Lulu and her girls

Ryan and Cam & family have a new puppy.  She is an English Bulldog, but mostly she is a sweet baby.  She cuddled in Lois's lap and slept like an infant.  The girls carried her around like a rag doll.  She's truly a sweet dog (high praise coming from someone who is not a dog owner).

Elliana, Milena and sweet Lulu

She wasn't too sure about this bone.

The girls thought Lulu needed a pretty scarf.

I'm not sure Lulu thinks the scarf is all that necessary.

Lulu is quite accommodating as Milena holds her up for a photo.

I think Lulu was getting weary of the photo session.

R.I.P. Kerby

On Friday, 12 year old Kerby went from an old, sick dog, to a pet heaven where all dogs are young again.  

Gus and Lois had Kerby for 12 years and he was a part of the family.  He was a little character.  For a little guy, always willing to take on any challenge.  He had a howl that would wake the dead and you never knew when he was going to do his 'program' of howls that had to complete the cycle before he was quiet down.  He loved it at the cabin and delighted in finding an old deer hoof to drag up to the backyard.  At home in Luck, he perched on the couch and kept an eye out the window, or slept soundly.  He will be missed but we know that he had a good life and was well loved by his humans.

Rest in Peace little guy.

County Government

It's interesting to me to learn how county government works.  Living in a large city, I wasn't really aware of all that the county manages.  Thursday I attended a meeting of the Barron County Highway Department board.  My reason for going was to ask that Barron county adopt a 'no engine braking' ordinance, and then, I am asking that the hill on the county road that runs along my property, be posted with the ordinance.

Barron County

The meeting was a spirited exchange.  The board members were respectful of my request and I feel confident that some action will be taken, although it will be on the time table of the county government, which may require me to attend a meeting of the county board as well.

CTH SS is a busy road, but the highway noise doesn't bother me, it is the engine braking that is loud enough to wake the dead that I would like to see curtailed.

It will interesting to see how this issue progresses through local government, but I'm quite optimistic.

Blah Blah Blah

I've really been on the blog wagon lately.  Nothing too remarkable, and today is no different.  This hairy woodpecker was busy at the feeder and gave me a chance to catch a couple of pictures.

She was really eying the buffet.

Ooops, she heard the camera shutter

But the food was more interesting

 I thought I was going to get a nice photo a chickadee at the feeder, but the chick tricked me.

Hey, who was that?

Leekers

On Tuesday I finally cleaned out the tomato bed, those vines were nasty.

So sad how many tomatoes are laying in the garden bed.  

Then I dug all the leeks out of the step garden.  

The pansies and straw flowers are still blooming, so I guess I will let them keep on keepin' on.

I wasn't sure the leeks would still be good, but they look fine.

It was a good leek harvest.

I found this one award winner.

Too bad there is no county fair to enter this beauty into.

Now the leeks are soaking and I will have to clean them up good.

They are kind of a pain to clean up, but worth it, such a mild onion flavor.

I'm thinking I will saute a big pan of leeks as a good start to the green chili that I'm going to make this weekend.

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Pumpkins bite the dust

On Monday, The Produce Patch folks took all the pumpkins off the pyramid. 

Watch for falling pumpkins.

The top one is like the star on a Christmas Tree.

The last of fall.

 The pyramid has become a sign of fall when it is loaded and now, maybe a sign of winter now that it is empty.  

Better get the snow shovels ready.

A little work @ Big Moon

I stopped in at Glenn & Kathy's lake place on Sunday and helped a little bit with winterizing duties.  Jackson and Dana were there when I got there.

Jackson with his light sabers.

The dock had to come out of the lake first.

Jackson and Dana with the pulling equipment.

The guys had to make a plan of attack.

Jackson and Dana sizing up the situation.

Dana hooking up the chain for the big pull.

There's a lot of figuring out to do on a job that you only do once a year.

Dana and Glenn figuring it out.

 Now that it is hooked up, we need muscle!

Jackson trying to pull the dock out of the lake.  Okay, we need a motor.

Dana's big truck pulled the dock out, piece of cake. 

Jackson is such a big boy now and a good helper, here he is raking leaves to help Grandma.

Jackson thought he could scare Grandma Kathy by hiding in the tree.

Glenn & Dana moved my paddle boat closer to the road.  I put it on Craig's List today.  It's got a slow leak and  it must go away now.   Maybe someone will swipe it, that would be great.