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Archive for October, 2017

My 56th 1st

Toward the end of October in Minnesota it’s hard to tell what the weather will do.

Twin Cities, MN, October 31, 1991

We haven’t seen the likes of the Halloween Blizzard of 1991 since, but once again I want everyone to know that I SHOWED UP TO WORK THAT DAY!  My diligence to my employer, the State of MN who did NOT announce a snow emergency that day, is to be applauded.  *Applaud here*

While I don’t expect this October 27th snowfall to turn out to be of blizzard proportions, it will be marked as the 56th first snowfall of my life.  It’s been snowing all day long, and the flakes keep getting bigger and bigger as the day wears on.  First snowfalls are always celebrated by me, if only in my heart.

One of our spirea shrubs, starting to droop with the heavy snow.

There’s so much to complain about with the coming of winter.  Shoveling snow, icy roads, ice dams in the gutters…but for all the trouble I love wintertime.  It’s second only to autumn which boasts its colors and shifted sunlight which makes everything outdoors look more beautiful, like candlelight accentuates a woman’s beauty.  OK, a man’s handsomeness too .

Winter marks hibernation, a regrouping of oneself.  Its cold and stark atmosphere appeals to me, especially when I can bask in front of a toasty fire while eating hot soups and stews.

Husby’s potted spruce trees in what used to be his vegetable patch during the spring and summer.

The snow we get today will probably melt before long; temperatures will rise to the 40s (F) in the very near future.  But that won’t negate the first snowfall, October 27th, 2017.  My 56th 1st.

A small lilac bush.

While the wind blows and the snow falls I’m cozy in my house with a candle burning.  The candle’s scent is Tall Grass, which I expect I won’t be smelling naturally for quite a few months.  Winter is creeping in, and my nesting instincts are aroused.

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Closing Time

October is a good month.  I was married in October.  The leaves turn in October.  Halloween is in October.  October is the best month of the year as far as I’m concerned.

There’s some work involved in October though.  Closing up the family cottage(s) in Wisconsin is a chore that has to be done, especially as those dwellings are not winter-friendly.  A friend of mine was recently surprised that the family cottage actually consisted of two properties with two structures.  Yes, my parents managed to buy an adjoining property from a neighbor quite a few years ago in order to accommodate our growing family.

Stats aside, my family and I spent a weekend closing up the cottages for the winter.  It was busy work and caused some bodies (mine mostly) to cry out in protest.  That only proves the bodies in question are extremely out of shape and should shape up.  Raking leaves is the biggest project in October.

The original cottage, built by Grandpa Mike in 1950.  Leaves ready to be picked up and hauled away.

Leave raking is the biggest closing-time activity.  Lots and lots of leaves.  At the end of it there were seven truck-loads of leaves dumped away from the properties.  Seven, squished loads of leaves.  But we love the trees and don’t complain too much about their shedding.

Here’s the second property, right next door to the previous. How happy am I and my entire family to own two properties on such a lovely lake?!

Yes, it takes more effort to maintain a second dwelling in addition to the primary.  But it’s totally worth it.  Good thing we have a big family to pitch in with the work!

It’s closing time at the family cottage.  We’ll not be back for a while, but after the hard work we spent tidying up the yards and winter-proofing the dwellings there were cozy times spent with those who make us a family.  Treasured times.

See that happy little man by the fire? That’s my dad.  His dad was the one who gave all of us the opportunity to enjoy pleasures of lakeside living.  Dad’s the one (along with Mom, of course) who kept the dream alive for the rest of his family.

So, with October coming to an end I pay tribute to the ancestors before me, for giving their family a peaceful respite from the trials and stressors of everyday life.  Summertime at the lake is something we all look forward to.

Autumn at the lake is a beautiful farewell.

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