as we started to descend in the plane until we left to come home. It was so much fun, we rented a little bed and breakfast, a car and toured Vermont, New York, New Hampshire and Maine. We walked the paths through the most beautiful fall laden countryside. Took in some fall events, picked apples, took photos and collected leaves. We had some many news pressed in books that we had to buy more luggage to get it home. One of the funniest things I think I ever saw was my, small of structure friend, carrying a two foot felt stuffed ghost that we had bought at a craft fair, through the halls of one of the largest airports in the US. It wouldn't fit in the old or new luggage so she had to carry it on her lap. Needless to say we were stopped at all three airports on our way home and 'inspected'. This was the year following 911 so everyone was on their guard and I suppose we looked a little suspicious with our overload of leaves and memorabilia - made for a good laugh when we talk about our travels.

I not only love the fall colors but I love the fall garden and MUMS. I think they say 'fall' in the most beautiful way. I actually brought home a fall plant from Vermont. - I know I probably wasn't suppose to but no one said anything about it at the airports so home it came.

I have several varieties growing in my garden and every year I add more. I know they say toss them in the compost pile when you are done as they won't do anything the following year - but not so. Mine always come back and if I remember to clip their tips about the 4th of July, I get an awesome display of mums in my garden.

However the one thing I am really crazy about is pumpkins. I love to grow them, eat them, carve them, decorate with them and when I am done we take them to the fields and let the deer eat them. This little beauty taken from Martha Stewart is so pretty I am going to give it a try.

I love to photography the area around my little home town. This little area is so darn pretty but only in years with some moisture do I get to take a photo of it as the little dam is usually dry.

I love to carve those pumpkins and put them on display. Every year we have a BIG pumpkin cutting party and cut up tons of pumpkins. I invite the local elementary school to bring the younger grades over to the garden to pick pumpkins so they carve them at school.

I love to play in my pumpkin patch - even the neighbor's kitten loves to play in my pumpkin patch.

Oh FALL you are such a welcome time in my life. I hope you enjoyed a little walk through my fall thoughts!

Halloween 2010

We are 'Off to see the Wizard....The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'

The Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, Dorothy and Tin Man went looking for the Great Oz. Look at all of the characters they found.

The Great and Powerful Oz; Cowardly Lion; Dorothy; Tin Man; The Bad Witch and Glenda The Good Witch. What a fun Halloween we had. 

Our whole group.

Fun at the zoo! We went to spooktackular Friday night.

There were some pretty scary creatures at the Zoo.

We also went to the Halloween Parade for some costume fun.

And then we carved pumpkins - and some of us had a little pumpkin snack.

Some of the finished products after a long night of carving; eating chili and making somores. 

And finally we went Trick or Treating!

What a busy weekend we had!

Emma in the Patch!

My beautiful little Emma Jean got to come to the pumpkin patch this weekend. She is just such a natural beauty and I love, love, love to spend time with her. And she does a great job of posing for grandma.

Grandma has loved this pumpkin that grew in the corn field and I try talking everyone into picking it but no one dose. That's ok....I use it as a prop.

Nope, this it the pumkin that emma picked......a green little pumpkin so smal and so green it was hidden in amongst the weeds and dead leaves. One of the beauties of having so many pumpkins is you can pick big, small, green, orange - just anything you like.

Here she is again getting a photo on the wagon. It was such a beautiful day for pumpkin picking. Emma got to play with some of her cousins and then made some new friends who came to the Patch.

Her dad is helping her look for a pumpkin for her little brother Bateson.

Here she is with her little green pumpkin - it is a really cute pumpkin.

Jaxon and Preston wanted their picture taken with Emma too!

We are so looking forward to next week, we will carve all of our pumpkins and we have a ton. TOn Saturday we will gert our costumes on for the Halloween parade, go trick or treating around the town and also do a family photo shoot. On Sunday our whole family is getting dressed up to go around town to trick or treat. I am like a little kid in a candy shop.

Happy Week To All!

October madness or where I have been all month!!

Oh how fast time does fly, I just can't believe that Oct. is almost over. Only 10 more days until Halloween......zooie I just can't believe that. So I have been busy - on my most favorite month. I almost let it pass me by, or so it seems so here is what I have been up too.

 I have been tending this garden - it isn't an Oct. shot but it will show a little bit of what seems to keep me busy any time I am not chasing around with the kids and grannies. The pumpkin patch continues on behind those trees. I planted three areas with pumpkins - because I LoVe Pumpkins - and fall and orange, need I say more.

  Here are some of their beautiful blooms. Ouch as I look I see one of those rotten goat head weeds hiding amongst the beauty. Don't they have just gorgeous blooms.

And  I keep tending those pumpkins, praying that they get to maturity, not to soon, not to late.

 I took  a trip into the Hills to see some of the beautiful fall foliage we one of my best buds Becky. We had a great time even though I swear we drove clear through the whole state of SD.

We chased trains by Hill City and we stayed in this cute little cabin pictured below. It was a great get away even if we were lost most of the time.

The beauty of it all, well besides the beauty of the scenery is that Becky let me stop any place my little leaf peeping heart desired and I got a chance to photograph some of the pretty places along the way.

This is Spearfish Canyon and it was just at peak season when we drove through it.

So I also spent time watching my favorite sport ever - FOOTBALL! And making it even better was that my grandson was one of the players. Taylor is in the red - he caught that pass despite the strong defense of the Hot Springs player.

I also got to spend time with baby Lu. It would have been a much better trip if I hadn't gotten sicker than a dog - probably the sickest I have ever been in my life......... but despite that we got in a little pre-Halloween fun. Most of our family is going to get dressed up for Halloween.

Don't know if the kiddos are going to enjoy it as much as we do but I sure hope so. I hope when I leave this world my kids and grandkids will remember that grannie liked to have fun. Those are NOT my legs - aren't they cool looking?

Did I say that I watched some football - oh yeah I did but this is Austin's football not Taylor's. I also made it to one of Jaxon's soccer games but took pictures with his mom's camera so.... I don't have any. Boo Hoo.....come on Brandi share!

Then there were birthday parties - well one that is. Mr. Jaxon turned 5 and his mom sure did put on one fun party. Jaxon said it was the 'best' ever.

Baby brother Cash had a pretty good time too!

The cakes were yummy, even if grandpa threw a football in the middle of it. We were after the little ones to not throw the football around the table and then gramps got the ball and look out. Luckily it didn't damage it to much.

And then.........back to the pumpkin patch - I don't know how many hours I have spent in the pumpkin patch, but a lot. However I love, love, love it and even more, I love when the grandkiddos come to the patch. My other love is to watch kids play in the pumpkin patch and we had some wonderful visitors. Pre-school, Kindergarten, First and Second grades all took a bus trip to the patch. We also have other wonderful friends who support our efforts a the Patch and we so appreciate them bringing their kids over.

 I like to photograph my pumpkins too - several pumpkins grew through the rows of corn and gave my little photographic heart something to play with.

And then there were the photo shoots. My great nieces Kamden and Kendall came to the patch for pumpkins and a few photo shots. Kammie is just a natural poser and sometimes we get some good pictures...........and............

...........sometimes we don't. Kendal didn't care for even one thing in the patch. No, that isn't true she loved laughing at her mom and dad trying to get her to laugh - she just wasn't too thrilled about me taking the photos, or the straw, or the wagon, or the grass....you get the picture.

And then there's my Jaxon. He is a good little poser for grandma.

Little Miss Adrianne picked her favorite pumpkin when she came to the Patch with her class.

But first she drew it! She looks so intent on making the perfect pumpkin!

Here they are enjoying the wagon and more pumpkins.

Mrs. Miller has been bringing her classroom down to the Patch for several years. We love it when they visit.

Since uncle Damion and aunt Daunee' weren't here to get their pumpkins Austin wanted to pick out theirs. UMMMM he thought that Damion would love the butt crack pumpkin.

And then Cash just couldn't decide which pumpkin to pick so we looked and looked. 

"Maybe grandpa, maybe not!"

"Oh I think I see the one I want!"

"You don't think it is perfect?"

"YUP - I want THIS one!"

"AW the perfect pumpkin - it makes me happy!"

More photo shoots - The Wendland Family!! Don't they look great? I love the red and the Husker theme!

AND THEN...........THE VERY BEST THING HAPPENED IN FALL!

One of my very best and dearest friend's daughter, who has been fighting colon cancer - was declared 

CANCER FREE -- YES THAT IS RIGHT - CANCER FREE

It has been the best October EVER!